Where will Wolves finish 2023/4?

[prawnking]

Of the 3 genuine options for number 9. One is ineffective there, one has a litany of injuries and is coming off his latest, the other let's say has plenty to prove. Numbers are fine, it doesn't take a lot of searching to see the issue that lies behind them though.

And, regardless of what a twat Lop was, we're now asking a novice to get the best out of them rather than a seasoned head coach

 

[The Saturday Boy]

To be more accurate he hasn't managed below the PL as he actively couldn't get a job at that level.

He has now got two jobs at that level.

 

[Sniffer]

Keepers- Sa/Bentley

RB - Semedo/Doherty/Jonny

LB - Bueno/Ait Nouri

CB - Dawson/Kilman/T Gomes

CM - Nunes/Hodge/Lemina/J Gomes/B Traore

WF - Sarabia/Neto/Hwang/Podence

F - Sasa/Silva/Cunha

It should be enough to survive. Take out Johnny and Podence and you would hope that a centre back and wide forward would come in as replacements.

Of the 3 genuine options for number 9. One is ineffective there, one has a litany of injuries and is coming off his latest, the other let's say has plenty to prove. Numbers are fine, it doesn't take a lot of searching to see the issue that lies behind them though.

I agree but it is still probably better than the options up there from last season.

 

[Tredman]

He has now got two jobs at that level.

Amazing isn't it - up there with Liz Truss as PM

 

[Templeton Peck]

I can't fathom the Cresswell interest. A fee, huge wages, no sell on value and a position where we have three options and have just sold another. If we are trying to cut back on spending then it makes no sense on any level

I thought it was a Lopetegui thing, having seen him and Doherty against his sides in European matches.

Cresswell only makes sense (ish) if we have a buyer for RAN.

 

[Donegal Wolf]

Have a feeling GON is the new Chris Hughton an uninspiring character playing uninspiring football but will do enough to keep you up without too much drama, but only last 12-18months before fans want him gone.
Unfair to say he is a league 1 or 2 manager as nobody can say he didn't make a decent fist of things at Bournemouth, keeping them up and that's all we can go on at the moment.
If you want to see how a league 1 manager gets on in the PL look at Steve Davis's time.
Saying that of course I didn't want him as he has only had 30 games or so as manager.
Mind you that's 30 more then Beale has when we offered him the job.

 

[Del Woppio]

I've put scrap but toyed with relegation. I worry about goals, I really do. We don't have anybody with reasonable record of creating or scoring chances.

I don't think we'll lack for organisation and defensive structure, and I'm not even particularly concerned that he's going to set up in a defensive formation and style - but I do have concerns that he has the skills/experience to coach attacking patterns, decision making, and that it's all going to be a bit "once they cross the white line there's nothing you can do" from an attacking point of view.

Slight concern that some of the players won't particularly respect him, his ideas or his (or are they our?) coaching team. Reputation and gravitas do matter. Footballers are pricks.

Another slight concern is Daws - he was wicked last season, like it really worked perfectly. But I think if he stops being excellent, he'll drop past the 'very good, good, and passable' phases and just go straight to old, slow carcrash. And we've got nobody to replace him with.

We're basically reliant on most of Nunes, Cunha, Sasa, Sarabia, Neto, Silva - who have been at best been 'settling in, inconsistency expected, blah', becoming among the better players in the bottom half, with actual end product, consistently. It's not difficult to imagain a season where any one of those players absolutely tank. If 3-4 of them do so we're in trouble

 

[Johnny75]

Everybody seems to have forgotten what a terrible coach does no matter how good his squad is.

Lage out performed GoN and he was a poor manager/ coach.

 

[jd1981]

Everybody seems to have forgotten what a terrible coach does no matter how good his squad is.

Lage out performed GoN and he was a poor manager/ coach.

I assume that opinion is based on comparable league finishes?

 

[Johnny75]

I assume that opinion is based on comparable league finishes?

