The Summer 2024 Transfer Thread.

[Paddingtonwolf]

Dawson is a great defender. But there is no cure for old. If we are playing 4 at the back with a high line and press (and it sounds like that isn't going anywhere soon) then his lack of pace, which is only going to go one way now sadly, is going to potentially leave him exposed.

Now it becomes a case of weighing up the leadership and positional sense and seeing if that outdoes the risk of the lack of pace. I think it does, for sure.

However, dressing the centre back issue around Craig Dawson I think is missing the point somewhat. We have sold Kilman and that is pretty much Dawson "neutral" as far as I can see. The issue is more that the club have effectively decided that Mosquera is the Kilman replacement. I like Yerson, but that policy does leave us short in terms of numbers for the centre back positions. Of course, Santi would clearly have gone on loan (or permanently) had we got a first teamer CB in, so the club are happy running with 4 senior CBs in the squad.

That's a risk, and it is still a risk whatever you think about Craig Dawson.

 

[YoungWolf]

At the moment, whether we are playing a back four or not, Dawson should be in our best starting eleven. He may need managing when we have 3 games in a week but that won’t be that often anyway.

He’s also exactly what Mosquera needs alongside him whilst introducing him to regular premier league minutes. We made that mistake just flinging Collins and Kilman together

 

[Squeak]

The issue is more that the club have effectively decided that Mosquera is the Kilman replacement.

And if that is the case, and it certainly seems so, wouldn't that show there has been some thought gone into this and reason why we aren't that desperate to bring another CH in?

Personally, I don't see the fuss. There are 16 more Prem games between now and the January window. In a worst case scenario, as long as we pick up points and don't get cast adrift we'll then have the opportunity to recruit then if necessary. I don't think that will be the situation though and Mosquera will pick up a lot more experience along the way.

Of course, Dawson could pick up a knock. So could every player in our squad. We do have Bueno as back up for the CH position.

 

[Indy Wolf]

My view is different. Mosquera, Dawson, Toti is a back 3. You can call Toti a LB and RAN a midfielder all you want but Toti is a defender.

If Dawson is starting and getting 60-75 minutes that leaves the extra for Santi. He gets his experience and minutes and come January with injuries and Mosquera's yellow/red card possibilities, probably get another defender then. Right now, you can keep those 4 happy with some minutes.

Don't forget that we could possibly play Lemina, J Gomes, and Andre in the midfield and have them deeper like Rueben Neves to help with defending.

As far as RAN, is it me or did he become average again after we shipped off Hugo Bueno?

 

[Deano]

You don't play a centre back for 65-70 minutes. You would only really bring one off if there was a real issue in the game where the other team were creating/scoring at will, or if theyre injured/likely to get sent off. You're not going to be giving a CB 25-30 minutes here and there, it would be madness in that area of the pitch and it doesn't happen.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

You don't play a centre back for 65-70 minutes. You would only really bring one off if there was a real issue in the game where the other team were creating/scoring at will, or if theyre injured/likely to get sent off. You're not going to be giving a CB 25-30 minutes here and there, it would be madness in that area of the pitch and it doesn't happen.

I agree in general but Ten Hag has made an unenforced CH->CH sub in every game so far

It's going brilliantly for them, obviously.

 

[AndyWolves]

Andre > CH when we're losing is something i'm looking forward to :-D

 

[Deano]

I agree in general but Ten Hag has made an unenforced CH->CH sub in every game so far

It's going brilliantly for them, obviously.

Yeah Ten Hag doing it is even more reason not to.

 

[NicholasG1973]

Saying we “can use Doherty or Toti as a left back” is the exact same as suggesting we play Hwang there.

The end result will be that any of the three of them will be shit and not fit for purpose.

 

[Tom Hark]

Couple of comments on this Andre analysis video that caught my eye:

You forgot to mention that he’s played as a full back several times during Diniz’s time as a coach, despite being only 1.76m, precisely because of his strength, ability to disarm and read plays, and best of all, relentless ball possession and passing. He will be sorely missed at Fluminense.

(not sure whether that was RB or LB though) and

During the Fernando Diniz era (22/23/24) he was used [m]any times as a CB on the second half when the team was down at the score and the other side would try to keep the score. He would perform ok as a defender but the quality of the construction of the game from the defense improved tremendously. It was a well known tactic from Fluminense to put him as CB on the 2nd half and add a new midfielder to the game

 

[Alan]

The Brazilian top flight may be the best league in SA (by a distance) but I’m not sure we should import their tactics.

Fwiw, André’s heat map last season was basically the entire middle third of the pitch. Touchline to touchline.

 

[EnglishBob]

Couple of comments on this Andre analysis video that caught my eye:

(not sure whether that was RB or LB though) and

Looks like a red card magnet.

 

[Tony Towner]

I didn't have the answer to our lack of quality at centre half as putting someone that's 5 foot 9 there.

 

[Tom Hark]

I didn't have the answer to our lack of quality at centre half as putting someone that's 5 foot 9 there.

I expect things look different when you're Jeff's height.

 

[Tom Hark]

Looks like a red card magnet.

2 in 100+ Brazilian league games, and 32 yellows (which is about the same strike rate as Joao Gomes)

 

[Wolftone]

Saying we “can use Doherty or Toti as a left back” is the exact same as suggesting we play Hwang there.

The end result will be that any of the three of them will be shit and not fit for purpose.

Id prefer Doherty or Toti or even Gary O'Neil at LB to RAN if he's going to perform as he did versus Chelsea. As a defender an absolute disgrace.

 

[The Bear]

2 in 100+ Brazilian league games, and 32 yellows (which is about the same strike rate as Joao Gomes)

He'll definitely pick up plenty of yellows if he aggressively goes to ground like he does in that video.

 

[Alan]

Yeah it can’t be overstated how much refs on this side of the Atlantic, North and South Americas (less so in the US/Canada specifically), will let slide.

Unless you’re Him, I.E., 17 year old Neymar.

 

[Tony Towner]

The bit before the paywall tells you enough. Not withstanding the fact we should have accepted the offer / squeezed a bit more out of them, we should be reporting them for tapping up. De Zerbi has the class of a man who happily signs a rapist

Wolves star Hwang Hee-chan opens up on Marseille interest

Hwang Hee-chan is ‘ready to fight’ for his Wolves place after turning down a move to Marseille in the summer.

www.expressandstar.com

 

[Stan Hullis]

Is tapping up even a thing any more? Seems like most clubs agree terms with players before they have approached clubs.

You can even do it on football manager.