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Summer 2022 Transfer Window

WsWolf said:
Starting wide isn't the problem, infact that's what they should be doing but they don't really drift inside or make the out to in runs you see from any top wide player. Even Podence who's movement off the ball is probably the best only ever comes short.
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It's so frustrating to watch at times.

Podence is a bit of a one trick but it's one better than pretty much every other attacker available unfortunately, and he's the only player in the squad who appears happy to stand in that zone between opposition penalty box and centre circle.

You look at the wider players compared to the likes of Liverpool and it's painful. Now granted you're comparing to some of the very best in the business but the difference is night and day, they're not even a bad tribute act unfortunately. Salah starts wide on the right a lot and he'll either receive it out there and look to come inside onto his left foot or make the run in between fullback and centre half if there's space in behind, he rarely stays wide and just tries to run around the outside. Diaz, and Mane before him, seem to come narrower and deeper to get on the ball but will then drive at defenders through that inside channel, either draw a centre half out or the fullback tucks in leaving space for Robertson.

I know there isn't really any appetite on this forum to get on board with my line of thinking on this matter but to me it beggars belief Wolves players can't see that difference themselves. Seems to me an easy cop out that Lage actively prevents them from these sort of actions, despite none of them really showing a fondness for these moves previously, rather than looking at the players as part of the issue. Maybe they just never watch any other football and so don't see these other options? They just look so lost without direction, they don't appear to have any great natural inclination or instinct to do anything in a particular way so without being pushed down a certain path they just do nothing.
 
It amounts to the same thing though Mark. Let's say you are correct and everything you have highlighted is on the players, then we have a Head Coach who is incapable of coaching them so need one who can. It doesn't really matter whether they are following instruction or unable to follow it, the result is the same
 
Tony Towner said:
It amounts to the same thing though Mark. Let's say you are correct and everything you have highlighted is on the players, then we have a Head Coach who is incapable of coaching them so need one who can. It doesn't really matter whether they are following instruction or unable to follow it, the result is the same
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I haven't denied this.

What I've added above and beyond though is that if the issue is on the players as much as the manager, as is my belief, it may be that no manager is capable of coaching them to anything other than an conservative counter attacking style. There are certainly ways to get more out of this group than what Lage currently is but is it a way that's that's going take the next step beyond what Nuno achieved? If you want to be up there with the very best then somewhere along the line you have to adopt the mentality that you are one of the best and approach things with that mindset. You can't be an overachieving underdog forever.

This is where it's an issue that's bigger than the head coach and first team squad, and it doesn't seem like there's a much surer direction above them at the moment. What does this club really want to be and how is it planning on getting there? Have they got the right plan to achieve their goals and everything lined up to bring that plan into action?

I keep pointing to short comings of the players because I think to a large extent they're issues that are very difficult to overcome in terms of mentality and mindset. A new coach going back towards a more counterattacking style would no doubt improve results and some individual performances but I think there's a very solid glass ceiling to that approach. Are Fosun content with that?
 
I don’t think these players are incapable of playing a front foot style tbh. We have enough speed, mobility at the back and they are all pretty good 1v1. We have technical attackers who are ineffective and have been for a while but for one season in just a team that stunk the place out as the manager for whatever reason declined very quickly and the second season, in what appears to be a coach out of his depth.

Neto pre injury was still producing very well in spite of that first season. I think he just needs a prolonged run of games and for people to be patient with him mind you.
 
Just give Bruno Lage another pair of £30m+ wide players and we'll look brilliant in no time.
 
Few rumours Galatasaray want Adama.

Just been a fight between the main 3 clubs in Turkey to sign Redmond from Southampton and now the losers get to look elsewhere
 
YoungWolf said:
I don’t think these players are incapable of playing a front foot style tbh. We have enough speed, mobility at the back and they are all pretty good 1v1. We have technical attackers who are ineffective and have been for a while but for one season in just a team that stunk the place out as the manager for whatever reason declined very quickly and the second season, in what appears to be a coach out of his depth.

Neto pre injury was still producing very well in spite of that first season. I think he just needs a prolonged run of games and for people to be patient with him mind you.
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The midfield is a big issue for me. I've not seen enough of Nunes to make any sort of judgement yet but for too long it's an area that's been dominated by players who are only comfortable playing the way they're facing and are easily pushed back with minimal pressure. They just sort of sit in the middle of the park as a lump, they'll keep things ticking over and play a nice long pass from time to time but I don't think they do enough to hurt opponents with any regularity.

The attack has been a similar issue since promotion, rarely seem to put themselves in tight spaces where they can worry opponents, always drifting wide to find space and receive easy passes. None of them appear to have the right combination of nous or self belief to put themselves in areas that opponents don't want them to be.

