Wolves sign Maierhofer for £1.8m
Monday 31st August 2009, 6:00PM BST.
Wolves have completed their second swoop of the day with the £1.8million capture of Austrian giant Stefan Maierhofer.
Dubbed ‘The Neck’ for his 6ft 7ins frame, the Rapid Vienna striker was at Compton this afternoon to sign a three-year deal with a 12-month option in the club’s favour, following the arrival of Ecuadorian World Cup star Segundo Castillo on a season-long loan.
Wolves will have to pay Rapid a further £900,000, or 1m euros, if they stay up this season.
Chief executive Jez Moxey said: “We’re delighted to bring Stefan in as our ninth new arrival this summer.
“He’s a player who has been a regular goalscorer for Rapid Vienna in recent seasons and helped the club qualify for the group stages of the Europa League, by contributing to their win against Aston Villa last week.
“Stefan had been targeted to add competition for places in the striking department, and once again we are pleased that the board and chairman Steve Morgan have been able to support manager Mick McCarthy.”
Maierhofer, who scored an impressive 23 goals in 37 games last season, has now flown back to Austria for a World Cup double header, starting with Saturday’s qualifier at home to the Faroe Islands before a clash with Romania.
The forward, who signed off with the equaliser in his first start of the season in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with city rivals Austria Vienna, becomes Wolves’ ninth summer signing .
He follows Castillo, his former Red Star Belgrade team-mate Nenad Milijas, Marcus Hahnemann, Kevin Doyle, Andrew Surman, Greg Halford, Ronald Zubar and Michael Mancienne into Molineux.
After so much incoming transfer activity, the final hours of the transfer window, which closes at 5pm tomorrow, are likely to be dominated by the probable departures of Neill Collins and Darren Ward.
Moxey added: “There are still 24 hours remaining until the transfer window closes, and it may well be that there is more activity in the outgoing department.”
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Superb signing! Well done Wolves!
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Good news. 2 in a day, more to come?
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What a signing, im pretty sure some will have their moans but this guys goal ratio last season was superb… 23 goals from 37 games this is great buisness from the 3 M’s and a clear cut bargain…. A real honest, hard working player who gives us an ariel and physical threat from set pieces and a good crosser to boot, we are starting to build a team here that can compete and maintain premiership status….UTW!!!!!
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I cant help thinking this guy is a bit of a gamble. It will be interesting to see what kind of a role he plays exactly with SEB and Doyle you presume as the incumbents. Good business today though but I guess Ledley is off the agenda now? However, like many others I feel we still need the troublesome left back position sorting – Shorey on loan from Villa tomorrow would be great.
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IM REALLY DELIGHTED ,JUST NEED FOLEY FIT,KITES FIT,IWELUMO MIGHT FIND IT TOUGH TO GET A START,DOYLE WILL ONLY GET BETTER,REALLY OPTIMISTIC NOW,CANT SEE PORTSMOUTH OR BIRMINGHAM OR BURNLEY FINISHING ABOVE US EVEN HULL ,NEXT 3 GAMES SHOULD BRING MIN 5 POINTS,GO BOYS
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another 2 great signings WITH high level experience which should satisfy those people who come on here moaning. If he’s anything like crouchy played for spurs on saturday then we have a great, new attacking dimension.
UTW
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Fantastic option up front and his goal scoring record at a good level speaks for itself! Great signing and not sure we need to add anything else! Think we have put ourselves in a great position to have a really good stab at survival!! It’s looking rosy!
Come on me babbies!!!!!
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This guys record is good. Hopefully he can continue it into the Prem with us!
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Credit to the board for trying. It’s hard for any premiership newbies to attract the right calibre of player, and only time will tell. I do wonder how much better these nine are to what we had already, but the early signs are good – fighting for every point, and looking threatening in every match so far.
Good luck for the coming months lads!
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Wow!!! I would have preferred Alan Smith and Jermaine Beckford but at least this is a statement of intent and in the areas that many Wolves fans have expressed concern. I can’t comment any more as I don’t really have any knowledge of either player, they may end up being the bargains of the season? Is is too much to hope for Joe Ledley for some extra cover and competition on the wing now??
