Wolves chairman Steve Morgan has ordered a Europe-wide scouting search as boss Mick McCarthy revealed his profile for new signings.
The club have had games in France, Scandinavia and eastern Europe watched recently in the hunt for new blood for a fresh promotion assault next season.
Wolves are determined to seal the edge in an increasingly competitive market for the best players. And the club believe spreading the talent search as wide as possible is key to bringing in the best available talent.
“We’ll be making calls and there will always be interest in players because you want to make your side better,” said McCarthy.
“We’re all fishing in a very small pool.
“You ring about someone and you find all the teams similar to us will have been having an eye over them.”
McCarthy is assessing the European market, but ideally wants players who have had at least four full seasons in a first team as he revealed his profile for new signings.
Bournemouth’s 18-year-old striker Sam Vokes is the first of several additions likely this summer, with Derby midfielder David Jones also on the radar after McCarthy made seven players available at the end of the season.
“You don’t have to be 27 or 28. Kevin Foley isn’t that, but he’s played four full seasons, and that’s what makes you a hardened pro,” said McCarthy.
“You can get some poor 27-year-olds, but we don’t want that.
“We want good players who are seasoned campaigners – which is four or five years’ experience – who have played 100-200 games in this league, if you can get them.
“That’s what makes you battle-hardened and our lads haven’t had that yet.
“Those 46 games are hard and the matches come along quickly, Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Tuesday, Sunday, Wednesday, and it really puts you through the mill.
“But the older ones are better able to cope with it. You just need experience to do it. You need to get tougher, get fitter.
“I’m not bothered about age, but you need four full seasons.”
91 Comments
What no more Irish Players via Sunderland!
1 Wolf, let’s be negative again shall we. Pathetic.
Nice to see Steve Morgan has at last had an input with the team. Little doubt McCarthy would not have taken done this himself without being TOLD to do so!
Hopefully the players we require are out there, are relatively inexpensive leaving money in the kitty for a possible Premiership season in 2009/10?
ive been saying target europe for ages. and to post 2 thats not negative thats common sense. all sunderland players are not what we need.
however you look at the top 4 in the prem. they look at france, spain, italy, germany, poprtugal etc to find the best talent. you dont see wenger going to scotland/wales/ireland do you? and he has picked up some right bargains e.g toure for 250k, clichy for 500k, bendtner 1mill, fabregas free etc etc whereas where we have always gone wrong is spending too much on british players.
its right what they say when the talk about foreigners being twice as good for half the price and the big boys have been doing it for years. and morgan knows this
Looking at the whole picture, seems we will be bringing in 2/3 players in there mid twenties who have been regular first teamers. We all just need to be patient with the centre halves we all want bringing into the club. Another John de wolf maybe?
As long as we DONT sign that useless Dwight York !! ( whos at Sunderland ).
More rubbish from the little red book of Chairman McCarthy.
Our 3 best players…Kightly, Hennessey and SEB don’t have 4 or 5 seasons behind them in this League. His last 2 signings…Elokobi and Vokes certainly don’t have that amount of experience.
Is he saying the balance of the team was wrong at the end of last season and that is why we crawled to the finishing line or is the policy of “young and hungry” being modified or torn up!
Like most things he says, there’s an element of truth there if you look hard enough but his generalisations infuriate me. Players have to be physically and mentally fit and tough and you need some experience to balance with youth.
I doubt it has anything to do with having played four or five seasons in this League. It’s about the right strength and temperament whatever your age.
Vokes looks to be a good signing in that mould so just keep doing the right things, Mick and don’t ruin it all by spouting nonsense.
Keep fishing Mick. Cast the net wide just don’t use smaller mesh size. We need sharks not sand-eel.
Think Arsenal have probably cornered the market in French players.
In the not too distant past we have had the misfortune of some bum signings from the continent but I feel sure that there must be some good ones about.
Looks like the scouts will have to delay their summer holidays. Tough life init.
Wot you think? T_B.
Up The Wolves
5 Ludlowwolf
de Wolf he was a howler of a signing surely.
