20 Oct 2026 13:57:49
Number 2
Right back/wing back
The obvious options are Trippier, formerly a top class Prem league player but who is now very much on the down slope of his career or Jackson T a young superb athlete who sadly is a very poor footballer.
Not unsurprisingly neither is an optimum solution and clearly neither would be able to step up next year if Wolves were to be promoted.
Indeed given the rate of degradation in Trippier's physical attributes it is probable that Wolves will have to address this issue next summer regardless.
For this season my first choice would have to be Trippier, although it will require the manager to give greater thought than he currently is doing to find ways in which he can be protected or not left isolated 1 on 1 against quicker wingers.
However it is obvious that he won't be able to play every game in such a crowded season and may indeed miss whole sections of the season with injuries.
Consequently Jackson or perhaps other off the wall options - Yerson, (as a conventional RB) or Gomes R., (as a RWB), might have to be considered.
Jackson is an adequate defender due to his extremely strong physical profile - fast and reasonably strong - and played purely as a RB with no attacking responsibilities he might, by an intelligent coach, be hidden in the side. To date however the manager has failed to find that solution and his selection both places extra pressure on the RCB - Djiga - and substantially reduces that attacking output down that side of the pitch.
Hence RB/RWB is another difficult issue.
It is hard to see how a competent club would have got here.
Jackson is a player that it would be easy to see playing in the lower leagues or even non league football and be fooled into believing that he could be an option at a higher level.
His pace, steady defensive effort and ability to burst forward - albeit not with any quality on the ball - could easily lead you to believe he was a rough diamond.
{I watch a lot of York games and their RB Joe Felix is a perfect example - in fact he is almost certainly a better player than Jackson - but I very much doubt he earns a year what Jackson earns a fortnight and would be available i feel fairly certain for less than a 1/10th of the fee Wolves insanely paid for Jackson.}
If true it appears that Wolves not far short placed a 0 on the end of Jackson's previous salary - completely bonkers!!!
He is therefore almost certainly unsaleable.
Trippier was given a very high wage,(£100k per week?), two year contract but looking at his physical decline he almost certainly will be "done" to all intents and purposes by the end of this season. Could he be converted into a coach?
Otherwise if Wolves are promoted he would need to be sold but even on free that will be hard/impossible. If Wolves are not promoted he presumably will play on but will require even greater protection and probably will play even less.
I understand why he was signed - if he stays fit and in reasonable shape he should be far too good for this league - but given the wages - as i said allegedly £100k a week - this was effectively a £10m bet on promotion this year.
Clearly we will never know but i wonder what other options he had and did Wolves effectively bid against themselves?
Another total mess that demonstrates incompetence at all levels!
20 Oct 2026 16:56:29
The real incompetence TFISOG3 is not having an experienced back up striker to Raul. Whilst I agree with what you say regarding Trippier we do have options in that position & I favour RG. He has energy to burn, pacy, can deliver a decent ball & most importantly step up & score the odd goal. At the moment if we persist in playing Armstrong it's almost pointless delivering a cross into the box because he won't get to it. Everything has to be played on the floor & I think opposition teams know this.
Back to your question regarding Trippier. He can deliver a quality ball into the box from set pieces etc, but if we've no-one to get on the end of them then it's pointless. That for me shows the level of incompetence in only really have Armstrong as an experienced striker. Mind you we should be getting used to it by now. Was it last year we were crying out for an attacking midfielder, the year before a centre half & neither transpired.
20 Oct 2026 17:03:43
3 central strikers out on loan ? Barmy !
20 Oct 2026 17:28:22
Blacksford you need to be patient till I get to number 9!
However thanks for responding to the post.
Appreciate any comments on numbers 1 and 2.
As I said I don't think Gomes R is a bad shout as an option especially if Wolves are going to revert to a back 3 as per Preston's post.
Number 3 on Wednesday.