"90% of the game is half mental"...

[Toon Wolf]

We all know that this team is devoid of confidence and has been for 2 seasons. But I'm not just talking about mental strength of which our players have virtually zero, I'm also talking about 'intelligence', not of the "I'm a member of Mensa with an IQ of 160" type, I'm talking about the intelligence to make the right decisions in the heat of the game. And for too long, not just the past 2 seasons but much longer than that, I have been of the opinion that far too many of our squad lack the game intelligence needed to succeed at anything other than a basic level. Today is another case in point. we battle back to parity and without even touching the ball from the restart we immediately go behind again. That speaks of an alarming lack of intelligence to grasp the situation.

This squad of players is unbelievably lacking in many, many areas and that we are standing on the brink of a 2nd successive relegation should be no surprise to anyone. We lack players with technical ability, confidence and intelligence. It's the perfect recipe for the impending disaster...

 

[Lycan]

Cough Karl Henry Cough.

 

[Toon Wolf]

Cough Karl Henry Cough.

Indeed. The player who always takes an eternity to decide what to do with the ball. He's abysmal and typifies the cancer that has taken hold of the team.

 

[Freddeno]

Cough Karl Henry Cough.

why is he still starting?

 

[Lycan]

"Does a lot of unselfish work in front of the back four and provides a cushion for attacking players like Edwards/O'Hara/Sako"

Loosely copied from the Wolves blog. I wonder if they actually believe that themselves or if that's all they can come up with to not sound too negative on the official blog. Even if he did do all of that it's not enough.

 

[Toon Wolf]

"Does a lot of unselfish work in front of the back four and provides a cushion for attacking players like Edwards/O'Hara/Sako"

Loosely copied from the Wolves blog. I wonder if they actually believe that themselves or if that's all they can come up with to not sound too negative on the official blog. Even if he did do all of that it's not enough.

I'm sorry that does not excuse him being unable to run, pass or think. He's a fucking dreadful footballer and his defence by many Wolves fans is laughable. This acceptance of mediocrity is part of the reason we are where we are today...

 

[Lycan]

I'm sorry that does not excuse him being unable to run, pass or think. He's a $#@!ing dreadful footballer and his defence by many Wolves fans is laughable. This acceptance of mediocrity is part of the reason we are where we are today...

It's not going to change either. Saunders has already shown that he values hard work and fitness over technical ability and Saunders isn't going anywhere.

 

[Toon Wolf]

It's not going to change either. Saunders has already shown that he values hard work and fitness over technical ability and Saunders isn't going anywhere.

Oh, happy days... I yearn for a player or 2 with a decent brain. Sigurdarsson might be the only one we currently have.

 

[Tony Towner]

Cough Karl Henry Cough.

Wasn't on the pitch when the above happened though. We don't pressure the ball and haven't for 2 seasons, meaning we give players the option of shooting and a certain percentage will fly in.

 

[Langers]

I'm talking about the intelligence to make the right decisions in the heat of the game.

You're right that this is badly needed, but I'd argue that this part is on many occasions down to confidence (or lack of) rather than a lack of footballing intelligence.

 

[Johnny75]

You're right that this is badly needed, but I'd argue that this part is on many occasions down to confidence (or lack of) rather than a lack of footballing intelligence.

Karl Henry has always been that way. Never had ability on the ball to make quick decisions or put the opponents under pressure. Contrast the Spurs midfield on Thursday to ours, it's all decision making first and forcing the opponent to make mistakes or correct at speed. O'Hara and Siggy are the only ones who can think at speed. Doyle can't link and has no awareness, neither has SEB, Ward, Edwards and I would say Sako as well. We are devoid of thinkers and have little guile in the team and have done since Fletcher and Kightly left. They are plodders in the mental department as a whole and nothing DS does is going to change that.

 

[KeiranWWFC]

We seem to go out, expecting to be on the back foot, so we start as we mean to go on.
Not once this season have we exerted full dominance on a game (Even 4-1 against Bristol City we were given a little scare at the end).
We need to go out
Grab the game by the scruff of it's neck, and not let it go.

