Wolves don’t have a big enough squad of Premier League quality players. Bruno is constantly making that point. The consequences of having a small squad were there for all to see last season when Jimenez got injured. Yes we could put Fabio there and we could put Cutrone there and we could put Jose there or Podence or Traore or in wolfie’s mind we could probably put Ait Nouri there. But none of them were anywhere near as good and the results suffered.

In the centre of defence we have 4 people of the right standard in Kilman, Coady, Saiss and Boly. 4 is not enough to give good cover for 3 positions because there will at some stage be injuries or suspensions. And now in January we have Saiss and Boly going to acon giving us 2 reliable players to cover 3 positions. Yes we could have a raffle to see who could play there while they are away but whoever else goes there will make us weaker and the results will likely suffer.

As with Jimenez who we didn’t have adequate cover for, everyone (well almost everyone) can see a defensive problem coming in January and we need to act quickly at the beginning of the transfer window to plug the gap.

comment by Oldgoldilox (U17303)
posted 25 minutes ago
comment by wolfieinFL (U16306)
posted 12 hours, 26 minutes ago
You don't need to be a giant to play in defence, especially in a back three and let's not forget that Semedo was a RB for Barca.

Are you playing peek-a-boo DJ, or got a sore head from last nights drinking?
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Wolfie, you are getting your right backs and right centre backs mixed up again.

In a back three you have what we would traditionally describe as three central defenders, tall enough to defend crosses and win headers against big strikers but a bit more mobile than a traditional CB in a back four. Examples - Coady, Boly, Kilman, Saiss. None of these are full backs, right or left.

Outside of these you have your wing backs, usually more mobile, pacey and thereby shorter guys who both attack and defend on the wings. They track opposition wingers or wing backs and do most of their defending on the ground, blocking crosses and closing down space. Examples - Semedo, Ait Nouri, Johnny, Marcal.

Right backs and left backs play in a back four, and can be similar in build to wing backs but have less attacking responsibility due to the extra midfielder playing ahead of them, though may overlap them if tactics dictate.

Wolves do not play with right or left backs in the current formation. Hope this helps.
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To be fair, Marcal has played in a back three before. Although, I don't think he has the aerial presence to manage it in the Premier League.

There are some full backs who can make the switch. Azpilicueta at Chelsea is a good example. To do it though, they need to be defensively minded, physical or have a good low centre of gravity to put up with the demands of the position; as well as being a good all round footballer. Realistically, only Marcal and Jonny potentially fit this, but I don't think either would really be suited to it due to their height.

We'd also need some height and physicality in the central position of the three to make up for what is lost on the outsides if we played a full back there. We don't have that whilst Coady fills that position.

Basically playing one of our full backs there would be putting a square peg in a round hole, for a position we should be looking to improve on anyway.

Dendoncker?

comment by Wulfrunnut (U17298)
posted 9 seconds ago
Dendoncker?
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He can do a job for a few games, but then we have no midfield options. Just Moutinho and Neves.

OK, not a round peg, but sort of square-ish with rounded corners.

Wolves loanees certainly making a mark in Sheffield.

Gibbs White scored again for the Blades last night and there are plenty of messages from their fans online begging the club to try to sign him outright. Wolves meanwhile have been sending reps to watch him play and haven’t ruled out recalling him in January.

Over at Hillsborough their manager Darren Moore finally gave Corbeanu a chance in the first team and the youngster who had been a regular for Wolves U23s as a right sided attacker,was surprisingly selected for Wednesday at left wing back. He scored one and made one against promotion chasing Sunderland and was evidently one of their stand out players.

Dendoncker has had a few games at centre back for Wolves but I wouldn’t say he has impressed there

OK goldi. So IF we were to play with a back four, who would play where, bearing in mind that some think Coady cannot play in a back four?

comment by Tamwolf (U17286)
posted 4 hours, 51 minutes ago
Has Wolfie ever been in favour of us signing players?
=======================================

I'm all for signing new players, but they need to be better than what we have. Bruno, like any manager wants a decent squad to work with, but even he has stated that he won't get new players in just to make up the numbers. We need quality, not quantity.

This CB at Stoke may be a giant, but is he better than what we have and where does he fit into a back three?

