Just how good were/was/is/are (Wolves Edition)

[North Shropshire Lad]

Camara definitely wasn't a shit player. He shouldn't have won player of the season as Rae was our best player that season by a distance. Camara had issues with end product especially early in the season, but he was fast and tricky and whenever he got the ball he got the fans out of their seat.

The way he left was very poor and probably has an effect of opinions of him as a player as a result but he definitely wasn't shit.

I think the way he 'left' or managed his departure was laughable, with the last laugh being that we did very well financially out of it. It doesn't cloud my opinion of him as a Wolves player. He was shit. Craig Davies or Jemal Johnson were also quick and had similar goal records - neither came close to POTS.

 

[North Shropshire Lad]

Camara was a shit player, shitbag person with a cunt of an agent.

The whole player of the season stuff was an embarrassment.

I hate these type of players as they're stealing a living off somebody who could actually play football. Athletes and agents blindside stupid managers all the time only we seem to have kept doing it under one man's stewardship.

100%

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

18. Ivan Cavaleiro

Ivan Ricardo Neves Abreu Cavaleiro (born 18 October 1993) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays for English club Fulham. Mainly a winger, he can also play as a forward.

A product of Benfica's youth system, he was part of the club's domestic treble in the 2013–14 season. After one-year spells with Deportivo (Spain) and Monaco he went on to spend most of his career in England with Wolverhampton Wanderers and Fulham, signing with the former in 2016.

Cavaleiro earned 63 caps for Portugal at youth level all categories comprised, scoring 13 goals. He made his senior international debut in 2014.

On 31 August 2016, Cavaleiro moved to English Championship side Wolverhampton Wanderers on a five-year deal (with the option of an additional year) for an undisclosed fee, reported to be a new club-record sum of £7 million. He made his debut on 10 September in a 1–1 home draw to Burton Albion and scored his first goal for the club 14 days later in a 3–1 win against Brentford also at Molineux Stadium.

Cavaleiro was voted the Professional Footballers' Association Fans' Championship Player of the Month for November 2017, after netting four times in as many games. The previous month, he had provided five assists to keep his team clear at the top of the table; he finished the season with nine goals from 42 appearances, adding 12 decisive passes and achieving promotion to the Premier League as champion.

Cavaleiro's first match in the English top division occurred on 29 September 2018, and he scored once in the 2–0 home victory over Southampton with his very first touch of the ball after coming on as a substitute in place of compatriot Diogo Jota.

Cavaleiro signed for Fulham on 13 July 2019 on a season-long loan, with the option to make the move permanent at the end of the season. On 21 August, he put on a player of the match performance in the 4–0 home win against Milwall, scoring twice and providing one assist.

On 7 January 2020, Cavaleiro agreed to a permanent four-and-a-half-year contract.

 

[malta mick]

Backheeled it straight at Howard when he could have turned and shot normally.

It's all here, in glorious 2003 quality:

Fuck off is that nearly 17 years ago, I refuse to accept it.

had forgotten just how many chances we had. woeful shooting indeed.

 

[Sniffer]

18. Ivan Cavaleiro

Ivan Ricardo Neves Abreu Cavaleiro (born 18 October 1993) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays for English club Fulham. Mainly a winger, he can also play as a forward.

A product of Benfica's youth system, he was part of the club's domestic treble in the 2013–14 season. After one-year spells with Deportivo (Spain) and Monaco he went on to spend most of his career in England with Wolverhampton Wanderers and Fulham, signing with the former in 2016.

Cavaleiro earned 63 caps for Portugal at youth level all categories comprised, scoring 13 goals. He made his senior international debut in 2014.

On 31 August 2016, Cavaleiro moved to English Championship side Wolverhampton Wanderers on a five-year deal (with the option of an additional year) for an undisclosed fee, reported to be a new club-record sum of £7 million. He made his debut on 10 September in a 1–1 home draw to Burton Albion and scored his first goal for the club 14 days later in a 3–1 win against Brentford also at Molineux Stadium.

Cavaleiro was voted the Professional Footballers' Association Fans' Championship Player of the Month for November 2017, after netting four times in as many games. The previous month, he had provided five assists to keep his team clear at the top of the table; he finished the season with nine goals from 42 appearances, adding 12 decisive passes and achieving promotion to the Premier League as champion.

Cavaleiro's first match in the English top division occurred on 29 September 2018, and he scored once in the 2–0 home victory over Southampton with his very first touch of the ball after coming on as a substitute in place of compatriot Diogo Jota.

Cavaleiro signed for Fulham on 13 July 2019 on a season-long loan, with the option to make the move permanent at the end of the season. On 21 August, he put on a player of the match performance in the 4–0 home win against Milwall, scoring twice and providing one assist.

On 7 January 2020, Cavaleiro agreed to a permanent four-and-a-half-year contract.

I liked him, always gave his all and was capable of the sublime.

