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Innocent Bystander's banter posts with other poster's replies to Innocent Bystander's banter posts
28 Sep 2023 10:53:54
My starting point is that I believe all our players are fundamentally good footballers. Some are obviously better than others but if they weren’t good they would never have made it to the Premier League. There’s enough talent in our squad to be at least mid table. So why are our results so bad?
I think the problem is that our managers (and we had four of them in the last year or so) each have felt they have to come in and get the team to play their (different) style otherwise they would feel they weren’t doing anything. It’s no wonder the players look uncomfortable and confused.
Maybe the answer is that the manager should not be rigid but should simply encourage the players to play to their strengths and play attacking football with the accent on enjoying themselves. This is what seems to be working to good effect at Spurs. Sometimes simple answers are the best response to complex problems.
1.) 28 Sep 2023 11:38:00
Sorry Innocent but I think you are massively under estimating how incredibly detailed and nuanced Ange Ball actually is! He doesn't just tell them to go out there and express themselves/have fun because they aren't an U9's team! No, Spurs are benefitting from a VERY tactically strong and meticulous manager, not entirely different to what we had before Jeff mucked it up this summer!
Watch Spurs play, the triggering of the press is precise, organised and well executed! Just like their set pieces or there defensive structures. Then watch us and THEN I can start see why you are confusing the Prem with U9's footy!
I get where you are coming from but modern football really is VERY detailed, ironically I think half of the problem is that Gary has a similar approach to that which you are recommending! Worked for Mad Mick but these days you just won't get away with it, the Prem has moved on and it we don't catch up I fear that we won't be in it much longer!
2.) 28 Sep 2023 11:38:58
There still has to be a cohesive defensive unit where players know when and where they need to be.
3.) 28 Sep 2023 12:33:00
If the chances we have created were put away by the so called strikers at the club we would be sitting prity in mid table, that’s the main problem, not putting chances, and good chances at that in the back of the net .
4.) 28 Sep 2023 13:38:17
I'm not sure about that Wolvo, like Jas was saying last week we all keep talking about the chances we miss without recognising that we have let in the third highest amount of goals in the league! In fact we are currently averaging letting two goals in a game! So even if we finish our chances we have to score two goals a game just to have any chance of even nicking a point?! The problem is in both boxes and if the problem remains to be in both boxes (after the next 3-4 matches) then I'm afraid the problem is GON!
5.) 28 Sep 2023 14:57:18
We’ve needed a striker since we were 4th with the chance to go second and Raul got his injury. We all knew it and so did and do Shi and Fosun but still even this window they don’t get the priority goal scorer we need. Nuno’s face when he had to tow the club line and say Liverpool was the right place for Jota said it all. We’ve needed a strong quick centre back for years as we’ve never had one under Fosun. Semedo 1 great game 4 bad, Dawson solid every game but slow, Kilman makes wrong decisions and doesn’t get tight enough and Ait Nouri is more of an attacking player rather than a solid left back. That’s why he needs to change to a 5 and get harder to score against and play 3 up top. Then maybe we can buy a proper goalscorer in Jam if it’s not too late. ?
6.) 28 Sep 2023 18:28:09
On paper we have talented players and a good team but not able to transfer that skill and talent to the pitch. Is that down to GON and his ability to motivate or is there more of a deep seated issue at the club
7.) 29 Sep 2023 17:40:28
We'd be mid table were it not for VAR.
25 Sep 2023 22:09:15
I was seriously underwhelmed when we appointed GON. After all Bournemouth, a modest club, had had a good look at him and decided he wasn’t up to it. But now we have him and I would suggest (for financial and performance reasons) have no realistic prospect of getting anyone better. I think we have to stick with what we’ve got at least to Christmas It’s going to be a bumpy ride. Let’s hope all we want for Christmas is not Big Sam!
1.) 26 Sep 2023 06:21:55
Agree Innocent, no half-decent manager will work for Shi, so we are restricted.
