The January 2024 "Will we actually sign a striker or just Che Adams/Kieffer Moore" Transfer Thread

[North Shropshire Lad]

I’ll take your word on him being a better footballer given you’ve seen more of him in Germany than I have. Barring one run and cross (North Bank end a few home games ago) I’ve seen nothing in a Wolves shirt to support that though.
He jumps lower than his standing height, loses every dual, doesn’t hold it up and can’t run. For about £50,000 a week less I could do all of those things.
I know he’s not an O’Neil signing and clearly is only seemingly used [incorrectly] as a last resort in games, but we genuinely do look worse up top, and that’s not always easy, when he comes on.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

He's a penalty box striker. Not a heading machine.

And much like Iwan Roberts, he can link play if you aim at his body or feet. If you hoof it over his head he will look shite.

 

[Alan]

Are we all writing Sasa off too soon?

Been covered but I think it’s less about his quality and more about how he fits in the tactics (or doesn’t).

 

[North Shropshire Lad]

I’ve seen the videos and read the reviews but my eye test is telling me 2023 Sasa is something else.
I get he gets poor service, most of our forwards do and have done for some time, but even when the ball into him is decent he’s coming out second best or providing a poor lay off.
I’m not hating on him, he’s just a poor fit that I would move on.

The headline or whatever you call it on this thread takes the piss out of Adams and Moore (neither of which I rate) but I’d have both over Fabio and Sasa in January on short term (only) deals.

As regards giving Sasa a loan deal ahead of the Euros, I’m a Wolves fan first and foremost and wouldn’t even do that for an English player for the national team I support and watch. I’m buggered if I’d do it for Austria. They’ll just have to finally call up Barnes instead.

 

[NicholasG1973]

I'm not sure he would, we just don't cater for that kind of player at all in the current style.

I get it and you’re right but maybe we could adapt in games where we need to find a goal…..

Over the last couple of years (post Raul) we’ve struggled for natural goal scorers - I’m talking about one chance-one goal merchants, like Ings (maybe was?)

We have had lots of quick, wide, nice footballers - Podence, Sarabia, Neto, Hwang (before he started scoring), Cunha……but they’ve all been guilty of not having that ruthlessness in front of goal.

I was talking about him being an option, rather than an automatic starter, and I think he’s pretty much a better bet than what we currently have in players that might change the game from the bench.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Worth considering that O'Neil didn't fancy Big Kieffer at all at Bournemouth. Didn't start a game after mid-January.

I don't think he wants that kind of player at all, it's our fault for retaining the fucking dork Lage and giving him money when he was obviously a lost cause.

 

[Jinky]

I watched a Sky Documentary a few months back and it featured Sasa quite heavily. He was off to Man Utd before moving here but that move didn’t happen as he picked up an injury. I appreciate Utd are now a mess, but to be on the cusp of a move to Old Trafford to end up warming the bench here is quite the drop. He won’t be happy with the number of minutes he is getting and it wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if he pushes for a loan or move in January.

From our point of view, it makes little sense keeping someone on our books if the manager sees no useful way of using him. “If the shoe doesn’t fit” etc.

I reckon Sasa AND Fabio will go in January and we’ll get a #9 over the line, and potentially a younger more up & coming option to beef the squad up.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Your parallel would be getting rid of Griffiths, Doyle and Sigurdarson in Jan 2014, and signing Dicko and Leon (let's gloss over the second one).

Easier to do that in League One though.

I don't want us signing shite like Broja, especially on just a loan with no expectation of it being any longer than that. Sort it out properly - which is not going to be easy, as what can we offer a potential signing in the immediate term - or leave it until we can do it properly.

 

[Lycan]

He jumps lower than his standing height, loses every dual, doesn’t hold it up and can’t run. For about £50,000 a week less I could do all of those things.

Absolutely no idea what you're watching.

He's an excellent footballer, he just doesn't fit in certain teams as he can't press.

 

[Tony Towner]

Repeating myself, but if Sasa gets used like he did at Fulham then it's pointless him being here. We put him on and play to his skillset, get players around him and running off him or don't bother. I think we are closer to the latter than the former and would be better shipping both of them out in Jan and signing a 9 and another versatile forward.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

If we had a functional partner for Dawson then you could easily play 4-2-3-1 with Neto, Cunha and Hwang all behind Sasa and feeding off him. With Sarabia and Bellegarde able to replace any of those three as and when. You'd have Semedo in his actual position too.

But we don't, we have Captain Wow who is fine when he's having his hand held and a disaster otherwise.

 

[sycophantia]

Absolutely no idea what you're watching.

He's an excellent footballer, he just doesn't fit in certain teams as he can't press.

Think he has a fair point about 2 of the 3 things he mentions, Sasa can hold the ball up to a certain extent and his finishing is pretty good. He can't run or head the ball.
As has been said on a number of occasions, he just doesn't fit the way GON wants to play.

 

[Johnny75]

If we had a functional partner for Dawson then you could easily play 4-2-3-1 with Neto, Cunha and Hwang all behind Sasa and feeding off him. With Sarabia and Bellegarde able to replace any of those three as and when. You'd have Semedo in his actual position too.

But we don't, we have Captain Wow who is fine when he's having his hand held and a disaster otherwise.

Exactly this. Must be easier to buy a CB than throwing out all of our strikers.

Just fuck Kilman off and buy an actual CB.

 

[Jinky]

Exactly this. Must be easier to buy a CB than throwing out all of our strikers.

Just fuck Kilman off and buy an actual CB.

If we didn’t sell Kilman for £40m in the summer, we ain’t selling him or fucking him off now.

That’s not to say I don’t agree. It just won’t happen.

 

[Johnny75]

If we didn’t sell Kilman for £40m in the summer, we ain’t selling him or fucking him off now.

That’s not to say I don’t agree. It just won’t happen.

£30m wasn't it?

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I'd say it's slightly more likely if anything. We now have empirical, definitive proof that even in a pretty good team, he cannot play in a 4 but he can in a 5.

Of course you need some lunatic to bid £30m+ for him again.

 

[Tony Towner]

It was, I'd love to know the truth behind that, was it Lopetegui threatening to walk if he was sold, or did they incorrectly think they'd come in with a higher offer and misjudge the situation? What I don't believe is anybody thought he's worth more than £30m or was irreplaceable

 

[lemonjelly]

Wouldn't they have known lopetegui was off by the time bids were being made?

 

[Alan]

It was, I'd love to know the truth behind that, was it Lopetegui threatening to walk if he was sold, or did they incorrectly think they'd come in with a higher offer and misjudge the situation? What I don't believe is anybody thought he's worth more than £30m or was irreplaceable

Counterpoint: football execs are morons.

 

[AndyWolves]

I'm not sure of the timelines but I think Napoli replaced their DoF in the summer.

I don't know if that was pre or post Kilman interest...