Wolves get raw deal from FFP

I used to see a lifelong Wolves fan for lunch once a month.   He was approaching ninety, but still went to games.   Sadly he passed away the other week.

As football finance guru Kieran Maguire has noted, Wolves continue to be constrained by financial fair play rules.

Martin Samuel wrote sympathetically in the Sunday Times yesterday, saying that the Premier League drives talent away with regulatory red tape: ‘Why could Al-Hilal sign Neves? Because Wolves needed the money. And why did Wolves need the money? Because the club had to comply with an artificial construct known as financial fair play. So Wolves are going skint, yes? No.

There is no suggestion that Wolves are in financial trouble, only that they are failing to meet the rigours of FFP. Wolves’ owners appear to have the money to run the club, and invest in the club, and in fact came up with a powerful strategy to maintain it as a Premier League entity having forged links with the agent Jorge Mendes. Plenty of rivals no doubt wished they had thought of that. Now they are being tipped for relegation.

The Mendes link turned Wolves into a Portuguese enclave which is limiting in other ways but he knew the Portuguese scene and, in particular, its young players. Mendes steered many of them Wolves’ way with the promise that exposure in England could lead to a move to a bigger, Champions League, club. It certainly worked for Diogo Jota and would have done for Neves, too, had the lure of Saudi loot and Wolves’ desire for the biggest transfer fee not been so urgent.

Wolves have also lost a fine coach in Julen Lopetegui and while a job for Gary O’Neil, his replacement, is good news for domestic managers, Lopetegui’s unnecessary departure takes another layer of shine off the Premier League. He left because the job was not as advertised, and that was because Wolves have been made to behave as if they are going bust, when they are not. A coach that was promised investment was instead told to work with severe financial constraints, leading to a steady stream of sales and expired contracts. The league has driven Lopetegui out and delivered Neves to Saudi Arabia. ‘

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‘Leaves a bitter taste’: Steve Bull shares the biggest frustration he has about Lopetegui’s exit

Wolves legend Steve Bull says he has conflicting feelings about Julen Lopetegui leaving the club.

The Spaniard quit after much speculation on Tuesday.

The former Sevilla boss had grown tired of not having funds available to spend on new players this summer.

He apparently also felt as though Wolves had moved the goalposts with their communications to him.

Gary O’Neil has come in as his replacement, and fans are now hoping he can pull of a real surprise.

The expectation is that Wolves are going to struggle given the disarray.

Wolves fans are very torn about the Lopetegui’s exit and how it came about.

And Bull has admitted he has mixed feeling about it.

Steve Bull delivers verdict on Julen Lopetegui leaving Wolves

Bull has spoken about Lopetegui in his latest Express & Star column.

Bull has urged fans to get behind new manager O’Neil.

He also feels Wolves need a couple of additions to pack out the squad a bit. It remains to be seen if Wolves can bring in one or two on loans or frees.

But Bull has admitted he’s got mixed feelings about Lopetegui for the way it happened.

He said: “I have a mixed view on Julen Lopetegui leaving – like every Wolves supporter I was left scratching my head wondering what’s going on.

“We knew something was happening, with the lack of signings and how unhappy he’s been, and it’s one of those things. He came to the end of his tether.

“You can look at it both ways. In one way he could have stayed and fought for this team, and the other option was to leave – and that’s what he’s done. The only thing that leaves a bitter taste in my mouth was the timing of him leaving.

“I wish he’d have stayed and fought for the club because it’s a brilliant club with great players. I know there isn’t money to spend at the moment but in time there will be.

“We have to thank him for keeping us up last year and wish him well.”

Lopetegui should not be criticism-free for his exit from Wolves

It is very understandable why some Wolves fans have taken aim at Lopetegui a bit since his exit.

The timing is truly awful, and there is potential for this to now be an extremely long and difficult season.

His frustrations with the club were understandable.

But could he not have left much earlier in the summer? Surely a good time would have been when he went away to consider his future when news of the club’s financial situation became public knowledge.

Perhaps he genuinely felt ready to come back, only for the goalposts to be moved again.

It has been reported that Wolves being unable to sign Alex Scott was a ‘final straw’ for him.

But some Wolves fans are definitely having a hard time accepting the fact he did that interview with Guillem Balague.