New Season

[GLASGOWOLF]

Saturday I am doing the first Foooball show of the new Season on Global Radio Cost Del Sol.

We have to do a few predictions and such as well as discussing our particular teams.
Obviously they are all going to be interested in Wolves with Nuno going Etc.

Living so far away my only contact with the fanbase is probably you guys, twitter and Facebook are so extreme.

So whats everyones thoughts and hopes for the season?

I am worried and excited in equal quantities because Large is an unknown quantity and we have no clue how he will do.
I also think we need a couple of new signings to supplement the squad. My hope is a solid 10th finish playing a new high pressing game and scoring more goals, more excitement. There is probably more trepidation than excitement though not by much

 

[PuntsWolf]

My expectations are low. I will pretty much take anything that isn’t a relegation battle with football that doesn’t make my eyes bleed.

What do I think will happen? No idea. With signings I still think the door is open to be competing in the top half but with the squad as it is the manager will do well to match Nuno’s comfortable finishing position with a less pragmatic style.

 

[jlo]

Raul being back is worth so much to us. But other than that, I think we go into next year weaker. So if you take the team with Raul finishing 7th twice, I'd also go for about 10th currently but I'm worried it could be a lot lot worse.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Been a long time since I've had such little optimism going into a season - probably Ken's final season when we lost Sako for free and didn't replace him.

I don't much fancy the manager (not wishing to open that particular can of worms again), injury issues are concerning and the squad is deficient in multiple areas. The board don't seem to want to spend any money so anything we do from here will be at a cost to the few good bits we already have. The main positive on that front is that Raul is back and looks great, plus doesn't look like he's going to go anywhere.

I think we'll be bottom half again and we'll concede a load more goals. Probably enough crap in the division to ensure that we're not in that much danger, though you never know, we could very easily lose our first three which never bodes well. I also think we'll have a new manager this time next year.

 

[Aikiwolf]

Similar to DW really, I think we will score more but I'm expecting us to concede more this season (as it stands with the current squad).

I don't think we will truly get into a relegation battle but I think it's more likely we will flirt with the lower end of table rather than be eyeing a European place.

Most of my pessimism comes from having a manager with next to zero track record, there's literally no evidence either way to suggest if he's any good or not, and I find that worrying!

 

[Tuco]

It's weird after the years of stability under Nuno to now really not knowing what to expect from Bruno. My gut tells me he doesn't have the experience for us to be a success but we had gone stale under Nuno and I'm not sure we'd have finished in the top half anyway. To put it another way I don't really have a clue!

 

[AndyWolves]

In expect Raul, Fabio and Wolves to score more goals than they did last season

 

[Tony Towner]

We have a team who have been set up to fundamentally limit opposition chances by holding shape because of a weak defence. As it stands we're going to be more offensive which I think we all embrace in principle but in doing so will be offering less support to that same defence whilst expecting them to play higher up the pitch and not having an all round midfielder to help with those difficiencies.

If we have broadly the same squad as we do now come September 1st then I think we'll be in for a lot of 3-2 defeats and finish a lot closer to the bottom than the top.
I'd pin all that on the Board not the manager.

 

[GLASGOWOLF]

Cheers guys anyone else can throw in their pennies worth, fair to say none of ua are overly confident.

 

[Tom Hark]

I'm expecting the ultimate 'roller-coaster' season, though whether we'll finish on a peak or in a trough I've no idea. Somewhere in the middle again, I expect, but hopefully with a few more highlights to get excited about along the way. Last season was soul destroying.

 

[Wilf Wolf]

As the squad is now top half would be an achievement. Our best hope will be to pick up points against teams that are less able to take advantage of our frailty at the back. If we can do that we should just about have enough to be clear of relegation but if one of the promoted sides does a Sheffield United in their first season it could end in disaster. I have a sneaking suspicion Brentford could surprise a few in which case we need an established team to be worse than us. Can Bruce keep getting wins against the odds? Are Palace going to be able to rebuild? Are Brighton going to turn good performances into more points?

