Wolves looking forward to Jelle van Damme
Thursday 20th May 2010, 11:26AM BST.
Wolves players have welcomed the competition new signings will bring as Jelle van Damme’s £2.5million arrival appear imminent.
Van Damme played left-back for Belgium in their 2-1 friendly win against Bulgaria last night.
Commentators referred to the 26-year-old’s expected transfer to Wolves from Anderlecht during the game, which saw Belgium recover from falling behind just after the half hour to win with two last gasp goals, the latter from Manchester City’s Vincent Kompany after van Damme was substituted.
Wolves have stayed tightlipped on the deal, apart from confirming their interest in the the 6ft 4in utility man.
While the player has claimed personal terms have been agreed, chief executive Jez Moxey is trying to iron out the fee.
But it’s close to being agreed, with Wolves’ Mr Versatile Kevin Foley believing signings will only be beneficial to the club’s Premier League future.
He said: “Strengthening the squad will be good. No matter how well you’ve done, you’re always striving to do better and that includes strengthening the squad.
“The gaffer is ambitious, just like all the club.
“Everyone is all for anything that can help the club get that little bit better.”
Left-footed centre-back Christophe Berra, who could be one of the players under threat for his place by van Damme’s arrival, added: “I’m sure the gaffer will bring in a few players in various positions.
“But it’s good to have competition – it raises your game and keeps you on your toes.”
Foley believes Wolves will learn from their experience of having a season in the top flight.
He said: But he warned it will be just as difficult because of increased expectations on the club.
“A lot of the lads have got 20 or 30 games under their belts now, which will definitely help for next season.
“There won’t be that same nervousness again and that extra experience we’ve got should be a real benefit.
“I do think next season is going to be even tougher. I know everyone says it but it will be and expectations will be a little bit higher, because we managed to stay up.
“We won’t always be the underdogs in games as we were for almost every game the season just gone.
“But that’s a good thing.”
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I lived in belgimm last year, and I went to many Anderlecht games and all i say is at left back this guy is about as good as Stephen ward, and in midfield he is about as good as Shane ward (x-factor) 2million oh my god.
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Competition is all very well and will certainly prevent compacency, but getting players who are head and shoulders above the rest [excluding Hoff naturally] is what we need. How we come about that is a tricky affair and it does seem as if we have to wait and see who comes off the merry-go-round transfer carousel, or try to buy foreign players and hope they come good. Anyway we are much better placed than last season, so I remain hopeful.
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Look lets not carryed away he could be good i do trust Mick is should know what he is all about, just let him play and lets see how good he is, i think he is good i lot of people like him.
Wolves Forever!
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Believes you don’t I?
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I lived in Belgium up until last year. I moved back after I heard Belgium Wolf was moving out.
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1) Strange how you can’t spell Belgium.
I detect a strong whiff of Sandwell Town.
You concentrate on the guy with the dodgy knee who arranges Christmas parties.
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Number 1 – yeah ok whatever
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I have seen Van Damme on tv here in Europe and he is excellent at getting on the end of corners but his enthusiasm is poor as he does not chase back and often takes his time by walking to a defensive or midfield position.
Maybe I am misjudging him and Mick sees something in him I can’t but we shall have to see.
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dragging out a bit this one aint it?
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And so it begins…. The guy ain’t even signed yet and there are already fools saying he’s rubbish… The guy is a belgium international, and played in the champions league so he can’t be that bad…
Belgium wolf, more like Belgium fool…
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1) Well he can’t be that bad then? Stephen Ward is not a left back but has had many good games in that position.
I will trust the management team and scouts judgement here. He plays in a number of positions and on the basis that we have only got 4 spaces left in the squad, sign him up!
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If it is true and Mr hodgson & Fulham were after him, he cannot be that bad. But knowing Micks record in defence regarding players perhaps your right no1
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I watched the game last night. Like the article states, Belgium played better when this guy was subbed.
I recon Mick thinks hes getting the star of the likes of Narco and Universal Soldier not a second rate left back!
Oh well perhaps if he signs a dozen players again we might get a couple of gems like last time.
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I have just seen that the Tesco’s might pip us for Hunt. Great news. We do not want to be in an auction for someone that cannot play until October. I would also say that both Jarvis and Kites, with time on their side, will prove to be better wingers , long term.
We have up to £20 million to spend, so spend wisely. We do not want to be going for Maynard either.
