The Summer 2025 Transfer Window Thread

[YoungWolf]

The reality is Covid really fucked us too. We would have finished 6th (maybe even 5th) without it imo.

Then you also don’t get Nuno losing a lot of his magic in that year, the Raul injury, etc.

It’s bad luck, but how we’ve been managed since then as a club has been pretty pathetic.

 

[Keef]

It’s the owners inconsistency that kills us, one minute it’s all we are self sustaining no big spending, relegation threatens, omg we might go down let’s throw millions in we have to stop up, we’ve a bright new manager we believe will do a brilliant job, we’ve don’t want to lose him! Let’s give him a big contract, then it’s omg relegation threatens, yea actually this manager is awful isn’t he? Sack him

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Raul was bad luck (David Luiz is a cunt), but how we didn't attempt to mitigate for an injury to him wasn't, we didn't have a back up striker to Raul for years, that wasn't unlucky, that was negligent.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

It’s the owners inconsistency that kills us, one minute it’s all we are self sustaining no big spending, relegation threatens, omg we might go down let’s throw millions in we have to stop up, we’ve a bright new manager we believe will do a brilliant job, we’ve don’t want to lose him! Let’s give him a big contract, then it’s omg relegation threatens, yea actually this manager is awful isn’t he? Sack him

Exactly. That's poor leadership and ownership, we don't have a medium or long term plan. We flip flop, the turnover of senior staff (excluding Shi) has been really high, there's a lack of joined up thinking and consistency.

AND league positions are regressing, that's a fact.

 

[Carsy]

The reality is Covid really fucked us too. We would have finished 6th (maybe even 5th) without it imo.

Then you also don’t get Nuno losing a lot of his magic in that year, the Raul injury, etc.

It’s bad luck, but how we’ve been managed since then as a club has been pretty pathetic.

100%. We’ve had some terrible unavoidable bad luck with COVID and Raul, then equally and much more recently some entirely avoidable circumstances.

The Raul thing is such a huge one. Comfortably in the top 5 forwards in the prem IMV until that injury, and would have been for the next few years IMV.

Doesn’t excuse the lack of cover, and the Silva shit show Ofcourse.

PSRs a dick as well, however we’ve managed it at times like complete amateurs

The frustrating thing, is although there is definite reasons to have gripes with certain aspects, we aren’t that far from being, like a Brighton/brentford IMV.

 

[Carsy]

Raul was bad luck (David Luiz is a cunt), but how we didn't attempt to mitigate for an injury to him wasn't, we didn't have a back up striker to Raul for years, that wasn't unlucky, that was negligent.

Was it abit of both? Cutrone signed was rated highly turned out to be a cabbage.

Jose again not a bad record in la liga. Another cabbage.

Granted the buck stops with the owners like everything, can’t have the credit for the good without the criticism of the bad.

Some of our signings have been bloody awful tbf!

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Was it abit of both? Cutrone signed was rated highly turned out to be a cabbage.

Jose again not a bad record in la liga. Another cabbage.

Granted the buck stops with the owners like everything, can’t have the credit for the good without the criticism of the bad.

Some of our signings have been bloody awful tbf!

Jose was signed after the injury.

When Raul got injured we only had an 18 year old Fabio, who became the replacement, which arguably really affected his development.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

The frustrating thing, is although there is definite reasons to have gripes with certain aspects, we aren’t that far from being, like a Brighton/brentford IMV.

Agree.

However I think we should/could be better than those, we are a bigger club than both. But they've had a consistent approach rather than our taps on/off nonsense.

 

[Lycan]

Cutrone was poor scouting. He'd had a break out season when he was very young but had a really worrying 2nd season before we even signed him. I think he'd only scored 2 or 3 for Milan in the season before he came to Wolves, all of them tap ins.

In the seasons before the Raúl injury we had Jota (and Bonatini for a while) on the books who could've covered.

 

[Kenny]

Cutrone was poor scouting. He'd had a break out season when he was very young but had a really worrying 2nd season before we even signed him. I think he'd only scored 2 or 3 for Milan in the season before he came to Wolves, all of them tap ins.

He also didn't want to join us.

 

[AndyWolves]

Cutrone was poor scouting. He'd had a break out season when he was very young but had a really worrying 2nd season before we even signed him. I think he'd only scored 2 or 3 for Milan in the season before he came to Wolves, all of them tap ins.

In the seasons before the Raúl injury we had Jota (and Bonatini for a while) on the books who could've covered.

Milan signed Leao as a result, and i'm pretty sure we could have got Leao at the time instead of Cutrone

 

[Carsy]

Jose was signed after the injury.

When Raul got injured we only had an 18 year old Fabio, who became the replacement, which arguably really affected his development.

Fair point regarding Jose. I do agree the fact we had no other feasible option was inconceivable

 

[Carsy]

Agree.

However I think we should/could be better than those, we are a bigger club than both. But they've had a consistent approach rather than our taps on/off nonsense.

We can agree that our approach seems rather feast or famine and not much in between.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

That European season was mental, most of our players played 50 plus games, injuries just didn't happen, I thought our medical team were geniuses or were using illegal practices our players were so resilient.

Then it all changed, so I have an element of understanding that our squad didn't need to be huge.

But that arrogance/complacency was a mistake.

 

[AndyWolves]

That European season was mental, most of our players played 50 plus games, injuries just didn't happen, I thought our medical team were geniuses or were using illegal practices our players were so resilient.

Then it all changed.

I seem to recall that in the PL games during that time we essentially picked a half to play in and the other half was a bit more lethargic.

It was probably all in my head though!

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

I seem to recall that in the PL games during that time we essentially picked a half to play in and the other half was a bit more lethargic.

It was probably all in my head though!

No. I agree. We seemed to "contain" teams until about the hour mark and then go for it more in the last half an hour.

 

[Dire Wolf]

I seem to recall that in the PL games during that time we essentially picked a half to play in and the other half was a bit more lethargic.

It was probably all in my head though!

I seem to recall there being stats showing that as a team we covered significantly less distance in a game than every other team. Somewhat validating your theory I'd imagine.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Viz (magazine not poster) had a Profanisaurus entry about us

Something like "I saw those nude photos of Anne Widdicombe and I was as flaccid as a Wolves first half"

 

[Del Woppio]

That European season was mental, most of our players played 50 plus games, injuries just didn't happen, I thought our medical team were geniuses or were using illegal practices our players were so resilient.

Then it all changed, so I have an element of understanding that our squad didn't need to be huge.

But that arrogance/complacency was a mistake.

Aye, the club and many many fans were basically fooled into thinking we'd stumbled on some magic formula that meant we were immune to injuries and so depth wasn't required

 

[Kenny]

Squad depth was Nuno's choice wasn't it.

Rumblings early on that Jeff (the footballing guru) wanted more 1st team players...obviously that led to him becoming the greatest football mind that has ever lived