Live Match Discussion 2024/25

[Tredman]

Politically or financially or morally?

Take your pick.

 

[Wolftone]

Take your pick.

NUFC.MUFC.WHU.EFC.MCFC. dodgy as fuck one way or another. All part of the same conspiracy

 

[Johnny75]

Tin foil hat shite.

Fosun and Jeff Shi are by far the worst owners currently running a football club and it's not even close

They just can't or won't do it properly. They need to fuck off and never come back.

 

[Del Woppio]

Don't look at the Champions League table until this time tomorrow

 

[Tony Towner]

Outside of Everton until their sale goes through we are the worst run PL club. There are worse owners from a morality perspective

 

[jd1981]

I'm not suggesting we stick with them, no.
I'd suggest they thought they could make money out of Wolves, then realised it wasn't quite that straightforward. Fact is we are small time in comparison to 'the big six'. Small ground, relatively small fan base, competing for the money with 20+ other clubs of the same size. Not that attractive to prospective buyers as 'a brand'.
That's what it's about, money.

Again I just don’t agree that good owners don’t want clubs outside the top 6.
No one is suggesting we get multi billionaire owners, just owners who’ve got a clear strategy and don’t bimble about on year by year basis. Doesn’t take much to look at the PL table and see clubs smaller or the same size being run better by far less wealthy ownership.

 

[Tony Towner]

Again I just don’t agree that good owners don’t want clubs outside the top 6.
No one is suggesting we get multi billionaire owners, just owners who’ve got a clear strategy and don’t bimble about on year by year basis. Doesn’t take much to look at the PL table and see clubs smaller or the same size being run better by far less wealthy ownership.

I agree with your broader point, but our ground situation will be a deal breaker for some

 

[ROVERT47]

Don't look at the Champions League table until this time tomorrow

“Mind the gap”

 

[Derby Wolf]

I'm not suggesting we stick with them, no.
I'd suggest they thought they could make money out of Wolves, then realised it wasn't quite that straightforward. Fact is we are small time in comparison to 'the big six'. Small ground, relatively small fan base, competing for the money with 20+ other clubs of the same size. Not that attractive to prospective buyers as 'a brand'.
That's what it's about, money.

That's just not true,

Its not like the TV money is on a sliding scale depending on the final league table. We aren't competing for it.

There is bonus payments for league placings, you'd think we would compete for, but seeing as we crippled our forward options in January for no reason its pretty clear we weren't competing for money there either. Indeed between just after the window shutting and the final day of the season we lost £8.8m in league standings money.

 

[Wolftone]

Outside of Everton until their sale goes through we are the worst run PL club. There are worse owners from a morality perspective

Wouldn't disagree re Everton. Don't think the Chinese are any better than the Arabs or the Porno Dwarves morally. Hard to quantify morals.

Again I just don’t agree that good owners don’t want clubs outside the top 6.
No one is suggesting we get multi billionaire owners, just owners who’ve got a clear strategy and don’t bimble about on year by year basis. Doesn’t take much to look at the PL table and see clubs smaller or the same size being run better by far less wealthy ownership.

Fair comment. They'll never actually win anything though.
The dice are loaded.
You will not win anything without billionaire owners.
The big win is beating Man City, Arsenal, Man Utd or Liverpool once in a while.
Surviving a season to do it all again next season. Maybe get to a semi-final if you're lucky.
Man Utd have to be the worst run club in the EPL. Hundreds of Millions spent for nothing

 

[Wolftone]

That's just not true,

Its not like the TV money is on a sliding scale depending on the final league table. We aren't competing for it.

There is bonus payments for league placings, you'd think we would compete for, but seeing as we crippled our forward options in January for no reason its pretty clear we weren't competing for money there either. Indeed between just after the window shutting and the final day of the season we lost £8.8m in league standings money.

We didn't 'lose' any money due to standings because we never had it. To gain the £8.8M we might have had to invest say £20M in new players to get us to a higher position. Like any investment it's Risk V Reward. Fosun might have invested say £20M on players and ended up in the same position thereby losing the money that season (or not recouping it the following year(s) on that investment.

