Pre-season friendly thread

[jd1981]

Not sure why people think talk of relegation is so laughable anyway? Pretty much every season in the Premier League - everyone outside the top 6 or 7 teams can go down. Only takes a bad run, some injuries, a few decisions to go against you and get stuck in a rut and you get dragged right into it.

We are in with teams like Brighton and Southampton with the bookies at around 9/2 - and you can't really argue with those odds now - we have been sucked into that bottom half group. I think we look ill prepared to play the way we are trying to and I do worry for us this season as I think a bad start will see the fans turn - in those first 2 seasons when we finished 7th the fans at Molineux helped us massively at home and it can just as easily work in reverse.

Almost everything depends on recruitment - we need about 4 new quality players to come into the first 11 to play 4-4-2.

Agree with this we’re in the mid to bottom half bunch that you wouldn’t expect to go down but who could easily get sucked in if not careful.
I think completely dismissing any chance of relegation borders on arrogance.

 

[BGreenWolf]

I'm less concerned about relegation than I am about keeling over due to sheer heart-stopping boredom, to be frank, and on the early evidence latter-stages Nuno was far more likely to make me do that.

 

[Tony Towner]

Despite everything that people say about last season, we finished 17 points clear of the bottom 3, even if you say the bottom 3 was unusually low points wise that's still 10 versus the average. Of course relegation is a possibility as it is for more than half of the league, but we'd have to have kicked ourselves pretty damn hard in the bollocks for it to happen or have horrific bad luck with injuries.

 

[MARKakaJIM]

Even taking Moutinho's age out of the equation what you are expecting of your centre midfield 2 in a counter attacking 343/352 is very different from a front foot 442

It's early days for the Lage reign but from the talk of how things were set up at Benfica I thought he still wanted the central midfielders to sit fairly deep most of the time and let the full backs push on to support the attacks? I don't think they were expected to be haring around the pitch for 90 minutes solid getting in people's faces and pressing non-stop, I'd have thought more of their running would be across the width of the pitch trying to cut off balls into the channels on the counter.

I think the way they'll play with the ball won't be hugely different from what they did under Nuno, sit fairly deep and offer an option for retaining possession or switching the play rather than pushing high up the pitch looking to force the issue or get amongst the goals themselves. I think the bigger difference is that they'll have to do more one on one defending against quick breaks rather than dropping off into a compact shape where they just have to hold their position to cut off passing options and look to make interceptions.

 

[YoungWolf]

Adama and Coady both joining training today. So at least they get a couple of days before they even go back

 

[Throbber3]

Neves and Moutinho have zero pace between them. The most exciting midfield I can remember last season was the second half v Chelsea where Otasowie and Neves ran the show , mainly because they upped the tempo and took the game to Chelsea. Dendoncker clearly does have the legs but I am not sure he actually has the vision and ability required. Its too early to say if Otasowie is anything more than a potential beast. Moutinho is unlikely to get any quicker at his age.

Is the Palhinha we have been linked with the ex Braga man at Sporting? If so he is 6ft 3 and a proper DM. That would add height that Neves and Moutinho don't really have defensively. It would also fit with MGW in front of him or even Ramsey in a 4-4-2. Then you have the Coady Dilemma. Looking at Yerson he is quick. That would make up for Coady's lack of pace. It may not be ideal but perhaps a Coady/ Yerson Mosquera pairing?

This may work, with some very hypothetical signings in red!
Sa
Semedo Coady Yerson Marcal
Trincao Palhinha Ramsey Traore
Raul Leao

Bench
Ruddy
Podence
RAN
Boly
Saiss
Otasowie
Dendoncker
MGW
Hoever
Moutinho
Guedes
Fabio

That then allows Neves, Mir, Cutrone (60m or more total) to go and for Neto and Jonny to come back after injury. That squad would certainly have more depth for me , than last seasons and the coach already appears to be more offensively minded. As many of you on here are saying , we are three or four players away from where we need to be for this system. Looking at the money side that would probably equate to a break even window as well if those hypotheticals came to pass.

 

[Wolvensam]

It's early days for the Lage reign but from the talk of how things were set up at Benfica I thought he still wanted the central midfielders to sit fairly deep most of the time and let the full backs push on to support the attacks? I don't think they were expected to be haring around the pitch for 90 minutes solid getting in people's faces and pressing non-stop, I'd have thought more of their running would be across the width of the pitch trying to cut off balls into the channels on the counter.

I think the way they'll play with the ball won't be hugely different from what they did under Nuno, sit fairly deep and offer an option for retaining possession or switching the play rather than pushing high up the pitch looking to force the issue or get amongst the goals themselves. I think the bigger difference is that they'll have to do more one on one defending against quick breaks rather than dropping off into a compact shape where they just have to hold their position to cut off passing options and look to make interceptions.

It's not too dissimilar to what Neves did in the first couple of seasons where he'd sit back and defend on the break when Doherty marauded forward. It was only last season that our full-backs really stopped joining the attacks as frequently (by which I mean if one of them was attacking the other would make their way into the box).

 

[prawnking]

I think completely dismissing any chance of relegation borders on arrogance.

Plenty of arrogance last season then when we were on a bad run.

It's fine to be sceptical about our chances this season, but why is relegation suddenly the main topic, before we've even played a competitive game? Ludicrous, and again shows how hypocritical the forum has become.

 

[YoungWolf]

Jd isn't being hypocritical at all - he was the one who kept bringing up the possibility of relegation last season (and I would often tell him there was nothing to worry about, as did others).

