Wolves Banter 3

09 Jul 2026 09:13:35
Being realistic - removing the Football Manager mentality - how many players do Wolves need to get rid of?

The club has to sell Tchatchoua, Tolu and Johnstone. I know other players are likely to leave, but certain players staying won’t be the end of the world. The club did the right thing in releasing Doherty.

Looking at the team, the only players I can see that definitely need dumping are Tchatchoua, Tolu and Johnstone. Johnstone isn’t a good keeper, and he’s had too many ‘injuries’. It might seem harsh, but Tchatchoua and Tolu were dreadful signings.

Have I missed any players that need dumping as a priority?

09 Jul 2026 10:22:30
Hwang, just for starters, Zephyr.

09 Jul 2026 10:55:09
Jesus, forgot about him. That's quite depressing that I forgot about Hwang: a Wolves player who's been pretty much anonymous from day one.

09 Jul 2026 11:13:55
From a football or financial perspective?
Axiomatically, from a football perspective, most of the players are not good enough for the Prem, but many of those may be adequate in the Champ - assuming they want to stay.
So, it is hard to say how many Wolves need to sell - probably, as you say, only a handful - if survival in the Champ is your aim.
However, it is highly likely that Wolves need to sell to both reduce costs - wages and amort - so as to stay within the new SCR rules, but also to pay down debt and cover the extraordinarily high non football related costs the club seemingly incurs.
This is before any expenditure on developing the squad.
In this case, of course, it depends on who you sell and for how much.


Selling low earners who are home grown or with modest amortisations will make very little impact on SCR, but if you sell anyone for serious money, this will help with the other matters.
For me, the club should attempt to get promoted this year, so probably needs to lose about a dozen inadequate players and add 5 or 6 better quality ones.
The squad is probably too large anyway and needs culling and thinning.
I have detailed names of those to leave and ideas for those to join previously - all of which could be done in a financially sensible way.
PS Calum Wilslon on a free would have been great, but with a club like Brentford, who Wolves astonishingly are now miles below in the pecking order, interested, unrealistic sadly.

09 Jul 2026 14:16:43
Bellegarde, Fer Lopez, in addition to those mentioned above.

09 Jul 2026 14:31:39
Bellegarde and Lopez don't need to be sold as a matter of urgency. Both players will be useful in the Championship. Tchatchoua and Tolu have no future at Wolves. Same for Hwang. Hwang is less of an issue, but Wolves signed him purely for commercial reasons, and he's on about 90k per week.

08 Jul 2026 10:46:10
West Ham have opened talks with Forest over James McAtee. We missed out by the sound of it but 30mil quoted. Soni think out our price range.

08 Jul 2026 13:06:59
He's not worth £30m as Forest have found out the hard way. West Ham can have him at that price.

07 Jul 2026 18:38:47
Haissem Hassan anyone? 24 years old, plays for Real Oviedo in Spanish second tier. Display against Argentina is unreal.

08 Jul 2026 10:07:06
So was the officiating, Wolfthistle. You can well understand the Egyptians claiming bias after that game. Just another in an increasingly long line of controversies whenever FIFA are involved.

08 Jul 2026 12:09:43
FIFA, VAR, Financial Fair Play. It feels like football is becoming scripted. I've been falling out of love with the game for a while, but certain club competitions, and this World Cup, feel like the path to the final is being operated like a WWE fight, where the winners and losers are known in advance by the money people.

This World Cup feels like the one where FIFA have finally truly revealed that sporting integrity has completely gone from football.

08 Jul 2026 12:11:45
I thought the Egyptians played well, and the decisions were not fair; the disallowed goal surely was scored too long after the very slight foul.
You have to wonder if it had been for Argentina, if the goal would have been given.


Hassan looked a fantastic player. Will we be making more signings though? Gone very quiet. Hope the positive start to the summer has not been a flash in the pan. 🤞👍

08 Jul 2026 12:56:37
Not just the shirt pull before the disallowed 'goal', Banksy, I thought from the off that the ref was showing a level of 'bias'. Little things like nudges, backing in, obstruction, and a blatant throw-in given the wrong way.
Egypt's given goals couldn't be questioned; superb breaks and finishing. Shame it went the way it did.

08 Jul 2026 13:06:56
FIFA is disgraceful. The suspension of the red card was allegedly the decision of an 'independent body', according to FIFA. Nothing to do with pressure from the American president! Ridiculous. A farce.

There is a sting in this tale now.

If there is such an independent body, England can appeal to that body for the suspension of the red card against us. The precedent has been established. Get the lawyers on it, Tuchel.

