The 2015/2016 Summer Improvement Thread

[PuntsWolf]

I'm with Langers on this one. You can't possibly cover every eventuality, especially not at our level, and it really isn't "inevitable" that you're going to have 2-3 injuries in one position at the same time. When was the last time we had two first team centre halves injured concurrently? Probably when Mouyokolo was here and he shouldn't really count. We have those injuries now, which is unfortunate, and it looks like we've gone out and done what most, nay nearly all people wanted us to do, sign some short term, experienced cover.

You cannot choose who bids for your players and when. The manager decided that this season it was likely that Hause would leapfrog Stearman in his thinking. Fulham bid loads of money for a bloke with no improvement in him, already at his absolute ceiling. It's not that tough a decision to make.

If you're going to question the manager then ask him why we made our major summer signing (by transfer fee) another central midfielder when we already had McDonald, Price, Evans, Edwards, Saville, Rowe, Wallace and Weeks at the club.

For those questioning squad depth, who would play at centre half for Chelsea on Saturday if both Terry and Cahill got injured in training today? Zouma and....oh right, they don't really have another one. That penny pinching bastard Abramovich at it again.

They would recall one of the million defenders they have out on loan I'd imagine or play that lump they signed from France.

6 players into 4 positions is ridiculous. Yes, 2 centre backs being injured at the same time doesn't happen often but the point was that we only needed one injury and the only first team defender on our bench is Matt Doherty. That is woeful.

Or they could move Ivanovic inside and Azpilicueta across. As you've said the issue isn't that it was 2 CBs. It's that we don't actually have the numbers.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

It wouldn't be so much of a problem if Doherty was adequate, but he isn't. Now that is inexcusable, carrying players as genuine options who quite obviously aren't good enough. Iorfa could move across, he has a lot of the attributes required, he played most of his Academy football in the middle - but you don't want to when the backup RB is a liability. That's a question of quality, not depth.

 

[Kenny]

For all the hating on Doherty, one person thinks he is good and not a liability etc. Just happens that person gets to pick the team

 

[Langers]

For all the hating on Doherty, one person thinks he is good and not a liability etc. Just happens that person gets to pick the team

One of my favourite social media conspiracy theories of late is that KJ thinks the same as DW etc and really doesn't like Doherty, but plays him anyway to make a point to the board that he needs to be given more funds. Same as Edwards.

 

[Kenny]

Top Bantz from KJ there

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I reckon Jez has done a deal with a cement company to exclusively trial a new pair of boots they're developing, and they currently only make them in Doherty's size.

 

[PuntsWolf]

It wouldn't be so much of a problem if Doherty was adequate, but he isn't. Now that is inexcusable, carrying players as genuine options who quite obviously aren't good enough. Iorfa could move across, he has a lot of the attributes required, he played most of his Academy football in the middle - but you don't want to when the backup RB is a liability. That's a question of quality, not depth.

Well it is an issue when the guy you move across can't play. Hopefully he will be fit and luckily his suspension has now been served.

 

[Alan]

I can understand KJ's thinking with ridding Stearman. We may only have had 6 "senior" defenders left but they all (minus Batth) can shift elsewhere: EEL can play center and right, Iorfa right and center, Hause center and left, Doherty right and left (poorly). With that in mind I can easily see him thinking that any injury would require nothing more than a shuffle of personnel. Unfortunately, we got bit harder than most would reasonably have expected.

 

[Tony Towner]

I do not believe it to be unreasonable to find yourself with 2 defensive injuries and a suspension at the same time

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I do not believe it to be unreasonable to find yourself with 2 defensive injuries and a suspension at the same time

Yes, but we have finite resources. Maybe the club knew Morgan was thinking of leaving back in August. We definitely knew this was our last year of parachute money. We were never getting offered that sum of money for Stearman ever again.

 

[Tony Towner]

Agreed, if we did want to get Stearman off the books then that was the time. Personally for football reasons I don't think we should have done. We've done the merits of the sale numerous times so I won't go over old ground but as I said earlier on the thread it's the second year running we've left ourselves short in a vital area of the pitch. A centre half comes on for Hause on Saturday and the result MAY have been different.

 

[Derby Wolf]

For me, Doherty's best performance in a Wolves shirt was against Bournemouth last year but agree with the consensus that n him entirely.

 

[Dinowolf]

The Title of this thread has turned out to be a bit of a misnomer as it makes me wonder when the improvement is going to come and which Summer it refers to; it certainly wasn't the one just gone.

Now we are into Autumn and things seem to be getting worse. No adequate replacement for Sako, last year's POTS sold, Dicko out for most of the season, the Owner putting the club up for sale, the regular defence crocked and lost the last three games on the trot. The manager is also making some weird decisions about tactics and player selections that is leading to fans losing faith in him.

Next up we are away to B-Ham, then away to Bristol C and then home to Burnley before we go into another International break.
Help me out here Frank, as I cannot see any positives on the horizon only dark clouds.

 

[Freddeno]

Williamson is an ok defender, good clearing balls and smahing it away..but a bit slow and not so good on the ball...he will be ok with us i guess

 

[Hamlet]

Now rumours around that we're after Grant Holt from Wigan

 

[Kenny]

Tim II now "understands" we are after Holt


Understands = read it elsewhere.

 

[Hamlet]

It's official - we have him!

 

[SouthWestWolf]

Hopefully he falls over his Zimmer frame and fucks up his hip in the warm up tomorrow.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Dreadful signing.

Ken's signing his own death warrant lately.

 

[YoungWolf]

Part of me hopes that this is against what KJ wants, just because I like him and don't want it to end this way.