Strengths, do we have any?

[Toon Wolf]

Looking at the team this season, and indeed over the last few seasons, it's difficult to identify many parts of the squad where you could say we are strong. In defence we are slow, lack composure and look likely to concede goals almost at will. Up front we have SEB who is a decent goalscorer at this level (1 in 3 strike rate) but none of our other strikers score much more than 1 goal in 5/6 games, which outside of the PL is pretty woeful. As for the midfield, they collectively are poor at passing and tackling, their off the ball movement is woeful, they can't run and like the defence they lack composure on the ball. Our only apparent strength is in the goalkeeping department where we appear to have 2 good and one average (Ikeme) goalkeepers.

Looking at the squad, we look like a side that deserve relegation, but the worrying thing is that some of those weaknesses were evident long before this season and the additions made by Solbakken have not done enough to rectify the weaknesses caused by 3-4 years of neglect. We have to hope that this is addressed urgently and hope that some of the youngsters we have are good enough to come in and start the squad makeover from within.

 

[ROVERT47]

The forthcoming inevitability of League 1 football will hopefully see a Wolves side consisting of predominately youth team graduates, they'll be starting with a clean sheet and the crowd will, on the whole, be supportive.

 

[Wilf Wolf]

A couple of decent central midfielders would make everyone around them look better. The defence would get more cover, the fullbacks would have cover when going forwards, the wide men would receive the ball earlier and most importantly the forwards might actually have more than scraps to feed on.

 

[Toon Wolf]

A couple of decent central midfielders would make everyone around them look better. The defence would get more cover, the fullbacks would have cover when going forwards, the wide men would receive the ball earlier and most importantly the forwards might actually have more than scraps to feed on.

I think there's something in that. The lack of quality in the centre of midfield has been an achilles heel at Wolves for a long, long time. We have not had a midfield player who you can look and say "He's able to dictate a game" for as long as I can remember. We've had one or two over the years who you think have something about them, but no-one who at any level has been a difference maker. The current crop come from the McCarthy mould where the centre of midfield is just a place for a warm body because they aren't expected to do anything more than run around and protect a back four made up of carthorses. And they aren't even good at that.

 

[wombourne wolves]

The forthcoming inevitability of League 1 football will hopefully see a Wolves side consisting of predominately youth team graduates, they'll be starting with a clean sheet and the crowd will, on the whole, be supportive.

That is the only glimmer of light I can see from this appalling mess. The fact that the current crop of overpaid impostors have blown their cover and everyone now knows how shit they are. Clear the decks and start afresh, from the manager down.

How we solve a problem like Morgan is another dilemma.

 

[Toon Wolf]

The forthcoming inevitability of League 1 football will hopefully see a Wolves side consisting of predominately youth team graduates, they'll be starting with a clean sheet and the crowd will, on the whole, be supportive.

Here's hoping! The current crop of young players at least give us something to look forward to.

 

[Langers]

I think the academy will start to flourish over the next few years, and will be something we can finally give Morgan a bit of credit for!

But it's a fair point Toon - it's not easy to think of many strengths with this rabble.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Looking at the team this season, and indeed over the last few seasons, it's difficult to identify many parts of the squad where you could say we are strong. In defence we are slow, lack composure and look likely to concede goals almost at will. Up front we have SEB who is a decent goalscorer at this level (1 in 3 strike rate) but none of our other strikers score much more than 1 goal in 5/6 games, which outside of the PL is pretty woeful. As for the midfield, they collectively are poor at passing and tackling, their off the ball movement is woeful, they can't run and like the defence they lack composure on the ball. Our only apparent strength is in the goalkeeping department where we appear to have 2 good and one average (Ikeme) goalkeepers.

Looking at the squad, we look like a side that deserve relegation, but the worrying thing is that some of those weaknesses were evident long before this season and the additions made by Solbakken have not done enough to rectify the weaknesses caused by 3-4 years of neglect. We have to hope that this is addressed urgently and hope that some of the youngsters we have are good enough to come in and start the squad makeover from within.

I have sat and read this post pretty carefully. I have thought about it, and believe me I really wanted to find away to rail against it. For a good reason from my personal point of view as Toon called this disaster, and I called a successful season, thinking our squad was good. Indeed, check the posts and you will find I said I thought we should be back up as champions. I can't argue with the man, and must concede I was wrong.