Hobbs did a brilliant job in getting O'Neil.sadly now he has met Shi, his frustration is beginning to show!
When he goes, what happens next?!
2.) 26 Sep 2023 07:32:23
I said this just after Gary O'Neil was appointed. Rob Edwards will he the next Manager.
I really hope GON succeeds. I think he will.
Apparently, Lopetegui engineered his way out of Molineux as he wanted the Chelsea job but Shi wouldn't allow him to talk to them. By the time he put the wheels in motion, the damage had been done but Pochettino had already been installed.
3.) 26 Sep 2023 09:03:57
A brilliant job in getting oneil!your kidding right.a bmouth reject.please
4.) 26 Sep 2023 10:47:17
Buxwolf, if you are referring to my comment it wasn't referring to O'Neil as such, it was that Hobbs could persuade anyone to work for Shi!
When he goes, I think many will be shocked that no one will take the job unless a big financial safety net is guaranteed.
5.) 26 Sep 2023 12:09:22
Jas, Lopetegui was at the Chelsea v Villa match on Sunday in one of the hospitality suites. Make of that what you will.
6.) 26 Sep 2023 12:47:04
If true Jas (and with the way him and his staff have hung around it seems likely) then Jeff is an EVEN bigger fool than I thought! We were never going to stop our manager from going to Chelsea! What Jeff should have done was encouraged it and rinsed the compo, then we would have made money from the situation rather than having to pay compensation to lose a manager we didn't want to lose! Madness! ?
7.) 26 Sep 2023 13:04:03
I think that's what he tried to do but the interview with Balague made sure that his position became untenable.
8.) 26 Sep 2023 13:40:49
23 Sep 2023 23:06:33
I usually try to be positive but there ain't much to be positive about at the moment. Seen it before in previous relegation campaigns and we are well on target for another one. Break the bank and get NES back
24 Aug 2023 22:10:27
Well the only ascertained fact in the recent discussions seems to be that City has put in an inadequate offer for Nunes. The rest is speculation. For now I will just say I am appalled at how City (and others in the big six) seem to be able to throw money around without any regard to FFP. It makes a complete mockery of the Prem league as a competition. The situation our club finds itself in with Fosun’s ambiguous ongoing support is totally depressing.
1.) 24 Aug 2023 22:44:16
Please all read the article about how Fosun were going to buy talent from lesser leagues and then sell them for bigger fees, isn’t that what we are seeing. Thw problem is they never realised they might fall in love with the club. over the next week!
2.) 24 Aug 2023 22:52:32
Depressing?
Depressing?
Really
It's unwanted, but the situation isn't depressing for Christ's sake.
Will you amd others get a bloody grip of yourselves.
The Bhatti's was bad; relegation to Div 4 was as bad. But never Depressing.
We have a great club, some amazing players, and a manager wanting to prove a point.
Depressing my arsenal!
3.) 25 Aug 2023 07:47:10
There seem to be injustices in football now which all spin around finances and uneven 'playing fields'. Be it suspicious VAR decisions, inquests and punishments or the dreaded FFP. Apologies are given but never redress the problems.
Football as we oldens remember dosnt exist any longer. The merchandising of players and clubs, driven by TV etc, is OTT. The wages paid obscene to the ordinary working man. Its a product now. Business has no heart for the 'normal' fan and we see our clubs being tossed around like toys. Outside the fashionable big cities your just there to facilitate. This I find sad, and therefocan relate to the innocent bystanders remarks. It's not clinically depressing but it dosnt help your frame of mind when you care deeply for your club.
That said, 'it's only a game', (except its not now) and we must always hold hope. Depressing no, but it dosnt half p. me off.
4.) 25 Aug 2023 07:47:12
Great post Porthminsterwolf, it's Football try and enjoy it.
Some one bought me a mirror as a gift once and on the mirror was written,
3-1 up or 3-1 down your club will always were the Crown
Players come and players go
But you remain and rightly so!