One top signing in the £8-10 million bracket please and then we can have 2 or 3 players of the £3-4 million bracket!
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Who is the guy opposite him in the photo? He looks well mean and would scare the pants off anyone! Get a life number 1 and read your own blogs!!!
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I know Van Damme very well, he told me he cant believe he will be in the premier league next year, playing with top class players like Karl Henry, Stephen Ward and Chris Iwelumo.
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1- Thats strange, because when i stayed in Brussels, i watched a few matches, and the fans seemed to worship the guy. Singing his name, putting up banners with his name. He scored a header in one of the matches, I think he scored in one of the matches i watched. Unless hes seriously lossed some form, since i saw him play back in 2008?
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no 1 do i detect a little bit of jealousy.
Lived in Belgium for a year and cant even spell it . moron.
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I wonder if for no reason he will take his shirt off and then do the splits?
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Im sure people said the same about Adlene Guedioura.
So I will wait and see what he is like. We have to gamble to improve the squad sometimes.
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From the photo above i wish we were signing the guy in the white shirt – he looks like he wants Jelly for dinner !!!!
I lived in Belgium and I’ve never heard of him.
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I too lived in Belgium last year.I soon moved back though,as i found it more depressing than West Bromwich.
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The other guy in the picture is Oguchi Onyewu, the defender we were supposed to be after this time last year, and who ended up going to Milan.
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the other guy is oguchi onyeewu we tried to sign him on a free fron standard leige last yr went to milan instead and spent the whole season crocked, we dodged that bullett (first time ever)
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I’m glad I got 21 replys to my 1st comment..
but truth is Jelle van Damme is not better then we already have and that is poor.
I also lived in Southampton and watched him there and he was toilet.
but if we sign 10 players 1 might be good
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@ Poirot
I believe that is Oguchi Onyewu, who we were linked with last summer, and I believe that the reason why he looks so p*ssed off is because, when that photo was taken, Van Damme (it is alleged) had just called him a “f**king ape.”
So let’s all give a warm welcome to our new, racist left-back Jelle van Damme!
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The fans forums are generally going on about why he would go to such a lowly club as Wolves which suggests that they at least think he is good.
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Let’s hope his name, Jelle, does not describe how he plays!
Hopefully we can sign him up, we need some steel in midfield.
Other news is that Mancienne looks as if he will not be wearing a Wolves shirt next season. It has been strongly rumoured from Chelsea that he will be required to be one of the ‘home-grown’ players for the 25 player squad, so Mick will have to replace him.
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i have lived in Sadwell for a year and seen Belgimm wolf there also at the Sadwell ground..
He’s about as obvious as Sadwell Terry..Dum Dum Boing…Dum DUM Boing…
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Never heard of VanDamme but hopefully he`s the answer to one of our problems.Hunt?not too sure about,I feel he is after the highest bidder after all if he talks to the Boing-Boing`s he can`t be very ambitious.Maynard,here we go again cheapo as per usual.Why oh why can`t Moxey and Mick get it into their heads we want quality not quantity.On a personal note I think Boyd would be a good buy,better than Kitson anyway.O`hara,Piquionne and Mokeombe[ hope I`ve spelt that right],but whatever,come on wolves ambition,ambition, ambition.
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A mate of mine waches football in belgium a lot and he would swap ward for this other very poor player anytime,here we go again low quality players again god help us.
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The bloke opposite him is the USA centre half that we were after a year or two back who has since gone on to Italy. As he has been injured he said that he would play for nothing. His name is something like Oweghu!
Anyway Van Damme is not backing down but we need to work on our discipline – 4 players send off last season, although 2 were wrong!
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21 – neither have I
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For those enquiring about the guy in the white shirt, I think he was the American defender we were reported to be interested in last summer.
Don’t remember his name.
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No.15 – Its that USA defender (Oguchi Onyewu) that we was supposedly interested in last summer and he ended up at AC Milan. There was apparently an incident to do with rascism between Jelle & Ogy
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Oguchi Onyewu… you mean.
You clueless peasants!
Will Belgium have any players left by the time Wolves have finished scouting there?
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Well I’ve been using these boards for years and I still can’t understand 29.
26 – LOL !!!!!!
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I just dropped something on the key board and it typed Oguchi Onyewu
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I have been to every Anderlecht game for the past 8 years and I’m sorry to say that this guy is the worst player in history. He makes Mark Kennedy look like Usain Bolt.
