Andy81

10 minutes ago, HanoiVillan said:

I take your points, but the highlighted is an interesting one. I'm not for a moment suggesting Mendes is in the business of human trafficking or anything, but is it totally impossible that he might have mentioned to a few players that if they wanted his representation and all the benefits that could bring, that said player needed to spend a year or two playing at his mates club in England?

Even if that were the case - and to be clear that's absolutely pure speculation with no evidence - would it actually be against any rules?

Yeah, guess you could be right, although who wouldn’t jump at the chance to sign for the 19th best team in the championship last season?

5 minutes ago, mikeyp102 said:

Come off Neves is a Portugese international, extremely highly rated before his season with you lot. Jota was also highly rated. I don’t think you can say no one had heard of them.

I hadn't at least  

All of the players we signed could have said 'no'.

Anyway, personally, I don't think there's much wrong with building a network, people say that it's wrong for an agent to have this much influence at a club, but he isn't our only source of players, and it seems, club, player, and agent are benefiting from the arrangement.

As I say, if we are sneaking hidden payments around that would be wrong.

53 minutes ago, Rob182 said:

You talk like you wouldn't be bothered if one of your rivals had managed to pick up a whole team of Premier League quality players for peanuts. Pull the other one, you'd be as suspicious as the rest of us!

Well, it's not peanuts, we've broke our transfer record three times since Fosun turned up, and currently have the most expensive player in the league.

Recently other clubs have been banging on about us breaching FFP and now we're not paying enough!  

They look Premier League class in retrospect, but Neves and Jota were not playing much last season and are only 20 and 21 years old.  No one had heard of them and it could have gone wrong, could still go wrong!  We had a similar model last season don't forget.

But as I say, if they have done wrong, then fair enough, I wouldn't want us to cheat our way up.  We shall see.

53 minutes ago, Rob182 said:

I don't think it's anything to do with the fact that 'it's Wolves'. I don't think any of the clubs in the league care about you that much  I think the issue, as someone mentioned a few posts up, is that you've essentially been able to sign Premier League quality players on, presumably, Championship wages, and for Championship transfer fees, or minimal loan fees. The issue for Wolves will arise if it turns out that there have been some 'extra' fees passed around, either to compensate the clubs selling or loaning out those players, or to the players themselves for playing in a league which, could be considered to be, 'below their station'.

 

If there are no dodgy fees knocking around, then you're probably right, and Wolves probably won't have done anything wrong, and it's just a case of them benefiting from a very savvy relationship to an agent. But I think everyone looking in from the outside is suspicious that there could be some form of 'advisory payments' or similar that may have found their way through Mendes or one of his related companies into the pockets of the mentioned players or clubs.

Agree with this, if there have been any backdoor payments to either clubs or players then clearly that's not fair.

7 minutes ago, LakotaDakota said:

They would just get a fine, same as leicester & bournemouth. Both breached ffp rules getting promoted, bournemouth paid 7 mil & leicester 3 mil

I don't think this is about FFP, quite the opposite actually, we're not spending enough on these players apparently  

1 minute ago, bobzy said:

It's not purely an FFP issue in terms of spending.  Rumours are that if/when promoted, Wolves would be subject to the "fit and proper owners" test and the Premier League aren't happy.

I have no idea what the hell happens if the Premier League "block" a promotion.  Would be hilarious, though  

Where would Wolves fall down there?  If Small Heath were fine with Carson Jung or whatever his name was, I don't see how Fosun wouldn't be a fit owner.

Again with Mendes, clearly Wolves have a relationship with him, I fail to see how this is against the rules however.

I think one of the key principles of Fosun is to have good relationships with key people, no matter what business, it looks like this is what they have done with Mendes, and it's generally working.

He also brought in a lot of shit last year, like Ola John and some Portuguese full back who then went on to be shit for Forest too, no one seemed to complain then!

For the record, if they've done anything wrong, then I hope it's uncovered.

It seems as if the unnamed club is unhappy because we have got good players for cheap, which seems a little far-fetched as we're no better off than Newcastle were at this stage last year.

Neves being our best signing was cheap, but this I believe is because Porto desperately needed cash, anyone was free to sign him, but it's fair to say, we probably had better knowledge of the situation than most.  Is this against the rules?  I really don't know.

Jota is on loan, as he was at Porto last season.  Did Porto break any rules signing him on loan?

There have been plenty of players turn us down in the last 18 months, as well as the current Spain manager.

The relationship with Mendes is one people always point to, but this isn't unique, just seems to be out of order as it's Wolves.  I believe most of Small Heath's signings came from the same agent in the summer, Man Utd deal with mainly one too, and a few years ago Doncaster had an arrangement with Willy Mckay.

As I say, if Wolves have done anything wrong, then the club should be punished, I can't see what they have done wrong from the outside other than build a network.

20 hours ago, blandy said:

The minimum is 2000. We give 3000 (or thereabouts, with segregation and police advice). I guess the reasons are that 3000 is the allocation the Prem said teams (with grounds >30K capacity) have to give, so the away section and segregation was built that size. The Club would need to spend money to increase that, and realistically there's very few visiting sides who take the full allocation anyway - so the costs would be for a couple of games a season - just not worth it. And then if we do go up at some point, we'd need to smallerise the away section again.