Poor style of football and a Portuguese title.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I'd take any of the following over Bruno Lage:

Gary O'Neil
Michael O'Neill
Martin O'Neill
Keith O'Neill
Tatum O'Neal
Shaquille O'Neal
Whoever founded the O'Neills pub chain

 

[jd1981]

Poor style of football and a Portuguese title.

Had the best squad to work with in Portugal.
When he arrived here played some decent stuff early on but reverted back to pragmatism once he needed points on the board. I’ll go as far to say it was ghosts of the Nuno era that kept things together for most of 21/22. Rapidly fell apart at the end of the first season and was a mess at the start of last. Playing Neves at CH was a particularly low point.

 

[EdgeOfTheAlps]

Gone for scrap but survival, though I'd still count that as failure. We would have easier got 8th-13th with this squad and JL so I want the same now, otherwise it's regression.

 

[Wolf Hunting]

My worry is that O'Neil needs to get onside with the players and FAST! They've got to like him and play for him.
Also I don't know if he has the experience to make training sessions interesting, challenging and fun.
If his 1st few days are anti climatic at Compton it'll be hard to see the players thinking 'this is our leader, we're gonna run through walls for him!'
I don't know if he has the charisma to impress these eclectic stars...
So I think around 15th. Better later than sooner...

 

[jd1981]

My worry is that O'Neil needs to get onside with the players and FAST! They've got to like him and play for him.
Also I don't know if he has the experience to make training sessions interesting, challenging and fun.
If his 1st few days are anti climatic at Compton it'll be hard to see the players thinking 'this is our leader, we're gonna run through walls for him!'
I don't know if he has the charisma to impress these eclectic stars...
So I think around 15th. Better later than sooner...

I think the down tools thing comes later unless GON is a complete dick which I doubt he is. Like any new management you all wait to see how they work before passing judgement.
Has a solid playing career behind him almost 500 appearances mostly at top flight level so giving advice won’t seem hollow or unfounded.
His biggest downfall will be tactical awareness and realising that Managing Wolves is very different to Bournemouth.

 

[Adrian Peckham Monk]

18th

 

[darlowolf64]

I think we'll be somewhere low to middle (12th-16th). We have the players to survive and will do so despite of the manager (or he'll be a revelation and shock us all)

 

[prawnking]

I've put scrap but toyed with relegation. I worry about goals, I really do. We don't have anybody with reasonable record of creating or scoring chances.

I don't think we'll lack for organisation and defensive structure, and I'm not even particularly concerned that he's going to set up in a defensive formation and style - but I do have concerns that he has the skills/experience to coach attacking patterns, decision making, and that it's all going to be a bit "once they cross the white line there's nothing you can do" from an attacking point of view.

Slight concern that some of the players won't particularly respect him, his ideas or his (or are they our?) coaching team. Reputation and gravitas do matter. Footballers are pricks.

Another slight concern is Daws - he was wicked last season, like it really worked perfectly. But I think if he stops being excellent, he'll drop past the 'very good, good, and passable' phases and just go straight to old, slow carcrash. And we've got nobody to replace him with.

We're basically reliant on most of Nunes, Cunha, Sasa, Sarabia, Neto, Silva - who have been at best been 'settling in, inconsistency expected, blah', becoming among the better players in the bottom half, with actual end product, consistently. It's not difficult to imagain a season where any one of those players absolutely tank. If 3-4 of them do so we're in trouble

So many variables and unknown quantities, so little to go on based on his previous experience...

Big gamble that we didn't need to take imo. A pretty established PL club in pre-season making this call... it's certainly bold, not convinced of the underlying logic at all

 

[fizzwolf]

11-14 barring a glut of injuries to the likes of Dawson, Lemina, Nunes, Neto and a few others I think we should be strong enough to avoid a battle at the bottom

 

[WsWolf]

Might have to change my vote as Gabby Agbonlahor thinks we'll stay up.