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If he is a good left or centre back, I guess Mick will play him at centre forward.
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Give him a chance. Let’s have a proper look at Jelly first. Let’s see the fire in his eyes. Is this the only picture the Express & Star have got?
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I do hope this isn’t the QUALITY Moxey was spouting about?
QUALITY costs money and a lot more than £2 mil.
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Isnt this van damme the one who used to play for the saints back when they were in the premier league??
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i’ve never been to belgium, but this guy cant be any poorer than shane westley or ricki herbert. And as for bieng ambitious and signing quality players and not cheap ones, its very difficult attracting top quality players as most of the decent ones nearly always sign for the top four or the mid table teams .
Another not so obvious reason that we might miss out on very good players is the wage structure and lure of european football offered by continental clubs.
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If the rumours are to be believed – Stephen Hunt on the verge of signing for the baggies, Blues have already made two excellent signings, the wolves appear to be just plodding along, letting the out competitors take first option on our targets – come on the 3 m’s pull thy fingers out, after our pursuit of Hunt in Janruary, surely we can’t let him sign for the baggies – make a firm move – don’t dilly dally on the way
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There’s no Jelly in Jelle.
Van Damme is an OK player. Definitely has an eye (or head) for goal, I’ve seen him play (only on tele) and he would be better at centre back rather than left back. Left (and right) backs need to be able to turn quickly when trying to stop wing men and Van Damme is too big to do that.
I agree with (8), he does tend to be lazy. If he quickly adapts to the British game, where he has to track back quickly, he will be an asset, no question. But the word is IF…….
Nenad Milijas has adapted and he will be the better for it next season. But it has taken him a season to adapt!
It’s a gamble (again).
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Nobody will be as good as Ward at left back!!! Perhaps George!!!! They both sould be in a pub team, so sign this guy up Mick
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16. Nice one Cedric
44. Who said that ‘Your Old Man’
No need to panic gents they have a gameplan and let them get on with it. They seemed to do fine last year.
As for Hunt, seriously over rated. Let the TCB’s have him. All the teams around the bottom end of the league are all going to be going after the same players. It’s all we can afford. Some we’ll win others we won’t. Mick pulled off a blinder last year with Doyley but there were still guys on the forums complaining. Just be happy we will be leathering the crap hats from down the road next year
UTW
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I know nothing about the player, as is the case, apparently, with most of the others posting comments, either good or bad; but isn’t that the point? Once again, we’re spending good money on an unknown and, in English/Premiership footballing terms, untried quantity.
Of Mick’s 5 foreign signings thus far, one came strong in the second half of the season (Zubar); one looked good when used intermitantly (Guedioura); one flattered to deceive (Milijas); and the less said about Maierhoffer and Mujangi Bia….which is a ‘strike rate’ that I would suggest compares very unfavourably with the often, admittedly equally unknown, English/British based players McCarthy’s signed. Personally, if we’re incapable of competing with other Prem sides in terms of paying wages for established Prem players, I’d much rather we speculated £2.5m on the likes of Ledley (out of contract anyway!), Maynard, and others of that ilk; players who won’t at least have to aclimatise to the culture/language etc.
And if it’s correct that Trappatoni’s expressed a preference for Doyle to be playing for a ‘top club’, that’s it- he’s going.
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Can’t believe all the rubbish I am hearing! Mick and his team including have made some of the greatest buys to come to wolves! Kightly has been a revolution! Ebanks had been and will start potting them in like usual! And Doyle who’s been excellent! As for left back elokobi even though bein out almost all season came in and did th job! An beig young will only improve! As for mr damme! If he has racial issues no point! But he looks big and strong and we need someone a bit better at getting the ball out! Better than craddock has done! So stick behind your team! Come on you wolves
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We dont need him,we could have a very good LB in Kevin Foley, as he wont take Ronnie Zubar’s place, he’s going to be even better next season you wait and see. So i would give Foley a crack at LB i think he would do a great job there,or even Mannicene if he returns, hence we can spend that money on the more important positions i.e a Winger ( KIES/JARVIS are very good players but both are injury-prone, so yes we do need a Top winger its better having 3 Good wingers than 2 who get injured often ,forcing us to play RB/CM etc there?, and a class playmaker like Danny Murphy whose ‘one touch’ football is brilliant, and another Top striker if Doyle chooses to move on, although im sure i saw him ‘KISS HIS SHIRT BADGE’ a few times this season?. And PLEASE lets BUY BRITISH only this season please.UTW
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Why do Birmingham name players and just go out and ‘BUY’ them yet Wolves i.e Jez Moxey has trouble ? is their CEO better at his job, does he sell his club better than Jez ? Every close season we hear big names mentioned yet the deals never come off. Most of it is down to Jez’s spin to sell ‘Early Bird Season Tickets’. I like most supporters are used to it now, thats why i take everything Jez Moxey says with a ‘HUGE PINCH OF SALT’. This season coming is going to be HUGE for Wolves if we can stay up i think we will push onwards/upwards for years to come. But if we fail to ‘INVEST’ enough then i fear we will go down into the championship and stay there for many many years to come. UTW
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I’ve drank stella quite a few times and thats from belgium. If he’s as good as that then i’m happy.