It seems to me to be the same people saying that we should never rule relegation out etc. The only opinion that seems to have really changed (and isn't hypocritical at all IMO) is that people think going from Nuno to Bruno increases what was a tiny (less than 1% as DW has said) chance to a bigger chance of relegation. And they have repeatedly said they don't think we are suddenly set for relegation but that if we don't get the players Lage wants it increases that possibility? Do you disagree with that? Because I genuinely don't know your opinion anymore on things, more that you seem to want to tell people they are hypocrites and police their posts. I've managed to disagree with plenty of people about yesterday's game without doing so?

 

[Throbber3]

Plenty of arrogance last season then when we were on a bad run.

It's fine to be sceptical about our chances this season, but why is relegation suddenly the main topic, before we've even played a competitive game? Ludicrous, and again shows how hypocritical the forum has become.

Relegation could happen to any of 12 clubs . Talk of it now , before a ball is kicked in anger , is exceptionally premature. Especially given how busy we already have been this pre season.

 

[Wolvensam]

Plenty of arrogance last season then when we were on a bad run.

It's fine to be sceptical about our chances this season, but why is relegation suddenly the main topic, before we've even played a competitive game? Ludicrous, and again shows how hypocritical the forum has become.

I don't think it's hypocritical at all. Premature maybe, but not hypocritical - I think a lot see we've gone from a proven EPL manager to someone who is relatively unproven as a manager, let alone a Premier League one, and that comes with its own risks.

 

[prawnking]

Jd isn't being hypocritical at all - he was the one who kept bringing up the possibility of relegation last season (and I would often tell him there was nothing to worry about, as did others).

It seems to me to be the same people saying that we should never rule relegation out etc. The only opinion that seems to have really changed (and isn't hypocritical at all IMO) is that people think going from Nuno to Bruno increases what was a tiny (less than 1% as DW has said) chance to a bigger chance of relegation. And they have repeatedly said they don't think we are suddenly set for relegation but that if we don't get the players Lage wants it increases that possibility? Do you disagree with that? Because I genuinely don't know your opinion anymore on things, more that you seem to want to tell people they are hypocrites and police their posts. I've managed to disagree with plenty of people about yesterday's game without doing so?

Mate, I get people trying to police my posts probably more than anyone on here, and I don't remember you objecting to that a single time, so you can climb down from the moral highground on that one.

I'm not you, and I don't have the same background or profile on here as you, so I won't act like you. Surely that's not hard to understand.

Whenever I've been critical in the past, it's always been 'wait and see' 'ooh doom and gloom' 'don't be negative in the matchday thread' 'are you even a Wolves fan' 'you hate Nuno', suddenly it's perfectly cool to be soberly discussing/defending relegation contemplation after a pre-season defeat without a chunk of our first XI and with the new manager still experimenting and looking at the players.

It's hilarious, and while people keep doing it I'll point it out. Too many people like pontificating and lecturing others but get all twitchy when it's done to them

 

[YoungWolf]

You get more people doing it as a response to your consistent policing others yourself! It's beyond boring, I try to just ignore it all but when you turn every fucking discussion this way it's almost impossible. I have no idea why you post on here when all you do is criticise the 'way' the forum and people on it post.

People are being critical now, and are also being told to 'wait and see', 'ooh doom and gloom', 'you hate Bruno' etc. You aren't as special as you seem to think you are.

My "background or profile" is hilarious. I think from now on I'll just bite my tongue/ignore any threads that you want to sidetrack.

 

[prawnking]

You get more people doing it as a response to your consistent policing others yourself! It's beyond boring, I try to just ignore it all but when you turn every fucking discussion this way it's almost impossible. I have no idea why you post on here when all you do is criticise the 'way' the forum and people on it post.

People are being critical now, and are also being told to 'wait and see', 'ooh doom and gloom', 'you hate Bruno' etc. You aren't as special as you seem to think you are.

My "background or profile" is hilarious. I think from now on I'll just bite my tongue/ignore any threads that you want to sidetrack.

I post on here because I'm a Wolves fan with an opinion.

Being critical after the fourth or fifth transfer window under Nuno, or during his second, third or fourth season is a little different to picking everything apart when Lage hasn't even played a competitive game and all we've done so far is strengthen the squad, ffs

 

[YoungWolf]

So before you were complaining that people aren't told the things you were for being critical and now I told you they have been, it's different anyway?

 

[prawnking]

So before you were complaining that people aren't told the things you were for being critical and now I told you they have been, it's different anyway?
View attachment 4114

They're being told it mainly by me (which you and many other regular posters get very pissy about), so it doesn't really count as the groundswell of the forum, which is what previous 'negativity' would have been met with. That's the clear and obvious point I've made several times. Maybe you just skim read threads like TT?

I think from now on I'll just bite my tongue/ignore any threads that you want to sidetrack.

Incidentally, I love the arrogance of thinking that anyone who takes a topic into an area you don't want to go into is 'side-tracking'

 

[prawnking]

I don't think it's hypocritical at all. Premature maybe, but not hypocritical - I think a lot see we've gone from a proven EPL manager to someone who is relatively unproven as a manager, let alone a Premier League one, and that comes with its own risks.

It's hypocritical in the context of the dominant culture of the forum as its been over the past few years.

Patience, positivity, unrelenting support for the manager, trust in the owners, perspective / being grateful that we're not in League One. Remember? Aggressively maintained and defended.

Turned on its head now because a few top posters miss the comfort blanket of Nuno. Fascinating and amusing, and being desperately denied

 

[Wolvensam]

So anyway, back to the pre-season friendlies...

 

[Loki]

So anyway, back to the pre-season friendlies...

I think Mosquera looks a very promising prospect from what I`ve seen in the pre-season friendlies......there!

 

[YoungWolf]

I think Mosquera looks a very promising prospect from what I`ve seen in the pre-season friendlies......there!

He is looking like a good pick by the recruitment team, hopefully we can find some more like that (as well as some much needed reinforcements for the first eleven)