There ceratainly are unearthed talents in places like Eastern Europe and Scandinavia. To be fair (as much as it pains me), signings like unheard-of Texeira and Koren have had huge impacts and it just shows what talent is available. Two new centre backs, a centre midfielder and perhaps a back-up forward would do nicely!
Brerton Wolf you must be a really sad individual try lightening up for once mate
thats more like it! find the talent of players not only just in england. well done, optimism is slowly creeping back in!
Europe = Ireland
cornishwolf, de wolf was an icon had his good points had his bad points. The fact is there are seasoned pros out there that can balance this side. Our centre halves are not good, but the facts state our back four were as good as anyone from this league, yet we know they are awful. a couple of decent defenders and a top creative midfielder will send us from current position of high mid table to the summit.
SOME WOLVES FANS DONT LEARN DO THEY
WE NEED TO GET BEHIND MICK AND HIS DESITIONS
NOT GET ON HIS BACK
HE’S MADE 1 GOOD SIGNIN ALREADY
SO LETS GET BEHIND HIM NEXT SEASON
UP THE WOLVES
lets face it wolves and european signings dont go well together do they?
dove, nistelroj, sami al-jaber, frankowski, stephen ward
At last they are getting a few ‘older’ players in, I am all for the young and hungry players but you need a good balance.
It will be interesting to see who they come up with, I would like to see at least one major signing to show they are gunning for the title.
Let’s splash some cash!
i heard the same story last year and the furthest we went was plymouth!!
So we send scouts out to Europe, obviously not till next season then. Seasons over everywhere, don’t get too excited. Mick’s just trying to drum up support, but when you read between the lines its all bull
Once Wolves target during Dave Jones reign is non other than Rangers striker Ken Boyd. This was went he decided to choose the Scottish giants ahead of Wolves.
Now we read that Ken, who always scores goals when he comes on for Rangers, is thinking about his career as he never commanded a regular place in their attack.
So by having a look at the proceedings won`t do any harm. What fellow Wolves fans think about this?
The eastern european countries are proving to be a bit of a gold mine of talent for other clubs so why don’t we go fishing in that rather cheap and frozen pond?
More pathetic comments.
Being negative for what the sake of it ?
All that has said is that he would like more experience in the squad what is wrong with that.Another Ince or Rae type player is what we need noe IMO.
I would rather have us unearth a gem like a Koren for peanuts than a complete lemon for a few million.
Lets all be positive for once.
All these negative comments are why fans all over the country laugh at us thank you very much for that.
Dudzie a lot of leagues are still going on in Scandinavia, Russia and many more
So many of you guys are pathetic moaners. I’m not saying that everything that comes from Mick’s mouth is poetry but give him some credit. He has made a good signing just now so lets give him a break. remember kightly, seb, keogh, elekobi, foley, collins (all really good signings)
Does it matter were the hell they come from as long as they ARE BETTER than we have and they are good players, you lot just want to jump on everything that the Wolves/MM say or do, nothing will ever be good enough because YOU know better than the Manager/Club - and you have the audacity to call yourselves Wolves Fans-the new season ain’t even started and already you are moaning-promotion-NEVER unless we get rid of the dead wood that is the moaners.
19-So their are no Internationls,no friendlies,etc,no you are the one talking bull-or is that garbage!
This article is full of contradictions.
Morgan says to look in Europe. MM says he is fishing in a small pond (the UK is a small pond, Europe is not). He also says he is looking for players who who have played 4-5 years in the championship. That is all such players are, namely functional at this level.
Derby went up with a team like that and did not replace them !
I’m not a fan of Micks but whats happnd is history now.. I’ll reserve judgement on MM when the new season kicks off…please prove me wrong…
7. Molly knew Mick
I think what mick is saying is spot on. we have a great team of young players, now we need to set our sights on older players.
Its no good going for any more young forwards, we have kightly, jarvis, SEB, keogh, Vokes - it would be a waste.
What this club now needs to do is sign, like mick says, players who have plenty of experience at this level, and until we do this we will get nowhere, because a young team will only get u so far.
