Vokes’ focus after signing new deal
Wednesday 19th May 2010, 12:57PM BST.
Wolves striker Sam Vokes has targeted emulating his team-mates from the Championship and gatecrashing the Premier League after earning an extension to his contract.
The 20-year-old has agreed an extra 12 months on his current deal which still had two years to run, tying him to Molineux for the next three years.
Now Vokes, a £300,000 signing from Bournemouth two years ago, wants to follow Kevin Foley, Jody Craddock, Stephen Ward, Karl Henry, David Jones and Matt Jarvis by becoming a regular in the top flight.
He said: “It’s a great boost for me. It’s nice security to come back and know I’ve got three years left on my deal.
“It shows how strong the team was that won the Championship because most of them are still here and played a lot of games last season.
“I had limited time on the pitch for Wolves last season. But I want to come back for pre-season and push into the squad.
“I want to get some more appearances and some starts.”
Vokes has yet to start in the Premier League and made only five substitute’s appearances last season, but spent three months on loan at League One promotion winners Leeds.
The former Cherries forward faces a tough battle for a first team spot this summer too.
Boss Mick McCarthy wants to sign at least one striker and Vokes will be competing with Kevin Doyle, Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, Andy Keogh, Chris Iwelumo and Stefan Maierhofer, although the latter two could find themselves struggling for a game next season.
But Vokes believes he can still improve.
He said: “I think I’ve still got a lot more to come. I do a lot of work with assistant boss Terry Connor before and after training, because at my age it’s important to keep improving.”
Chief executive Jez Moxey added: “We feel there’s more development to come and are looking forward to seeing him challenging next season.”
Vokes had a 40th minute effort disallowed for offside and was later booked in Wales Under-21s’ 1-0 defeat away to Austria last night.
The striker now moves up to the senior squad and will join Wolves team-mates Wayne Hennessey and Dave Edwards for Sunday’s friendly in Croatia.
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Vokes has got some potential. He seems to be in the right place at the right time and could be a decent target man option for us in the future.
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makes sense, he is not 21 yet so will not need to be included in 25 man squad.
Hope he improves, wont forget the miss again Man U though!
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This is a good move. I would say that the Hoff and Iwelumo need to be moved on. The latter I thank for his contribution.
Now let’s look at the players who make up the 25 – the over 21′s – bearing in mind we have to have 8 homegrown. Hahnemann Hennessey/Ikeme Murray? Zubar Foley Craddock Berra Stearman Elokobi Ward Jarvis Kightly Mujangi-Bia Jones Milijas Guedioura Henry Doyle Keogh Ebanks-Blake
This leaves 5 spaces for signings – a left back, a centre half, a winger, a centre forward and a midfielder!
As for Dindane and his agent and most likely Hunt. Jog on. We will not be held to ransom!
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Best thing would be to keep the strikers at the club over the summer and get Stevie Bull to give them some intense training in the art of goalscoring!
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He is still learning his trade and has an eye for positioning.
As for Dindane, No no no! Willie Mackay is involved!!!!
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A good move by Vokes who is one for the future,not too distant I hope.Dindane,forget him,as no.4 rightly says, Willie MacKay is involved and he will just push for money not for a good career for Dindane.I feel sure Kris Boyd would be a good signing far better than Kitson.Not much ambition being shown yet once again,why not throw your hat in the ring for N`Zogbia Mick,or is Moxey holding back for cheapos again?
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I sincerely hope that everyone at Molineux has a good memory about what happens when you deal with Willie Mackay. I for one, will never forget his grubby hands in the Henri Camara affair.A man solely motivated by his percentage, not concerned about the players that he represents, and even less concerned about the future of the clubs that he signs his “nice little earners” with.
At least the implementation of transfer windows curtails his unscrupulous activities for some months of the season.
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Have we ever signed anyone managed by Willie McKay?
Amdy Faye and Modeste MBami in 2003, Camara, plus even the lad who left Hamilton for Wigan last year.
The Guy is a parasite and is very good at especially using our great Club to up the ante in bidding and wages wars
Lets hope we dont ever need to deal with him again
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Not convinced that he will ever be a Premiership player. He would need to improve quite a lot to play in the first team alongside Doyle. But I wish the lad well. Hope he makes it and proves me wrong.
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I have missed out Edwards, so that leaves only 4 spots!
One of the above squad may have to be loaned out or moved on also then.
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Vokes is a waste of a paycheck. A five year old would have scored that niss against UTD!!