08 Jul 2026 13:14:14
FIFA have made it pretty clear that they really don't care how corrupt things look to us average fans. The France v Morocco game is a huge one for the World Cup, which will have an impact on Argentina's chances to win the tourney. So what does FIFA do? They give it an entirely Argentinian refereeing team. What a bizarre choice to make.

I don't think it is a conspiracy, but it seems like a very odd decision to make for the integrity of the comp, to have just one game where all the officials come from the same country. It just screams of an organisation (FIFA) that's given up caring about the competition looking like it has any genuine integrity! 😭

08 Jul 2026 16:23:54
An entirely Argentinian refereeing team might (even subconsciously) favour Morocco over the favourites, France, to eliminate the chance of France playing Argentina in the final. Many decisions so far have not been merely subconsciously biased but have been blatantly biased, in my opinion.

09 Jul 2026 22:05:02
How are people surprised at the level of corruption when Infantino and Trump are involved?

07 Jul 2026 15:22:40.
Our biggest crowds last season.
Tottenham 31.253
Man City 30.807
Leeds 30.807
Man Utd 30.338. When we where in the 1st division in 1969 1970 we had
Attendances of 31.164
So nothing much as changed.

08 Jul 2026 10:01:41
Plenty has changed, Moby. As, back in the 60's/70's, I've been in crowds in excess of 40K at the Molineux, and on the 'big' match occasions, over 50k. The point being, you won't see the likes of that today, because you can't.
Yes, the more run of the mill games would be 30kish, but local derbies and Man U games would be much higher.

Jack Hayward did a marvellous job rebuilding the Mol, but it was a bit too small for a one-club city. Let's not forget the old South Bank alone could hold 10k plus.

08 Jul 2026 10:08:58
If Nathan is really serious about automatic promotion, then a plan for rebuilding the Mol would be a shot in the arm for the club.

08 Jul 2026 11:17:35
According to Nathan Shi and Fosun, the Molineux is being looked at for a rebuild. The problem is they're saying 3-5 years. The Steve Bull Stand is an abomination. It was refurbished more than 30 years ago, and it was already a cramped, cheap stand. Wolves wouldn't need a huge ground unless Fosun has huge plans for Wolves, and that is very unlikely.

08 Jul 2026 12:14:22
If Wolves, long term, want to be able to compete with and be seen amongst the top 30 or 40 clubs, then the ground needs to be redeveloped to around 55,000 capacity, with proper corporate hospitality and the options to use the venue for non football related things as well.

After having the facilities, they then also need to be used wisely, of course.

We should all know money alone guarantees nothing in football, but it does make things easier if you have it.

Otherwise the club will fall further behind in generating revenue, including to local competitor clubs like Smallheath. You then move from not competing in the Premier League to potentially barely competing in the Championship.

09 Jul 2026 00:04:47
I used to sit in the John Ireland Stand with my dad in 1980 when I was 12. It was finished the year before. It was bad then. Worse today. It is 47 years old and showing every year!

07 Jul 2026 13:00:07
One thing I have got to say Birmingham City's new ground will make ours look like a tin shed. I think we should get Manders paint as sponsors. We could probably get some free paint. It's the only way Wolves ground will be painted.

07 Jul 2026 17:06:26
I think we did have Manders as a sponsor at one point.

07 Jul 2026 18:02:46
They painted some of the billy, took em all season tho.

07 Jul 2026 18:10:40
Unfortunately for us, Birmingham's owner(s) is/are very ambitious & forward thinking. Also, unlike us, they are in direct discussions with the local council to build a new road network to & from the ground. Also, I believe the HS2 train will stop at their ground.

It's not instant, but it's a project & exciting for the blue noses. As a club, they are certainly no bigger than us & have nowhere near our club's rich history, but it just shows what can be achieved with owners who really want to take the club forward.

07 Jul 2026 18:35:41
I'm loathe to say it, Black, but making it a stop for HS2 is an absolute masterstroke. London clubs make an absolute fortune by hovering up travelling tourists. They buy the excess tickets, they spend a fortune in the club shop, and on top of all that you now have new international fans.

With HS2, they can probs go to the game in about an hour each way, which isn't really much different for some London stadiums once you've got multiple tubes. I hadn't actually seen that, but I have to admit it is very clever business. Jez, I wish we had owners that could think like that. 😭

07 Jul 2026 18:48:02
Blues with their grand ideas, Villa, with their ideas of increasing Villa Park, hell, even the Baggies have a train station and tram stop situated very conveniently nearby. Come on Wolves, wake up and smell the coffee or we'll get left behind.

