Wolves banter 4

05 Jan 2026 07:39:05
{Ed's Note - RPD has posted a new article entitled, Why Chelsea's Ownership Is Playing the Long Game

04 Jan 2026 14:49:33
Media full of how poor West Ham were yesterday and I quite agree. As were Liverpool a week ago at Anfield for the last 30 minutes when they just about hung on. As were Man U a couple of days later who were very fortunate to get a point. As were Arsenal and Villa who were both very fortunate to scrape a win against us.

04 Jan 2026 15:54:45
Every win we've ever had since we won promotion to the PL has been because the opposition have been poor. The media never say Wolves played well. Never.

05 Jan 2026 09:25:09
Always the case but surprisingly Wolves v West Ham was first up on MOTD followed by a lengthy discussion on Wolves and Mane in particular.

04 Jan 2026 14:02:48
When did Nuno's team become possession based? They had 67% possession according to the BBC website.

04 Jan 2026 16:19:24
Most teams are possession based if they are actually able to keep hold of the ball and not give it away. On the other hand, it also depends on the style of play of the two teams. As we were more direct yesterday it meant handing over possession more quickly and West Ham were very methodical, almost Wolves like one may say, in their build up with lots of sideways and backwards passing and no shots on target was the result.

04 Jan 2026 11:48:54
Such a better feeling after our win yesterday, realise we have a long way to go but 3 points and a clean sheet against any team is fantastic. West Ham were poor but we still had to win, hope we can play well and come away with something v Everton.
With the long awaited emergence of Mane, certainly think it is worth a look at others that may be useful in reserves at least from the bench, is Enzo any good?
Don’t remember seeing him at all.


Hope we can add a couple in the window and offload others who don’t want to be here. 🤞👍

04 Jan 2026 13:58:26
I wonder if the 'wantaways' are as many as some may think Banksy, listening to WHC's interview after the game I got the impression that they believe they can pull it back or at least he does.

Wishful thinking maybe, or just PR for the fans, who knows but if Mane keeps performing that alone will motivate them.

04 Jan 2026 13:59:45
What about Sasa?

04 Jan 2026 14:08:06
A further point, Mane apparently signed a contract with Wolves until 2029 when he turned 18, something the Club didn't announce so maybe he will be around for a while longer.

04 Jan 2026 15:21:40
Looks like the club got something correct then Long. As every time it comes around, the transfer window will be very interesting. Surely with a couple of sales they will reinvest 🤞, then again.

04 Jan 2026 15:31:51
Cunha signed a new five yr deal, didn’t stop Shi taking the money and selling him, don’t trust this lot

04 Jan 2026 22:28:12
The Cunha deal was engineered by Cunha for Cunha. Shi is to blame for a lot but not that one.

05 Jan 2026 09:01:14
Just saying that signing a long term contract doesn’t mean anything these days .

04 Jan 2026 10:02:58
The progressive improvement in both results and performances continues which is a good thing and it's probably fair to say that the West Ham game came at the perfect time for us as they are/were pretty woeful. However, I saw a desire to get forward, compete and be clinical in front of goal, that could have been 5-0 by half time if not for their 'keeper.

What's also pleasing that on the back of two improved performances away they did that at home which was becoming a monkey on their back, no doubt. So a flash in the pan or onwards and upwards, can they maintain this improvement against sides higher up the table? I tend to think it's the latter as the team selections now make sense giving players the opportunity to play with more confidence and effect, WHC for example.

I always believed that any team needs a talisman player, someone who'll take the initiative and use their ability to inspire those around them to 'keep up'. After so much talk about Wolves failing to replace Cunha who would have thought they would find the solution within their own youth setup? Mane is a revelation and in my opinion will only get better so how long before the vultures start to circle? That will be the acid test for Fosun who claim they want to help and Nathan Shi whose comments implied a new dawn at Wolves.

Too little, too late, maybe, but good performances will enthuse the fans and reward their loyalty as God knows they've suffered enough. However, as the secondary cause of our demise has now gone, although the jury is still out for me on the primary cause, will we now see a period of steady but progressive growth? Matt Jackson is highly rated within the football world so will he get some backing, will this January window be busy or will changes be minor but effective?

