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INTERVIEW: Kevin Thelwell on a 'crazy' few weeks - and why Wolves were right on Richard Stearman

"Every conversation we have with Jeff Shi he says: 'Listen Kev, I promise we'll get to the Premier League'. And Fosun are going to be completely supportive to help us to do that."

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The confidence and belief emanating from Kevin Thelwell is clear. Wolves want to go places - and their recently-promoted sporting director will play a key role in the success or otherwise of Fosun's reign.

Messrs Morgan, Moxey and Jackett have departed and Thelwell is the most senior member of staff to bridge the change of eras at Molineux.

That means he's well placed to offer an insight into the madness that has been the last couple of months at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

"It was crazy - absolute chaos - for no other reason than the fact we've signed 12 players in that six week time-frame," he told the Express & Star's Tim Spiers in an extensive interview.

"And then with everyone else rushing towards the final deadline, things changing day by day, hour by hour, it was complete chaos. I was just glad for the clock to chime when the deadline passed!

"But I think we look much better for it. We've got strength in depth and hopefully once we have a bit of time to be more cohesive and get together, we'll build on it and make better performances."

Many things have changed at Molineux in a short space of time. But Thelwell says the process in which so many players were signed in those frantic few weeks wasn't dissimilar to how things worked before in Kenny Jackett's tenure.

And he maintains that it's head coach Walter Zenga who has the final say before any player is bought.

Walter Zenga

"That was always the case with Ken too – it was never the case that anybody else would make a decision about players.

"We had more resources this time around. Obviously Fosun have got a relationship with Gestifute (Jorge Mendes' agency), which allowed us to reach a bit further.

"Walter had some good ideas from times when he's been working abroad.

"So we probably had more recommendations than before, but the process was the same."

Fosun's link with Gestifute - and their link with Benfica - has seen Wolves sign three players on loan from the Portuguese giants (Helder Costa, Joao Teixeira and Ola John) as well as Silvio, who had just spent three seasons on loan with Benfica, and Ivan Cavaleiro, who until a year ago was a Benfica player.

Benfica president Luis Filipe Vieira has visited Molineux and attended Wolves' opening-day draw at Rotherham.

Thelwell said the relationship between the two clubs wasn't a 'feeder club' arrangement but that the two clubs would grow stronger links in the coming months and years.

Jorge Mendes joined Fosun to watch Wolves' match at Rotherham on the opening day of the season

"Fosun have got a strong relationship with Gestifute and Gestifute have got a strong relationship with Benfica.

"We plan to spend a bit of time there in the future and have a look at their working model.

"Their core values and principles are not too dissimilar to ours.

"It's an opportunity to identify and recruit young players that perhaps can't get a chance at Benfica but could get a chance here.

"I think there's only value and an added benefit to have from a relationship like that.

"It's something we'll look to build on in the coming months and years.

"It's a very informal cooperation at the moment. It would be wrong for us not to take advantage of that resource, that support, that relationship.

"Who knows if it'll develop into something - we're not that far down the line on it just yet.

"But there's certainly an opportunity to spend some time over there, talk to their sporting director and their ownership and look at how they do things.

"It's a great opportunity for us."

Of the 12 players signed since Fosun bought the club on July 21 the most surprising was undoubtedly Richard Stearman – a player sold to Fulham for £2million just a year ago.

Richard Stearman rejoined Wolves a year after leaving for Fulham

But Thelwell strongly defended that sale – and the decision to bring the 29-year-old home on loan for the rest of 2016/17.

"We were right to let him go at the time," Thelwell insisted.

"It was a very good business deal to let him go - and it also felt like a very good business deal to take him back.

"Having sold him for a lot of money and bring him back for nothing...I knew it would be controversial in doing it but I've got to make the right decisions at the right time for the football club.

"Things change over the course of an hour in football, never mind a year.

"Ethan (Ebanks-Landell) had an issue with his metatarsal. He wasn't going to play, based on the fact the head coach felt he needed some game time and could he be thrown straight in?

"It made sense, particularly with Sheffield United knocking on the door, to let him go out and get some experience.

"As much as we say Dominic Iorfa's a centre half, he's spent all of his career here at right back. So that only really left us Danny Batth and Kortney Hause as the two centre backs.

"So what do you do then? You've got a guy who's been player of the year, he's out of favour at his club, it's not going to cost you to buy him, he's desperate to come back, has a point to prove and is English and knows the league...it was hard to make a business case against him.

"It's a difficult decision. But from my perspective it's the right decision. Even though people might question what we're doing - well it now looks like the right decision, in my opinion.

"Sometimes you've got to suck it up, put egos aside and make a decision, so that's why Richard was brought back in."

After an initial positive start to the season Wolves' bubble was burst by Barnsley on Tuesday with a 4-0 humbling at Molineux.

Thelwell, though, has no doubts that there are good times on the horizon at Molineux.