The strange thing is that my favourite Cav moment was when he ripped into Afobe in the first half at Middlesbrough away for not pulling his weight and in defending from the front. Showed for everyone how they bought into Nuno's formation/work/team ethic and that Afobe was not a fit for it.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

My favourite Cav moment was Bristol City away when he was clearly furious at being left on the bench and when he came on, he totally changed the game.

Far too good for the Championship and I think maybe even as recently as 10 years ago he'd have been a good PL player. The standard moves on though and he wasn't quite up to it. Shame but we got close to doubling our money on him, he never made any trouble, I hope he does well unless he's playing against us.

Not a team player though.

 

[North Shropshire Lad]

Performed his role as one of the early Fosun trailblazers admirably. Not as easy a role as it would seem and helped us make the transition to 'new' money far quicker than Man City* did.

Not good enough for where we want to be going forward but showed the requisite attitude and character while he was here. Never understood how he never manged to start more games or how he was subbed of early [60-65 mins] seemingly every time he did. Doubt he did 90 minutes many times (as a percentage of games he was available for) while he was here. Surely given the Nuno regime, fitness shouldn't have been an issue.

Fond memories and best wishes from me for his future.

*EDIT: maybe harsh, but for every Silva and Kompany there seemed to be a Robhino and Santa Cruz

 

[darlowolf64]

I loved Cav, a real step up in quality to what we'd had before him in the Fosun era. Him and Costa on the pitch at the same time was (generally) brilliant.

That goal at Reading was right in front of us, just so calm and what a piss take for the keeper!

Then Jota and Neves came along and we really stepped up

 

[Tredman]

Loved Cav, genuinely wanted to name my youngest after him but the wife wasn't having any of it.

Think he suffered a little bit by not having an out and out role in the team after we went up - he'd fit much better into how we play now than how we played last season. I'd have kept him - a good back up option to Jota.

 

[machin05]

Loved Cav. He had a great habit of sitting defenders literally on their arse. Plus he lived down the road from me, so he obviously has impeccable taste.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Loved Cav, genuinely wanted to name my youngest after him but the wife wasn't having any of it.

Think he suffered a little bit by not having an out and out role in the team after we went up - he'd fit much better into how we play now than how we played last season. I'd have kept him - a good back up option to Jota.

He ain't as good as Podence or Neto. He'd never have played.

 

[Tredman]

He ain't as good as Podence or Neto. He'd never have played.

No with Neto (though is more backup to Traore I would say), I've not seen much of Podence so can't really comment. Cav was probably a better goalscorer than all of them, Jota aside.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

He was a good finisher. That Ipswich goal in the video is lovely.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Backheeled it straight at Howard when he could have turned and shot normally.

It's all here, in glorious 2003 quality:

Fuck off is that nearly 17 years ago, I refuse to accept it.

Blake's approach work for both of Camara's fluffs was excellent.

Rae looks superb.

 

[North Shropshire Lad]

Just watched the United video and clearly remember leaving the ground at the time full of regrets. I never thought we'd get the chance to turn them over again and would rue the missed opportunity.

 

[BGreenWolf]

Cav was terrific while we were in the Championship- we had better options in the Prem, but he always tried. Easily the best of Fosun's early signings (particularly after Costa went right off the boil).

Bloody hell, that United video was an eye-opener. God, I loved prime Rae- maybe my favourite player as a kid.

Also, I still have a Senegal flag knocking about somewhere, to my shame.

 

[Dublin Drummer Wolf]

Just watched the United video and clearly remember leaving the ground at the time full of regrets. I never thought we'd get the chance to turn them over again and would rue the missed opportunity.

Thats the difference between us back then and us now - not only did we take our chances, but in recent games against Utd we were by far the better team.

 

[North Shropshire Lad]

It was the first time I'd been to Old Trafford since Sammy McIlroy scored a hat trick against us in the early 80's, when I went on a minibus full of United fans from Bridgnorth with a mate and his Dad. Only Wolves fan on the bus - fortunately I was young enough to not get too much stick. Drove up in 2003 and spent hours getting home. I could still see the floodlight glare and I'd been in the car an hour.

I'll be honest that even with their recent [relative] decline, I still think any point there is a good one.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Which made all the whining when we drew with them ridiculous. Our fans get so entitled sometimes. Remember we were about 40/1 to win this game! A Premier League game with those odds.

The traffic going south out of Manc on a matchday is always awful.

 

[lemonjelly]

Another who loved Cav here. Technically, he seemed so good. He was assured, could dribble, quality passer, and as mentioned, his finishing could be absolutely lethal.
He never seemed to nail down a position under Nuno - it was almost like he was a neil emblen for the front 3 positions - like a first reserve. Equally, it seems like a lot of his time here he had some injury issues, so never got to cement himself in the way others have.
However, we did well to get £15million for him. And i do think we developed him as a player.
He'd suit someone like bournemouth (spits) or similar. Indeed a lower PL team would do well to have him as a player. He's better than grealish imo.