Wolves blog: Is Wolves' recruitment process a failure?

As out-of-form Wolves head into a tough match against Middlesbrough, they are in the unenviable situation of having just four first-team defenders and two first-team strikers available in the squad...writes blogger Tom Tracey

Sylvain Deslandes and Bright Enobakhare, both inexperienced not only in the Championship but in professional first-team football, are likely to be the only options available from the bench for these positions on Saturday.

The current squad is incredibly imbalanced, with an overload of midfielders making this the only position with any depth.

The question many will be wondering is how the backroom staff allowed the squad to get into this shape?

Head of football development and recruitment Kevin Thelwell helped to secure the appointment of Kenny Jackett in May 2013, and these two men are largely responsible for managing all footballing matters at the club.

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Early signings in Jackett's reign were successful. Sam Ricketts was first through the door and was made club captain during a record season. Kevin McDonald, Scott Golbourne, James Henry, Michael Jacobs, Nouha Dicko, Leon Clarke and Kortney Hause were the other players signed permanently.

All of these players, except for Ricketts, Jacobs and Clarke are still in the first team and these signings were largely successful for a third division side.

Ricketts and Jacobs played important roles during the League One campaign whilst Leon Clarke was signed whilst in good goal-scoring form at Coventry. However, his second spell at the club was short-lived and underwhelming.

With the benefit of hindsight, a criticism levelled at the recruitment is that they did not take the risk on his partner Callum Wilson instead, a player who helped to hit Bournemouth into the Premier League.

As the club moved into the second summer of Jackett's reign, they brought in Tommy Rowe and Rajiv van La Parra on free transfers with George Saville also joining for a reported £1m, before signing free agent goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak.

An underwhelming summer of transfers for Wolves fans who hoped to build on the momentum of a League One title, especially considering that Wolves still only had two strikers in Dicko and Clarke who were challenging for first team contention.

The lack of forwards was compounded by the disappointing loan signings of Yannick Sagbo, and then Danny Graham, who had little impact at a time when Wolves were undergoing their worst form under Jackett.

Jordan Graham, who had been on loan in the U21s, was signed permanently in January whilst the most high-profile signing under Jackett arrived in Benik Afobe, who formed an instant partnership with Dicko and Sako.

Of these signings, Rowe, Saville and Graham are now out on loan; whilst Kuszczak left to join Birmingham and van La Parra nearly joined Leeds - not the most successful season of recruitment.

In a season where the squad suffered relatively few injuries, the core of players managed to play relatively unchanged for the most part of the season and generated some great form in the second half of the campaign.

This kind of stability would be impossible to maintain over a long period of time, however.

Another low profile transfer window followed this summer, in contrast to quotes from Jez Moxey, whereby more midfielders were brought in – Jed Wallace, Conor Coady and Nathan Byrne, whilst young Sylvain Deslandes was brought in to the U21 squad.

Adam Le Fondre arrived to become the third striker at the club, until Dicko was ruled out for the season to bring the total back down. Sheyi Ojo, another midfield player, joined from Liverpool whilst Emiliano Martinez joined to give competition to Carl Ikeme.

No experienced defenders were brought in whilst Player of the Season Richard Stearman was sold to league rivals Fulham, leaving the defence barren of experience and depth. Injury to Ebanks-Landell and suspension for Iorfa has meant that only four of the remaining first team defenders are currently available for selection.

Jed Wallace, Sheyi Ojo and Nathan Byrne are yet to force their way into consistent first team selection, whilst Le Fondre, not that he is a bad player, is playing out of necessity rather than merit.

Conor Coady and Martinez are currently in first team favour in the two positions where the team has depth.

Since Wolves got promoted to the Championship, it seems like many of the signings have just been squad players, in contrast to Jackett's insistence of only wanting to sign players who improve the first team.

Wolves need improvement and depth added to a squad that is struggling to find form or consistency before the pressure builds too highly, and they need to replicate some of the earlier signings in Jackett's tenure.

Jacobs and Henry joined on emergency loans and went on to have a great season, both signing for the club. Sagbo and Graham joined on emergency loans and added little to no impetus.

The club have added some great first team players such as Dicko and Afobe in Jackett's time, but they have often left fans wanting. At a time when the club is up for sale and signing players will be more difficult than ever, mistakes made by the recruitment team will be more costly than ever.

The current state of the squad requires Wolves to look into the loan market to try and provide more options to a side that looks like it has very few ideas – it's time for the recruitment team to step up their game to allow the team to do the same.