29,shrewilf, like mick says,like mike says,like mick says,what happened to mick out boing boing in MOWBURY WE TRUST
23. Fair point, I suppose we could unearth a scandinavian or russian gem then. All the major leagues are over tho I suspect. The russians might have billionaire relatives!!!LOL
Look we do need some players with experience, the team we have is very youthfull and we seasoned central midfieldler & young/seasoned centre half to put the final touches on what is a very good team
Hennessy
Foley
Gray
Craddock
?
Jarvis
Olifinjana
?
Kightly
SEB
Vokes or Keogh
does anyone agree with gray over elokobi for the time being, personally I think elokobi needs polishing up
lol no.1 and this is a good sign he’s getting involved now !! cmon me babbies
Avoid Scandinavia please. Francowski, Iverson. Too many bad memmories. Target Africa. They seem to perform well.
20 Alfred Camilleri totaly agree with u boyd is a class player b perfect for wolves but would rangers part with him and if so how much would he cost.still worry that we hav’nt been linked with any good defenders yet though this should be a priority..oh and please dont sign yorke from sunderland hes to old and not good enough
All i ask for down the wolves is team work. I dont mean on the pitch either. The fans need to take a leaf out of the books of teams like Liverpool / Newcastle and make the right type of noise and make the molineux intimidating (No need to move the pitch Mr Morgan). Scarfs / Flags etc. Even play the crowd over the speakers along with the crowd on the day and create a noise that is intimidating. Then we can become the 12th man. The problem is, it will never happen as it has not to date??
To be fair - Frankowski is Polish and was signed from a Spanish team. Scandinavian players work hard, and their leagues are still going on because they shut down during the winter. We have an incredibly young squad and signing two or three veterans just makes sense. I do not think Mick wants players with three or four years Championship experience, they just have to have that much experience somewhere. Places like Romania, Slovenia, Hungary and Poland and Scandinavia have a wealth of talent and should not be overlooked.
are you entering the eurovision song contest then,with all them welsh blokes in the team one must be able to sing boing boing the lords my shepherd
Target Africa and lose em for weeks ermm dont think so
Shrewswolf
I don’t disagree that we should sign players with experience to balance the largely youthful team we have. I just don’t think that you have to have a certain number of years of playing league football to have the required fitness and mental toughness.
I’m not a moaner about my lot in life. We have a good bunch of players, the Chairman seems to be honouring his pledge to Sir Jack, the facilities are good for the division and we have a strong fan base.
I hope we get promotion and if that’s under Mick, then so be it. It is not whingeing, moaning or undermining for me and the many others to say on the evidence of last season that we don’t believe he is a Premier-class manager and interview after interview simply reinforces the fact.
I’m not bothered about age! yet last season our players where to young and had not got enough experience am i missing something here. four or five seasons behind them?
stourbridge….34 But we lose Africans during January don’t we….???
We need good solid, dependable and preferably ex - premiership players to get the best out of our kids. Rememeber we have a lott of kids who did well during 06/007 and who need tot be given ttheir chance or be shipped out….
Mick is right and Morgan seems ready to splash the cash. Exciting ttimes - but Dwight York ???????? he’ll just be injured whule picking up vast wages…No thanks
There are quite a few talents available around Europe, and we just need to find them.
Just in Denmark alone, I regularly watch matches here in Denmark and can mention at least 4-5 players who for for very little money would be able to strenghten our team.
32 - no i don’t agree. elekobi was a positive to take from last season
Terry, Next time you go fishing, FALL IN and don’t resurface. You have the mentality of a total imbecile
@34 Stoubridge Wolf. Frankowski is Polish, since when has Poland been in Scandinavia? I have family in Eastern Europe and regualary go to watch local games when I visit. These players have a lot more technique and make our seasoned english/irish pros look like parks players.
We have signed SAM VOKES .. ABSOLUTE QUALITY BUY !! WOHOOO .. NOW YOU JUST GOT TO GET THESE IN MICK !!
