Fulham A 26/12

[White Wolf]

Since Nuno took over you can reasonably assume the first-teamers that Thelwell/our scouting team have identified would be Norris, Douglas, Ofosu-Ayeh, and Dendoncker. Not sure who was behind N'Diaye or Bonatini and Afobe was more of an in-house recommendation which most of the staff would have known about.

Douglas was a great find considering the fee we paid (and in turn would receive), it was a position we badly needed, and his output. The record is otherwise average.

 

[darlowolf64]

Really?

As much as I think forwards are important you can't pin that one on him


Edit - Wolves touch stats for the season, most of our possession is of the Coady to Bennet back to Coady to boly type.

Interesting MGW has similar number of appearances (Inc sub appearances) as Traore, but much less touches. Would need to see the minutes played in total but that is very surprising.

I'd imagine a lot of Doc touches are off his head and out of play from goal kicks.

Looking on Transfermkt, Traore has played 540 minutes in the Premier League with 1 goal while MGW has played 394 minutes with an assist but does look like a professional footballer and not to forget that he is "18 year old, Morgan Gibbs-White"...

 

[Lycan]

Looking on Transfermkt, Traore has played 540 minutes in the Premier League with 1 goal while MGW has played 394 minutes with an assist but does look like a professional footballer and not to forget that he is "18 year old, Morgan Gibbs-White"...

That's the thing that annoys me most about Adama. I was under the impression that he'd had some kind of break through at Boro and was starting to dominate games the way someone with his physical and technical abilities should be able to. He's nowhere near though. He's going to be 23 in a month FFS. He's not a wee boy. He came through Barcelona's academy. He's got enough minutes under his belt now to be able to have a basic understanding of how to be part of a professional football team. Yet he looks about as useful at this level as Usain Bolt for Central Coast Mariners.

 

[SSB]

Down the corner in the first half. He couldn’t even judge where the ball was going to land, so let it bounce out of play instead of trying to trap and control it.

 

[Premier Quality]

That's the thing that annoys me most about Adama. I was under the impression that he'd had some kind of break through at Boro and was starting to dominate games the way someone with his physical and technical abilities should be able to. He's nowhere near though. He's going to be 23 in a month FFS. He's not a wee boy. He came through Barcelona's academy. He's got enough minutes under his belt now to be able to have a basic understanding of how to be part of a professional football team. Yet he looks about as useful at this level as Usain Bolt for Central Coast Mariners.

He absolutely was dominating games, as his goals and assists showed - but that was in large part because Pulis built their whole style of play around his strengths. We don’t do that, as our system is our strength so he needs to learn to fit into that.

He was always going to have a lot to learn, and as was said at the time we signed him, that won’t happen straight away as he’s never played in a system with so much team responsibility, he’s always played as an individual.

But yeah, Traore, etc etc etc.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Out of interest, how long are you going to give him a free pass for being awful?

Try not to respond with a "But Costa" thing.

By the way his goal record anywhere is pitiful so I would not hang your coat on that particular peg.

 

[Premier Quality]

I don’t give him a free pass - as you can see by my saying he deserved to be subbed at Fulham.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

How long do you think it will take him to match Rajiv van La Parra's tally of four Premier League goals?

 

[AndyWolves]

Out of interest, how long are you going to give him a free pass for being awful?

Try not to respond with a "But Costa" thing.

By the way his goal record anywhere is pitiful so I would not hang your coat on that particular peg.

Traore was always a gamble, if it worked great if not, thankfully we're in a position where it isn't the end of the world

I'd argue that, at the moment, Traore can still have an impact off the bench as I don't really think we have the depth to rule him totally out. I'd be more confident with Traore coming off the bench than Costa

For me, in order of preference assuming Raul is playing:-

Jota
Cavaleiro / MGW
Traore
Costa

 

[Premier Quality]

I guess part of the fun of being a wolves fan is finding out?

It’s called balance - I can think he has potential, and that he’s not performing. I can think for example that I wouldn’t start him against spurs (Cav, MGW and Jiminez for me assuming Diogo isn’t fit), without thinking he’s the worst player in the history of the world ever. I can think he’s a decent squad option at the moment without thinking he’s the best player in the world ever.

I know you pinned your colours to the mast when we were linked with him, and feel you can never be balanced towards him Dan - but not everything has to be one extreme or the other.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

It's not a question of balance, I thought he was a bad footballer when we were linked with him and he's showing himself to be a bad footballer. If he plays well, I'll say so.

 

[Premier Quality]

It's not a question of balance, I thought he was a bad footballer when we were linked with him and he's showing himself to be a bad footballer. If he plays well, I'll say so.

Would you though? He’s done some reasonable stuff in games and shown signs of improvement (whilst never being amazing, or a complete team player, or consistent), but I’ve never seen you mention anything positive about him?

I’m not sure I believe you could ever bring yourself to say anything balanced about him, without at least a season of good performances behind him ala Doherty...

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I did say he played well against Arsenal if you care to look back.

That is also the last time he had anything approaching a good game.

 

[Premier Quality]

So it’s not just that you need a scapegoat to hate, and Docs been playing too well over the last season and a half to maintain it being him?

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

No, and that's not fair.

 

[Premier Quality]

No, and that's not fair.

Haha, fair enough - look you’re a top man, I don’t want to get into a bitch fight with you all the time about Traore, it gets really boring - how about we both scale it back for a few weeks and see how it all goes? I’m beyond bored with Traore conversations.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Deal.

 

[Premier Quality]

Good man! Hope you have a fantastic “after Christmas but before the world starts again in January” period coming up!