Now we have to ask what can be done. We have two matches to somehow snatch an undeserved survival. Do it, and then there has to be a complete rebuild. Fail, and there has to be a complete rebuild.

There are very few strengths at all, to be fair. SEB is a good forward at this level, who will only be here in August if we pull off the unlikely escape act. We have a couple of decent keepers. Beyond that I am floundering to find players that are strengths.

 

[Wilf Wolf]

I think there's something in that. The lack of quality in the centre of midfield has been an achilles heel at Wolves for a long, long time. We have not had a midfield player who you can look and say "He's able to dictate a game" for as long as I can remember. We've had one or two over the years who you think have something about them, but no-one who at any level has been a difference maker. The current crop come from the McCarthy mould where the centre of midfield is just a place for a warm body because they aren't expected to do anything more than run around and protect a back four made up of carthorses. And they aren't even good at that.

I know all-round CM are expensive but the only one MM signed that could have been different to the likes of Henry, Edwards etc was O'Hara. He never trusted Miljas as he wasn't cut out for the physicality of the role and Guedioura's ability to lose the ball repeatedly made MM wary of playing him centrally. If O'Hara hadn't a complete crock he might have made a difference. I still think the best we had in the PL was Dave Jones who we let walk away for nothing.

Oh for an Alex Rae!

 

[malta mick]

Dave Jones was quite poor - he always had to turn through half circles to get on to his left foot !! Not a great tackler - when JOH first came he was a major upgrade to DJ.

 

[North West Wanderer]

Jones was excellent for us. I'd kill for him!

 

[Wilf Wolf]

Dave Jones was quite poor - he always had to turn through half circles to get on to his left foot !! Not a great tackler - when JOH first came he was a major upgrade to DJ.

DJ may have turned in circles to keep possession but that's the key point - he kept possession. And having done so he generally passed to another Wolves player, often one in front of him unlike his midfield partner! As for tackling - take a look at the stats for a typical game - most players make very few tackles, the modern game is based on getting in position, closing the opposition down and intercepting the ball or waiting for the opposition to make a mistake. DJ was capable at this.

 

[Wilf Wolf]

Jones was excellent for us. I'd kill for him!

Make yourself popular - you know who you have to kill!

 

[Toon Wolf]

Jones was excellent for us. I'd kill for him!

I think excellent is overstating it. He was decent but flawed. I'd take him in a heartbeat over Henry, Edwards or O'Hara.

O'Hara is one of the most over-rated players I can recall. He's had, what, 5 good games in 2+ seasons. Now, injuries have been a mitigating factor, I grant you, but rarely has one player promised so much and delivered so little yet still be seen by so many fans as a good player!

 

[malta mick]

In the early days He was a good player for us (an upgrade on what we had) , but then we bought in JOH, who again was the upgrade to DJ. Pity JOH become a crock but he was a far better footballer.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

I think excellent is overstating it. He was decent but flawed. I'd take him in a heartbeat over Henry, Edwards or O'Hara.

O'Hara is one of the most over-rated players I can recall. He's had, what, 5 good games in 2+ seasons. Now, injuries have been a mitigating factor, I grant you, but rarely has one player promised so much and delivered so little yet still be seen by so many fans as a good player!

I'm agreeing with you again. People will talk...

 

[manhattan project]

At the moment I can find no positives. The club is a shambles, and while we need to ditch most of the so called players, and yes we need a manager, the biggest problem is the King clown himself. Morgan must go back to his beloved Liverpool. I am sure that Suarez would bite his hand off if he went back there.

 

[Freddeno]

I think excellent is overstating it. He was decent but flawed. I'd take him in a heartbeat over Henry, Edwards or O'Hara.

O'Hara is one of the most over-rated players I can recall. He's had, what, 5 good games in 2+ seasons. Now, injuries have been a mitigating factor, I grant you, but rarely has one player promised so much and delivered so little yet still be seen by so many fans as a good player!

here is another one agreeing with you..central midfield is clearly the area we need to strengthen in..Jones was descent and good on the ball, which we clearly lack right now.

 

[Sheriff Fatman]

We have no strengths at any level of management or playing staff. We are uniformly crap.

While Morgan is playing with his near-to-Cheshire plaything, our fans will feel excruciating pain.

It is clear that Morgan has to go, and i dearly hope that there is another SJH out there somewhere.

If not we are in for a number of decades in League 1.

--tcitud.

 

[Lord Knows]

The strength is the potential size of the fanbase.