 

[Langers]

I'm not disagreeing with the OP by the way, but I see most of the issues we have as confidence issues. Of course, we need better footballers as well but a big clear out of playing staff (no matter what league we're in) will help me to have a bit more respect for the playing staff we've got because I think a lot of the rot will be shifted. Unless he buys more shit, of course.

Re-signing David Edwards and Stephen Hunt isn't the best way to start this process off though.

 

[Johnny75]

True and he does himself no favours by intimating as such. He looks genuinly clueless as a manager but that is for another time. I'm not so sure I can buy the confidence thing anymore, I think we just have the wrong blend of players in the squad, poor mental footballers and average physical ones. Like you say I hope a lot of it gets shifted and we can start supporting them positively again.

 

[Toon Wolf]

I'm not disagreeing with the OP by the way, but I see most of the issues we have as confidence issues. Of course, we need better footballers as well but a big clear out of playing staff (no matter what league we're in) will help me to have a bit more respect for the playing staff we've got because I think a lot of the rot will be shifted. Unless he buys more shit, of course.

Re-signing David Edwards and Stephen Hunt isn't the best way to start this process off though.

I disagree that it's a confidence issue, many of these players have shown a lack of intelligent play even when we they not bereft of confidence. Ask yourself this question: when was the last time you saw a Wolves player and thought to yourself 'he's a clever footballer'? I think you have to go as far as far back as Robbie Keane to get a definitive answer to that question.

Most of the current lot are so bereft of that quick thinking intelligence that is required even at Championship level to be really successful. Henry is the poorest example, but SEB is guilty too- his off the ball movement is poor, he is frequently caught offside unnecessarily and his decision making is often diabolical. The number of our players who given two possible options choose the wrong option the majority of the time is shocking! And put most of them under even the barest minimum of pressure and their composure goes completely and they resort to hoofball. That is a symptom of not being 'intelligent' enough IMO.

 

[Tyrannosaurus Dan]

Re-signing David Edwards and Stephen Hunt isn't the best way to start this process off though.

Giving Hunt a new contract should be made to be an immediate sackable offence.

 

[Langers]

Giving Hunt a new contract should be made to be an immediate execution.

Fixed.

 

[Parkins left foot]

I'm not disagreeing with the OP by the way, but I see most of the issues we have as confidence issues. Of course, we need better footballers as well but a big clear out of playing staff (no matter what league we're in) will help me to have a bit more respect for the playing staff we've got because I think a lot of the rot will be shifted. Unless he buys more shit, of course.

Re-signing David Edwards and Stephen Hunt isn't the best way to start this process off though.

We should not be looking to resign any of the current squad who are out of contract this summer. This team needs a change in mental outlook which will not happen if there are too many here from the last 2/3 years. If we still have them under contract then look to sell those that we do not want to keep & refresh the squad & get what we can for them

 

[Langers]

I disagree that it's a confidence issue, many of these players have shown a lack of intelligent play even when we they not bereft of confidence. Ask yourself this question: when was the last time you saw a Wolves player and thought to yourself 'he's a clever footballer'? I think you have to go as far as far back as Robbie Keane to get a definitive answer to that question.

Jamie O'Hara
Michael Kightly
Stephen Fletcher

Off the top of my head. All showed signs of promising ability, able to change a game, have the ability to read a game well. I'm sure if I thought harder about it I could think of a few more too. O'Hara isn't doing as well as I thought he would since returning to the side, but when he arrived here, he showed genuine Premier League ability and was able to have a massive influence over our games.

I think the current crop is lacking confidence, some have just become incredibly stale here and others are just plain unprofessional. Though I take your point that there aren't any (O'Hara aside - when on form) I'd consider to be 'clever' footballers.

 

[Langers]

We should not be looking to resign any of the current squad who are out of contract this summer. This team needs a change in mental outlook which will not happen if there are too many here from the last 2/3 years. If we still have them under contract then look to sell those that we do not want to keep & refresh the squad & get what we can for them

I'd keep SEB here, otherwise I agree. I still think SEB has something to offer in this league. There aren't many players here I'd be unhappy to see leave, but he's one of them.