Fair enough that’s better than I thought. I guess in this league Villa Park is always a draw for away fans, so this will be pretty common I expect. 

2 hours ago, Rugeley Villa said:

Wolves are going all blues on us. Apparently shit loads will be in the villa end when we play them. Granted, might be a few hundred, but that's about it. Always remember them failing to sell out at villa park two years on the bounce when they were in the prem. one of those games they were 1.000 short of selling out with the other being 4-500.

Apparently there were Villa fans in the home end in be reverse fixture. 

To be honest, Villa are pretty stingey with away tickets in such a big stadium. They pretty much give the smallest amount possible I think. 

5 hours ago, mykeyb said:

With respect mate that why I used the word some and not all....a Wolves Villa automatic promotion would be great (in any order) I cannot stand Cardiff.

Totally agree. 

26 minutes ago, Wainy316 said:

I just wish Cardiff would f*ck off.

Agreed. I can’t understand how they’re still there. 

Plus it’s just a waste of time, their style would get found out in the prem

3 hours ago, Rugeley Villa said:

Same here, they are soooooo easy. 

It’s fair to say I’m easy, but not in this sense, I think it’s possible although unlikely we could finish second, but third I don’t think will happen. 

7 hours ago, mykeyb said:

The way some of the Wolves fans reacted when Adomah said we were going to chase them down was as if we had collectively took a trip to the Molineux and used the pitch as a toilet. They have obviously not learned anything from watch the Albion fans being taken down a peg or three.

I used to have a lot of time for their fans as they suffered the pain of having really terrible owners for 30 years and they are due some successes but if they cannot show a level of humitity then I will smile broadly next season when they cannot buy a win and Nuno walks..........

With respect mate, the key word there is ‘some’. 

You tend to notice more these kind of opinions, but it won’t be the majority of Wolves fans at all. 

All the stuff between Wolves and Villa this season is the press stirring and social media reacting. 

Well, I saw half the game yesterday. Me and my mates were thrown out just after half time by enthusiastic Fulham stewards. 

Congratulations on your impressive win yesterday!

3 minutes ago, Nigel said:

Typical!

yeah, I was convinced it would happen for him to be suspended for Villa to be honest.  It is bad luck for you really.

Who do you have at the weekend?

13 minutes ago, Eastie said:

I hope you at least get a draw - will watch game on sky Saturday evening - should be a cracker .

Cheers, maybe you'll be able to tell me what it was like after - I'll be blind drunk 

2 hours ago, omariqy said:

Personally I really hope you batter Fulham.

Cheers!  I'm not too confident now Neves is suspended.

6 minutes ago, Eastie said:

Not quite correct though as Cardiff play on Sunday

haha, good point.

Happy days then, we'll be 12 points clear on Saturday, Fulham are awful right?

RIGHT?!

11 minutes ago, Eastie said:

Possible Cardiff will close the gap to 6 points on you at the weekend - the tickly bit beckons 

Yeah, that's what I said in the quote you posted 

3 minutes ago, Nigel said:

Didnt realise you have dropped 9 points in the last 6 games. Hopefully this continues as we could really do with you joining the pack.

Cant see it though, you are too good to have a repeat of the last 6.

 

Yeah it's not been great!

The only thing in our favour now is that games are running out.  Villa in third are 13 points behind us with 13 to play, so you'd have to gain a point a game on us for the rest of the season, which is possible, but a bit of a tall order.

Just noticed that you have to play Cardiff still, that could be huge for you.  Cardiff still have to play us as well, and we'll want the title, so with any luck we'll help each other out!

Last night was a bit of a kick in the balls for us.  I wasn't there, but our keeper is really letting us down at the moment.

I'm not worried about promotion, but the title is a little more in doubt now.

When we kick off on Saturday the gap will probably only be six points, and you all know how hard Fulham away is at the moment.

After that we still have to play Villa and Cardiff away, and Derby at home.

1 minute ago, Eastie said:

Last season cardiff booted him all over the park urged on by that weasel faced oaf warnock on the touchline . 

Not surprised in the slightest.

I have no idea how they are still up there.  I think it's more a reflection of Championship refereeing than it is Cardiff as a team.

8 minutes ago, Eastie said:

I think Preston and sheff weds will be very hard games for us , jack will be very important as we saw yesterday we lack creativity without him . 

‘Biggest worry for me is what warnock will get his players to do to him . 

Absolutely.  You know he will be targeted if he's on the pitch as teams like that just can't cope otherwise.

We've had it all season with Jota, I honestly don't know how he's stayed fit all season.

You do worry with someone like Grealish who has had less luck with injury.

29 minutes ago, Eastie said:

Knock on calf - possibly back on Tuesday but not serious . 

‘Should be back next week if not Tuesday .

I have heard people say 'See you next Tuesday' to him to be fair  

In fairness though, you want to be careful against Preston, I've seen them twice this season, and they don't mind leaving a foot in.  Not really what you want with Grealish at the moment.

So what's the situation with Grealish?  Is he just not 100% over his injury?  How far away is he?