Let's talk about Nuno....

[YoungWolf]

I agree with the bulk of this, but tbf Podence has only missed the past two league games and Adama one! Plenty of games where they've played this season and we've played worse than yesterday, same as Boly.

Oh no, I totally agree! But we've yet to have a run with our "strongest team" for whatever reasons (I exclude Raul and Jonny from this). Sometimes it's been little knocks to players, and sometimes where Nuno has just made the wrong selection too. If we know something, it's that we've performed best with a consistent team selection (IMO). Maybe this is where Nuno feels we need to become more flexible though, being able to deal with a rotated team especially if we were to get back in Europe. Regardless, he hasn't got that right yet.

 

[YoungWolf]

I know you don't mean it like that but that sounds quite dismissive, Would Lewis Hamilton have won the championship without using the top two gears on his car ?

Even without Raul one win in eight still is a poor run of form though. Nuno is a good enough coach for it to not be the case.

 

[prawnking]

With everyone fit, and the XI you have mentioned, you then have Ruddy, Hoever, Saiss, Kilman, Ait-Nouri, Marcal, Moutinho, Gibbs-White, Vitinha, Otasowie, Cutrone and Silva for the bench. Originally we were only having 7 subs available also so plenty of options.

The small squad stuff is being brought up again because of injuries. 23 players there, how many more do we need sat around the place?

Tbf we wouldn't have had Cutrone, MGW and probably Otasowie in that first team scene if it weren't for injuries.

Plenty of options for defence and midfield, just Silva and possibly Vitinha for the forward positions. Bit imbalanced

 

[Tony Towner]

With everyone fit, and the XI you have mentioned, you then have Ruddy, Hoever, Saiss, Kilman, Ait-Nouri, Marcal, Moutinho, Gibbs-White, Vitinha, Otasowie, Cutrone and Silva for the bench. Originally we were only having 7 subs available also so plenty of options.

The small squad stuff is being brought up again because of injuries. 23 players there, how many more do we need sat around the place?

All depends if this seasons injuries are an outlier or not. It's the first time in 4 years and playing back to back seasons I think they probably are, but if we were just bloody lucky previously and this pattern continues then it becomes an issue. 2 of those wouldn't be here if it weren't for the injuries.

You are still working with one serviceable centre forward with Cutrone still in the needs to prove himself camp. That's where we've unnecessarily exposed ourselves.

 

[Trips]

Tbf we wouldn't have had Cutrone, MGW and probably Otasowie in that first team scene if it weren't for injuries.

Plenty of options for defence and midfield, just Silva and possibly Vitinha for the forward positions. Bit imbalanced

In a perfect world we would have got somebody in as back up for Raul who was more experienced than Silva, although I'd imagine it would be a pretty hard sell.

Who could we realistically have got, who would have been happy to just sit on the bench and play EFL Cup games? We had no Europe this year so no opportunity for playing there. Raul plays every minute of every league game pretty much.

The option we went with was a highly-rated teenager who could learn behind Raul and get minutes here and there. Experienced strikers arent going to do that at Wolves.

Hindsight being the wonderful thing it is, if we had known Raul would miss 2/3 of the season then easier to recruit, but we couldnt have foreseen the injury

 

[Trips]

All depends if this seasons injuries are an outlier or not. It's the first time in 4 years and playing back to back seasons I think they probably are, but if we were just bloody lucky previously and this pattern continues then it becomes an issue. 2 of those wouldn't be here if it weren't for the injuries.

You are still working with one serviceable centre forward with Cutrone still in the needs to prove himself camp. That's where we've unnecessarily exposed ourselves.

As I've said above, it's a pretty hard sell to somebody to say that they are probably never going to start, and will barely get any minutes off the bench. If we had found someone willing to sit around getting no playing time and take the wages, is that the player we want here?

 

[Tony Towner]

In a perfect world we would have got somebody in as back up for Raul who was more experienced than Silva, although I'd imagine it would be a pretty hard sell.

Who could we realistically have got, who would have been happy to just sit on the bench and play EFL Cup games? We had no Europe this year so no opportunity for playing there. Raul plays every minute of every league game pretty much.

The option we went with was a highly-rated teenager who could learn behind Raul and get minutes here and there. Experienced strikers arent going to do that at Wolves.

Hindsight being the wonderful thing it is, if we had known Raul would miss 2/3 of the season then easier to recruit, but we couldnt have foreseen the injury

I'm not getting dragged into the 'name them' game, but I've never accepted that argument. When one player is so pivotal to the way you play you have to have cover and have to assume there's a chance of them breaking their leg on the first day of the season. No hindsight there, I've said it since the January of the Championship season with Bonatini. It was likely to happen at some point.

 

[Paul]

Even without Raul one win in eight still is a poor run of form though. Nuno is a good enough coach for it to not be the case.

Totally agree with you, my worry is we seem to have developed phases of mentality, safety if first and paramount, panic is second and pressing go for the throat is third, the lack of confidence is very obvious, whether that be in the system or in players abilities, I think deep in their heart they know there isn't goals in us, so it's vital not to concede, a plan that can derail very quickly, I do think the age and experience, although commendable is an issue at times, even in the last two games how often have players got in each others way or where the player with the ball has intended to run, the problem is , due to injury, you've taken away the experience, for example when Traore makes a run to the byline he must know Raul will be on the penalty spot or heading for the front post, now if someone gets to the byline I dont think they know who (if anybody) is going to be in the box let alone where they'll be.