Defenders: NEED 3 OF THESE
A.GERRARD WALSALL 22 CB .. FREE ( CONTRACT EXPIRED .. GET HIM NOW )
C.GUNTER TOTTENHAM 18 CB .. LOAN IN
T.CAPALDI CARDIFF 26 LB+CM .. £500K
M.BEEVERS SHEF WED 18 CB .. £750K TO £1M
E.WARD COVENTRY 23 CB .. £750K TO £1M
Midfielders: NEED 2 OF THESE
D.JONES DERBY 23 CM .. £1M TO £1.25M
J.LEDLEY CARDIFF 20 LM+CM .. £3M TO £3.5M
O.GARVAN IPSWICH 19 CM .. £1M TO £1.5M
Strikers: NEED 1 OF THESE
A.MCLEAN PETERBROUGH 24 ST .. £1M
K.LAFFERTY BURNLEY 20 ST .. £2.5M TO £2.75M ( PLUS S.ELLIOTT )
UP THE WOLVES !!!!
32 i completley agree with that teem a new centre half and a creative midfield is what we need.
i dont know about you but i can see a gret year for the club next year.
Good positive stuff from the big boss! Very nice to see the positive SUPPORTERS are outweighing the negative idiots on here now!
We all understand that some of you ain’t happy with MM but Morgan has decided he is the man for the job! He is a very shrewd business man and has a massive investment in this club, I hardly think he is going to allow anybody to squander that now is he? Would you?
Morgan is a very succesful bloke, he ain’t gonna settle for second best and he certainly ain’t gonna listen to some of you guys on here spouting on about how MM should go! MM will go when Morgan decides the time is right so please please please just accept at this time that Morgan knows best and trust MM to deliver the goods so lets get behind the club!!!
Sounds good and promising, but would like to know if they have already been looking in europe or are just about too!?
There is a lot of talent in europe to be looked at, but to be honest to sort this squad out ready for an assult i can also see alot of british based players to be had….. not long ago we were talking about christophe berra from hearts (cb). Would be a great signing for around 2mil. Another one we have heard about is Tony Capaldi, a left back but that could mean pushing elokobi in to centre back where he can really use that strength.
Think we are ok at right back, right wing and left wing, so centre midfield…
again we are targeting someone, david jones who would be a cracking signing for this league, would of loved someone of carsley’s mould so if one of them are going similar then bite there hands off.
If we can get lafferty in then great, but i wouldnt pay over 3m for an unproven goalscorer, if they want more, maybe see how much boyd would cost from rangers or maybe even get kenny miller back now his side have been relegated!!
all in all, with them signings i think we’d go far, and not even move out of britain….what people think??
#34 “Too many bad memmories. Target Africa”
Did you miss Camara? I didn’t think he was that brilliant? maybe you were 3 when he signed for us?
24. Sourbridge Wolf
Francowski is not Scandinavian. The past mistakes of this poor management team are all too obvious, but most of the top Premiership clubs find that Scandinavians can play football!
The problem is not Scandinavia, but the pathetic management this club has suffered with for so long.
Happy clappers blindly supporting the spin put out by the current management are not doing the club any favours!
Next season will be more of the same, why? Because leopards don’t change their spots. Mick will still be demanding that the forwards put in a shift. Clean sheets are all that matter, scoring goals is just an extra!
4 Seasons !!!!
I agree we need some experienced players but why so formulaic ! Some players are battle hardened after 2 seasons, looks like we are moving towards a battle hardened team, that puts a shift in. Why do we chose our players according to these cliches. Surely talent and being the right man for the job are just as important.
Seems to me they have dug out the scripts from the last closed season, and they are repeating them again. Just more spin from our deadwood!
Young team? They will all be away on loan again while another band of journeymen bore us all to death.
Happy clappers, please get real! Supporting these serial-failures running this club means another 20+ years as a second-rate club!
I am worried that we may talk ourselves into a situation where we have to spend several million pounds on one player!
Young players means cheap players. Keep up the good work and buy them young!
I hope that the Dwight Yorke report is just a rumour, as he will want Premiership wages, and we cannot afford that, and still make a healthy profit!
I see geography isn’t the strong point with some. Al Jaber was from Iran, which is in ASIA, not Europe. Frankowski is from Poland, which is not in Scandinavia.
terryGLAMOROUSbaggie, did you just get your first girl/boyfriend? If not, what brought about the name change? (Did no-one tell you that self-praise is no praise?)