COYW
5.) 25 Aug 2023 09:56:15
Man City spend on transfers from tranfermarkt.
Figures obviously In millions of euros
23/24 purchase €179 sales €67
22/23 purchase €152 sales €162
21/22 purchase €138 sales €93
20/21 purchase €173 sales €64
From 20/21 to 22/23 deficit of around 144m euros, but there revenue will be so much higher.
6.) 25 Aug 2023 11:39:22
Unfair and unjust and uncalled for Norfolk.
That's not what this site is about. EVERYONE is entitled to their view - and express it here. Whether you agree or not. You can certainly put your own and different point of view. but that's no justification to have a go at another poster and tell him to keep his opinions to himself
{Ed001's Note - sorry that was my fault, I meant to copy his name to ask Ed33 to ban him but was on my phone and ended up covering the wrong button and posted rather than deleting his post. There is no point in idiots like him being on here. If they don't want to read other people's opinions then why be on a forum for people to give opinions?}
7.) 25 Aug 2023 12:29:37
Thanks Ed001 but we're all itching to know what Norfolk said now!
8.) 25 Aug 2023 17:30:07
Many thanks ED1.
Not your fault you're busy.
But as we know it's opinions and banter ( as by title!).
We all have differing views and opinions but no need for attacks and abuse at all.
Keep up the good work ED1 - much appreciated
{Ed001's Note - very welcome Rollo, just fat fingers and a baby distracting me. I don't understand why he was complaining about someone else posting an opinion. That happens a lot across the sites with people getting all arsey when someone else joins in a conversation. I think they forget this is not a private conversation!}
19 Aug 2023 06:37:30
Thought for the day - what a joy it is to have a coach who we know really wants to be at our club.
1.) 19 Aug 2023 08:53:41
Morning Innocent, coupled with players that want to be at Wolves and Wolves playing attractive footie all of a sudden there's excitement and anticipation before games COYW
2.) 19 Aug 2023 12:37:34
Went past the Mol at 11am, the bus was outside and Wolves players were getting on, I saw Hodge and Fabio Silva was being dropped off - do they go to Compton and then back to the Mol?
3.) 19 Aug 2023 13:45:15
I think they go to Compton to talk matchday tactics etc and then back to the Mol Debs.
4.) 19 Aug 2023 13:58:38
I came back no more than 20 mins later (or the time to takes to get to Fordhouses and back) and the bus was gone. Hodge was 100% getting on.
5.) 19 Aug 2023 14:44:05
Silva in for a benched Sarabia, exactly what I said I would do for the match! I wonder if GON has been reading through our page! ?
Just want another good performance please, never any easy points agaisnt Brighton. COYW ?
6.) 19 Aug 2023 15:00:35
Let's have a guess of GON's username
I'm going with GrahamLarge
7.) 19 Aug 2023 19:54:43
Kalli
14 Aug 2023 07:01:40
Now the dust of the last week has settled a little bit, I’m sorry to say it but I must talk about Shi. When he arrived on the scene (at a time my young grandson would call the olden days) by his own admission he knew nothing about football. At first he seemed to listen to those who did know (such as Nuno) and all was rosy in our garden. Unfortunately a little knowledge is a dangerous thing and pretty soon Shi set about getting rid of those who did know (you know who they are) and everything since has gone down hill. Shi has shown the classic behaviour of a manager who feels threatened by the knowledge of others so gets rid of them. We can now only hope Fosun acts to remove him and replace him with an experienced football CEO. I don’t know whether Hobbs would be a good choice but one would hope Fosun would cast a wide net before filling the position.
That brings me onto Fosun. They tell us they are in for the long haul but their complete embargo on new signings despite generating a lot of sales revenue seems to go beyond the needs of FFP. I would not be at all surprised if they sold out soon. It might be no bad thing.