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This is part of the master plan… Thw two signings today will prove themselves to be big players in our season (no pun intended on ‘big’)… x2 good internationals, Castillo will allow the likes of Milijas, Kightly and Jarvis to get forward knowing we have midfielders to stop any counter attackers… And the signing of Maierhofer will allow Wolves to change their style to suit at different times this season… Squad looking much better now… Competition for places means we will be a better team….
UP THE WOLVES
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Come on mi babbies, let’s do it
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Good news.. 6 ft 7.5 inch striker and Segundo Castillo who has already kinda proved himself with everton, lookin forward to seeing they’re debuts hopefully at blackburn.
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Exccccccellent in the words of mr burns!!!
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great signing! now lets go wolves we can do it
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Glad to see him being brought in…should be a good signing
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OK now this is what should have been done before the season started..could have had 3 more points on to the total!
HOPE THESE GUYS COME BACK HEALTHY AND FIT FROM THERE INTERNATIONALS AND HAVE NO LANGUAGE BARRIERS!
BRING ON BLACKBURN!!!!! COME ON MICKO MORGAN MOXEY!
WOLVES FANS LETS GET BEHIND THE BOYS NOW FULL HOUSE AT HOME EACH AND EVERY GAME I WILL TRAVEL FROM EIRE FOR EVERY GAME LOVE THE WOLVES FOR EVER.
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He’s a giant! With the set piece ability of Milijas, Jarvo and Halford (also Kites when he’s back) We should get the goals we desperately need.
Great signing if you ask me, We’re staying up!
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we are staying up say we are staying up!!!
Good signing
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6ft 7ins? Blimey. Hope ‘the Neck’ can continue his impressive goalscoring – and obviously keep injury-free during the WC Qualifiers. Good luck to Neill and D Ward too. Up the Wolves
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i think this is great news… He will not only bring competition to the striking department but also an extra element of attack to the team… A great bit of business by the 3 Ms well done, £1.8m is nothing nowadays and we dont have to say it all up front, looking forward to seeing the new signings in action
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Good signing, gives another option.Good luck big man.
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Absolute quality!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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ive just seen him on youtube hes a legend in austria i hope he can do it for us in the prem
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Liked him the other night against Villa,held the ball up well,good movement,very good in the air,good on the ball,displayed good agility with a good bycicle kick which forced a good save,just hope he gets a good run of games,would like to see him at Old Trafford in the Carling Cup.Well Mick and his scouts!
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So here’s the plan.
Jarvis practises his crosses and Elokobi his distribution, Kightly and Foley come off the treatment table. We get down the wings and behind the defences to rain in an assortment of quality crosses which MichealMyersoff will knock down for SEB and Doyle just like the Waggy/Dougan/Richards days.
Easy !
Job done.
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Hopefully we now have a squad to compete in the Premier League and Maierhofer will be the catalyst that gets us scoring goals regularly.
Nice work the 3M’s – now let us begin winning games and showing the Prem we mean business!
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good signin looks as if we could have all departments covered stay up 35 mill next year and we aint never going back to fizzy pop league
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Despite all the doubters, I think we have a had a decent start for a newly promoted team. The new signings AND the returns from injury make the whole thing look massively promising, but we MUST look to 17th Place as our target. Above that is gold, but 17th is enough.
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big target man in the box perfect big question is can he finish we will have to wait and see
come on me babbies
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boom boom shakalaka, trim the squad tomorrow by losing a few and the squad looks, as steve mclaren would say, very shhhexy
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Just thought I get one in quick – Bob Wolf – don’t even bother. Some of us real fans go to the games and only think Stefan will strengthen our squad and give real competition. Guess he’s guaranteed a run out against Man Ure in the Carling Cup. Well done the three M’s, how can anyone doubt their commitment!!!
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great thats all we need another peter crouch wat a donkey with is feet still might be able to cut the reserve team:) …………….. up the wolves
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Thank goodness……a TALL striker
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Anyone know much about the Austrian? We need a target man; if he’s as good as Crouch it may be interesting. Castillo’s a good buy….just Richard Dunne now and I’ll relax and enjoy it!