As far as the comment that there are no games being played in Europe, have you not heard about a certain competition that is due to start shortly? It will involve all of the top national teams in Europe, with the exception of ours. There may well be gems to be picked up in that competition.
all very well and good but Y oh Y r we interested in dwight yorke,the bloke is past it!
No 34
Frankowski was Polish bought form spain?
How is that close to scandinavia?
Iversen was bought from Tottenham for one season on a free! Impulse buy!
Havard Flo was a scandic shocker for us £750k?
Go East look at Russia, Croatia and Yugoslavia,these countries always produce players who are good on the ball.
34 Harvard Flo perhaps, don’t think Poland is in Scandanavia. Overseas signings always seem to be a gamble - and cheap buys from Eastern Europe are definitely a thing of the past. Better trust our own youth and add a bit of experience from proven players in English football.
I suggest this site is shut down till August.
Goodnight!. X
To the few people who prefer not to have Irish lads in the team. Let’s not forget Robbie Keene and a few other Irish boys who served us well in the past such as Keith Andrews and Glen Crowe. Look at Keogh and imagine him with Damien Duff running up the wing. Pretty awesome eh.
Stourbridge Wolf…. Frankowski was from Poland, not Scandinavia. I would urge MM to avoid Austria as well… watch them crash and burn next month..
totally agree with stu on 32. well put
There, is no point complaining about MM - he is the manager, get behind him and support the team.
We can not buy our way to the top.
Compare the team now - with when he took over.
It may not be perfect, but we are at least heading in the right direction.
I have high hopes for next season.
Time will tell.
A few good euro signings maybe all the is required.
Why not send a few scouts over to South America, who know what may turn up.
30. What the hell are you on about? Idiot brummie…
Aaah but Africans dissappear for the Africa nations cup. Look at what happened to Ollie after he came back.Look at half of Arsenal and most of Portsmouth out. Nope totally the wrong way. Had enough of ole Gods gift to footballers himself Henri idiot to last a lifetime. Thought he was it, too important to play for Wolves. Half the time he wasn’t up for it, too inconsistent and largely representative of most African players that I’ve seen.
3 or 4 first team Africans all out at the same time and knackered and out of form when they come back…
No thanks. No thankyou at all.
Stick to Europeans. We have 4 leagues, 5 if you count blue square, the jocks have 2 and a half…..and the Welsh a quarter of one! Should easily be able to find 11 players from these, christ we got Kites and a few others from the lower leagues. Couple that with some Eastern europeans, the odd Spaniard and a Frog or 2. Maybe a turkish player, a yank or an Aussie.
Easily get a promotion squad out of that lot.
Players are out there, and very good British/European ones too. Just got to find them, be prepared to move quickly when you do…get them before our opposition do and be prepared to pay for them.
Job done.
Four full seasons! This guys getting dippier by the day. if that’s the criteria they have to meet then things are looking up for the Bilston Town players!
56,beatonwilf,its not self praise its just what all the girls keep telling me and the boys, boing boing up the MOWBURY WAY
Oops, Should have said Al Jaber was from Saudi Arabia, and not Iran.
i seem to remember this very same story being spouted out last year! we singed none so don`t get to excited by another star back pager! how about we wait till we sign the next player! then judge MM AND THE BOARD!
surely it doesnt matter where their from but what matters is their personality their ability to fit in adapt to the lifestyle and above all whether they want to suceed or not TM has done it quite well i think he has them over on one or two weeks trial first to see how that goes, but its always a risk for every teixeira and koren theres a defratas or contra, i do however find it hard to comprehend the negativity from some of you regarding this article im sure morgan and mm are only saying what is going on at every other club!
we’d best get scouting for a goalkeeper,wayne is on his way up north!
# 65.
Dont know who you are pal, writing under my name but I do agree with most of what you had to say. I was fast asleep when you wrote that.
I am old enough to remember the late Sir Matt Busby’s Babes playing dream football.
I can also remember another (now Knight) being told he would win nothing with kids.