07 Jul 2026 18:44:33
HS2 won't be finished for years. Literally years. The Curzon Street station will be near to St Andrews, but that's about it. Will HS2 be putting a stop in Small Heath?

Curzon Street's current progress in the equivalent of one huge stone that'll be part of the Great Pyramid of Khufu.

I was speaking to a HS2 engineer, in his 50s, who he told me by the time it's all finished he'll be retired.

People shouldn't underestimate the Chinese. They take their time, but they eventually overtake everyone.

08 Jul 2026 13:22:33
A bit contradictory there Whataload, you claim others are demeaning to the club but then imply were are only small fry compared to our neighbours. What's the daily Mail reference all about?

08 Jul 2026 13:26:01
Lordy lord we have some very precious flowers here! 😂 What about admiring what other clubs are doing means we aren't getting behind our team exactly? And yes Ice I understand the nature of large inferstructure but planning a head is precisely how clubs grow in the long term, I can understand why your confused by that as Fosun don't seem to do it at all!
It's hilarious to me Load that you get all self righteous with others fans discussing what other clubs in the area are doing and then finish it by saying 'we are little old Wolves' so stop having aspirations and get back in your boxes!
How dare you say fans on here are dragging our club down, I like many others on here have put thousands of pounds and hours into this club through season tickets, merchandise and support so to be frank you can jog on! Is that honestly all you can bring to the table, acting like a petulant child rather than engaging with the actual subject matter? Keep ya Daily Mail and try growing up a bit! 🙄

08 Jul 2026 15:02:21
Nb- This was aimed at a comment from Whataload that has since been removed. Just wanted to clarify, Ice, buddy, as this isn't aimed at you. 👍

07 Jul 2026 12:09:22
Let's get this sorted.
Fosun said this Fosun said that.
Never believe everything your told.
Think of all the lies you have told.
When Fosun said we would be as big as city they ment Birmingham City. Yow gorra laugh hay ya.

07 Jul 2026 14:30:28
You a Baggie in disguise?!

Wolves will always be a bigger club than the Brummies. I know the Blues have big plans for their stadium, but until the McAlpine lads turn up with their shovels I won't believe any of it. Envious fans should also realise that Small Heath is a massive toilet, and until BCC start improving the transport links and pedestrian routes to the ground, nothing will be getting built.



If Fosun are sticking around then they'll have to eventually do something with the stadium. The Molineux doesn't need to be a huge stadium. Look at the Raiffeisen Arena: 19,000 seater stadium that is utterly beautiful.

07 Jul 2026 14:49:58
Wolves fan since the age of 6, mate, now 70yrs old. Just stating a point. I have seen this club run into the ground by the Bhatti brothers. Fosun are no different. Only one player at Wolves who kept us from old 4th division, Steve Bull.
You need fans to fill a ground & at the moment ours is half empty at some games.

07 Jul 2026 15:57:09
You having a laugh Moby when was the last time the Mol was half empty been on the loopy juice again?

07 Jul 2026 16:44:29
Half time when they went for a pie & a pint.

07 Jul 2026 17:27:46
⬆️⬆️⬆️
Don't drag me into it.
🤣🤣🤣🤣

07 Jul 2026 17:46:24
Well, fun over for today, going for & pie & a pint.

06 Jul 2026 20:54:07
Bit of a drunken post while watching the Portugal, Spain game. Not posted for years (almost forgot how to) but always read what's going on. I'm just a bit fed up of the Fosun and Mendes slagging. I know I'm probably in the minority, but I remember getting excited about us signing Paul Birch, and my favourite player was Robbie Dennison.

Then I saw a club signing Neves, Jota, Neto, etc. I know the last few seasons have been awful, but guys remember what it was like in the 80's and 90's.

07 Jul 2026 02:22:14
Moscow, you can't live in the past. What these owners have done to our club is beyond any creditable excuse. They've sold us down the river big time. Talking about the past, I remember them saying we're gonna be as big as Man City...

07 Jul 2026 08:20:30
I always find the Fosun said we'll be as big as city statements interesting. Simply because I can never find a direct quote committing to it. The best I can find is Jeff Shi saying we can dream to be as big as City, and he thinks Fosun could do it with less investment. I believe that quote is still on Sky somewhere.

The less investment to get there in itself is pie in the sky. The statement isn't a commitment to deliver it. It's a wish. Taking it as any kind of promise, well.

