Staale-mate at Molineux - A New Manager Arrives
By Tom Bason
May 11 2012
Wolves seem set to appoint the first non British manager in its illustrious history (If it looks like a Yorkshireman, walks like a Yorkshireman, and most importantly, quacks like a Yorkshireman, then I’m pretty sure Mick McCarthy isn’t actually Irish).
Yet, many Wolves fans will never have heard of Ståle Solbakken (I’m pretty sure this is the first time I’ve used å in my life). Personally, I vaguely remember him at Wimbledon and playing for Norway, and remember the heart attack story, but never really connecting the two. I take an interest in European football, and so was aware of him being appointed FC Köln manager – I was actually in Cologne earlier in the year, but my main contact there is a Schalke fan, so didn’t discuss the local team a huge amount.
All I am doing is letting you know that 99% of Wolves fans are in exactly the same position as knowing virtually nothing about him. Between the news breaking last night, and this morning I’ve managed to do a little research on him:
Formation: At Copenhagen, on his way to winning three Danish Championships, he definitely favoured a 4-4-2 formation. Yet, upon arrival at Köln, he switched to a 4-2-3-1, possibly to get the best out of Lukas Podolski, the German World Cup star. Podolski finished the season with 18 goals, but Köln were relegated. Stolbakken is likely to stick to a back four, but may be more flexible in the forward positions.
Defence: Stolbakken has always asked his defence to employ a zonal marking system that worked reasonably well at Copenhagen, conceding 129 goals in 165 league games. This is probably an average return for a team winning the league on a regular basis. At Köln though, it was disastrous, conceding 75 goals in 34 games. By way of comparison, we’ll need to concede four on Sunday to achieve the same average goals conceded per game. Zonal marking has its many detractors, but it is without a doubt a system that takes time to get used to. The Copenhagen players obviously did, but the Köln players didn’t.
Fitness: This is a worry. His Köln side got progressively worse through the season (see figure below), conceding a huge amount of goals in the latter stages. We obviously have a specialist fitness coach in Tony Daley, and the work he does with the players this summer could be definitive in deciding our fate this time next year.
Persona: If there’s one thing Solbakken isn't, it’s a firefighter. Had he been appointed in 2006, following the departure of Glenn Hoddle, and the likes of Joleon Lescott and Kenny Miller, he’d probably have failed miserably. Last season, Köln needed someone to add stability – Stolbakken wasn’t that man. IF, and I guess it’s a massive, massive if, there is some degree of stability this summer, Stolbakken can build from it. If there’s not, I fear for him.
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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2012:06:13:14:28:26 by toomb.
I see players like Johnson and Zubar are coming across like twerps regarding their quoted 'never heard of him' reactions.
Wtf have they been doing these last weeks while their employer has been seeking candidates for the manager job? What do they talk about? Cheese?
My biggest concern is that player cliques are part of the culture at the Mol and the new man have his work cut out to shift the balance of power back to the manager. Johnson in particular just seems to be taking the p+ss at the moment.
Roy Hodgson has done great everywhere he has been Except Liverpool and he is now England boss.
Been thinking about Wolves good start and and catastrophic collapse. An obvious one is loss of confidence but can't really believe that would last so long. Other things are available to blame but would MM have let them go on so long if were visible?
Wolves, and not so long ago, were a 'drinking' club and cost us dearly at many points in the decades gone past. I just wonder if Johnson's drunken appearance at training is not the latest tip of the iceberg that drink is back. These sessions are clandestine and easy to mask given the time on their hands and the gaps between their 'official' Wolves 'work'.
If we have re-imported this debilitating virus, from Brum, with the transfer of Johnson into Wolves it was a bad days work. Contracts should have a clause sown into them like drugs, allowing for mandatory and regular checks. As we descend and contracts are modified, this is surely an opportunity to do so.
Stale - youv'e got two jobs on here - below you . . . players and above you . . . useless @#$%&! Good luck and God help . . . you'll need both!
Also the wolves fans will get wind of any players who are pxssheads fairly quickly and will let their feelings be known. Most footballers like a few beers - dont we all but if a player turns up drunk for training he should be placed on the transfer list immediately.
In relation to Tom Masons article above - he seems to be highlihting Negatives over positives. Cologne was a mess long before he took over. Judge him on his achievements and also on how he does at Wolves.
At regards fitness being a possible problem - that is nonsense. As i said on another post Scandanavians can never be accused of taking fitness levels seriously.
He has a decent track record, so i for one will be giving him the benefit of the doubt and will get behind him.
Its not going to be plain sailing and i think some of the players had better step into line or they might find out how confrontational he can be, and lets face it we need someone who is not going to p##sy foot about.
However Connor turned out to be a total disaster.
The main reasons im backing this bloke are
1. It breaks the merry go round of the usual Managers ( who lets face it are all fairly similar in ability) - Megson, Bruce, Warnock, Big Sam etc etc AND
2. The new guy comes across as a no nonsense sort of guy.
That equates to 57 Hours viewing, I hope he likes popcorn.
Id rather watch the exorcist!
Someone better put him under a 24-hour suicide watch.
Someone better put him under a 24-hour suicide watch.[/quote]well at least can't pull his hair out!!
But well done... Stale doing what you get paid for, it's been a while!
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012:05:16:17:23:07 by A Happy Wolf.
lot of work to be doneI know its premature but im already itching to see what changes he makes in both players and style..
The feeling im getting from other wolves fans is already upbeat and he hasn't even struck a blow yet.
Just hope im not setting myself up for
the usual disappointment..Hopefully its just a stay of execution for the `dead wood` when hes recently stated he wants to see them on the training ground first....come on Sol dont be shy...get rid!
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012:05:30:05:39:38 by Tired and grumpy.
So i would expect to see the same with stale, im sure he has his eye on a few targets, maybe he wont bring them in now, but maybe when he has the money or they are released later on.