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[Football] Ruben Neves - What a hit!



Fungus

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
May 21, 2004
7,038
Truro
Good lob, nothing more.
 




Birdie Boy

Well-known member
Jun 17, 2011
4,104
It's an excellent goal, but I can't help feeling it is- as seems to be the way- being slightly overhyped due to the fact that he's the standout player in that league. If it had been scored by, say, Matt Doherty or Barry Douglas, there wouldn't be quite so much fawning over it. Some are calling it the goal of the season, decade, century etc. Ridiculous. Exactly the same happens in the Premier League, whereby goals scored by (for example) Kevin De Bruyne are rated higher than ones of equal technical merit by the likes of Izquierdo.

I don't know the player and have not watched Wolves but that is still a fantastic goal. And, despite other opinions, I actually think he flicked it up on purpose.
 


lancyclaret

New member
Jan 10, 2014
566
It's a giant leap, but they are getting promoted into a shite division with lots of shite teams.

If you can go 3 months without winning and still have more than half an eye on a Europa spot why shouldn't Wolves fans think they can reach that coveted 7th place.

1) Everton will be better next season.
2) Wolves need to replace their keeper and most of their defence (maybe all of it). Coady is a converted midfielder and, let's face it, Wolves have hardly had to defend much this season. Villa and, Hull to a certain extent, have recently shown the Wolves' defence is suspect under pressure.
 
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lancyclaret

New member
Jan 10, 2014
566
Saw it live on Sky last night, incredible strike.

In contrast to those seeing the €€€€ Wolves resurgence going wrong next season, quite the opposite will happen. With the Mendes connection and PL money, they'll acquire great players early in the summer transfer window. Then playing good football next season, Wolves will surprise a whole load of people who haven't watched them this season and stay up with ease. All money driven, but it's the way of the football world. Where would Bmuff (who also broke FFP and got fined) be now, without Maxim's Russian money, in their 10,000 lego stadium?

So you think Wolves will finish above Brighton? Fulham will finish above Wolves next season (if they go up). I'd put money on Wolves having a new manager before the end of next season.
 




Stat Brother

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Jul 11, 2003
73,367
West west west Sussex
1) Everton will be better next season
2) Wolves need to replace their keeper and most of their defence (maybe all of it). Coady is a converted midfielder and, let's face it, Wolves have hardly had to defend much this season.

1 - People said that this season.
B- Attempting to sign Andre Silva for £34m, in January would suggest buying a goalie won't break the bank.
 


Weststander

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Aug 25, 2011
63,388
Withdean area
1) Everton will be better next season.
2) Wolves need to replace their keeper and most of their defence (maybe all of it). Coady is a converted midfielder and, let's face it, Wolves have hardly had to defend much this season. Villa and, Hull to a certain extent, have recently shown the Wolves' defence is suspect under pressure.

Coady's a classy ball centre half. Plenty of players have changed positions over the years, and made a success of it.
 






lancyclaret

New member
Jan 10, 2014
566
Seems Premier League clubs want to make sure Wolves do not gain any advantage by having dealings with "super agent" Mendes.

They have called an "urgent" meeting today to discuss the Wolves situation and want the PL to make a more thorough investigation than that undertaken by the EFL. The Big Six and some smaller clubs want to make sure Mendes' role creates no conflict of interest.

There is a story in today's Daily Telegraph but I'm a technical Luddite and do not know how to embed the link.

Don't know whether Wolves will face further investigation, but for the time being it might dampen down their fans' dreams of football world domination.:)
 
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Weststander

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Aug 25, 2011
63,388
Withdean area
Said a few days back, Cardiff will fall away with their run-in. Fulham will get an automatic with 88-90 pts.

And yes, I was surprised the Ruben Neves transfer wasn't talked about more. He could easily have walked into most PL/European sides, he was a mainstay in Porto's team and regularly played in Europa/CL. This wasn't some bencher not getting games they managed to buy, it was a full international and the heart and soul and future prospect of what is a massive and historic football club (which he supports). And he signed for feckin wolves....

Well aware it is Mendes basically in charge of that football club now (ironic since their fans are more anti-modern football than most) but I didn't realise he had influence enough to convince a player who is already clearly good enough for the top level to waste a year in the English second tier. That said, I doubt he will play a PL game for them.

I was well aware of the transfer at the time, plus their other signings, as were you.

I think it’s simply a complete lack of interest from NSC (now we’re PL) and by the public/media in the Championship. When there’s an interesting Championship match on, only about 6 of us bother to watch and comment on it.

The PL and its marketing machine, seems all consuming.
 




burnee54

East Upper Hermit
Sep 1, 2011
1,150
up the downs
Here is the whole article if anyone's interested.


TelegraphSports
Ben Rumsby, sports news correspondent
12 APRIL 2018 • 10:30PM
Premier League clubs are planning urgent talks over Wolverhampton Wanderers’ imminent return to the world’s richest league amid concerns over their relationship with agent Jorge Mendes.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal that several top-flight teams want to discuss Mendes’ business links to Wolves owners Fosun at their quarterly shareholders meeting on Friday after claims it represents a conflict of interest for the super-agent.

So-called ‘Big Six’ and smaller clubs alike are said by more than one source to fear that Mendes’ relationship with the Midlanders could give them an unfair advantage in the transfer market, as it is alleged to have done during their march towards promotion.