May I also add, I'm happy to be proven wrong on this - that it was promised if someone can find me an actual quote. I'm just saying I've never seen one.

The only commitment I can see they ever actually made was to establish the club in the Premier League. Admittedly that hasn't worked and we all know why.

07 Jul 2026 11:08:46
Fosun did have a ten-year plan for regular European competition. The ten years are up this month, and we are back in the Championship, thanks to Jeff. However, I don't remember any talk of us being as big as Citeh. My local club Fulham were supposed to become the Man United of the south once upon a time.

Newcastle had high hopes as well after the Saudi sovereign wealth takeover. It's almost impossible to bring such dreams to fruition. We botched things big-time at Wolves, but we can try again, with more realistic ambitions of emulating Brighton, Bournemouth, Brentford etc. Over to you, Nathan.

07 Jul 2026 21:45:09
Well, as a history teacher, I do tend to live in the past. 😂 The point I was trying to make, (maybe badly), is that Fosun and Mendes transformed our ambitions. Really, were any of us thinking about Premier football when we had the Scouse in charge of the club? FFP has done more harm than good in England (just protecting the established elite).

I love my club and will support them always, like I know all you guys will too. So, was just trying to be positive))).

06 Jul 2026 18:19:53
Hi guys dunno what you think about our transfer business to date but it's beginning to look like business as usual. In other words no incoming or at least very very slow. It seems that West Ham are mirroring the players that we want and better still getting them. First Gustavo Sa and now looks like Dwight McNeill is on his way there too. Let's hope Mendes has something up his sleeve for us. He seems to be favouring Nuno at present. It looks as though Trippier and Jiminez were just sweeteners

06 Jul 2026 19:52:27
They can have Gustavo Sa and Dwight McNeil. Wolves don't need another young, inexperienced forward and Dwight McNeil - meh...

I'm becoming concerned, but Wolves didn't sign Jimenez and Trippier - both could have stayed in the PL - to stink out the Championship.

Nathan Shi said Wolves are going for automatic promotion. I think a few stunning signings might be on their way.

We all know certain players are going, so they have to be replaced.

07 Jul 2026 08:16:19
West Ham have just sold someone for about £80 million. Wolves haven't, and still have players on the books who need moving on. Unfortunately, it's not as simple as just signing new players when ones already at the club need moving on first, and the offers aren't exactly flying in for them.

06 Jul 2026 17:16:13
I note that Ipswich, his first club before moving to Bury as a 16 year old, are now favourites to sign Nick Pope.
I realise that the response will be the same as it was when I suggested Wolves attempt to sign Nathan Ake, but if Wolves are to simply say that they can't compete with all of the Prem teams and the vast number of sides in the various European competitions then it will indeed be a very difficult transfer window.


Once those sides have had their fill, what will be left again?
There is obviously a divide between ambition and realism but if aiming at Nick Pope, going to a side that was in the Championship last season and probably will be next year, is over ambitious then Wolves should prepare for a long, long stay outside of the Top levels of football.

07 Jul 2026 17:35:52
I don't get why missing out on Nick Pope is seen as a bad thing. He used to be a great keeper, but ask a Newcastle fan, and they all, or the majority, think he's a busted flush.

His weaknesses have been exposed, and he's lost confidence. Granted, he may get this back, but wage-wise he could be an expensive gamble if you're granting him he'll be first choice.

08 Jul 2026 10:30:14
Obviously, all a matter of opinions, and I certainly can't claim to have seen him regularly last year.
1. He was the undisputed number 1 at the end of last season at a top level Prem team.
2. He is home-grown.
3. He is cheap - even with his limely wage demands.
4. No matter how weak he is, you are comparing him to a disinterested Jose Sa and Sam Johnstone, so he is a major upgrade.


Wolves desperately need to sign cheap, high quality, experienced, home-grown players (to be fair, Trippier), and I have highlighted two that fit those criteria over the last couple of days.
It appears Wolves had no interest in either.
In my view that is a mistake.

06 Jul 2026 15:25:29
Jiminez looks sharp and in the Championship those goals go in. Pickford had to be at his very best last night.
Si senior give the ball to Raul and he'll score.

06 Jul 2026 15:49:04
His footballing brain is second to none. He was one of the best players on the pitch vs England.


Fosun better build a decent team around him because he's way too good for the Championship.

06 Jul 2026 15:18:59
Alfie Pond joining League Two side Chesterfield shows how difficult it is for academy players to make the step up to the first team. Once lauded as a future first team player. Hopefully in a few years he'll be playing at a decent level.