Both teams went on to make history!
I feel strongly that the young players being formed together by The Wolves at this time are capable, given an opportunity, of at least emulating the success of those teams.
There i’ve stuck me neck out now. I can feel the blade on the back of it!
Up The Wolves
I am concerned that Mr McCarthy is looking for players outside the UK. He has no experience or contacts in these countries, and past experience indicates that we may not get good buys.
We should stick to the lower regions of the English leauge, where all MrMcCarthy’s contacts and relationshhips are, as there are still good young and cheap bargains waiting to be signed.
I note with interest that Middlesborough are said to be ready to offer £5M for the best young goalkeeper certainly in the Championship, perhaps in the country. Not only is that an insultingly low bid but if he were sold it would run counter to all the stated aims of the club. I know lots will say that we have an even better keeper waiting in the wings but history tells us that his fitness long term is more than suspect. I very much hope he will prove to stay fit long term now. That will enable the team to have competition in an important position.
Up The Wolves
The only way we’ll be targeting Europe is by writing a good song
MM has been well and truly warned. Stop messing with has beens and old players he`s managed in the past and get in the real world or youre out the door son.
Morgan has eyed our neighbours and seen the pure attacking footbal they play with Gera, Koren, Texeira, Kim, Bednar, Hofkens. Some good European and Asian talent that cost about £6m between them.
Sorry to harp on about that lot but they really are streets ahead of us and Morgan knows it.
watch out MM, youre ineptness has been sussed and youre on borrowed time,
1 more thing once we have the tallent we need to keep it not let other clubs get our lads
david i think u are the cleverist here because all we do is let our players go, i could name loads like robbie keane, and loads more.
could u name any???
Saw one or two could prospects in the Rochdale-Stockport encounter-Finding experience will be a difficulty especially with Prem Squads being so big–Good to see Mr Morgan getting involved–Good Luck keep our fingers crossed and well done to all our players out on Loan–And of course AK whose goal was a steal–Hope he will be doing the same next season–Crazy Dave
Norway Wolf number of players McCarthy has signed from europe ….zero….number of attacking options tried before he signed SEB…six… stupidest post ive read in a long time
“The definition of stupidity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” — Albert Einstein
That’s exactly what we are doing here, allowing a seriasl-failure to fail again next season. We have kept doing the same thing for over 20 years! For God’s sake let’s do something different! Get the *RIGHT* manager (a winner) into this club and stop wasting another year of our lives. Let’s stop being stupid!
Hadn’t you all noticed that EVERYWHERE is in Europe - well, according to the Eurovision song contest - any decent players in Azerbijan?
Dont forget Ingumarsson !
Norway Wolf I completely agree. It doesnt matter who we employ if they are played in out of position and de-motivated by senseless press releases…
I too am so frustrated that we’ve given the muppet another year, and i really dont think he is capable of channge, but thats just the way it is. I think the idea here is to get behind the team - its WWFC after all, and we owe it to the guys on the field.
After a few games, if we see the signs of last season appearing, then its time to get vocal, but only AFTER the game. I do believe every player tries their hardest, if they are not good enough, its the bloke who bought them that needs to shoulder the blame.
We all know who that is.
Here’s hoping for a prosperous close season for Wolves and Wolves fans alike.
COME ON YOU WOLVES
The only way Wolves will check out anything in Europe is if there’s a war on!!!….
Europe seems a long way to go for Bob-a-job week.
well done mick keep up good work. If any new signings are similar to Vokes then jobs a gooden!
We live in Spain they should come to Mazarron in Murcia there is a wonderful player called Iiamas who plays for Mazarron.
Patsy
Scottish Wolves diehard suggests recipe
for promotion next season: 1. Appoint Craig Levein as manager. 2. Sign Celtic’s Bobo Balde and Derek Riordan. 3. Blend with other young Molineux talent for 46 games and serve garnished with the Championship Trophy!
Whats this i’m reading
“I’m not bothered about age, but you need four full seasons.”
So we don’t need young hungry players anymore? just people who have “put a shift in”. Does this also mean Mick is secretly admitting his original game plan has failed???