Too much choice is not a good thing

So after a mere 87 days in charge Walter Zenga has become the first Wolves manager on whom Fosun, the Club’s new Chinese owners, have wielded their axe. 87 days is barely time to become acquainted with the vagaries of the daily commute, let alone meld a squad of varying talents into a team capable of challenging for promotion. Yet for all the praise from his players about his training methods what matters is results and in that department the big Italian was deficient.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing but one need only look at Zenga’s record for it to have raised the odd eyebrow. Wolverhampton Wanderers was the sixteenth club that he has managed in an eighteen year career. His longest spell in charge was at the internationally renowned Al-Nasr Dubai SC who ply their trade in the UAE Arabian Gulf League. In mitigation he has had some success, but at clubs where they were country’s dominant force (Steaua Buceresti, Romania & Red Star Belgrade, Serbia). At both he barely lasted a couple of years.

Thus did he arrive at Wolves as something of an unknown quantity. Yet he started promisingly. He recognized that Conor Coady is not a midfield player, finding him a slot at right back. He brought back Richard Stearman (on loan from Fulham) who, despite the occasional blip, will give you a consistent performance over the bulk of a season. He signed Jon Dadi Bodvarsson who looked a good prospect and after six games in charge Wolves were riding high in a play-off slot.

Limited choice meant limited options and Zenga was using them well until mass immigration upset his Italian olivecart. In came Joao Teixeira (on loan from Benfica), Helda Costa (on loan from Benfica), Ivan Cavaleiro, Ola Jon (on loan from Benfica) Romain Saiss, Prince Oniangue, Paul Gladon and Cameron Borthwick Jackson (on loan from Manchester United). We can only surmise at the strings that came with them, super agent Jorge Mendes having influence over the influx and by implication who should play. After all it wouldn’t do any harm to have his players back in the shop window. Whether that was a good thing for Wolves was another matter. Yes they had individual skill but, dumped en masse into the team, all shape and consistency was lost. It was therefore no surprise that the team’s presence in the top six should be as fleeting as the lifespan of a mayfly. Decline has followed culminating in a poor run of four defeats in five games. With the Club now four points off a relegation slot and the manager with no clear idea as to a settled team, the owners quite rightly acted.

The brooding shadow of Big Sam now hangs over the Club. I detest his graceless football but it will probably bring success. A Faustian bargain if ever there were one.

©Mark Brennand