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looking good now with the new boys comeing in could this be the end for keogh
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Superb move he will give us another dimension huge, fast,knows where the net is, rock on.
Well done a good piece of business MM
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great signing – different option up front
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its looking good now 2 top signings in the same day now we can mix the football pass and play it long when we need 2 well done wolves,,,WE ARE WOLVES,,,,,
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I’m not sure about this one, but he does have a good scoring record at Rapid. Ever hopeful.
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So who is going to be on the bench then?
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Well i dont think on the scale of things you can’t say were not having a go this time, there are 3 worse teams than us!
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I pray to God we’ve finally signed a good foreign striker – we’re going to have to kill teams off asap at this level and are already guilty of not doing so. I’m contented with the 4 points from 4 games but it could easily have been 2 or may be 3 more than that.
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Good signings, very astute, well done to all in mahogany row
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Joe Ledley to follow……..
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See our new striker at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYE1BwMVP40 I must say I had to giggle, i hope this is not representative of his performances
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morgans putting his money where his mouth is.good on him
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Really pleased with this signing. Up the Wolves
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Maierhofer and Castillo are good in the air, from Halford’s long throws we should create even more chances, lets hope we can put them away.
With Doyle, Kightly and Ebanks-Blake all fit there shouldn’t be any place for MM’s sons! then we’ll have a decent chance of staying up.
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Why not just buy a tree and stick it in the opposition penalty area – it wouldn’t cost as much and you’d get more movement from it than this clown!!
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picking myself off floor – Bob Wolf pleased
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Good to see another signing, impressed to see a big striker. Good goalscoring record – in the Austrian League!!!! Lets remember that and not get carried away heaping pressure on him.
Just seen him on you tube he is a confident player, not sure about his first touch, it ends up about 20ft away from him.
Oh well Doyle will get it back, thought Doyle was excellent on Saturday. his first touch and ability is Prem class and he isn’t fully fit yet. Come on MMM lets get Richard Dunne!!!
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Great signing, Even if he does prove to be not the most skilful, he’ll be a nightmare for other defenders as not only is he tall but is also got alot of strength, a bit like john Carew! Don’t think we’ll get another defender in, as apparently Zubar isn’t too far away from pushing for a 1st team start!
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This off the ‘live deadline day’ transfer centre thing on the BBC website
“From G in Wolves, via text on 81111: “Joe Ledley to Wolves for £5.5m (plus Sam Vokes on loan for the season & Darren Ward). Neill Collins to Leeds – £500,000. I’m at the training ground. Ta.”
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Him and Castillo are great business. Lots of rumours that the club are trying to thrash out a deal for Joe Ledley before the deadline and they will save our other loan for January. Zubar is almost there in terms of fitness and has been taking alot of english lessons. Come on you wolves.
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I am glad Neill Collins has got a decent club to go to in Leeds. The lad did make mistakes and lacked pace but is very good in the air and always gave his all. A good move for all parties and best of luck to him.
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We have someone to mark Crouch at corners when we play Spurs ;-) Not many clubs can say that !!
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Sign Ledley , Dunne and Carlos Edwards and we are almost certain of 18th spot
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Back off Hols to some great news with regard to signings. 6 Mil for Ledley apparently and a loan singing from one of the big 4 on the way. Dunne is going to Villa and Edwards to Ipswich cant believe we haven’t taken him on!!!! Things looking really good been watching the games on line and there is plenty to be positive about for the season. Hesselink would be a good addition too, as long as he isn’t the top earner at the club. Any news on M’Bai? I assume with Castillo signed he wont be given a contract
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Great news! We now have a good squad with different options to play, its probably shaping up to be better than I expected now!
Everyone of them needs to fight for the right to the premiership party!!
See Bobs not happy again… oh well, who gives a sh@*????