Fair to say I’m travelling in hope not expectation! Can Semedo and Fabio kick on? How will Trincao adapt to the PL? Can Podence stay fit, and if so we’re his early performances a sign of what he is capable of or a flash in the pan?

Definitely more questions than answers! I’d settle for 14th to 16th place at the moment.

 

[MARKakaJIM]

We have a team who have been set up to fundamentally limit opposition chances by holding shape because of a weak defence. As it stands we're going to be more offensive which I think we all embrace in principle but in doing so will be offering less support to that same defence whilst expecting them to play higher up the pitch and not having an all round midfielder to help with those difficiencies.

If we have broadly the same squad as we do now come September 1st then I think we'll be in for a lot of 3-2 defeats and finish a lot closer to the bottom than the top.
I'd pin all that on the Board not the manager.

Not sure the weak defense was the reason for the negative setup any more so than it was Nuno's preference to play that way.

 

[WolfMan]

Not sure the weak defense was the reason for the negative setup any more so than it was Nuno's preference to play that way.

We saw what happened when he tried to be more expansive, our defenders weren't good enough. It was pragmatic of Nuno to revert to a more defensive setup, if he'd have carried on we could have ended up getting spanked every week which could have run out of control very quickly. Whoever the manager is the issue we've had for ages is we've not bought any defenders for 3 years and the ones who have been playing there are mainly converted midfielders.

 

[prawnking]

We have a team who have been set up to fundamentally limit opposition chances by holding shape because of a weak defence. As it stands we're going to be more offensive which I think we all embrace in principle but in doing so will be offering less support to that same defence whilst expecting them to play higher up the pitch and not having an all round midfielder to help with those difficiencies.

If we have broadly the same squad as we do now come September 1st then I think we'll be in for a lot of 3-2 defeats and finish a lot closer to the bottom than the top.
I'd pin all that on the Board not the manager.

Pretty much agree with this. I think Bruno came across well the other day but it's not easy to get back to challenging for 'best of the rest' with minimal investment, especially when your squad has been assembled for a different playing style.

Unless Bruno is some kind of genius or Fosun get us a couple of big signings I'd be expecting a few dodgy runs, especially at the start, and would be hoping for an eventual finish slightly better than last season, but with progression towards a more pleasing on the eye style. It still has to be effective though. Hoping for an easier season injury-wise too.

I think 12th-14th personally, 10th probably the top of realistic optimism

 

[PuntsWolf]

Tbh his (Nuno) set up was dreadful when we were more expansive. How he couldn’t find a middle ground I don’t know, but that’s why he got sacked.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

We don't look any better in that respect under Lage! Worse if anything.

 

[PuntsWolf]

I haven’t seen anything beyond 45 mins at Crewe so can’t really comment.

Nuno left the 2 CBs 1 v 1, zero press, both FBs high, midfielders both too high and the players were just being rubbish as well and doing stupid things.

Bruno obviously still has the players who are rubbish and do stupid things so he’s a bit stuck. And I’m not sure he’s going to transform us from a deep lying, counter attacking, no press, no attacking patterns of play team overnight but he might do in time.

 

[Jack Regan]

I'm currently feeling deeply pessimistic, Raul's return aside were no better off player-wise than last season. We have a mostly untried manager and no current signs we're planning on strengthening the team any further. In fact all reports seem to lend themselves to us weakening it instead. From an actual footballing standpoint however we may see an attempt to play a more expansive style, which could be seen as a positive as watching us last season was a real chore. Whether we have the players to play this way is very much in doubt, we obviously need some serious recruitment on that front.

I suspect we're in for a season of mediocrity and would currently be pretty happy with a 13th-15th place finish. How that translates to a matchday experience remains to be seen.

 

[northfield wolf]

Roll on October when Neto comes back, and lets get a central defender, otherwise its 15th. No more Europe for the forseeable future.

 

[Loki]

Although i don`t think we`ll go down, I think we will be in a survival battle more than fighting for a top ten place. A couple of decent signings though and my optimism will increase slightly.