 

[Tony Towner]

We didn't 'lose' any money due to standings because we never had it. To gain the £8.8M we might have had to invest say £20M in new players to get us to a higher position. Like any investment it's Risk V Reward. Fosun might have invested say £20M on players and ended up in the same position thereby losing the money that season (or not recouping it the following year(s) on that investment.

That's not taking amortisation into account. The £2.5m per place is immediate, the £20m isn't and is only what we committed on Strand Larsen 6 months later anyway.

 

[Jinky]

It is forever the way that whoever is in charge at Wolves eventually feels the wrath. I didn't see too many moaning when we got promoted or when we looked a decent outfit in the top half of the Prem. and getting into Europe. Too much too soon I suspect.

I totally get the frustration with the last four years though but Shi has made it abundantly clear that we have to be self sufficient. None of us knows what his paymasters have said to him but you can bet there is pressure on our owners from the Chinese Gvt. I only say this to bring some balance to the discussion. Sure Shi has made some horrendous mistakes and judgement calls but I still remember the times when we were insolvent and a real disaster.

I honestly don't see what the alternative is at the moment. We all the know the course we are on but finding a new buyer doesn't happen quickly and then finding the right new buyer something of a gamble. Fosun could sell / appoint someone else and it might make things worse. Of course, the gamble is that it might get better but none of us can be sure of that.

The passages from JP's book don't make pleasant reading but I can well believe that Shi wanted a more expansive style of play and a manager who could deliver it. Nuno was fantastic for us until he wasn't and we will probably never know what he demanded and what actually did happen. His gift obviously didn't sit well with Shi but at least it showed the character of the man and that he did care. Shi needs to get back on message and admit some of his mistakes. Only then can he start to repair some of the damage and personally, I think it is important that he does so because I don't see Fosun replacing him while we remain a Premiership side. It may well take going down to oust him.

We have had several years now as a Prem. outfit. That is what Fosun / Shi promised and that is what they delivered. I think they then got a rather rude wake up call in terms of how much money it takes to survive in the Prem and it does appear it is a price they are balking at paying. Covid obviously played its part in our turn in fortunes.

Jeff Shi is a smarmy, greasy, condescending prick of a man who knows nothing about football.

Most/all of the major negative decisions/calls have led a trail back to his door for a number of years. Well liked figures within the football club have 1 by 1 left due to him & his ego.

Even the earlier good stuff that got us promoted and stabilised in the premier league were largely down to Jorge Mendes & Nuno. And before they fell lucky with Nuno, Jeff & Fosun employed Walter Zenga.

So yes. I want Jeff Shi out of the club ASAP.

I do also want Fosun to go - because they are living in cloud cuckoo land in terms of how they think a Premier League football club can be ran long term. But if they *must* stick around, it wouldn’t kill them to redeploy Shi somewhere else within the group and to run a recruitment campaign where they end up employing someone with the *actual* skill set & knowledge to do the job without alienating an entire fanbase and having us scrap for 17th place every season.

 

[KiwiWolf61]

Absolutely nailed it Jinky

 

[SSB]

I do also want Fosun to go - because they are living in cloud cuckoo land in terms of how they think a Premier League football club can be ran long term. But if they *must* stick around, it wouldn’t kill them to redeploy Shi somewhere else within the group and to run a recruitment campaign where they end up employing someone with the *actual* skill set & knowledge to do the job without alienating an entire fanbase and having us scrap for 17th place every season.

Last time I saw Guo Guangchang at Molineux he was acting like a 14 year old girl at a Taylor Swift concert. I don’t think he has much more of a clue than Shi.

 

[Tony Towner]

Last time I saw Guo Guangchang at Molineux he was acting like a 14 year old girl at a Taylor Swift concert. I don’t think he has much more of a clue than Shi.

He doesn't need to, Sheik Mansour knows about the same. Just employ someone who does.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

He doesn't need to, Sheik Mansour knows about the same. Just employ someone who does.

He doesn't realise that Shi knows fuck all.

 

[SSB]

Haaland with a goal like I’ve never seen before.

 

[Lupo]

Haaland with a goal like I’ve never seen before.

Unbelievable wasn't it? Thought it was a scruffy fluke at first but no, he knew what he was doing

 

[Wolftone]

Unbelievable wasn't it? Thought it was a scruffy fluke at first but no, he knew what he was doing

Just turned on as Stones scored. What was Haaland's like?