Technically there's no issue, physically there's very little to worry about either apart from maybe lacking a bit of legs in the middle. The problem for me is almost all a mental one, they're making bad decisions, taking safe options and easy ways out. They need to be braver, more positive, back themselves and not worry so much about the consequences of failure. I think that can be a very difficult thing to change, particularly when things aren't going well people have a tendency to revert to type as it's easier to rationalise for yourself rather than bend your will to suit what someone else expects.
 
MARKakaJIM said:
The midfield is a big issue for me. I've not seen enough of Nunes to make any sort of judgement yet but for too long it's an area that's been dominated by players who are only comfortable playing the way they're facing and are easily pushed back with minimal pressure. They just sort of sit in the middle of the park as a lump, they'll keep things ticking over and play a nice long pass from time to time but I don't think they do enough to hurt opponents with any regularity.
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Think Nunes showed from the goal Saturday that he will give us a different dimension. I still think Bruno hasn’t realised how best to use him yet tbh which is concerning.

MARKakaJIM said:
I think that can be a very difficult thing to change, particularly when things aren't going well people have a tendency to revert to type as it's easier to rationalise for yourself rather than bend your will to suit what someone else expects.
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I think this is exactly where top coaches earn their money
 
YoungWolf said:
I think this is exactly where top coaches earn their money
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Perhaps, I think there's only so far you can go though. Even the very best coaches have had failures with very talented players, look at some of the people Mourinho has churned through because they wouldn't, and he couldn't persuade them to, embrace his more conservative ways.

Under Nuno I don't think there was much of that mental manipulation required, the manager had a conservative mindset and a squad that largely suited that. This is where I think it needs to be lead from above, why go to the effort of trying to force players/coaches down a route and style that they're not 100% on board with, eventually something is going to give. Much to better to recruit holistically and have everyone on the same page from day one but that needs clear direction from above which I don't think Wolves have.
 
Kenny said:
Say we bin Lage today.

What would the chances be of attracting Tuchel to us? I would say probably more chance we will score 4 goals at Anfield on Saturday
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Wouldn't happen, Dortmund -> PSG -> Chelsea -> Wolves is not a credible trajectory when he has no prior connection with Mendes/Fosun that might skew the issue (unlike say, Lopetegui)
 
YoungWolf said:
Think Nunes showed from the goal Saturday that he will give us a different dimension. I still think Bruno hasn’t realised how best to use him yet tbh which is concerning.
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This is bang on the money. Playing him further forward and expecting him to be bombing past the striker is a complete misuse. He needs to be getting on the ball deeper but it's not really possible with Neves and Moutinho both stood in the space Nunes wants to drop in so it's a bit of a mess still.
 
These in the main aren't Nuno's players though Mark. If we class those who were regulars before lockdown then all that is left are Neves, Moutinho, Jonny, Jimenez and to a lesser extent Neto. Others either weren't here or were on the peripherary either then or now. You could argue without injuries only Neves is in our best 11 if we were 4231 as a I think we should be.
 
Tony Towner said:
These in the main aren't Nuno's players though Mark. If we class those who were regulars before lockdown then all that is left are Neves, Moutinho, Jonny, Jimenez and to a lesser extent Neto. Others either weren't here or were on the peripherary either then or now. You could argue without injuries only Neves is in our best 11 if we were 4231 as a I think we should be.
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I didn't say they were Nuno's players, just he had a squad that suited him.

Now there's a beige manager with very weak signs of any real inclination and a squad that's a bit more ambitious minded, mainly at the back, but still not a real cohesive unit in my view. The lack of joined up thinking is my issue rather than this man's players or a previous man's, that's meant to be the whole benefit of a head coach/DoF setup but Wolves don't have it right.

I'm not advocating building a squad for Lage, never have, what wouldn't it even look like? The club need to look at the big picture though, they need to decide what they want then recruit both playing and non-playing staff to fit that. Everyone needs to be on the same page.
 
MARKakaJIM said:
I didn't say they were Nuno's players, just he had a squad that suited him.

Now there's a beige manager with very weak signs of any real inclination and a squad that's a bit more ambitious minded, mainly at the back, but still not a real cohesive unit in my view. The lack of joined up thinking is my issue rather than this man's players or a previous man's, that's meant to be the whole benefit of a head coach/DoF setup but Wolves don't have it right.

I'm not advocating building a squad for Lage, never have, what wouldn't it even look like? The club need to look at the big picture though, they need to decide what they want then recruit both playing and non-playing staff to fit that. Everyone needs to be on the same page.
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For all the benefits we've had of the relationship with Mendes, it's probably stopping us from working like this tbf.

And yeah, I agree I have no idea what a Lage squad would meant to look like either. Minus a fit tall striker and another centre back, this seems to be it mind you! I think we have a good squad anyway capable of playing a more aggressive game now. Agree there's a mentality shift that needs to happen but often that comes with confidence in the coach and that he has your back I thinnk
 
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