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6)Spanish Ray. You cannot post anything constructive on this site without having a swipe at Wolves, can you ? It is noticable that your style has had to be toned down somewhat because MMMs shoved your drivel from last season right back where it belongs.
Wolves have made it quite clear that MM has targeted a number of unnamed players (unnamed by Wolves !) and JM is negotiating with their clubs/agents behind closed doors as is the norm. When and if they are signed maybe we can then have the benefit of your undoubted wisdom to sum up whether Wolves “once again lack ambition” or “held back for cheapos” Okay ?
“throw your hat in the ring for N’Zogbia”???
You obviously have a penchant for tricky negotiations.
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Willie McKay, let’s have no bad language on this site please lads.
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well said 12. as for vokes good deal as he’s got height and pace just needs a bit more guile and experience and as for missing sitters against anybody,( ronny rosenthal vile v liverpool) ring any bells? lol
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Delighted with this because I was getting worried the club were not rating him. When he first came into the club his goals:time spent on pitch ratio for Wales and ourselves was very impressive. I would always have him in the side ahead of Lumes- I thank Chris for his Championship goals but I don’t think he can cut it for us.
As for the Hoff- I don’t think he has had a chance whatsoever. He arrived with a great record at club and international level but if he is not going to be given a chance then I suppose it is best he goes. I am just concerned as to whether we will even get our money back on him. Anyways- as for the new deal- I expect Vokes to spend the whole pre season with us so they can keep working with him and seeing where he is at- but I also think he will spend half the season out on loan. He needs games. For the record- I would like to see Hoff given a chance- even if it means putting him back out on loan until Christmas. If he can’t cut it in the Championship then we have our answer- if he sets it on fire we bring him back and give him his chance.
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“No!” to any player with McKay as an agent. It is likely to have an insidious effect on club moral.
On another note it does appear Birmingham know what they want or need and go out and get it. Hence 10th spot. They don’t appear to panic buy and they get in early. Some lessons to be learnt ?
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No. 11 – why do you have to bring up ONE miss? All strikers miss sometimes, even the great Bully would admit to that (particularly at Vokes’s age). Give the lad a chance and he could turn out to save us a lot of money. Good luck for the future, Sam.
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This particular transaction, or internal contract extention has been a shrewed bit of business, if not to outshine any potential newcomers to the club. Vokes is a target player with definite promise, as LNG as he applies himself, is surrounded by other good players and has the gaffer’s assurances that he will have opportunities. I hope Toshack keeps him busy in his Welsh plans, too, if only to bolster his confidence even more. All said, this was a smart move for all, and it does not affect, as far as I can tell, the tricky new roster limitation rules, either!
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“LNG” means “long!”. UTW!
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I know he had a stropp and said he wouldn’t play in the Championship,but why are people always so negative over Henri Camara? He was our player of the year in the one season he played,and Jez actually did a good job in making lots of money out of him.If Willie Mckay has the next Pele on his books are you saying we should not sign him out of principle? Surely fans should be more critical of Dean Richards and Kenny Miller who walked out on frees and cost us millions.
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im getting a bit fed up of all this dindane rubbish, what is the point of going after a player that doesnt really want to come to us, this is like the Hunt thing all over again, we wasted all our time in the last transfer window trying to get him and missed out on everybody else. mind you we did get guadioura.
to be honest i dont really think this fletcher is all that, and i certainly dont think he is worth that kind of money. why dont we go for some loan singings im sure man city have got plenty to choose from, maybe with a view to sign at the end of the season.
Traore from Arsenal?
di santos from Spurs?
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Since we are looking out for a striker, one prospect we seemed to be linked with is Bristol City’s Nicky Maynard.
Stefan Maierhofer and some cash could be considered for a transfer deal as he had played there on loan.
Up the Wolves…….
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PLEASE send him out on loan, but must be 2 a championship club this time (full season long loan) we realy don’t need him. He need’s a club that he can play week in week out and that is not wolves at the moment!!!!!!!!!
……..UP THE WOLVES……………..
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Hopefully this is lazy reporting but we are supposedly linked with Maynard at £4.5 million.
NO!NO!NO! Any team that pays that sort of money for a championship striker needs shooting. He is certainly no better than SEB for a start.
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I am glad Sam has signed an extension because I think there is a lot more to come from him.
As for Trapatonni’s comments – he shoild learn to keep his trap SHUT about KD and Wolves!!
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