It's a well-trodden path in a manager's life-cycle tbf. First, those that are unhappy at performance levels are entitled/not real fans; then they're reveling in it; and then it's actually somehow their fault.
There have been plenty of mitigating factors, absolutely. But there are also failings within those.
"Transition season"
This one actually puzzles me, because whilst there's been plenty of evidence that we're moving away from something, there's been precious little that we're moving toward something else, particularly with the ball. But that's by the by - if we accept that this is a transition season, then I've got to say that attempting to do that with 15 knackered players, a 2-week pre-season, and only one 1st team signing (despite losing two from from an already small squad) was frankly fucking brain dead.
"injuries have killed us"
Well, yes, and Raul's is a freak accident. Jonny, Podence, Boly and Neto are all important players that have missed spells injured - but we've spent two years sucking the cocks of our sports scientists because we don't get injuries; I was slaughtered for saying it was lucky, and that we couldn't rely on it. Now we're getting them, we're unlucky, apparently. We can't have it both ways.
"It's a pandemic"
It's a pandemic in West Ham too, no? There are no fans anywhere?
We haven't failed in transition because of injuries or the pandemic; we've failed because of the coaching and the recruitment, ultimately. We're left with a group of players that can't play how they used to play, and can't play how they're going to play, and we're just resorting to the oldest/most experienced eleven available, with little-to-no identifiable tactical plan. Recruitment has been absolute dogshit, for years. In the last 5 windows, there's only Neto that I wouldn't return for a refund. Yeah, Semedo's certainly improving, but still nowhere near a £30m right back ffs.
We're a mess, and we either need loads of players to change, or we need fresh ideas from new coaching staff. I think what it comes down to is that the manager and most of the players were really, really good at the low-block, counter attacking style - but only a handful are capable of changing, and tbh I don't think Nuno is one of them. We've wasted a season, and we'll probably end up wasting another one next year too. At the end of the day, I support Wolves, not Nuno FC - if he can't start to get a tune out of the tools he's got at his disposal - which he's definitely not - then that's something that only ever ends one way.
The injuries or lack of, was down to the Sports Science guys.
They have this season managed the players well.
The difference being
No close season
18 months football without a rest, if you read the Athletic look for the 2 day close season with Wolves. It made a fantastic read.
My only criticism was about switching styles, we should have done that next season after a full pre Season.
This season is a clusterfuck for quite a few teams
Liverpool,
Spurs
Are struggling to make the top 4
FFS West Ham are more likely to make it.
The players need a rest, I would like the players to get 2 months off, but they wont most of Our players will go to the Euros.
Hopefully Portugal will go out early, and the players can hit the beach.
Next season we go again. There wont be much movement until after the euros transfer wise there never is.
Also not many clubs will have the funds to buy players.
I sometimes co-host Global Radio's football show on a Saturday afternoon.
There is a Man Utd, Swansea, 2 West Ham Fans, and me, we were discussing the summer transfer window in relation to Haaland, Pogba, etc.
None of us are expecting much movement at the top echelons of the players most Clubs just cannot afford to go and splurge the cash.
If the likes of Man Utd, Real Madrid, Barca are unable to go and spend €80million, the rest of us will not be in a position to spend €50 million.
The only teams probably largely unaffected by the pandemics affect on finances, are Man City and PSG. Wether they actually go out and spend that sort of Cash remains to be seen, my gut feeling is they wont, they will try and use the financial impact to there advantage.
Doing the radio show and doing research for it, has made me a lot more mellow, and Objective when it comes to Wolves.
I am not expecting more than 2 or 3 new players this summer, and I expect 1 experienced player late 20's and 1 or 2 younger players around 21 / 22