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Of the 9 we have signed only 3 are immediate first teamers,the rest are squad players. It would be a great boost if we could buy someone today like Ledley who would walk into the team.In my opinion Maierhofer is a tactical signing like Halford ,both are probably not up to Prem standard but Mick will be looking to get something out of them as per Stoke last season.Lets face it if this Austrian was that good a German side would have snapped him up years ago,and less than £2m is not much money for a striker.But if we sign Ledley today no one can say we have not given it a real go.
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whats everyones opinion on our strongest 1st team now then ?
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Just saw some clips of him on youtube and he looks shocking, league two standard at best. Hope he plays better than he did in those (many) clips. Seems to have no ball control and for a very tall guy is not at all good with his head. Still, let’s give him a chance…
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On the youtube clips he looks worse, much worse, than Kyle we had a couple of seasons back.
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With a fully fit squad we would be at least mid-table but we have had a bad time with injuries so far and have been competitive in every game my side would be:
Murray
Foley
Zubar
Mancienne
Elokobi
Kites
Castillo
Milijas
Jarvis
SEB
Doyle
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What is with the YouTube scouts? Muppets! League 2 at best???? 27 goals last year got Vienna, he was excellent against Villa and was untouchable in the air and Boone couldget theball off him when he held it up. Some people need to take a look at themselves! Or perhaps apply for jobs as scouts instead of filling petrol station pasties, which judging your intelligance based on your comments is probably what you do for a living.
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still links with us and joe ledley come on wolves :)
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Joe Ledley can come and join us anyday :)
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excellent signings, now watch wwfc stay up comfortably, wolvesmod,jiwal,knobwolf, shame on you for calling yourselves supporters, you have let this great club down again with your so called opinions which only reflect your glum outlook on everything , utw
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winslow wolf – the league that vienna play in has only two proper teams. the rest are worse than the scottich prem. This guy ain’t that good and it’s a shame that we are going to resort to the long ball when we have a number of good on ballers like milijas, keogh, doyle, seb and kightly when fit. MM’s teams have never been known for their attractive style of football. Still I’m behind the team, even though i don’t expect much from hof, we have plenty of other good players. In the first season in the prem its all about staying up no matter how you do it. Then build a proper footballing side. Vokes going out on loan?
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65
So you wouldn’t have Karl Henry in your team????
Bizarre as he has been our best player this season, have you been to any of our games this season???
Just as well you don’t really pick the team!!!!
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How is this a good signing? Yeah he might have a good goal ratio but its the austrian league, its rubbish compared to premiership when are wolves going to start to realise that the muppet is buying the wrong players. Get him out and quick or else we will fall through the bottom of the league
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72. My sentiments entirely.
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Well an Everton cast off, unknown Austrian, a 6.5m
injury prone Reading cast off, a guy that can’t speak English and NO players with premiership experience.Wonderful eh Mick. Championship here we come again.
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73 thanks for hat at least have 1person who has some sense about them. I don’t just think its playerz though that mcarthy is bad for bringing in but his tactics. Its the same thing every time they play and before anyway asks i have been to the first 3 home games and its the same tactics as last year. Few weeks before the season stated he said we need to play different sorry but i can’t see no difference from last year. Playing like a typical championship team go down the wings and cross in hoping someone will head and score well sorry might work in championship but not premiership. When I saw first game of season west ham playing through channels and quickshort passing. Thats howmost premier teams play and its the only way can survive in this league if they play to these tactics they have at the moment you might as well wave goodbye now and lets face it the muppet aint gonna change it hes a arrogant yorkshire man. Thats why we don’t get no players with lots of premier experience because he doesn’t like cocky players and thats what mos premier players are like. The muppet likes to be in control of his players. Look at mark davies apparently first day the muppet come in he took one look at mark davies’ car and straight away took a dislike to him. Is this who we want in charge of our football team?
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75.Exactly. He played the same way at Millwall, Sunderland and with the Irish national side and look what happened there.
But you know what they say about Yorkshire folk, and they even say it about themselves “Strong int arm but thick int head”.
I also know the Davies family and his comments are well known.
With this man in charge it is Championship here we come AGAIN.
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found out on the internet that he is the 8th tallest footballer in the world. joint with about 5 other people, 6 foot 7 1/2 apparentley :D
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