Since Wolves were taken over by Fosun International in July 2016 – months after a subsidiary of the Chinese conglomerate bought a 20 per cent stake in Mendes’s Gestifute agency – they have signed several of the Portuguese’s clients.


They include manager Nuno Espirito Santo and Championship record signing Ruben Neves, who scored one of the goals of the season against Derby County on Wednesday to move the club one win from ending their six-year Premier-League exile.


Mendes has represented some of football’s biggest names, including Jose Mourinho and Cristiano Ronaldo.

It is unclear whether anything could be done under current top-flight rules to curb Mendes’ influence at Wolves, with one source revealing there is “a feeling it needs to be addressed” but that there are fears executive chairman Richard Scudamore may be “powerless” to act.

One option could be for the 20 teams to attempt to introduce a regulation outlawing the kind of shareholding Fosun’s subsidiary holds in Gestifute.

The Telegraph revealed last month that unrest among Wolves’ promotion rivals – including Derby, Leeds United and Aston Villa – over the influence of Mendes had led to demands for an English Football League investigation into whether the club had breached its, or Football Association, rules.

Days later, the row went public when Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani reacted to his side’s defeat against Wolves by questioning the legality of their links to Mendes in an extraordinary Twitter rant.


The EFL responded by announcing the matter had been raised at a meeting of its board “in light of recent concerns raised by a number of clubs” and promising to convene a meeting with Wolves.

It also said: “The club was explicitly informed in July 2016 of all the requirements it was expected to meet as part of the change of control, and appropriate arrangements were put in place to ensure compliance.”

The matter remains unresolved after being discussed by the EFL board again at its latest meeting, with the league still awaiting correspondence from the club.

Fosun’s takeover of Wolves was approved in 2016 after it was deemed their relationship with Mendes did not breach FA conflict-of-interest rules prohibiting agents having an interest in a club, or a club having an interest in an agency.

Questions over Mendes’ potential to influence transfers at the club arose again after they signed Ivan Cavaleiro from Monaco for £7.2 million, although it was Gestifute executive Valdir Cardoso whose name was on the paperwork.

English Football League - Championship
Team P W D L GD Pts
1 Wolverhampton Wanderers 42 28 8 6 40 92
2 Fulham 42 23 12 7 31 81
3 Cardiff City 41 24 8 9 27 80
4 Aston Villa 42 22 10 10 26 76
5 Derby County 41 18 14 9 20 68
6 Millwall 42 18 14 10 15 68
7 Middlesbrough 42 19 9 14 18 66
8 Bristol City 42 17 14 11 11 65
9 Sheffield United 42 19 8 15 8 65
10 Brentford 42 17 13 12 11 64
11 Preston North End 42 16 15 11 8 63
12 Ipswich Town 42 16 8 18 -2 56
13 Norwich City 42 14 14 14 -6 56
14 Leeds United 42 15 9 18 -6 54
15 Queens Park Rangers 42 14 11 17 -10 53
16 Hull City 42 11 14 17 3 47
17 Sheffield Wednesday 42 11 14 17 -9 47
18 Nottingham Forest 41 13 7 21 -16 46
19 Reading 42 10 12 20 -15 42
20 Birmingham City 42 11 7 24 -29 40
21 Bolton Wanderers 42 9 12 21 -30 39
22 Barnsley 41 8 13 20 -19 37
23 Sunderland 42 6 15 21 -29 33
24 Burton Albion 42 7 11 24 -47 32

They then twice smashed the Championship transfer record in a matter of months to sign Mendes players, paying £12.8m to Benfica for Helder Costa in January last year and £15.8m to Porto for Neves in the summer, as well as recruiting Diogo Jota on a season-long loan from Atletico.

Former Porto and Valencia manager Nuno – Mendes’ first-ever client – also arrived to take charge at Molineux in the close season.


The EFL has declined to comment on Wolves or the concerns of Premier League sides.

The Premier League, which must apply its owners and directors test once Wolves secure promotion, also declined to comment. Wolves declined to comment after issuing a statement last month, saying: “We are very clear on FA and EFL regulations and always comply with them explicitly.

“We welcome any form of communication with the EFL to reiterate our position.

“We fully anticipate the release of a further EFL statement in support of Wolves and the club’s operations to bring a prompt resolution to this matter.”

Wolves also said last summer: “It is a matter of public record that Fosun have a percentage stake in the Gestifute company headed up by Jorge Mendes. Jorge is available as an adviser to the owners, in the same way as many other agents and influential figures within football are. Wolves have signed players within his portfolio, including last year’s player of the season Helder Costa, as well as players from other intermediaries.”

Gestifute did not respond to requests for comment.
 


Nixonator

Well-known member
Feb 8, 2016
6,733
Shoreham Beach
Oh so they're taking an interest now are they...

Christ people have been complaining about it since the start of the season and now it's too late to act because they're already promoted at the expense of others.

EFL and PL must be a bunch of clowns to not have seen this coming a mile off.
 


Weststander

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Aug 25, 2011
63,388
Withdean area
Oh so they're taking an interest now are they...

Christ people have been complaining about it since the start of the season and now it's too late to act because they're already promoted at the expense of others.

EFL and PL must be a bunch of clowns to not have seen this coming a mile off.

Haven't learned the lessons of QPR's massive cheating, plus Bmuff and Leicester received relatively pathetic penalties when compared to the PL riches they sought and got through cheating.
 







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