I thought as the time that to send morgan on loan was a mistake, and his form at Sheffield seems to confirm that.

comment by Wolfgang (U8869)
posted 6 minutes ago
I thought as the time that to send morgan on loan was a mistake, and his form at Sheffield seems to confirm that.
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yeah but regular game time rather than cameos with us is probably better for his development

Respected journalist john percy of the telegraph says that wolves want to make Korean hang a permanent transfer in the new year and also that we will try again for Renate sanchez

yeah saw the links to Chan, £14m seems a fair price

comment by wolfieinFL (U16306)
posted 32 minutes ago
comment by Tamwolf (U17286)
posted 4 hours, 51 minutes ago
Has Wolfie ever been in favour of us signing players?
=======================================

I'm all for signing new players, but they need to be better than what we have. Bruno, like any manager wants a decent squad to work with, but even he has stated that he won't get new players in just to make up the numbers. We need quality, not quantity.

This CB at Stoke may be a giant, but is he better than what we have and where does he fit into a back three?
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Everyone wants us to sign better than what we have. We're not all hoping for mediocre signings to sit on the bench.

Of all the defensive players we have been linked with in 2021 Botman looks the most exciting. I think many felt he would end up at a bigger club than Wolves when his name came up in the summer. But talk is that after not getting any move in the summer he would evidently have jumped at the chance of playing for Wolves if he had been given the chance and was unhappy Lille didn’t make him aware of the opportunity until very late in the window.

He is out for the next month with a groin injury so good chance to have a word in his ear

I would like us to go back for Ruben Semedo.

Strong in the tackle, good in the air, albeit with a few disciplinary issues such as picking up needless yellow cards and the occasional armed robbery, kidnap, and wounding with intent.

comment by wolfieinFL (U16306)
posted 2 hours, 19 minutes ago
OK goldi. So IF we were to play with a back four, who would play where, bearing in mind that some think Coady cannot play in a back four?
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Bruno has pretty much said that he wants to play a back four but we don't have the players to do so. Whether it happens in January, who knows, but come the summer we will see some of the old guard on their way i suspect. Wouldn't be surprised to see one or two of Coady, Boly or Saiss out the door.

comment by wolfieinFL (U16306)
posted 2 hours, 30 minutes ago
OK goldi. So IF we were to play with a back four, who would play where, bearing in mind that some think Coady cannot play in a back four?
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With the squad as it is at the moment I would probably go with Boly & Kilman as first choice CBs, Marcal at LB & Semedo at RB.

And there lie several issues, you lose Coady's leadership abilities, Im not totally comfortable with Semedo defensively, ditto Hoever, so we're weak in that position. Boly has hardly played and woudl need to get up to full fitness before chucking him in.

I'd have Coady as third choice CB, Dendoncker fourth and Saiss fifth.

Truth is we looked a shambles last season when we played a back four and the squad is built around a back 3/5. We would need the new players that Lage has been asking for to make it work.

comment by Spangles (U17289)
posted 1 hour, 57 minutes ago
Of all the defensive players we have been linked with in 2021 Botman looks the most exciting. I think many felt he would end up at a bigger club than Wolves when his name came up in the summer. But talk is that after not getting any move in the summer he would evidently have jumped at the chance of playing for Wolves if he had been given the chance and was unhappy Lille didn’t make him aware of the opportunity until very late in the window.
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If he wasn't keeping up with the transfer window thread on here then he clearly isnt interested in coming to Wolverhampton.

I actually think Semedo is the best equipped out of our defenders to play in a back four. He is top of the statistics in Europe for stopping opposition dribbles and he generally keeps players quiet on his side.

My big concern with going to a back four is thay Kilman and Boly aren't really great communicators. They actually played together in a back four last season and it was terrible.

Communication is Coady's strength, but he struggles with the physicality and positioning in a four. I think we need him to play and because of this we are stuck with a back three until we bring in a commanding centre back.

I don't see Dendonker as CB, in fact t I don't see him in midfield either.
For me he is a square peg in a round hole wherever he plays.
Just saying.

comment by TheBlackCountry (U22512)
posted 1 hour, 28 minutes ago
I would like us to go back for Ruben Semedo.

Strong in the tackle, good in the air, albeit with a few disciplinary issues such as picking up needless yellow cards and the occasional armed robbery, kidnap, and wounding with intent.
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Sounds a natural for Wolverhampton

So after all the do's and don't's regarding our defence, it seems to me that we are best suited playing with a back 3 and I think Bruno has seen that.

Plus, I haven't read lately that he wants to go with a back four. It may have worked at Benfica as he had the right players, but with us, 7th spot and conceding less goals than most sides, it seems to be the best/right option.

Back 3 is our best set up at the moment and we have 4 players to fit those 3 positions which isn’t enough. Plus two of those are going to acon in January so that leaves two players to cover three positions

I think I might have said that before about ten hours ago