09 Oct 2025 14:34:20
I've been thinking about our current league struggles and the calls for Vitor to get the chop.

If you accept that he's rebuilt the squad to his own requirements and replaced the outgoing players with what he considers adequate substitutes, whilst adding strength in the depth of the squad. Surely it comes down to how do we compare to last years team, who on the basis of post December performances were mid table-ish?

Those player replacements, and how I feel they compare are;

Jackson looks a good replacement to Semedo, arguably better defensively.

Hugo is way better than I expected and a good Ait Nouri swap.

Krejci without doubt a Doherty upgrade.

Arias seems to be settling and an adequate replacement, possibly upgrade, for a position shared last season by Sarabia/Guedes.

And the only obvious massive downgrade, as it stands Cunha has not been replaced. Hwang, Bellegarde have been tried but fallen some way short.

Taking all of this into account personally I feel that Vitor is at least for now the right man for the job, to get HIS team playing as a cohesive unit. He's made us hard to beat, he now needs to solve the LW issue and improve our creativity and goal threat!

1.) 09 Oct 2025
09 Oct 2025 15:43:01
I think that's a fair assessment molineuxway. The real 'miss' being the Cunha replacement as predicted by many.

I agree about VP but as I said in an earlier post he now needs to prove he's the right man for the job. The only alternative is for Fosun to sanction splashing out a bit in January if he is still struggling by then, as Jeff/Fosun seem keen to keep him.

Of course, we presumably would be back into the 'who would want to sign' territory by then.

2.) 09 Oct 2025
09 Oct 2025 16:17:48
We might already have Cunhas replacement in Mane, just a question of wether or not he's ready to make the step up. The lad certainly deserves a chance.

3.) 09 Oct 2025
09 Oct 2025 17:14:37
We haven't replaced Cunha? We can replace so and so but how would a club like Wolves be able to replace Cunha? We couldn't afford a replacement of the same quality and such a player wouldn't come to us anyway. The trick is to find a player who can become another Cunha. Maybe a promising £20mil signing or even young Mane?

4.) 09 Oct 2025
09 Oct 2025 19:31:44
Compared to the same stage last season, I think we are actually worse. Yes, we may have 1 more point than we did at the same stage, but last season we played Arsenal, Forest, Villa and Brentford away and Chelsea, Newcastle and Liverpool at home. All of these teams finished in the top 10.

This season we've played Bournemouth, Newcastle and Spurs away and Man City, Everton, Leeds and Brighton at home. Of the teams we've played so far, only Man City, Newcastle and Spurs are likely to finish in the top 10.

Our football is turgid, slow and ineffective. VP has brought in 8 new players and we seem to be getting no better.

These are the cold hard facts. We haven't won since April. We don't look like we're going to win any time soon. Our defence looks like it will be breached each and every time the opposition attacks.

I hope VP can turn it around but I'm sorry, I personally just can't see it.

If we are stranded at the foot of the table come the November international break, its time to cut our losses and get rid.

5.) 09 Oct 2025
09 Oct 2025 19:50:17
Deep of course you are correct. It is impossible for Wolves to find ready made players as good as Cunha, Neto, Jota, Neves, RAN, (despite Molineux's comment re H Bueno above), etc etc.
Thus, as you say, you can buy players who have the potential to improve - which comes at a risk both in the short term - the team is weakened, even if in time they develop to the level required, in the period before they develop - and the long term - they may never develop like Fabio and lots and lots of others.
The other option therefore is to try and broaden the base of talent - you lose an 8 but replace with 2 6.5s.
The 2 6.5s replace the 8 and a weaker player in the first 11 in this case perhaps a 3 or 4 such as Hwang or Toti.
Overall the side gets stronger.
However, Wolves first 11 lost 2 8/9s in Cunha and RAN and a 7 in Semedo via the transfer market plus it appears at the moment a 7/8 in Emmanuel and (for reasons still to be clarified - head turned or injured?) a 6/7 in JSL.
Did the new players including the returning loan/injured players replace that level of talent let alone improve it?
Sorry Molineux but I'm not at all convinced the squad is currently in the same post code in terms of talent.
However if Johnstone can consistently be an upgrade on Sa, the new players can develop - only Krejci has hit the ground at what one hopes is their optimal level - the Bueno's can find consistent form and very importantly JSL and Emmanuel can both return to their top form from last year then it is possible that the side might get close to the level of Vitor's team from last year, i.e. lower mid table.

6.) 10 Oct 2025
10 Oct 2025 09:11:05
Wandering Star you are entitled to your view that we are playing turgid, slow and ineffective football, but the facts are not as you state them. We have won since April, our last win was 23rd Sept against Everton, albeit in the cup.
As far as the defence being breached on every attack, personally I feel we've been far more organised and solid at the back with the inclusion of Johnstone and Krejci, and stats would support that as we've only conceded 2 in our last 3 games.
As I say I feel creativity and goal scoring is the real issue

7.) 10 Oct 2025
10 Oct 2025 17:02:33
Our defence may look better with Bueno and Krejci, but we are still conceding goals and we still ain't winning.