Summer 2026 Transfer Window Thread

[Deutsch Wolf]

Yeah, Munetsi (for example) is totally different to Lopez.

- Already late 20s when he signed him, so he is what he is
- Cannot control a football. Like it's ridiculous, you wouldn't have it down the park
- Beyond being an agent of chaos in the box (and to be fair, he does get in the position to score quite a lot), I cannot see what possible use he has at any level
- Being in those positions as above is fucking useless if your finishing is dreadful, which it is

They're both very bad signings but for different reasons.

 

[Alan]

I'd be very interested when the last time I defended Munetsi or Hwang on a footballing basis was. It hasn't happened this season. Fer getting a pass based on some mythic "ability" that he didn't actually show here is bizarre to me.

And please, don't tell me what's "beneath" me. I haven't said anything about any one person's feelings on those two. And I'm allowed my thought that sending Fer back to the club we bought him from 6 months ago is a completely damning indictment of him as a PL footballer.

 

[Mel Evo]

I'd be very interested when the last time I defended Munetsi or Hwang on a footballing basis was. It hasn't happened this season. Fer getting a pass based on some mythic "ability" that he didn't actually show here is bizarre to me.

And please, don't tell me what's "beneath" me. I haven't said anything about any one person's feelings on those two. And I'm allowed my thought that sending Fer back to the club we bought him from 6 months ago is a completely damning indictment of him as a PL footballer.

Fair enough. It’s not mythic though. I’ve watched him and he has it. And I’ve watched others who simply don't. Your thoughts are rightly entirely yours, but it’s oddly harsh when you’re so tolerant of others.

 

[Alan]

Often it's because I get over my skis wanting a player to do well. Combine that with being a compulsive contrarian and you've got a recipe for a guy who ends up with some ridiculous favorites.

I sort of despise that there's this nebulous idea of what "ability" is, and once it's decided whether a player has it or not, that's it for them. As Dan points out, though, with Marshall, I can't get on my big boy pants and throw hands. He came in his prime; after six months it's more than fair to say that he was what he was going to be, a wrecking ball in a team of flowers, but one that wrecked himself as much as anything. I don't even know what to think about Hwang at this point but I'm certainly not sticking my nose in that hornet's nest anymore.

For me, if Fer had this "ability", he wouldn't have less than 3 matches worth of minutes. That's why it confuses me that he's not getting looked on in a similar light as our other love-to-hate players.

And, Mel, I didn't mean to imply that you personally turned on them so quickly, so apologies for that. For all I know, I'd have turned on them as badly as anyone if I was paying to be at Molineux to watch us be shit.

 

[Mel Evo]

I doubt you would Al. I have full faith in you good nature and I’m sure it could withstand a few seasons of watching even Lage, O’Neil and (perhaps) Edwards Ball.

Look, it’s all about nebulous with Lopez because he hasn’t had much game time. But Mr Vitinha got precious little either, and that was under the best judge we’ve had at the club in my lifetime. So minutes on the pitch can’t simply be the clinching argument. You’ve got to try and form an opinion with what you get to see - and I can’t protest too much to those who’ve formed a different one to me. I think he’s got a bit more than being a complete lightweight though, and there’s a reasonable logic in looking at the shambles he’s been dropped into as a huge factor. Plus, you don’t have to be wildly anti-Edwards to imagine he might not be the best judge of a player.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I think with Lopez it's three-fold.

1) We signed him very early on in the window as a supposed statement signing. A primary target. And he can't get a kick
2) We've seen this film before. Talented boy but would get blown over if the 559 bus came past him when he was on the pavement
3) Guess who his agent is, and guess which side of that coin we've landed on for the last 4-5 years, and we're getting a bit sick of it

I don't doubt that the boy can play if you give him time and space, in a decent team. He ain't getting either of the first two and we aren't the latter.

 

[Mel Evo]

I think with Lopez it's three-fold.

1) We signed him very early on in the window as a supposed statement signing. A primary target. And he can't get a kick
2) We've seen this film before. Talented boy but would get blown over if the 559 bus came past him when he was on the pavement
3) Guess who his agent is, and guess which side of that coin we've landed on for the last 4-5 years, and we're getting a bit sick of it

I don't doubt that the boy can play if you give him time and space, in a decent team. He ain't getting either of the first two and we aren't the latter.

1. Yep
2. I think he’s a bit more robust than that. Not quite young Sinatra (had to stand behind the band in case he got blown over).
3. Yep

 

[Alan]

I doubt you would Al. I have full faith in you good nature and I’m sure it could withstand a few seasons of watching even Lage, O’Neil and (perhaps) Edwards Ball.

Look, it’s all about nebulous with Lopez because he hasn’t had much game time. But Mr Vitinha got precious little either, and that was under the best judge we’ve had at the club in my lifetime. So minutes on the pitch can’t simply be the clinching argument. You’ve got to try and form an opinion with what you get to see - and I can’t protest too much to those who’ve formed a different one to me. I think he’s got a bit more than being a complete lightweight though, and there’s a reasonable logic in looking at the shambles he’s been dropped into as a huge factor. Plus, you don’t have to be wildly anti-Edwards to imagine he might not be the best judge of a player.

I would have been a walking curse word if I’d seen O’Neil. I know it’s quite on the nose for this discussion, but I really do blame him for Lemina and Cunha losing their composure in the (admittedly unacceptable) ways that they did. Lemina especially; it’s not often that a player I want to do well so badly actually goes and does it! Lage kind of the same. The idea that he had us work on the attack 80% of the time (or some stupid high percentage) and yet we NEVER looked like anybody knew where anyone else would be positioned or running into… that shit broke me.

I’m probably being harsh on López; projecting my other feelings onto him unfairly. It’s hard for me to see past how few minutes he got for such a shit team, but equally we do have a fairly conservative manager at the moment, and that sort seem repulsed by players like Fer, deserving or not.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

It’s hard for me to see past how few minutes he got for such a shit team,

I don't have a strong opinion on Lopez, but this stands out to me as really simplistic.

Prior to VP being sacked, Mane didn't get a minute!

Whether (poor) managers play players regularly or not doesn't mean they are necessarily good (Hwang, Munetsi) or bad (Lopes, Mane, Vitinha, Goncalves)

 

[Alan]

All fair points! VP and Mane is especially salient. I suppose my response there would be, Fer got beat out by a kid when we were desperate for a spark. A kid with zero top flight experience IIRC.

Addendum: López is also a kid, I know, but La Liga is a high level of play with as much emotional intensity as any of the “Big 5” or w/e.