Can we "Do a wolves"

[jayffc]

Earrrrly days obviously

But it does seem like we've compiled/ held on to a mega squad for this level just as Wolves did, with more players than I can recall previously that could  make the step up to the Prem on paper and have us competing next year , plus a seemingly quality Portuguese manager with some connections over there.

A long way to go but really feel the confidence around the club and where we're heading is really on the up again.

Feels a bit like the Tigana season dare I say it playing quality attacking football.

How good to enjoy the footy again

We feel like an exciting project to be a part if again now

[The Rational Fan]

Yes we can, main difference is Wolves had a small squad and ours is a huge squad.

[Statto]

The idea that Wolves bought a PL-ready team in the Championship is a myth. In that first season up, they spent £100m and changed half their starting XI.

So yes we can "do a Wolves", ie, get promoted with this team, change half the players once we're up, and avoid relegation.

[AJW48361]

Wouldn't mind Maik Taylor back would be certs for promotion.

[The Rational Fan]

The idea that Wolves bought a PL-ready team in the Championship is a myth. In that first season up, they spent £100m and changed half their starting XI. So yes we can "do a Wolves", ie, get promoted with this team, change half the players once we're up, and avoid relegation.

There has been too much focus on the squad and bringing in premier league ready players. It helps but squad is not everything. So instead, we need to start with a mentality of being "the best yo-yo team by miles" that includes this season "winning the championship" with good teamwork and then next season "collecting 12 points against the two other promoted yo-yo teams" plus being the best-promoted team including reinforcements.

In previous promoted seasons we have only collected 4 points against promoted teams, an extra 8 points would have got us to 34 points and 36 points, which would have been very competitive and maybe sparked an extra winter transfer boost. I believe being "the best YO-YO team for two years in a row" normally results in staying in the premier league that needs to be our focus.

I concede that staying up without reinforcement is unlikely; but in previous promoted seasons, we relied too much on reinforcements, and the promoted squad contributed frankly very little. A £100m of well-invested reinforcements won't keep us in the premier league unless the players already here make a big contribution too.

[joef]

I think the squad looks great for the Championship, but I'm not sure who these 'Premier League ready' players are.
A large portion of the team are the same as last year, and the newbies haven't kicked a ball in earnest yet (Wilson aside).
Love this team but think jury is out and will remain so until / if we go up and how we perform once there.
Our opening game of last season we were hammered by Arsenal, this year Brentford beat them - that is what needs to change if we go up - a belief that we can and will compete

[bencher]

I think the squad looks great for the Championship, but I'm not sure who these 'Premier League ready' players are.
A large portion of the team are the same as last year, and the newbies haven't kicked a ball in earnest yet (Wilson aside).
Love this team but think jury is out and will remain so until / if we go up and how we perform once there.
Our opening game of last season we were hammered by Arsenal, this year Brentford beat them - that is what needs to change if we go up - a belief that we can and will compete

I do think we have some players which will have learnt a lot from last year in the PL and with the right management could do ok. In our good period in February they showed they could be good enough. They need help to maintain confidence and belief. It is early days yet for Brentford. We faced an Arsenal team on a high from winning the FA Cup and Charity Shield. They played a side with no confidence.

[filham]

Five games into the season,13 points on the board, window closed and we have held on to our best players, things are looking god,
Right now lets just focus on keeping in the promotion race and hope we are top of the table in January when another  window opens. It is more important right now to build the best team possible from our large squad of players than to think about individual players for next season. We will not know what is needed for next season until we knowhow well this team is performing.

[Lordedmundo]

Winning the Championship would at least indicate that we have a better squad than the last two promotions. Early signs, but Marco could turn out to be our best coach since Roy. 

Playing with confidence and belief if we get promoted is vital - as is being fully prepared from the first game of season.  We cannot afford to drift through the first 3-4 games as we usually do (regardless of the opposition).

Personally I think the squad we have now is more or less good enough, provided we add 2 new starters in what appear to be our weakest positions - goalkeeper and centre half.  If we were able to (say) re-sign Areola and pinch Andersen from a relegated Palace then that would do it. If Muniz turns out be a decent striker then we should also be good in attacking positions.  I really don't think it is possible to put 3 or more new players in the starting line up and expect to pick up points, without the cohesion and unity of the team being affected for a given period. That has been our mistake in the past and it would be utterly stupid to repeat it for a third time.

[Andy S]

Until we win the Championship again this is very premature. I believe we will but one game at a time is the motto

[Statto]

I really don't think it is possible to put 3 or more new players in the starting line up and expect to pick up points, without the cohesion and unity of the team being affected for a given period. That has been our mistake in the past and it would be utterly stupid to repeat it for a third time.

You will struggle very hard to find a promoted team that stayed up in recent years without adding 3 or more new players to the starting line up.
Leeds for example last season - Rodrigo, Raphina, Llorente, Koch...

[joef]

I think the squad looks great for the Championship, but I'm not sure who these 'Premier League ready' players are.
A large portion of the team are the same as last year, and the newbies haven't kicked a ball in earnest yet (Wilson aside).
Love this team but think jury is out and will remain so until / if we go up and how we perform once there.
Our opening game of last season we were hammered by Arsenal, this year Brentford beat them - that is what needs to change if we go up - a belief that we can and will compete

I do think we have some players which will have learnt a lot from last year in the PL and with the right management could do ok. In our good period in February they showed they could be good enough. They need help to maintain confidence and belief. It is early days yet for Brentford. We faced an Arsenal team on a high from winning the FA Cup and Charity Shield. They played a side with no confidence.