As usual so many questions based around an understandable uncertainty even distrust of our owners, an atmosphere created by Fosun and increasingly aggravated by Jeff Shi before his removal. So the foundations are starting to take shape on the pitch but will the owners facilitate further improvement and create a period of stability in the management structure as we've had too much hire and fire under Shi the first both on and off the pitch, imo.

So is this window critical and should it be viewed as an indication of Fosun's sincerity?

04 Jan 2026 11:00:24
Great Post longmynd, my only questions to the 'improvement' yesterday against, and let's be honest, a very poor WH, is are/were players putting that little extra in because of the impending window and opportunity to jump ship?
Maybe RE has got his messages across and finally found the right attitude and balance?
If he has, what chance does he have of keeping/finding players to maintain it?

I'm not wanting to put doom and gloom on things so early after our first win in 20 odd prem games but equally I don't want to be over optimistic.
I don't think Fosuns stance will have changed, I can only think we'll be taking steps backward by Feb and that finding our feet again will take time.

So let's all enjoy what and when we can, let's hope we carry on the current confidence at Everton.

The goal now is get more points than Derby's low, and not finish bottom.
Whatever, COYW forever.

04 Jan 2026 20:27:52
Totally agree with that last line Abbeywolf. We need to be realistic and look at small steps. We are in a unique position in some ways now. Relegation remains the most likely outcome by far, but if we go down on a "high", fighting our fate all the way, then that will stand us in good stead for the future.

04 Jan 2026 08:00:22
Just saw a clip of your manager celebrating your first win like he has won the league you lot must be embarrassed 😂😂😂😂

04 Jan 2026 09:08:36
Not as embarrassed as you having to troll other teams to get a kick

04 Jan 2026 09:30:39
WHU WERE CRAP AND ARE GOING DOWN

{Ed001's Note - he is a Villa fan not Hammers.}

04 Jan 2026 14:22:47
Oh dear Superjack missed you sweetheart, worry about your own team not ours as the song goes in your head, in your head.

05 Jan 2026 00:23:29
Super Jack troll you conceded against them mate

04 Jan 2026 07:39:06
{Ed's Note - Ed001 has posted a new article entitled, Matchday 19 - Quick Round Up

03 Jan 2026 20:58:43
Thoroughly enjoyed watching today's game. The result obviously contributed to that, but I felt that regardless of the result, we looked like a completely different team. Quick passes, good movement, players that others and myself have previously criticised putting on a show.I always felt like RE needed some time to find out his better lineup, starters etc. I do feel like many on here were calling for his head far too early. VP had been with us for ages when he said he still didn't know what his best first 11 was! Yes, it took a while for RE to get off the mark, but who can realistically expect a manager to go into a new team and get it correct from day one?! Yes it's what they are paid for but at the end of the day they are only human.

We have tripled out points tally in the last 2 games, yes it may be too little too late, but I do feel like RE finally has the team playing like a pack again. I honestly feel like if they play with the same desire, hunger and drive as they did today, and against United, then maybe, just maybe, a miracle could happen.Even more likely so if this transfer window is a successful and sensible one, but given Fosuns history that remains to be seen! Surely now is the time to keep hold of the players who are performing, regardless of how much money we could sell them for, and improve on the squad with additions!?! Either way, I feel almost certain that the second half of this season will be very exciting. Great performance today Wolves, keep it up please!

03 Jan 2026 22:33:20
The whole team played well. But there were one or two lapses in concentration which better teams would have punished.

Rob has clearly identified that we need to pass faster and further up the field. I have been Hwangs biggest critic and today, he proved that he could play rather than run around like a headless chicken. But, when Bellegarde and Rodrigo are available, he should be nowhere near the 1st team.

A few observations I made during the game were that in Central Defence, Santi, Yerson and Krejci did well. Add Agbadou to the mix and another CB, we look well stocked. Toti should now be surplus to requirements.

