So there we are. Julen Lopetegui is set to embark on his first full season as Wolves manager. From the moment Wolves secured safety in the Premier League, Lopetegui made it clear he was looking for assurances that he could bolster the squad in his image in order to push the team forward next season.
It stands most managers would want to bring in a cabal of players who can best implement their style and blueprint in order to do themselves justice. Lopetegui himself was backed to the tune of six January transfer window signings. This was the biggest mid-season window that Fosun have overseen since they arrived at the club.
For an ownership-group that are reticent to do mid-season business given how notoriously difficult it can be to obtain good value-for-money that was a big statement.
Bruno Lage had Wolves chasing Europe and was rewarded with Chiquinho, a permanent deal for Hwang Hee-Chan and the departure of Adama Traore. But this was clearly a protection of the investment. Relegation wasn’t an option. It’s through that lens that we should probably view the lay of the land from a Fosun perspective.
It is tempting to view a lack of investment as a lack of ambition or support. But it’s just not sustainable to invest at every change in leadership of the First Team. Whether there are genuine FFP concerns or this is Fosun laying the gauntlet down to a man who has managed at the highest level, a return on previous investment isn’t an unreasonable ask.
Contrary to popular belief, the clutch of players currently contracted to Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club aren’t hopeless. Fundamentally, there aren’t bad players at Premier League level anymore – now that Paul Onuachu has been relegated at least. There are unsuitable ones, there are differing profiles, there are injury-prone ones and some that may be lacking experience. But there aren’t bad ones. It takes too much to reach this level of the game to be a genuinely poor player.
There are the numerous reclamations of faltering careers around the Premier League we can point to as well. Jason Steele cementing himself as No. 1 at Brighton having been there since 2018. Prior to which he only having made one appearance prior to this season. Dan Burn’s career arc from middling squad player at centre back to rampaging full back ready to take on the Champions League next season. Joelinton and Sean Longstaff performing way above previous levels as box-to-box midfielders, forming integral parts of Newcastle’s charge up the table. Fulham signed players previously deemed no longer at Premier League level. Willian and Andreas Pereira have provided the quality which has kept them in the top half all season.
It’s a cut-throat world at the top and often a dip in form or a spell on the sidelines can be enough to write-off a career at the top level. But it needn’t be that way. We’re not a club set up to attack the European places. We’ve never been further from it since getting back up. But what we can be is a progressive group, an attractive team to play for, with a style and opportunities for promising youngsters. Joao Gomes, Fabio Silva, Matheus Cunha, Nathan Collins, Boubacar Traore, Ki-Jana Hoever, Ryan Giles, Sasa Kalajdzic, Matheus Nunes, Chiquinho. All of these players have good reason to attack pre-season and stake a claim as Premier League players. All it needs is a working environment for them all to thrive and a coach willing to work with them.
Even some of the players who are seemingly on borrowed time in a Wolves shirt. Raul Jimenez, Conor Coady maybe even Goncalo Guedes, can all offer something to a coach that could be useful. It’s through this prism that Fosun will be staunch in their claims that they don’t need to provide a transfer war-chest. And for me, they’re within their rights to do so. The success of the players I’ve mentioned above and ultimately their clubs goes to show where good coaching can get you.
Aston Villa and Unai Emery achieving a Europa Conference League place off the back of one January transfer window signing. There are enough examples within the Premier League alone of clubs that are greater than the sum of their parts due to the leadership of the group.
At which point, it’s worth considering what all of this is for. As fans, is it just a results business? Do we care about the means by which we achieve our goals? Goals scored are an obvious sticking point and barometer to a fan based on a season ticket. And Wolves value for money in that area is still way below expectations. But if we don’t see a European challenge in the offing, then a more progressive, nuanced and innovative style shouldn’t be beyond us.
We can’t buy tickets on the promise of goals. We can however expect something interesting, thinking outside of the box. Or a group of exciting young players going and playing with a sense of freedom. That shouldn’t be beyond us.
As long as we have the right man at the helm, we can still have a good season.
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