The 2015/2016 Summer Improvement Thread

[Premier Quality]

Number ten and a replacement for sako are the essentials for me. The ten should be good technically and score goals (we were all calling for Pritchard at the end of the season, he'd be ideal). We've been linked with wallace from Portsmouth who could be the cheaper answer.

Replacement for sako is hard and I'd expect we'll get someone unexpected as it's probably asking a bit much for zeli, graham or hunte to step straight in.

If we have spare money, then a really good centre mid would be good. I really like price and McDonald, but someone special in there would go a long way.

The defence is fine for this level, I wouldnt go spending loads of cash in there. Use it where we need it.

 

[Parkins left foot]

Realistically we will lose Sako, & that was a calculated risk in an attempt to get a second promotion.

For me the players we need to hold onto without fail are Dicko/Afobe & Iorfa, all of whom have a lot more to give. There is a second level of those who I am happy to retain, but don't think are crucial (not that I would suggest we bin every one else) such as McDonald (if he gets the right player next to him) & Hause (but only if he plays in his natural position as a CH & we don't try to shoehorn him in as a LB).

A good number of the others can do a useful job at this level, but are not so good that they cannot be upgraded on.

Probably we are looking at 2 - 4 changes in the close season with a Sako replacement & centre midfield being the keys. CH is OK if it is felt that Hause is fully ready to step up (& if we think we are long odds for the playoffs, & even if not only 1 of 4 from that group will go up anyway, would like to see him come in for Stearman for the next 2 games & see how he copes.)

 

[Crossy_Wanderer]

Alot of the answers for me lie within the club. I want us to make 2 or 3 quality additions (like we did with Afobe in January) rather than wholesale changes.

I'd like to see us go like this:

Ikeme

Iorfa Stearman Hause Goldbourne

Price

Rajiv/Henry McDonald ?????? ???????

Afobe

For me we need to find ways to get McDonald further forward to influence play and if we can get a player in the mound of Colin Cameron to play alongside him that would be rather formidable with Price sitting allowing others to play. Price is more than capable in front of the back 4 and has the ability to play it simple.

A left winger is a must but i'd like to see Graham given a chance in pre season to see what he's got in the first team environment. My team above is harsh on Dicko but we need to be solid whilst having the ability to create and score goals.

 

[malta mick]

not sure if Afobe can play the lone striker as Dicko has proved all season he can. Need to find a system to incorporate both of them.

 

[sycophantia]

I think Saville is an interesting conundrum. He has had no impact yet but on the other hand he's had hardly any game time with the first team and when he did play, the rest of the team were often poor too, so it seems hardly fair to judge him on that. My biggest concern is he's gone out to a Div 1 team (albeit a good one) and can't get a game, seems daft to me to have a young player out on loan if he's not gunna play, should have been recalled and sent to a team that he will play regularly for.

 

[Norman Deeley]

McDonald looked great yesterday when he was further forward, but soon retreated to quarterback. Would be interested to see the stats for the distance he covers during a game. Just wonder if he's physically capable of playing further forward in the Champ.

 

[sycophantia]

I'm ok with McDonald playing a deep (quarterback if you like) role, but he needs a good cm with him to be effective i.e. a high energy, good tackling, intelligent organizer......Price plus a bit

 

[Kford-wolf]

On performances this season Dicko would be my first name on the team sheet, he cares, he works his socks off and he scores goals, we need to play to his and Benicks strengths - have no idea how best to do that maybe 4-4-2 maybe 4-4-1-1 that's kennys job but Dicko and Afobe have to both play.

 

[Alan]

Let me preface this by saying that I am not advocating for KJ to be sacked.

That said, let's put on our ruthless hats for a minute: has Jackett taken as far as we can reasonably expect him to?

 

[Deano]

I'll be surprised if Saville doesn't have more of a role to play next season, he wasn't too great in his appearances but he is only 20 and I doubt we will be looking to write off a 1m buy from just a year ago.

 

[malta mick]

seems tactically naive at times - might be a manager who's reached his level.

 

[Wilf Wolf]

If we play Afobe and Dicko up front I’d like to see wide midfielders rather than out-and-out wingers. They need through balls as much as crosses, so use the full backs to give width and make the midfield more solid with players who can supply these balls. I am certain that if we play 2 wingers and KM in midfield we will continue to be over-run in midfield far too often. KM offers next to no goal threat even when playing more advanced and we play a more holding midfielder to allow him to do so, thereby almost eliminating goals from midfield.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

That said, let's put on our ruthless hats for a minute: has Jackett taken as far as we can reasonably expect him to?

I'd be wary of changing someone who has at the very least proven himself competent at this level - getting over 70 points is more than most of us expected back in August - you only need to look at how Rösler and Mackay, both previously very highly thought of (I wouldn't write the former off tbf, I think he was canned too quickly and he has a lot going for him), have floundered at Wigan this season and where they're likely to be playing their football next season, we have found someone who largely speaks sense and gets more right than he gets wrong, upgrading the manager is not a priority for me as it stands.

The risk in changing manager when you don't really need to and finding a dud (or two) is far too high.

 

[sycophantia]

Absolutely DW, would be a terrible mistake to change our manager at this point, personally I would give him another 2 seasons whatever happens. I think he is progressing himself, like many of our younger players not the finished article yet but getting there, tbh I can't think of a manager/coach that is any better and would be prepared to come to Wolves and work with the available budget

 

[Tony Towner]

Getting rid of Kenny at the moment would be a ridiculous decision, but so would putting time periods on his tenure, way too many variables to do that. He has made mistakes, but so does every other manager and just because we would have done something differently at times, it doesn't mean the outcome would have been more positive.

 

[Lord Knows]

Let me preface this by saying that I am not advocating for KJ to be sacked.

That said, let's put on our ruthless hats for a minute: has Jackett taken as far as we can reasonably expect him to?

I believe Kenny Jackett has possibly reached close to his limits, but I also believe he can spot a player, so this summers ins and outs should be interesting.
If I was drawing up a short list of potential replacements I would look at Mark Warburton, Gary Rowett, Chris Powell, and Paul Cook.

 

[YoungWolf]

Chris Powell's teams play awful football, no thanks.

On Paul Cook, what a job he's done at Chesterfield. Even after losing their best striker, they had a little dip but fought their way back into the play offs

I worry that if we dont get promoted and we have a poor start to the season KJ will be under pressure. I don't want us to get rid at the first sight of problems, he's dong a great job and he deserves the chance to try and take us further.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

No thanks to any of those. If you are changing Jackett you are going to want to pretty much GUARANTEE better and none of those names provide that.

As to reaching his limits, how the fucking hell do you know? I despair at some of our fans.

 

[The Saturday Boy]

What evidence is there that Jackett has reached his limit? He has taken charge of a club on a downward spiral, improved it both on and off the field and to the verge of promotion. I don't think he is anywhere near the peak if his career at Wolves.

Tactically naive? No, sometimes he will make the wrong decision but that doesn't make him naive. Given the number of wins he has amassed it looks like he gets his decisions right more often than wrong.

 

[Alan]

No thanks to any of those. If you are changing Jackett you are going to want to pretty much GUARANTEE better and none of those names provide that.

As to reaching his limits, how the $#@!ing hell do you know? I despair at some of our fans.

It was just a hypothetical, Paddy. Personally I don't want him gone, but then neither did some Southampton fans want Adkins gone. Sometimes these things work out in mysterious ways.