I'm with you there on the quality of Arsenal then and now, and agree it's early days with Brentford. I guess what I'm getting at, and it's not a Parker dig, is that our attitude when we go up has to be different. No talk of 'we'll lose more than we win in this league' which just sets the tone all wrong from day one. I want to hear 'we're going to upset and surprise a few teams'. We need to get it in our minds that we belong there (even if it's a bluff)
Anyway I'm running ahead and the nervous voice in me is saying just focus on going up this year and worry about next season then.

[itombomb]

The idea that Wolves bought a PL-ready team in the Championship is a myth. In that first season up, they spent £100m and changed half their starting XI.

So yes we can "do a Wolves", ie, get promoted with this team, change half the players once we're up, and avoid relegation.

It's not a myth, most of the £100m they spent was converting loans they had in the Championship to permanent.

But you're right, they did make 5 big 'new' signings* that were immediately part of their XI and meant they were successful upon promotion rather than struggling. And it was the same with Leeds last year I agree - big upgrades in the 4 main signings.

*Moutinho, Jonny, Rui Patricio, Traore and (most importantly and expensively - Jimenez).

[bencher]

I think the squad looks great for the Championship, but I'm not sure who these 'Premier League ready' players are.
A large portion of the team are the same as last year, and the newbies haven't kicked a ball in earnest yet (Wilson aside).
Love this team but think jury is out and will remain so until / if we go up and how we perform once there.
Our opening game of last season we were hammered by Arsenal, this year Brentford beat them - that is what needs to change if we go up - a belief that we can and will compete

I do think we have some players which will have learnt a lot from last year in the PL and with the right management could do ok. In our good period in February they showed they could be good enough. They need help to maintain confidence and belief. It is early days yet for Brentford. We faced an Arsenal team on a high from winning the FA Cup and Charity Shield. They played a side with no confidence.

I'm with you there on the quality of Arsenal then and now, and agree it's early days with Brentford. I guess what I'm getting at, and it's not a Parker dig, is that our attitude when we go up has to be different. No talk of 'we'll lose more than we win in this league' which just sets the tone all wrong from day one. I want to hear 'we're going to upset and surprise a few teams'. We need to get it in our minds that we belong there (even if it's a bluff)
Anyway I'm running ahead and the nervous voice in me is saying just focus on going up this year and worry about next season then.

On that perhaps notorious Parker line (and I really don't want to harp on about that era), I thought it made some sense at the time -  don't get too downcast from a defeat. But history will not judge it too favourably as by the end we didn't really believe in our style of play. If we go up with MS, let's see how he sets his teams up and what he says in interviews, as with our squad as it is he would be expected to do well this season, and the true acid test (hopefully) awaits next season.

[Statto]

The idea that Wolves bought a PL-ready team in the Championship is a myth. In that first season up, they spent £100m and changed half their starting XI.

So yes we can "do a Wolves", ie, get promoted with this team, change half the players once we're up, and avoid relegation.

It's not a myth, most of the £100m they spent was converting loans they had in the Championship to permanent.

But you're right, they did make 5 big 'new' signings* that were immediately part of their XI and meant they were successful upon promotion rather than struggling. And it was the same with Leeds last year I agree - big upgrades in the 4 main signings.

*Moutinho, Jonny, Rui Patricio, Traore and (most importantly and expensively - Jimenez).

Moutinho, Jonny, Rui Patricio, Traore, Jimenez... and Dendoncker

All of whom cost £100m ultimately

So the point absolutely stands that they engaged in a substantial and expensive overhaul, and the idea they just kept their Championship together is wild fantasy

[jayffc]

The idea that Wolves bought a PL-ready team in the Championship is a myth. In that first season up, they spent £100m and changed half their starting XI.

So yes we can "do a Wolves", ie, get promoted with this team, change half the players once we're up, and avoid relegation.

It's not a myth, most of the £100m they spent was converting loans they had in the Championship to permanent.

But you're right, they did make 5 big 'new' signings* that were immediately part of their XI and meant they were successful upon promotion rather than struggling. And it was the same with Leeds last year I agree - big upgrades in the 4 main signings.

*Moutinho, Jonny, Rui Patricio, Traore and (most importantly and expensively - Jimenez).

Moutinho, Jonny, Rui Patricio, Traore, Jimenez... and Dendoncker

All of whom cost £100m ultimately

So the point absolutely stands that they engaged in a substantial and expensive overhaul, and the idea they just kept their Championship together is wild fantasy

No where did anyone make this statement, your poking about  bulldozing in on a point the post didn't make.

No where did it say Wolves didn't upgrade their squad when they got up?  I said we have a larger number of Premier level players in the team then I recall previously. The comparison with wolves is that they both had a quality Portuguese manager and connection and a good number of quality players capable of making the step up to build around..didn't say we wouldn't need to add some top quality when we got there to go alongside the basis of an already established set of decent players.

Rodak
Gazza
Tosin
(If fit kongolo - can mawson even return to glory?)
Tete
Robinson (if he continues end product improvement)
Reed
Seri
Fabi
Quina and Chalobah could prove good signings that could step up
Mitro
if Muniz is half as good as he's tipped to be
Wilson

Obviously we're yet to see if all these continue to play well
But if they stay fit and maintain form that's a great spine to build around and insert some top quality into.

Starters wise

I'd want Areola back if he's still out of the team at West ham
A new top CB
2 New wingers
And depending on how muniz is looking we can assess striking options then
Plus depending on chalobah development a top DM - suspect we'd be back in for carvalho


My opinion is that last year the issue was Parker not the talent at his disposal....he simply didn't know how to organise our attack...

With a better manager at the helm i think we could do better than just survive ala Wolves personally ... and I think.Tony might be more comfortable opening the purse again for him over Scott