comment by Spangles (U17289)
posted 48 minutes ago
Can’t say I’m enthused by the links to Che Adams. Got to be better strikers than that we can find.
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He's probably better than Wolves fans will give him credit for.

I think there is a combination of two things which stop us scoring.

1. We don't create enough good quality chances due to nor linking with the forwards, being direct or moving the ball quickly enough in possession.
2. We have been missing a central striker who instinctively gets into good positions and makes things of half chances.

Che Adams is pretty good at link up play. If we can have two forwards who can link up well and get us playing more direct and quickly around the opposing penalty area, our goals will naturally improve just by resolving the first of the issue. In an ideal world we'll resolve both, but that would cost a lot of money to do in one window.

Who knows, we might actually find we already have the solution the second by improving the first.

I think the second point is the key for us much more than the first and I’ve felt that ever since Raul got injured in November 2020.

With Nunes, Cunha, Sarabia and Neto we now have the players who can provide link up play right up to the final third. But I just don’t see anyone in the squad who is going to get on the end of things anywhere near prolifically. After his 16 goals in Belgium and Holland last season the best hope we have is Fabio but I do think another scorer is our top priority in this transfer window

Big hope I know, but let's wait and see what Sasa can produce.

Nunes, Sarabia, Cunha and Neto should all be scoring more than they do though. If a striker comes in and scores 15 goals next season, then that's all we improve by. Theoretically, if a forward comes in who improves our creativity, they only need to score 7-8 goals if they improve the output of those players by an average of 3-4 goals each (not inconceivable given the starting point) for us to be better off.

Obviously both is preferable and is the difference between being a top 7 challenger and mid table. An all round striker costs a premium though or you have to strike it lucky. As long as we improve one of those things though, we should be better off. I guess it totally depends on what we find within our budget.

Liverpool have signed 14 year old centre back Owen Harvey from the Wolves academy. The deal is expected to be worth around £800k to Wolves

The lack of activity in the transfer market is starting to raise questions again about whether Lopetegui will stick with the project. Some bookmakers now make him favourite to be the next premier league manager to leave his club.

Guillem Balague

I spoke to Julen Lopetegui about #Wolves and he explained with a very calm voice the alarming situation he finds himself in. You have to listen to the Spanish manager. It is very difficult to hear so much honesty and sincerity.

All this negative talk the last few months in the press is really not gonna do our transfer hopes much good is it.

One rumour Julen is walking. This isn't going away is it.

balagues podcast is out at 4pm uk time apparently

Julen is a good football manager, but I don't really like him to be honest. Keeps airing his dirty laundry to a journalist and doesn't really have a good track record of committing to whatever team he is at.

Feels like the kind of manager who can improve results on the pitch in the short term, but leave the overall club health in a bad way when he leaves.

No chance he walks away from such a massive contract. He's getting paid 10x what Lage was getting.

He will sit it out and get a huge pay off if we're in the relegation zone again come November

comment by Spangles (U17289)
posted 2 hours, 25 minutes ago
The lack of activity in the transfer market is starting to raise questions again about whether Lopetegui will stick with the project.
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What project?

Sounds like he's trying to get himself sacked to be honest. Or getting his excuses in early.

MolMix should he a good read tonight. They will have gone into meltdown mode and there will be quite a few arguments going on.

comment by Tamwolf (U17286)
posted 8 minutes ago
Julen is a good football manager, but I don't really like him to be honest. Keeps airing his dirty laundry to a journalist and doesn't really have a good track record of committing to whatever team he is at.
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I mentioned that fact a while back and it didn't go down too well with some on here. Apart from his spell at Seville, when they were the 4th best team in Spain plus European football, he doesn't hang around much.

We managed to escape relegation last season and I fear he may well get approached by a top European side this season if we're not doing too well.

With Neves gone (and I did like him) we may well have a more attacking midfield, which in turn could lead to a better link up with the forwards and provide more opportunities.

It does look like he's following Conte's playbook at Spurs last season. FFS the squad isn't that thread bare. We are certainly no worse off than the start of last season. We've got rid of some players that weren't playing much.

I just don't see that Julens stock is high enough right now for a top european club to come calling. Saudi is quite a possibility though.

If he's going to go, we want another club to come in for him. We get compensation money if someone else takes him. If he keeps doing this and gets sacked, then we have to pay out.

He must be one of the least professional managers out there though.

Yeah, no doubt he see GB as his outlet and set this up

wonder what prompted this latest interview though?

Head says that Scott has fallen through as Julen really wanted him. Maybe Elvedi as well.

Team for tonight

Sa
Semedo, Dawson, Kilman, Bueno
Hodge, Lemina, Nunes
Sarabia, Cunha, Neto

Everyone else named as a sub

Looks like wolfie was right all along yet again about Lopetegui not hanging around much.

Let’s hope he’s also right about us being better off without Neves.

Neto 1-0

Wolves playing in a 4-2-3-1. Nunes on the right, Neto the left and Sarabia playing behind Cunha #wwfc

Doherty on for Semedo