Winter Improvement Thread (aka Winter Squad Weakening Thread and TWF Suicide Watch)

[Penk Wolf]

Would you take Boro's latest signing for that money or Afobe and Dicko for what we spent on them?

Yes, I would take Boro's squad over ours.

Derby pushed the boat out last season with the loan signings of Lindegaard and Ince. They were nailed on for promotion but finished below us!

Ignoring the fact that their downfall was due to injuries to their strikers the teams that did get promoted spent as much as they did.

Unless you get lucky in the play offs, the only way you get promoted nowadays is by investing in the team and even the play offs winners tend to be a club that spend money. On both occasions we've got promoted was by spending money.

if people still think that you get out of this division without spending then they are deluded.

 

[Jinky]

On Nils Petersen, my German friend who has a 'ITK' contact at SC Freiburg (how reliable, I'm not too sure but he has previous on coming up with the goods, apparently), Wolves did indeed make a "vague enquiry" about Petersen, but that's all it was. Make of that what you will, I imagine we called them - asked what the figure would be - got scared off and didn't call again.

He had a better goal/minutes on the pitch ratio than Ronaldo & Messi when they loaned him last year :icon_lol:

 

[lemonjelly]

With us being up for sale this was pretty much as expected?

Actually, given 3 first team signings, plus a fair few youth/U21 signings, in some ways I think there was a little more activity than expected.

Add to this the Golbourne and Afobe exits.

To be honest, Golbourne I'm not fussed about. It's been 2 years since he's shown anything really. He'd have been released at the end of the season anyway, so we got a bit of cash from BC who are throwing it about.

Afobe - done to death. A real talent, who was being criminally mis-used this season. Whilst I didn't want him gone, I can understand why he'd have wanted to go. The turgid football week in week out must've really pissed him off.

Steve Morgan may have put the club up for sale, but I don't believe that has affected much business wise at the club.

We are where we are because of poor tactics, and poor selections by the manager. The one thing I do think is changed by us being up for sale, is KJs job security. As we're not at risk of going down, and are massive outliers on the PO spots, then he's effectively safe til either the end of the season, or til a new owner arrives.

I'm not convinced SM would've stood for poor quality football for much longer personally.

 

[Templeton Peck]

If Morgan was still interested he would have gone after the Sheff Wed game. Seems Moxey has been given the job of keeping things ticking over while we wait for the new messiah.

 

[Johnny75]

Yes, I would take Boro's squad over ours.



Ignoring the fact that their downfall was due to injuries to their strikers the teams that did get promoted spent as much as they did.

Unless you get lucky in the play offs, the only way you get promoted nowadays is by investing in the team and even the play offs winners tend to be a club that spend money. On both occasions we've got promoted was by spending money.

if people still think that you get out of this division without spending then they are deluded.

That's as may be the case but with a bunch of free signings and £3m on Callum Wilson Bournemouth got promoted comfortably. You could argue they spent money on Ranti and Kermogant too but even that only takes them to £6m over 2 season and we've spent that easily.

So whilst money is clearly a driving force it isn't the most decisive factor. I don't have the wages to hand but I would imagine that would be also a big driver, however we do not know the wage bill for certain at any club. I would also say it is the maximum wage paid that is important rather than the total wage bill and that none of us can know.

 

[Parkins left foot]

Seems Moxey has been given the job of keeping things ticking over while we wait for the new messiah.

Which is all we are likely to be doing until that is resolved.

Having said that saying that we haven't spent money is wrong - we have just, in some cases, not very well and in others not used what we have bought so no one knows whether they are any good.

 

[Penk Wolf]

That's as may be the case but with a bunch of free signings and £3m on Callum Wilson Bournemouth got promoted comfortably. You could argue they spent money on Ranti and Kermogant too but even that only takes them to £6m over 2 season and we've spent that easily.

So whilst money is clearly a driving force it isn't the most decisive factor. I don't have the wages to hand but I would imagine that would be also a big driver, however we do not know the wage bill for certain at any club. I would also say it is the maximum wage paid that is important rather than the total wage bill and that none of us can know.

Wages for 13/14 were £17.5m, so I guess north of £20m last year. I actually thought they had spent more on signings, but even so they've clearly invested in the team.

 

[Norman Deeley]

That's as may be the case but with a bunch of free signings and £3m on Callum Wilson Bournemouth got promoted comfortably. You could argue they spent money on Ranti and Kermogant too but even that only takes them to £6m over 2 season and we've spent that easily.

So whilst money is clearly a driving force it isn't the most decisive factor. I don't have the wages to hand but I would imagine that would be also a big driver, however we do not know the wage bill for certain at any club. I would also say it is the maximum wage paid that is important rather than the total wage bill and that none of us can know.

