RACE OVER: Wolves finished 7th

[Johnny75]

Nuno's already said Kilman, Ennis and Norris could be part of the first team squad. That's 7 with 3 or 4 signings.

You can add Giles and Watt to that too.

 

[sycophantia]

Surely 3 or 4 quality signings would be enough to bolster the squad for a Europa campaign, we're not gunna sign 6 or 7 of any quality and Nuno won't want fillers

 

[Tredman]

You can add Giles and Watt to that too.

Good point. I was impressed with Watt against Utd.

 

[Tony Towner]

There were bands of fans saying they didn't want promotion to the Premier League as we'd get beaten every week (tbf, this was under KJ - no-one was saying this last year).

I guess there's just a masochistic streak amongst a certain set of our fanbase. Probably, ironically, the same set who used to bemoan our lack of pashun and ambishun

I'll quote you Machin, but it's aimed more at all the comments re Europe.

For me it's just a personal thing, I want us to kick on in the league and I've seen Deutsch's arguments re historic league placings, but I can't help feeling that having 6 EL qualifiers before the end of August (3?) after the season starts won't have an impact on our league season. Even if we rest players the squad isn't and won't be deep enough to not have those players at least in the travelling squad getting back in the early hours of Friday morning for a game on Sunday.

4 of our squad are likely to be with Portugal until the second week of June and Saiss will be in the ACON so for a game at the end of July we will either have players who haven't had much of a rest or will be playing a weakened side. Neither is ideal and yes we should beat FC Tallinn with whoever we put out but still not my preference.

Nuno has supposedly said with Europe he'd like around 20 outfield players + U23's. Excluding those who haven't played a PL minute for us we currently have 16, so that's 4 signings to get to that level. We'll end up keeping the likes of Costa, Cav and Troare to boost numbers, this is preferential to signing new squad players for the sake of it, but at the point I'd like to be moving them on we'll end up keeping most of them. My ideal world scenario is get rid of them and sign 5 quality players (RCB, AM, young RWB, forwards X2) to take our squad to 18 outfield. I think with that and luck with injuries the Top 6 is achievable next year, with the distraction of Europe I don't.

I accept that we are highly unlikely to go from 7th to 4th so the EL will be on the agenda at some point should we develop how we all hope we will. I also take Paddys point that you can't pick and choose when you go into Europe, I also have said that I want us to be 7th and also Watford lose so by default I'm accepting it, ideally I wish it were another year away though.

I guess although like most on here although I haven't seen us play in Europe I'm not as excited at this stage by it as others. Although I'll definitely go to the home games which don't clash with holiday. If we make Europe, have a good run in it and finish Top 7 next again next season I'll be happy to say I was proven wrong.

Just personal thoughts and doesn't mean I'm a knuckledragger who has spent the last twenty years calling for ambishun and pashun.

 

[Boozad]

Costa will be gone.

 

[The Bear]

Europa League qualification will help with players being attracted to us. It will give us a more visible profile in Europe, and our reputation will only increase IMO.

As for the wage bill. We can sell two or three peripheral players like Costa, Saiss, and even Cavaleiro if necessary. That would allow us to buy another good quality CB, CM, AM and Striker without too much overall increase.

 

[Parkins left foot]

Looking at the table now, then without going all Cyber in that we have done well against the top 6 & been poor against those much lower down think that we can accept that we have dropped points which we 'should' have been able to take.

Liverpool & Man City were always well away, but the next 4 were catchable. Something for Nuno to ponder during the (very) few weeks rest he will get. We could have been looking at more than a race for 7th (though if offered that at the start of the season would have been ecstatic) - it's still been bloody good!

 

[Deleted Cyber]

Looking at the table now, then without going all Cyber in that we have done well against the top 6 & been poor against those much lower down think that we can accept that we have dropped points which we 'should' have been able to take.

Liverpool & Man City were always well away, but the next 4 were catchable. Something for Nuno to ponder during the (very) few weeks rest he will get. We could have been looking at more than a race for 7th (though if offered that at the start of the season would have been ecstatic) - it's still been bloody good!

 

[PuntsWolf]

I can’t remember if I posted about it on here or it was just a conversation with a friend. But if you look at Arsenal’s team, it’s only Ozil, Aubameyang and Lacazette that would improve us. I’d say we are better or at least equal in every other position.

Now we don’t have any depth whatsoever, particularly in the difference making positions, and that’s probably why we haven’t challenged.

Now Nuno has worked this out too. He has learnt now not to bother making changes as despite fresh legs, they still make us worse.

 

[Deleted Cyber]

I can’t remember if I posted about it on here or it was just a conversation with a friend. But if you look at Arsenal’s team, it’s only Ozil, Aubameyang and Lacazette that would improve us. I’d say we are better or at least equal in every other position.

Now we don’t have any depth whatsoever, particularly in the difference making positions, and that’s probably why we haven’t challenged.

Now Nuno has worked this out too. He has learnt now not to bother making changes as despite fresh legs, they still make us worse.

I thought exactly that yesterday

 

[Parkins left foot]

Now we don’t have any depth whatsoever, particularly in the difference making positions, and that’s probably why we haven’t challenged.

Now Nuno has worked this out too. He has learnt now not to bother making changes as despite fresh legs, they still make us worse.

May well have been Nuno's reasoning for nt changing anything yesterday till the 90 th minute, but just bringing on Norris & Kilman to get a PL game on their CV

 

[Tredman]

Yeah, most of the subs were not warming up properly yesterday - they must have known it was pre-planned for Kilman and Norris to come on. If we hadn't scored when we did we would have definitely seen Vini come on earlier, plus maybe Traore.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Exactly. That was clearly pre-planned. Of course, there was no break in play to make it happen a couple of minutes earlier, as that would have meant they both would have got a touch as well.

 

[Boozad]

Did someone say Norris was pissed off after the game yesterday or did I dream it?

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

He looked a bit annoyed. Probably because the lack of a break in play meant he didn't get to touch the ball.

 

[Kenny]

Did someone say Norris was pissed off after the game yesterday or did I dream it?

Nah. Coady took the piss out of him at FT though

 

[PuntsWolf]

Obviously they were pre planned. But he wasn’t keen to make subs at Watford either.

 

[Sniffer]

There is one downside to finishing 7th in that Mcnumpty predicted us to finish there.

 

[jd1981]

If we do get into Europe what date do we start qualifying? No doubt the China trip would have to been shelved?

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

25th July

China finishes on 20th July. It won't be shelved.