Wolves Premier League Gamble

[Tettenhall Wolf]

Don't know if this has ever been raised on here, but I found the article by blogger Swiss Ramble on the link below an excellent read.

It was written last season, just before we stayed up on the last day and of course before this seasons disaster.

It finishes as follows:

First things first, the club absolutely has to avoid relegation in order for the strategy to remain on track. On paper, they have a great chance, as their run-in looks easier than their rivals, but the team still has to secure the points required.

Wolves’ performances on the pitch are currently lagging behind the financial results, and their prudent approach may yet come back to haunt them. While it might seem strange to describe a sensible financial strategy as a gamble, that’s exactly what it is in the unforgiving world of modern football, where money talks loudest. The league position at the end of the season will reveal whether it has paid off or not.

http://swissramble.blogspot.de/search/label/Wolverhampton Wanderers

For those interested, there is also a similar article about WBA's strategy also worth a look in comparison.

 

[jrpb-3]

he's right that the prudent approach is a gamble, i.e. hoping to pick up players of enough quality on the cheap and get them playing well. But so is spending big money on players (Leeds and Portsmouth being examples that spring to mind), and if it goes wrong leaves you in a worse mess, though it does give you a lot bigger choice of players to pick from so ought to result in better results as long as it doesn't put the club massively in debt. It's a matter of getting the right balance, and this seasons performances suggest we may have got it wrong either in not setting a realistic budget for wages/trnsfers to be able to attract players of the right quality, or in selection of the players we have bought (too many havn't made the grade).

 

[wolfyjoe]

That's really interesting and does make me feel a lot better about the way the club has been run. Personally, i think sacking Mick has sent us down but i know others would disagree vehemently.
I think our only hope is to ensure a quick top flight return or we will find ourself losing our established squad player by player, forcing us to start from scratch.
I still think we're going the right way though- COYW!

 

[kennyB]

That's really interesting and does make me feel a lot better about the way the club has been run. Personally, i think sacking Mick has sent us down but i know others would disagree vehemently.
I think our only hope is to ensure a quick top flight return or we will find ourself losing our established squad player by player, forcing us to start from scratch.
I still think we're going the right way though- COYW!

Do you honestly think Mick would have kept us up wolfy? I think you are deluded if you do. No offence.

 

[Tettenhall Wolf]

I think our approach in general was good, perhaps would have preferred a few more good signings and a little bit less profit.

However, I think we should really have sacked Mick sooner. After the back footed sacking, once the transfer deadline was closed, the club just unravelled.

 

[freezin]

Do you honestly think Mick would have kept us up wolfy? I think you are deluded if you do. No offence.

I think we'd have been still in touching distance if not already safe.

That chapter is closed, the next managerial appointment will arguably be the biggest single appointment in the clubs history. Get that right and this will be a blip that many easily forget. Get it wrong and it will be a long, long, long road back.

Morgan and Moxey need to pull out all the stops but im afraid their recent track record is reflective of the type of calibre manager that we'll end up lumbered with.

PS. i dont subscribe to the Curbishley love-in.

 

[reanswolf]

Wolves biggest strategic gamble was ignoring the close correlation between league position and wages paid, with Wolves being the second lowest wage payer inevitably eventually leading to our relegation.

Its a tough situation for the club no doubt as its a cut throat business. But we have failed miserably. It could well be another 30 years until we see the top flight again, not that i will miss it to be honest. Happy to play teams in the FA Cup.

 

[BlahBlah]

Wolves biggest strategic gamble was ignoring the close correlation between league position and wages paid, with Wolves being the second lowest wage payer inevitably eventually leading to our relegation.

Its a tough situation for the club no doubt as its a cut throat business. But we have failed miserably. It could well be another 30 years until we see the top flight again, not that i will miss it to be honest. Happy to play teams in the FA Cup.

The FA Cup yes....it's great that we've got such a good cup record to fall back on !

McCarthy's biggest careless mistake (and I don't call Johnson a reckless mistake...it's been a surprise to everyone how he's unsettled the team and been so awful at form and leadership) was to retain faith in so many players from the Championship.

All the best teams freshen up from a position of strength before the situation becomes crucial.
Ferguson for years has known when to freshen up teams, even getting rid of big name players after WINNING the Premier League who haven't actually done anything to warrant being shifted, but he wanted to bring in a different quality and keep team development fluid.
It keeps the opposition guessing, keeps your own players on the ball and stops your tactics from being sussed out.

Wolves were just sussed out for playing the same way and not developing, and players have become stale. You become a lot easier to beat when you're completely understood and your players lose the "edge".
It was 8 months ago that McCarthy almost begrudgingly said he was "satisfied" with his team after just bringing in De Vries and Johnson....after staying up by the skin of his teeth on the last day.
Even if you know nothing about football you'd look at that and say "they're going to be in big trouble, they haven't done enough."