I think we still have a good squad (although lacking a bit of depth. So long as they play for our new manager, we should be fine. A couple of good loans in would help. Of course, if we lose some more players (particularly Fabio), all bets are off
1.) 14 Aug 2023 08:37:09
Nice post IB, while Scott Sellars has become the new Jez Moxey and took the hit for all things wrong, the buck ultimately stops with Jeff Shi. I feel Wolves have stagnated commercially speaking. I'm not too sure about this E-Sports business or Wolves records.
Somebody correct me if I'm wrong here, but isn't no incomings incl. loans the reason J-Lo wet the bed and left?
As for Fosun selling up (and this me me thinking aloud) why not incur the wrath of FFP mismanagement if it means Wolves secure PL status they could sell the club for more? (Look at what the 49ers have just paid for Leeds compared to what they would've if they were a PL side)
Anyway, hoping for a good performance against Utd tonight! Wolves ay we!
2.) 14 Aug 2023 09:48:38
At the risk of being totally pilloried! Fosuns first act was to dispense with Jez Moxey, not a fan favourite I know but a CEO who knew the club and a little bit about English football and appoint Shi, against the advice of the outgoing owner Steve Morgan. Personally I would welcome back Jez Moxey at this current moment in time!
3.) 14 Aug 2023 10:07:05
Interesting post Innocent and probably pretty accurate. I agree the buck has to stop with Jeff Shi more than anyone else and for the life of me I can't see why Fosun have left him in place for so long.
I think the plan was for him to be replaced last summer by the guy from Grasshoppers but he left the company, so Shi's still here. I did write a post a year or so ago questioning not if Fosun were good owners but were they the right kind of owner with the club being part of a football illiterate multinational conglomerate.
It's a tough call as they seem to surprise and frustrate at times but overall they have elevated the club back to the highest level, something for which I for one, am grateful.
Still, our 'top manager' has done a runner, which may be a symptom of the Jeff Shi effect you describe Innocent or it may be due to a degree of self entitlement, who knows? So we now have a new man in the seat, not so high profile maybe, but I'll judge him on results not reputation. What I do find amusing if not pathetic is how the media are still circling around this story like vultures that can't actually find much to eat and using it to talk up the probability of Man Utd's demolition of us tonight. Lopetegui has gone and O'Neil's in place, that's it get over it and we all knew which players would be leaving.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, thanks to results this weekend if Wolves do beat Man U by 2 goals, we go 4th. How much incentive do they need? Whatever the result, personally I'll be looking for intensity and attacking intent, backed up with a solid defensive display. I suspect some of our more negative posters are not convinced but I think we have a talented group, so let's see if they can prove it.
4.) 14 Aug 2023 10:43:58
LongmyndWolf, I agree with your measured tone.
There are odd things going on with the CEO. He was overridden by Mr Guangchang and the other 2 owners of Wolves last summer.
He loses their chosen manager after 6 months; he takes a highly retrospective approach to financial management; he is not involved directly in 2 massive football decisions and he has been away in China until today. All very strange.
In terms of football, I am looking not at the result, but more how the players perform and show hopefully a positive attitude to the Club and new manager.
Do that and I think we will be OK, whatever the result tonight.
If it is the opposite, a few more will saying they they want out.
5.) 14 Aug 2023 11:40:56
The two losses which damaged the club in the long term were Dalrymple and Thelwell.
6.) 14 Aug 2023 11:43:51
Totally agree Rugeley, it's the attitude that will tell us the story of what may lie ahead.
7.) 14 Aug 2023 12:39:37
Agree Rugeley it does appear odd, time will tell but I still think Jeff will be gone this year.
As Innocent says a lot has gone wrong at the club since Shi declared himself a football sentient being and seemingly got rid of or scared off everyone who may have been a threat.
On a different tack it appears that Villa's Tyrone Mings injury is quite serious and will involve surgery and a lengthy lay off. Not sure who will replace him as they folded quite badly against Newcastle after he went off.