What a bloody difference it would have made if we'd bought Callum Wilson from Coventry instead of Leon Clarke...

 

[Johnny75]

Wages for 13/14 were £17.5m, so I guess north of £20m last year. I actually thought they had spent more on signings, but even so they've clearly invested in the team.

The figures I quoted weren't from their accounts but external sources so may not be 100% but certainly in the ball park, but it's the quality of their free transfers that impressed me (Gosling, Boruc) and their recruitment in general.

Watford clearly had a different way of doing things through their family connections and Norwich had just come down and so skew the data I would imagine.

 

[Penk Wolf]

The figures I quoted weren't from their accounts but external sources so may not be 100% but certainly in the ball park, but it's the quality of their free transfers that impressed me (Gosling, Boruc) and their recruitment in general.

Watford clearly had a different way of doing things through their family connections and Norwich had just come down and so skew the data I would imagine.

So, all promoted teams had significant investment whether by corrupt means (Watford), signings or wages. Same the previous season and the season before that.

 

[Johnny75]

So, all promoted teams had significant investment whether by corrupt means (Watford), signings or wages. Same the previous season and the season before that.

No doubt they had some sort of investment, not sure about significant as it could be a combination of factors. I don't think Jackett would get promotion with any of those teams as he simply isn't good enough so I would say the manager and style is as important as any investment. It is clear you need good investment, recruitment and managerial staff and at the moment I don't think we have any of these right.

 

[Penk Wolf]

No doubt they had some sort of investment, not sure about significant as it could be a combination of factors. I don't think Jackett would get promotion with any of those teams as he simply isn't good enough so I would say the manager and style is as important as any investment. It is clear you need good investment, recruitment and managerial staff and at the moment I don't think we have any of these right.

Their turnover is £10m, and wages £20m. I'd imagine made Bournemouth made a loss upwards of £15m last year. I'd say that is a significant investment.

 

[thehistorymakers]

No doubt they had some sort of investment, not sure about significant as it could be a combination of factors. I don't think Jackett would get promotion with any of those teams as he simply isn't good enough so I would say the manager and style is as important as any investment. It is clear you need good investment, recruitment and managerial staff and at the moment I don't think we have any of these right.

Let's say he isn't good enough. Who employed him, Saunders, Sol and TC? Who promoted Thelwell to be head of recruitment and development? Who broke the promises about Sako, Afobe and many more broken promises?
When you have answered that, do you trust the same people to employ a decent manager and give him the required investment and support to help us get promoted?

 

[Sniffer]

What promises were made regarding Afobe?

 

[Templeton Peck]

Which is all we are likely to be doing until that is resolved.

Having said that saying that we haven't spent money is wrong - we have just, in some cases, not very well and in others not used what we have bought so no one knows whether they are any good.

Oh no we've spent money alright - no quibbles from me there. Shame it's been pissed up the wall on players that either aren't good enough or that mysteriously don't get any game time.

 

[thehistorymakers]

What promises were made regarding Afobe?

I'm sure Moxey said in August that Afobe wouldn't be sold this season.

 

[FrankMunro-371]

As we did not sign any players yesterday, maybe this thread should be renamed as the Spring improvement thread...

 

[thehistorymakers]

What promises were made regarding Afobe?

"Therefore, neither Benik or any of Wolves’ first-team forward players will be sold this season".

Wolves claim it's just a rumour, but reiterated that the England Under-21 international is not for sale and will be staying at Molineux.

A statement read: "In response, Benik was bought from Arsenal in January and other players arrived in the summer, to strengthen the team for the strongest possible challenge on promotion this season.

"Therefore, neither Benik or any of Wolves’ first-team forward players will be sold this season.

"Benik has developed into a player of key importance to Wolves and the club’s plans for this campaign.



http://www.expressandstar.com/sport...8/19/wolves-reiterate-benik-afobe-is-staying/

 

[Langers]

I'm sure Moxey said in August that Afobe wouldn't be sold this season.

He did. And not long after that was said, the club was put up for sale. So circumstances were somewhat different.

The whole 'club is always lying to us' BS pisses me off TBH. There's plenty to accuse them of, and I doubt they know what they're doing half the time, but the situation now is wholly different to what it was then - is that not painfully obvious?

 

[Penk Wolf]

"Therefore, neither Benik or any of Wolves’ first-team forward players will be sold this season".

http://www.expressandstar.com/sport...8/19/wolves-reiterate-benik-afobe-is-staying/

He did say that, but that was before the club was up for sale and before Afobe wanted to leave. Although, I'm not really sure why anyone listens to a word they say.