 

[prawnking]

In a perfect world we would have got somebody in as back up for Raul who was more experienced than Silva, although I'd imagine it would be a pretty hard sell.

Who could we realistically have got, who would have been happy to just sit on the bench and play EFL Cup games? We had no Europe this year so no opportunity for playing there. Raul plays every minute of every league game pretty much.

The option we went with was a highly-rated teenager who could learn behind Raul and get minutes here and there. Experienced strikers arent going to do that at Wolves.

Hindsight being the wonderful thing it is, if we had known Raul would miss 2/3 of the season then easier to recruit, but we couldnt have foreseen the injury

I'm sorry, I don't think you need hindsight to see that someone who can play if something happens to your best player in probably the most pivotal position in the team is a good idea.

We spent big and replaced him with someone who looks like he won't be anywhere near ready for the PL for at least a season. That's a risky decision.

Either they scouted him inadequately and thought he'd be better now than he is, or they thought he could sit on the bench for 95% of the time so it wouldn't matter (I don't call that backup).

It's OK to say the club made an error of judgement on this one!

 

[Trips]

I'm not getting dragged into the 'name them' game, but I've never accepted that argument. When one player is so pivotal to the way you play you have to have cover and have to assume there's a chance of them breaking their leg on the first day of the season. No hindsight there, I've said it since the January of the Championship season with Bonatini. It was likely to happen at some point.

Yeah agreed on the 'name them' game, but think it's too easy for people to say we should have cover. I dont think it's as easy as that.

Players who are sat on he bench at United/Liverpool/Chelsea etc, arent going to swap that for our bench. Not going to happen. And strikers who are starting lower down the table arent going to swap starting in the PL, to sit on Wolves' bench. So where do you go?

 

[prawnking]

As I've said above, it's a pretty hard sell to somebody to say that they are probably never going to start, and will barely get any minutes off the bench. If we had found someone willing to sit around getting no playing time and take the wages, is that the player we want here?

I could vaguely accept that if we weren't now in our third season in the PL.

We don't accept this scenario for any other position on the pitch, even Ruddy is closer to suitability than Fabio right now, bless him.

 

[YoungWolf]

We did have adequate back up for Raul for two years it's just Liverpool bought him off us.

I'm of the opinion that in our situation, a wide player/ forward is our best option to back up Raul PLUS someone young like Fabio. A bit like Spurs have when Kane's ankle goes, Son steps up really well. Neto, Adama and Podence don't fit that profile though, so I think that's the next attacker we need to buy.

 

[AndyWolves]

I just want Nuno to make subs when players are tired. He timed MGW perfectly, why not Silva and Moutinho when they inevitably tire.

It's so obvious and you can see the pattern of the game change when it does happen.

 

[AndyWolves]

Yeah agreed on the 'name them' game, but think it's too easy for people to say we should have cover. I dont think it's as easy as that.

Players who are sat on he bench at United/Liverpool/Chelsea etc, arent going to swap that for our bench. Not going to happen. And strikers who are starting lower down the table arent going to swap starting in the PL, to sit on Wolves' bench. So where do you go?

Someone like a Richarlison would be ideal. We just need to find them!

I think Josh King might be expensive in the context of his contract but to "solve" the experienced striker issue and can play across the front £10m or so feels like a bargain

 

[Trips]

I could vaguely accept that if we weren't now in our third season in the PL.

We don't accept this scenario for any other position on the pitch, even Ruddy is closer to suitability than Fabio right now, bless him.

The other positions on the pitch though start with more than one player, so more opportunity to play. We only play with one central striker, so much harder to get in. It's why nearly every club has a massive drop off in quality from their #1 keeper to their #2.

 

[PuntsWolf]

The other positions on the pitch though start with more than one player, so more opportunity to play. We only play with one central striker, so much harder to get in. It's why nearly every club has a massive drop off in quality from their #1 keeper to their #2.

You don’t ever sub your GK, they rarely get injured, and they don’t need a rest.

Every other team in the league has some form of backup. The argument you can’t find one is tiresome.

 

[Tony Towner]

We did have adequate back up for Raul for two years it's just Liverpool bought him off us.

I'm of the opinion that in our situation, a wide player/ forward is our best option to back up Raul PLUS someone young like Fabio. A bit like Spurs have when Kane's ankle goes, Son steps up really well. Neto, Adama and Podence don't fit that profile though, so I think that's the next attacker we need to buy.

That's what I was about to say to Trips, if it's not a like for like replacement then you need that versatility in your squad

 

[YoungWolf]

That's what I was about to say to Trips, if it's not a like for like replacement then you need that versatility in your squad

I think this is what we've largely done under Nuno, we just got that bit wrong this summer. Changing to 4231/433 has amplified that need with the lack of depth in wide areas too, so we could solve two problems in one there

 

[prawnking]

As I've said above, it's a pretty hard sell to somebody to say that they are probably never going to start, and will barely get any minutes off the bench. If we had found someone willing to sit around getting no playing time and take the wages, is that the player we want here?

This argument would hold more water if we were talking about summer 2019.

We bought Fabio (and only Fabio) for that role fully aware of the pandemic and fully aware we'd just come off the back of a knackering season, with a new one due to start imminently.

Should we not have expected Raul to be playing less and this backup would need to be ready to step up?

 

[YoungWolf]

Tbf, if not for a freak injury he would still have played a similar amount of minutes to previous seasons. He's our best player, so he plays. Then, Fabio just basically plays at Man United away due to the schedule and the odd sub appearance. Instead he's been thrown in.

Like I say, I think the mistake was not having a Jota-like forward that could play in that position.