8.) 14 Aug 2023 13:54:47
Not really a complete imbargo now is it though? Afterall Fossun had to oay out almost as much for Cunha as they received for Neves.
9.) 14 Aug 2023 15:48:56
I'm not Jeff's biggest fan but there's no way just 'he' lost Lope. The entire group would have been able to see exactly what was happening and he would have been getting his orders from them! I don't especially like Jeff but I think some need to understand that he is just the figure head Fosun have lumbered with the facing role. I can't help thinking he probs (quietly) get stick from others in the group for having to deal with the fall out while they get to remain quiet and faceless! You couldn't open the paper or Sky app without seeing 'that interview'. If Fosun had wanted to keep Lope they would have ensured they did, incidentally I also wondered if 'that interview' was partly why they made the decision they did. These are peeps that aren't used to having managers tell them what they think especially not pubically! When peeps talk about managers/staff being 'yes men' they miss the reality, the only REAL yes man at our club is Jeff! Which also incidentally probs means the jobs his until he doesn't want it, the longer he stays in China the longer it looks like that might be the case! He won't get sacked but he may get moved to a different project and if he does I have little doubt it will be because HE chooses and will probs say he's done his stint in what I suspect is not the most enviable position in their portfolio under current circumstances. Time will tell eh ?
10.) 14 Aug 2023 18:37:45
I have been quite ill so haven't commented on all that's happened because it wouldn't have helped me much, but feeling brighter now.
All I can say about Jeff Shi with the missing t is that I hope he stays in China. As far as I'm concerned the man's an absolute charlatan and I hope we never see his like again anywhere near our club.
Innocent Bystander's rumour replies
22 Nov 2023 08:34:05
Agree with you TFOG. The bottom line for me is that we can’t let Sa go in January before we have an excellent replacement signed up. Our reserve keeper couldn’t hold down his place at Bristol City.
25 Aug 2023 06:47:50
Not a rugby fan? Strewth LindsayB, be careful saying that or the Kiwi’s will revoke your citizenship!
24 Aug 2023 22:16:24
Yes LindsayB, someone can answer your question. That someone is Jeff Shi, but he won’t. You could try giving him a call to express your displeasure and you can tell him I’m not happy either. Better you divert your energies to supporting the All Blacks!
17 Jun 2023 22:22:26
I don’t want him to stay if he doesn’t want to stay. We need 100% committed players.
14 Jun 2023 21:28:37
The great thing about reading the E&S is you can be pretty sure that afterwards you will be none the wiser about anything really important.
Innocent Bystander's banter replies
05 Jan 2024 03:32:46
I’ve no idea, Hansome but in my experience most Plan Bs are Plan A with an added element of panic. Having said that, I’m increasingly confident Gary has a cunning plan for all occasions. Very impressive our Gary!
29 Dec 2023 12:20:05
Half way through the season, 25 points. Happy days! I was doubtful about GON when came in. Why would Bournemouth sack him if he was any good? But now it seems pretty clear their loss was our gain. The man is good. He might be excellent. My only real worry is if we sell Sa who will replace him? The man stops a lot of goals. Remember Bentley couldn’t hold down a spot in the Championship. He was woeful at West Ham.
06 Dec 2023 06:50:41
Gee Kenzie you’re a hard marker! We might not be a great football team but I see no evidence of a lack of desire. I think it more balanced to say we are doing as well as can be expected given the lack of depth in our squad. Certainly too early to write off GON. Have a little faith, my friend!
25 Oct 2023 06:13:09
Totally agree Long. My initial take was “this guy can’t be much good if Bournemouth got rid of him”. Now it’s looking like Bournemouth were stupid.
01 Sep 2023 02:57:51
Another good question, LindsayB and one that only Jeff Shi could answer. For now I am just placing my faith in Matt Hobbs and the recruitment team. It really does look like they know what they are doing. No more last minute signing up of overpriced players from the JM stable. I’ll drink to that!