 

[cobweb]

Wolves biggest strategic gamble was ignoring the close correlation between league position and wages paid, with Wolves being the second lowest wage payer inevitably eventually leading to our relegation.

And what's most surprising about the above, is the fact that Moxey is on record (when we'd recently won the championship) saying that the club were fully aware of this (evidence of wages and final league position) and yet they still went on to be the 2nd lowest wage payer in the PL.

 

[reanswolf]

The FA Cup yes....it's great that we've got such a good cup record to fall back on !

McCarthy's biggest careless mistake (and I don't call Johnson a reckless mistake...it's been a surprise to everyone how he's unsettled the team and been so awful at form and leadership) was to retain faith in so many players from the Championship.

All the best teams freshen up from a position of strength before the situation becomes crucial.
Ferguson for years has known when to freshen up teams, even getting rid of big name players after WINNING the Premier League who haven't actually done anything to warrant being shifted, but he wanted to bring in a different quality and keep team development fluid.
It keeps the opposition guessing, keeps your own players on the ball and stops your tactics from being sussed out.

Wolves were just sussed out for playing the same way and not developing, and players have become stale. You become a lot easier to beat when you're completely understood and your players lose the "edge".
It was 8 months ago that McCarthy almost begrudgingly said he was "satisfied" with his team after just bringing in De Vries and Johnson....after staying up by the skin of his teeth on the last day.
Even if you know nothing about football you'd look at that and say "they're going to be in big trouble, they haven't done enough."

Yes but now we are back in the chump we will find FA Cup games against prem teams a great day out rather than a unneccessary distraction.

Part of the problem was undoubtedly MM, but why do you think he could not change his championship winning team of players easily. WAGES! Players he wanted would not come here as they could get more elsewhere - except players like Johnson who no one else wanted.

This is down to the clubs strategy, and I feel the club critically got the balance between wages and transfer spending wrong, despite evidence of an incredibly strong correlation between wages and final league position. Moxey is surely the man who should be accountable for the failure, despite some peoples assertion he has done no wrong.

 

[Tettenhall Wolf]

Yes but now we are back in the chump we will find FA Cup games against prem teams a great day out rather than a unneccessary distraction.

Part of the problem was undoubtedly MM, but why do you think he could not change his championship winning team of players easily. WAGES! Players he wanted would not come here as they could get more elsewhere - except players like Johnson who no one else wanted.

This is down to the clubs strategy, and I feel the club critically got the balance between wages and transfer spending wrong, despite evidence of an incredibly strong correlation between wages and final league position. Moxey is surely the man who should be accountable for the failure, despite some peoples assertion he has done no wrong.

I think that's a good analysis. I also agree with Blah's sentiments.

Combination of wage restriction and Mick's limitations meant we were not moving forward after promotion. Mick himself also admitted he should have broken up that promotion winning team, we relied on those players too much.

 

[FLEET WOLF]

That's really interesting and does make me feel a lot better about the way the club has been run. Personally, i think sacking Mick has sent us down but i know others would disagree vehemently.
I think our only hope is to ensure a quick top flight return or we will find ourself losing our established squad player by player, forcing us to start from scratch.
I still think we're going the right way though- COYW!

I think that had we kept MM, there would have been a 50/50 chance of staying up-I am not necessarily saying that he shouldn't have been sacked, however. I still think losing Frimpong and Henry's injuries and suspension towards the end of the season were a big factor, but all clubs get that and you have to deal with it. As others have pointed out on here, there is a close correlation between wages and league placings and that says it all, whether you have TC, MM or even that horrible prat Mourinho in charge!

 

[Dorset DeWolf]

Do you honestly think Mick would have kept us up wolfy? I think you are deluded if you do. No offence.

I do, Mick would have kept us up, without question

 

[North West Wanderer]

He had to go after the BCD debacle.

However the whole point of sacking a manager is to get the impetus from a new manger coming in with fresh ideas and fresh opinions.

We didn't get that.

In hindsight (wonderful thing eh!) we should either have sacked him earlier or not at all. I feel we would have done better had he been retained. That doesn't mean we'd have stayed up.

 

[tiggerkev]

I do, Mick would have kept us up, without question

And we would have started next season knowing that we were going to be in yet another relagation dogfight. Nothing would have changed.

Im not saying now we are in a better position. Its upto to the board to either take us forward to better things or stagnate like we have for the past few seasons.

It has been heart wrenching as a fan to see us lose so many games. We couldnt have carried on like that.