A serious question.

[Yarmbaggie]

I have to say that I didn’t expect to be anywhere but in the bottom 2.

Don’t think the PL has improved, if anything the top clubs are not so invincible as they were. It was just that we were, and still are, to coin our previous owner, a Championship club in the PL.

I can’t understand why we keep changing Managers but I don’t see Bilic or Big Sam as the problem or the saviour. The problem is our recruitment and investment.

Players such as Grant, Robinson, Sawyers, Diangana, Ajayi, Phillips, Peltier, Furlong, Button, Bond, Robson-Kanu, Austin, Zahore to name but a few (that’s 13 off the top of my head) are Championship players not up to PL standard. You could maybe carry one or two but all those bought over the last few years and are just not good enough in my opinion.

Not only has the recruitment of these players meant we are doomed to relegation but just hope we can recover enough to stay in the Championship next year.

[abbobrom]

It's a catch 22 situation. You say that the existing players are not good enough, but how do you encourage top players to join a side that is struggling near, or expected to be near the bottom of the table?

We were fortunate to attract players like Nevis when we were in the Championship, the Portugal connection obviously helped. Being outside London does not help recruitment either. If you have the choice of living in Chelsea, or the Black Country, as a footballer, Chelsea is a more attractive destination for most.

[wbaliquidator]

My Answers
I had no confidence in our squad and honestly though that we would struggle to get over the 11 points of Derby.

Not sure the standard has improved which shows how far we have fallen in such a short time.

Big Sam was probably the best option but I don’t think even he realised how poor the squad was.

One last point, all this could have been avoided with a realistic kitty to spend and not indulging Bilic with chasing Grant . Bilic was a nice bloke but was wildly optimistic when he thought the same players that struggled at the end of last season could somehow morph into seasoned top level players.

[Leicesterbaggie]

If you look at our current squad there are very few players who are actually ours that are good enough for the Premier League. Johnstone, (this season), Townsend (potentially), Bartley (just), Pereira, Diangana (potentially) and that's about it. Still think that Robinson is OK as a squad player as well. After that you only have those on loan who are good enough. Is there any wonder where we are?

[boingy]

I think you have hit the nail on the head with your comment about no crowds. You have only to look at the number of away wins that teams are recording. It just goes to show what an effect that a home crowd has on a team.

I thought we might struggle this year after the marathon season we were subjected to, with Covid and the Europa league. Our pre season this year was virtually non existent. I forecast we would finish twelfth, but that was before all the injuries occurred. Having gone virtually three years without almost any injuries, our small squad has been caught out. Many young players being asked to step up before they are really ready.

I seriously thought you were well on the way to establishing as a top six club but what you said about European football is true. Unless you have a squad like Man city where even their second team could make a good fist of it in the Prem then its unsustainable to do both.

[SwedishBaggie]

Relegation nailed on before season started.

We were great the first half of last season, but in honesty dropped in form already in January/February and after the Corona break, we were abysmal.

Then that same team should compete in the PL, would not think so...

No ambition, no-good recruitment departement, distant and disinterested owner, well, then you get what you deserve.

Lack of spectators have had a huge impact on results, the many away wins, the many freak results etc. And, I don’t think that our lot would have behaved in the manner of ”couldn’t care less about win or defeat” as we have seen this season.

[Barrera]

As some have already said ..... we struggled in the second half of last season ...... got promoted because Brentford faltered right at the end ....and through our recruitment activity we basically have the same side as last season .... no surprise to most people that we have struggled .....

Do I think the Prem has improved? ..... the top sides no ..... but the average standard yes. Wolves have surprised me this season .... losing Jota and then Jimenez was a massive factor .... but even so still surprised you have struggled like you have .... but you have a decent manager and some good young players who will benefit next season ....

[Albionic68]

Not here to gloat, but has this season in the Premier League, proved so far, to be much harder than you expected? After the good season you had in the Championship last year, were you expecting to struggle or was a mid table season expected?

Has the standard in the top flight improved since you were last here?

Do you think that appointing Big Sam was a mistake and would you have been better sticking with the Manager you had?

Your players were certainly up for it when you played at Molineux.

Although I hoped we could avoid relegation I can say with all honesty that I had little expectation of doing so.

When the summer transfer budget was cut from it's already modest amount I then expected a series of embarrassing score lines with the occasional high moment.

Regardless of budget I didn't expect us to go into the season with such a woefully unbalanced squad, or for so called professional footballers to neglect the basics on so many occasions.

I was perfectly aware of the standard of the Premier League so no surprises there. At the same time I'm utterly deflated by the amount of play acting and the way VAR officials appear to make things up as they go along.

That Wolves failed to gain revenge for our last visit to the Molineux is hilarious when taken in the context of us rocking up with our weakest squad for decades in comparison to the one at your disposal.

Don't take that last point the wrong way or as a dig as it's not my intention. I have no axe to grind with Wolves until we play you and only then because I know how much so many of you openly and absolutely despise us.

As a final point I have a lot of time for your manager, a very decent man who's done well for you over the last few years. That said I have little time for your transfer mogul and his trading model, partly because it's worked so well for you whereas own lags behind somewhat.

All the best chap.

[kettering_baggie]

I said at the beginning of the season that our defence just wasn’t good enough for the Premier League. So, I expected us to be in the bottom three. I also seem to remember suggesting that we might struggle to surpass Derby’s miserable total; at least we’ve managed that, just!