Andre showed that he is not as dynamic as Joao. If we had to sell one of them, the it should be Andre.

The team needs to be built around the core of Joao, Mane and Tolu. Tolu won everything in the air today and works well with Mane. If we can get good money for JSL, we need to sell and replace him with a faster striker who can stretch defences.

04 Jan 2026 09:22:15
Good - the Tolu case is an odd one isn't it.
Every time he plays - even only in cameos at the end of a game - he has looked good and his goal scoring record is fine - given how few minutes he has played.
So why has he played so little especially given how poor JSL has been?

04 Jan 2026 11:08:50
Possibly some just weren't up to speed fitness wise, or the manager hadn't seen enough in training to figure out where to play them effectively Arias started and played the full 90 yesterday as well. I suspect RE has had to go back to basics and use his initial games as almost pre season. Let's face it our pre season was crap with players sold and late signings. I doubt much team cohesion was built.

No cause for excitement, but yes performance has steadily improved and points now trebled in two games.

05 Jan 2026 06:45:24
Arddunby 1 - Not all players show their best in training but do so on the pitch but it seems coaches are reluctant to take that chance.


Tolu has been showing his willingness to get involved in the cameos and the news that he wasn't fit has been the excuse used but now he's showing what the side has been missing, something which Larsen is still not doing!

05 Jan 2026 13:20:26
OAP wulfunian, it's a tough call isn't it. I suppose it depends on the training session and it's objectives, in all walks of life some people come good in the real world, but if you've got a goalkeeper for example making basic mistakes day in day out, how many managers would select him?

03 Jan 2026 19:38:21
Didn’t see Nuno shake hands with RE at end of game today unless I missed something?

03 Jan 2026 20:10:50
No Nuno went straight down the tunnel.

03 Jan 2026 20:13:05
He didn't Oxley, he went straight down the tunnel.

03 Jan 2026 18:30:58
Fantastic win today and depending on the 4 above us 4 wins could actually get us out of relegation zone too, Mane what a player those who said he wasn't ready how's that humble pie?
Arias looks to finally found his position and Hwang was looking so much better a assist and a goal for the lad, even Larsen was trying when he came on.


The lads have got to keep this going and just maybe we can pull off our own great escape.

03 Jan 2026 18:47:08
Mane, if your good enough your old enough, and he is proving that, need to protect him though and not burn him out , well done the lads today. That might be the end for Nuno at west ham.

03 Jan 2026 19:33:43
After listening to burrows Thommo naylor, with the great escape theme still in me ears I've just watched the highlights, wow, no doubt WH were awful but we were moving with haste, working the opposition with runs. Mane opened them up for Hwangs ball into Arias, Hwang was definitely playing for the position today and after all the moaning about him, I have to give him credit today.
Mane simply looked the biz, abit tired later on but still caused mayhem.
Hugo I thought was close to mom, but all of them put in a collective performance.
But my mom actually goes to the WH keeper he brought off some incredible saves, perhaps stopping tolu with his foot and ultimately saving his team from a 6/7 goal drubbing.

Now bring on Everton, we'll need the same effort and abit, dunno about great escape but saving face and restoring pride is possible.

03 Jan 2026 19:42:11
And anyone wanting Nuno back need to look at how he is doing at WHU, love the bloke but I think he is damaged now and needs to rebuild his career away from the Premier league.

04 Jan 2026 09:34:25
Rated - it would be the greatest of great escapes but given how truly awful WHU, Burnley and NF look how many points will actually be needed?
People have been quoting mid 30s - which is probably beyond Wolves - but low 30s or even high 20s might be enough?
Mad I know as it requires all 3 of the other sides to pick up virtually nothing, (as Wolves did in the first half), and obviously they have to play each other.
If only Spurs and Brighton had been converted into wins as they should have been it might have been possible for Wolves to get another 20 + points from the last 18 games and made it interesting.


Now a few against the heads are required - wins against sides who are really quite good - such as Newcastle and Chelsea at home in the next few weeks?
We will know shortly - a defeat at Everton and at home to Newcastle might end all hope - but two wins and I for one will be starting to hope!