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This is getting very boring and predictable. Buy another also ran championship like player and hope he’ll play like a prem player. The lack of ambition is quite astounding but don’t hold your breath folks, the times are definitely not going to change at the MOL. Belgian beer is awesome but their footy record is as sad as their war efforts. In Mick and Jez we trust. LOL!!!!!!
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Hurry up and sign the man up. Saw him play last night and was solid at the back. Has a bit of pace and is very good positionally. Not as good going forward but we’ve got Zubar who can get forward so I’d prefer to have a solid left-back anyway rather than an attacking left-back.
If we manage to sign him in the next few days I’ll be very happy with him and Guedioura. Then we need a dominant centre-back to take over Craddock when his legs go, another midfielder, a back-up winger, another striker and defensive midfield cover on loan.
Once the van Damme signing is completed I’d like to see…
Danny Collins – £3.5m – Stoke
Jamie O’Hara – £6m – Spurs
George Boateng – Loan – Hull
Gary O’Neil – £2.5m – Middlesbrough
Frederic Piquionne – £3m – Lyon
That would be £15mil well spent and would see us safe comfortable next season IMO.
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If we are looking for a left back then Nicky Shorey would be the best option! I dunno…..
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Is this guy really the level of our ambition, another Hoff anyone?
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Here we go – I see the club have just told Dindane not to mess them around – just after its announced he aint coming.
All this bluff from the board every summer is predictable and insulting… yes we got Doyle but every other decent player we are linked with goes elsewhere but the club always say “we tried” – its not good enough.
Whatever we say, we just managed to stay up last season in a dradful league and had a really poor scoring record – blagging us fans by pretending to try and sign players won’t help us when we are getting tanked next year.
I predict another summer of targets who seem to go elsewhere – Stephen Hunt even looks like he’s joining the ******…. how embarrassing is it going to get ??
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51) Foley is not left footed so that might not be a good move. We are linked with Finnan also. Why? He is 34 and also a right back.
Apparently the Tescos are lined up for Hunt at £4m. Far too much!
Finally we better have a sell on clause with Bothroyd? Could be going to the Blues for £2m.
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57) You’re not that guy from Belgimm(1) are you?
Don’t remember The Hoff playing left back or centre midfield. As he’s played in goal for Bristol City, maybe we could use him as a rush back goalie ?
Media absolutely snowed under with the details of the hundreds of transfers going through day after day.
Is it August already ? Who won the World Cup ?
Blimey, don’t time fly !
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come on don`t lead us up this garden path again. you said quality moxey so go and get some. Or is it going to be a case of the one that got away again. in the three Ms we trust
don`t let us down know we`ve come this far
WOLVES TILL I DIE
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come on don`t lead us up this garden path again. you said quality moxey so go and get some. Or is it going to be a case of the one that got away again. in the three Ms we trust
don`t let us down know we`ve come this far
WOLVES TILL I DIE
AND I HAVE NOT ALL READY SAID THIS
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59. brummierobwolves, Neither was DEREK PARKIN he was a Natural right footer, do you know how many games he played for Wolves at LB ? i think you will find he holds the record of 600 apps for Wolves , not bad hey for a LB with Only a RIGHT FOOT. UTW
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TomWolf- the reason BRUM get players is they pay over the odds- if you think Ben Foster is worth £6million plus inflated wages then you’re deluded.
Wolves will be linked with many players over the next few months( agents trying to move players on)- the 3 M’s will do what is best for the Wolves.
Just a quick reminder what happens to clubs tha pay inflated transfer fees/wages
( Hull,Pompey,Newcastle etc etc etc).
In the 3m’s we trust
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