The January 2025 Transfer Thread

[leedswolf]

So 433...

Sa
Semedo Agbadou New RAN
Manu Andre Gomes
Cunha Larsen one of our many shit attackers

VP prefers 3 defenders IIRC.

 

[NicholasG1973]

So 433...

Sa
Semedo Agbadou New RAN
Manu Andre Gomes
Cunha Larsen one of our many shit attackers

He won’t play a back four.

 

[Del Woppio]

I understand that but a 352 with Gomes/Andre/Manu seems proper stodgy, I'm not convinced you can do it

 

[NicholasG1973]

I understand that but a 352 with Gomes/Andre/Manu seems proper stodgy, I'm not convinced you can do it

I agree - especially as neither of the three look comfortable further forward.

I just hope it doesn’t mean we’re going to look to entertain offers for Joao……

 

[Tony Towner]

I understand that but a 352 with Gomes/Andre/Manu seems proper stodgy, I'm not convinced you can do it

It feels like the conversation from the Summer when we signed Andre. We cant defend so we'll play a holding midfielder alongside the two quality ones we already have - obviously nobody was predicting Lemina's poor start to the season would continue. If Manu and Andre become your double pivot then you need someone different to Gomes to be the more offensive option. Trying to play all 3 is what GON spent too long doing. That answer also isn't Tommy Doyle.

If that's how you want to go I'd be looking to bring in someone like Dewsbury Hall on loan. It seems a waste of Gomes having him sit on the bench. unless we get the cup quarters we only have a couple of midweek games left so although we need depth we don't really need to rotate.

 

[Wilf Wolf]

It feels like the conversation from the Summer when we signed Andre. We cant defend so we'll play a holding midfielder alongside the two quality ones we already have - obviously nobody was predicting Lemina's poor start to the season would continue. If Manu and Andre become your double pivot then you need someone different to Gomes to be the more offensive option. Trying to play all 3 is what GON spent too long doing. That answer also isn't Tommy Doyle.

If that's how you want to go I'd be looking to bring in someone like Dewsbury Hall on loan. It seems a waste of of Gomes having him sit on the bench. unless we get the cup quarters we only have a couple of midweek games left so although we need depth we don't really need to rotate.

It feels like Manu is a player VP likes and it makes some sense if he’s not our final signing this window but another CH and a forward to push Hwang and Gomes down the pecking order would have a far bigger impact.

 

[The Bear]

Manu is a decent passer apparently so I think that Andre would sit in front of the defence and Gomes/Manu can get forwards as they see fit. They're not going to be AMs but we already have Cunha who drops deep and operates in that role. No reason Gomes can't be box to box and get up and around Cunha when we have the ball.

.......................... Andre
..............Manu
...................................Gomes
Semedo........Cunha................ RAN
............................... Larsen


Something like that when attacking.

 

[Wilf Wolf]

Manu is a decent passer so I think that Andre would sit in front of the defence and Gomes/Manu can get forwards as they see fit. They're not going to be AMs but we already have Cunha who drops deep and operates in that role. No reason those two CMs can't be box to box (ish) and get up and around Cunha when we have the ball

Everything I’ve read suggests Manu is a holding midfielder like Andre - there have been comparisons with Palhinha, so we wouldn’t be playing to his strengths much like playing Agbadou on the left. As TT pointed out playing Andre, Gomes and Lemina was far from successful, though that might be in part because of the the way the idiot in charge asked them to play.

 

[The Bear]

Everything I’ve read suggests Manu is a holding midfielder like Andre

His passing stats are very good. Take a look at the replies in this tweet for some video examples.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1880570428529533383

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Everything I’ve read suggests Manu is a holding midfielder like Andre - there have been comparisons with Palhinha, so we wouldn’t be playing to his strengths much like playing Agbadou on the left. As TT pointed out playing Andre, Gomes and Lemina was far from successful, though that might be in part because of the the way the idiot in charge asked them to play.

We had Lemina on the fucking wing for a spell.

Managers are weird, as @Lycan said the other day.

 

[MARKakaJIM]

His passing stats are very good. Take a look at the replies in this tweet for some video examples.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1880570428529533383

Lot of low scores for more attacking actions on that wheel though - doesn't scream someone who's going to be as productive in the opponents half.

 

[Wilf Wolf]

Lot of low scores for more attacking actions on that wheel though - doesn't scream someone who's going to be as productive in the opponents half.

Most notably “Progressive runs”, one of the key parts of a box-to-box player’s game.

 

[The Bear]

I'm not suggesting he'll be box-to-box or getting forwards into their final third! I'm saying he has the passing ability to not just sit and be a destroyer.

 

[YoungWolf]

Lot of low scores for more attacking actions on that wheel though - doesn't scream someone who's going to be as productive in the opponents half.

Looks like someone who is strong defensively and passes forwards from deep well. Which might complement Andre and Gomes as good competition as neither of them really do that I’d say.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Looks like someone who is strong defensively and passes forwards from deep well. Which might complement Andre and Gomes as good competition as neither of them really do that I’d say.

It's something we badly miss since Coady and then Neves went. It's not long ball in a Micky Adams sense, but so often we could take pressure off just by having one of them ping a 50+ yard accurate ball up the park.

André is quality in tight areas but he doesn't have that kind of range. The defenders - forget it.

 

[The Bear]

Agbadou was supposed to be good at long diagonal balls. We've not seen it yet though.

 

[MARKakaJIM]

Agbadou was supposed to be good at long diagonal balls. We've not seen it yet though.

We've seen the opposite generally.

 

[Banjo]

Agbadou was supposed to be good at long diagonal balls. We've not seen it yet though.

The sooner we get him away from LCB the better. Feel bad for the lad that he regularly finds himself on the ball under pressure out in LB positions. Doubt he's ever found himself in that position much before coming to Wolves. Boly excelled there, but most centre halves would struggle.

Given Doherty can ostensibly (some heavy lifting with that word) play on the left side of defence*, I'd rather move him to LCB if it meant getting Agbadou into a more natural position for him.

*(It's obvs an absolute disgrace that we've found ourselves in a position where Santiago Bueno and Matt Doherty are troubling our starting CH berths in the PL, but that's a different issue)

 

[Tony Towner]

Agbadou was supposed to be good at long diagonal balls. We've not seen it yet though.

He's on the wrong side, he can use his left foot for the simple stuff, but he's not going to ping 50yd balls with it. By the time he controls it and swivels his body the opportunity for a quick out ball has gone.

 

[Langers]

Agbadou was supposed to be good at long diagonal balls. We've not seen it yet though.

Disagree - he's done a few of them. They just don't reach one of our players.