Always Wolves
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PLANNING FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP: ASSESSING THE WOLVES SQUAD FOR NEXT YEAR (PART 3)
BEN WHITEHOUSE BRINGS YOU HIS FINAL PART ASSESSING WOLVES CURRENT SQUAD FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP.
Attackers:
Mateus Mane
As a new crown jewel of the side, Mateus Mane has rocketed up the estimations of the Wolves faithful, providing some much needed exhilaration to an awfully drab attack, scoring some excellent goals but also just injecting some energy and creativity into the side. It is obvious that for a young man of such renown, he will be attracting interest from many a big club across Europe and even within the Premier League itself as so many of our previous stars have. The clear answer to the question of keep or sell in the summer would therefore have to be that he is not for sale unless an irrefutable offer came in for him – it is imperative that we do not cash in for him on the cheap side just to turn a profit (especially under little financial pressure to do so). It has been part of the Wolves DNA in recent years to sell our best players for big money to bigger clubs, so in this instance it would be preferable to break the mould and hold on to one of our most prized, homegrown assets who – it is worth noting – will most likely only appreciate in value in the next few years.
Hee-Chan Hwang
Hwang is another who has had a season of ups and downs – whilst for the most part he has been largely ineffectual, he did enjoy a run of good form upon Edwards’ arrival which soon trailed off. Throughout his tenure at Wolves, he has been such a frustrating player due to inconsistency, enjoying spells where he can be exciting and deadly in front of goal followed by months of droughts and passing it backwards. There have been fairly incessant rumours about his departures which may well finally become true this season, making him an instance where keeping hold of him and giving him consistent game time in the Championship and selling him for a decent fee are equally attractive propositions. If he could rediscover his greatest form and demonstrate it more often, he could be a vital player – however it may also be time to reinvest in a younger option who may fit a system more effectively.
Adam Armstrong
Once again, it is too soon to judge Armstrong on his time in a Wolves shirt, however he has clearly been recruited with next year in mind. So far, he has proven himself as tenacious, a willing runner and someone who will give his all for the badge (not least because he has joined what is essentially a sinking ship), but he has also proven himself to be an elite level Championship striker who will guarantee output – 64 goals for Blackburn and 43 goals for Southampton (including 11 in the first half of this season alone) demonstrate that he will be reliable next season and obviously must be held on to.
Tolu Arokadore
I think it is fair to say that Tolu has been fairly underwhelming given the hype surrounding him when we signed him on deadline day; marketed as the best striker in the Belgian League, a 6 foot 6 powerhouse of an attacker who scored 23 times and got 7 assists too is no mean feat. However, he has clearly struggled to adapt to the toughest league in the world, especially in a side lacking creative output. That being said, he has still managed to net 5 goals and looked impressive of late with his hold up play – in the Championship he could be an incredible asset with his physicality and being the focal point of attacks in a side which will hopefully have a new creative spark. Therefore, I think it is vital that we keep a hold of him and give him the opportunity to flourish into the player he can be rather than judge him based on the coattails of this season.
Why the Championship Could Be Exactly What Wolves Need
As is the case for many of these players, given a season in the Championship to gain their footing in English football, work within a system and gain a better understanding of one another, they could easily prosper and go from strength to strength. If hypothetically, Wolves kept a large number of our players together and got promoted again, they would not struggle half as much in the Premier League as they currently are – they are where they are because of spontaneous sales of marquee players, chopping and changing of systems and a distinct lack of cohesion between the players. In that regard, a season in the Championship could be the best thing for them to develop as individual players (many need an experience of the pace and physicality levels which are unique to English football) and as a side.
On balance, I would estimate that 5 players will be sold in the summer: Joao Gomes, Andre, Sam Johnstone, Hee-Chan Hwang and David Moller Wolfe. Returning as well from loan spells elsewhere would be the likes of Tommy Doyle, Nasser Djija, Boubacar Traore, Fer Lopez and Sasa Kalijdzic, a number of players who are excellent depth but can also provide a variety of attributes to the squad: Doyle provides assuredness, passing range and Championship experience in the midfield, Traore (when free of injury) can be quite the dynamic ball winner, Djija has been excelling recently in the Scottish Premiership for Rangers after a ropey start, Lopez has obvious raw talent and creativity which must be harnessed to be deadly and Kalajdzic (once again, if fit) can serve as a different style of attacker. Based on these assumptions (and that is all they are) this is the squad I would assemble from the current options:
This is clearly a strong side for the Championship but does still need supplementing with depth across all positions – most pressingly centre back and centre midfield whilst other options would be excellent. Recruitment is going to be absolutely pivotal in the summer: the profiles of player we sign must fit into Edwards’ vision but also can no longer be relied on as purely ‘investments for the future’ or young talents with a wealth of technical ability as we have done in the past. Whilst under Nuno and Jorge Mendes, we did make risky signings of players from abroad which paid off, we alongside that bought many a player from within, namely Ryan Bennett, John Ruddy and Barry Douglas for the Championship. There was a recognition that to survive, experience and physicality is required, a fact that was neglected in recent recruitment with signings of exclusively players who have never played in the Premier League.
There is definitely reason for Wolves fans to be optimistic ahead of next season and the seasons to come; with Edwards at the helm as a Championship proven coach, the current crop of players who given the opportunity to gel as a side under a single system and gain some confidence, promising returning loanees and the hopes of some smart signings (which have already been implicated by the January dealings), there is no reason not to believe that we can be a galvanised side who can at the very least challenge for promotion next season. COYW!
I’ve been a fan of Wolves all my life, based in the South-East, making for some fairly awkward school football conversations trying to argue that Kevin McDonald was better than Bruno Fernandes with the endless supply of Big 6 fans around here, just for the fun of it! Hoping to offer a insightful view into the performances, transfers, decisions and everything else our beloved Wanderers throw at us, good, bad and ugly (but preferably good!)
PLANNING FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP: ASSESSING THE WOLVES SQUAD FOR NEXT YEAR (PART 3)