"Tuesday night was obviously a disappointing result but it had been a good start up until then and in football sometimes nights like that can happen," he said.

"Walter made his feelings known after the game and both he and the staff and players will be more determined than anyone to produce an improved performance at Newcastle on Saturday."

And on the season in general he added: "I can't see how the performances on the pitch aren't going to get better once we've had more time to balance everything out and get everyone together and working hard."

Thelwell has certainly overseen and been part of some dramatic changes at Wolves in the past two months.

And he is steadfast in his belief that the future under Fosun is bright.

"I'm really excited about how Jeff and Fosun are organising the club. And I'm really pleased and excited about the ambition, but also their understanding about the Wolves culture and how that supports the plan.

"There's probably never been a better time to be a Wolves fan."

THELWELL ON...HIS NEW ROLE

"It's not too dissimilar to my previous role.

"The previous structure was we had Jez as chief executive and he was responsible for all the football and commercial aspects.

Now we have Laurie as managing director of the "Molineux side", let's call it for simplicity, and I'm responsible for the football side.

"But whereas previous I'd make informed decisions with Kenny and Jez in particular, now I make informed decisions with Jeff and Walter in particular, so it's not too dissimilar to how we operated before."

THELWELL ON...THE NUMBER OF PLAYERS SIGNED

Ivan Cavaleiro became Wolves' record signing when he joined from Monaco for £7m

"In the initial instance we had the idea of the five-to-eight mark, but as time went by we evaluated the group a bit more and saw how the coach wanted to work, etc. Plus availability and all of those things.

"We wouldn't have anticipated 12 right at the very start. That said, I don't think we're too heavy, based on the fact we've got so many injuries still at the moment – Williamson, Zyro, Graham, Dicko, Evans...Ebanks-Landell had an injury (at the time).

"Also, evaluating the fact we don't have an emergency loan window – we had to make sure we had enough strength in depth all the way through to January, because when that clock stopped we had to have the bodies in."

"For the players, if they're not in they've got to find a way in, they've got to fight.

"I think Walter has used the squad really well, he's revolved them around a bit and given everyone an opportunity."

THELWELL ON...JORGE MENDES

"It's nothing more than an advisory capacity to Fosun. They've got a good relationship and are there to provide us with additional support. They've got their own players but also links to lots of clubs and relationships that we can use and tap into.

"If we're looking to source players in particular positions we've spoken to those guys, just like we would any other agency, and said we're looking for player A, B or C and what have they got to fit what we're looking for.

"That's no different to how we work with lots of agencies. The only difference being they've got a strong relationship with Fosun and would try and help us as much as they could, based on that.

"Whenever something changes, people always fear the worst. But I'd argue that what we've seen can only be seen as a positive thing.

"The proof of the pudding is in the eating. We've brought in 12 players and only a couple of those are formally linked to Gestifute.

"I can see only added value in it, in terms of the link with Benfica and other huge clubs. It can only help us.

"And the majority of players didn't come from their link at all."

THELWELL ON...SCOUTING

"We're always looking to develop our scouting network and that's something we were talking about with Steve Morgan as well.

"Without question, if you look at clubs in the Championship, it's not the case that they can't reach Holland, Spain, Portugal etc. Everyone's reviewing and looking at those players.

"All the players we've tried to sign or have signed this summer, there have been Championship clubs who've done the same.

"Where do you get competitive advantage? You do that by going further afield. The Copa America (which Thelwell attended this summer) was a good opportunity to look at what that possibility was.

"If we're going to move into the Premier League we're going to have to keep building a strong recruitment network that allows us to reach further than others."

THELWELL ON...FIRST-TEAM PROSPECTS FOR ACADEMY STARS

Christian Herc has impressed for Wolves' under-23 side this season

"It's more difficult. It's an interesting one.

"Speaking to Jeff and Fosun, they're fully aware that a strong academy process is vital to any team.

"Of course there's increased pressure at the moment to get into the Premier League and I think all fans would have said we needed that extra strength in depth to give us a fighting chance to compete in what is an ultra-competitive league.

"But I think going forward it's not going to have a negative impact on our younger players at all.

"If you look at the Checkatrade Trophy, our team apart from Ethan and Dicko were handed over to the under-23s to give them that spike. And speaking to Walter if it hadn't have been so early in his reign he would have liked to have played more in the League Cup, without question.

"I look out of my window last week and you've got Morgan Gibbs-White, who's a 16-year-old, training with the first team. Niall Ennis, Sylvain Deslandes, Bright Enobakhare, Connor Johnson, etc have done too.

"So it's not too different to how it was before. The only difference is we've recruited more at the first-team level.

"Going forwards the academy is high on the agenda. We've got some very talented young players here - it'd be daft to turn our noses up at them because I think in due course they'll be ready, and more ready than ever.

"I can understand people's concerns but it's high on Fosun's agenda to develop young players into the first team."

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