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The grey wolves.
Posted: 05 Jul 2025, 03:13
by Ian McNamara
Welcome to the Grey wolves,
This is the wolves fanzine for next season, we'll be talking about all things Wolves and we'll be giving you news, match reactions and build up. We'll be covering both 1st and youth teams. Over the weekend we'll be announcing the new manager who will be taking over at Molyneux. Wolverhampton Wonderers would like to thank Care taker Alex Nock for the work he's done and the way he's left the club for a full time manager to continue what has been done.
Our new coaching team will be taking over once the previous season is afficially over and pre-season will give the new man a chance to learn the squad and how things work.
Let's hope the Grey Wolves will be sneaking around happely by the end of the season and we can keep them up in the big league.
Wolverhampton Wonderers TV.
McNamara joins Wolves.
Posted: 10 Jul 2025, 01:25
by Ian McNamara
Last Week Wolves finally achieved there goal of obtaining the services of a full time manager, the new manager lives in the Midlands so was ideal to take on the vacant post at the Molyneux. Care taker manager Alex nock did such a good job of getting the team promoted it convinced one man to apply for the job and given his credentials the Wolves board were never going to say no. So now the manager is officially in place let's introduce the new man to the fans. We are pleased to announce that our manager for the upcoming season will be 41 year old Blackburn born Ian McNamara. McNamara comes with a wealth of experience and will be an exciting move from the wolves board. The fans know he likes to play football and are already hoping that this will improve at Wolves Now the new man is taking over. Due to Wolves being promoted McNamara took over late last week and has been spending time getting to know his squad while the previous season is stilll ending. McNamara is taking time while the last few games are being played to understand where he may need to strengthen given they've now been promoted to a new league. Chairman Jack Haywood said the following about the appointment.
"This is a fantastic day for Wolves football club, Alex has been a fantastic caretaker and thanks to the work he's done it convinced someone to apply for the job. It's always better for a club to have a full time manager in place because then decisions can be made and strides can be made forward to ensure stability and long-term growth. Quite frankly one of our main reasons for bringing a manager of Ian's ability to the club is his strength for developing and successfully bringing through youth players to play first team football. Ian has a reputation for developing very good youth players and weather they go on to play for him or someone else they come through and that is important to a clubs future. Without youth players clubs can't survive as the bringing through of young talent is needed to keep a club going, not only to improve the first team assets however club assets to. Not every player will be good enough to make it at our club and some players may be to good and go onto bigger clubs, some players may not be good enough for us however make it at a smaller club, no matter how the player comes through it creates another club asset. Obviously our aims as a club is to have as many home grown players come through as possible to our first team as that's what any club wants. Not all players however make the grade and that's something Ian is good at determining very quickly. Ian is also a forward thinking manager and having a man like this at the helm was vital for Wolverhampton wonderers going forward as the game is changing all the time so we need a man who will keep up with the changes and adapt when needed.
We have no problem signing Ian onto a long term deal because we truly believe he is the write man to take the club forward long-term, wil he be fired if we don't stay up, no he won't we understand that staying in the higher league won't be easy and this is Ian's first season so he'll be getting to know the market and how things work. A manager needs time and that is what we as a club believe. Just because a manager takes you down does not mean there a bad manager, there are a lot of factors to take into account such as quality of player, quality of teams they are against, how quickly there style can be implemented and most importantly there determination to adapt if things are not going write. Personally as far as I am concerned if I can see improvement within the squad and that the players are giving all for the manager that is what i'm looking for and as long as that is happening Ian will be in a job for as long as we can keep him providing he's always attempting to take the club forward. We do however believe Ian can keep us in the league and do a good job long-term and we are excited as a football club to have such a well thought of manager in place."
McNamara said the following after his long term deal was signed and Wolves TV managed to catch up with the new man.
"When I applied for the job at Wolves it just felt write, looking at them as a club especially over the past few seasons they are a club who have evolved and taken great strides with there development. As I live in the Midlands it was also a convenient roll for me and with a club with a very good history. When I spoke to Jack and his team of board members I knew within the first few minutes this was a good next step for my career. Wolves is a forward thinking club and they are keen to develop the youth academy, when taking on a new management roll that is something I always find out because it's always key to weather I will take on a roll. If a club is not willing to develop there academy then i'm not interested as developing youth players is one of my strengths. Youth players are needed for any club to be successful, not only do they create future first team players, they also create assets because a player who has come through at your club may end up either going to a bigger club in the future or even if they end up at a smaller club and are successful they've still made it and you will be known as the club who braught them through and took a chance on them. Not every player is good enough to make it and I believe I have very good instincts around this aspect of football. I have brought a lot of players through at clubs i've managed and a number of them have gone onto play first team football weather for me or at another club.
I am a manager who has very forward thinking views and I play players in form it's not always about how highly rated a player is, it's about how that player performs for me in training and when he steps onto that pitch. You can have a top rated player who could not care less therefor may play well when things are going write for him however when not he may go off form and then we end up playing someone who may have high potential however is not giving there all. My rule is to get into my team every single player has to be willing to put in 100 percent commitment to the cause. I don't care how good a player is, if they don't buy into my ethos which is hard work and team work then they are gone from my squad and we move on. In my squad I only want players who are committed and are proud to put on the Wolves shirt every single time there asked to play. That is one reason home-grown talent can be good to bring through because they've been coached through the different levels of the academy so they know the club ethos, if they are being considered for 1st team football then the coaches i've employed below me who are on the same page as me will have done there homework and know that player has the potential to fit into my plans. This is because like players I only take on coaches who are keen to follow my club ethos and are on the same page in regards to youth development. Due to this I can make my first positive announcement as Wolverhampton Wonderers manager, all the current academy staff will remain in post next season. I have brought in a couple of new coaches where we had gaps and I have also brought in a new head of youth development as our previous one went back to Aston Villa to continue working with Alex. These two are a forward coach and a goalkeeper coach as again the previous coaches of these positions left with Alex.
Some of the fans asked me why a head of youth development when I oversee the academy and they have a manager, the truth is as manager my priority has to be 1st team, that's what I have been brought in for. The head of youth development will be in charge of the day to day running of the academy, hiring and firing coaches and developing players. As the overall club manager my job is to oversee everything and work with the academy to ensure that players have a pathway through to the 1st team. I rely very much on my academy staff, they know the players better than I do as they work with them every day. If they bring a player to my atention then i'll go and watch that player or players in an academy gane and if I like what I see i'll either promote this player on the spot and give him the opportunity to train with the 1st team, ask the academy to continue sending me regular reports on that players progress or potentially if I feel there ready for men's football however not quite ready for my team then potentially i'll send them on loan to gain experience in a 1st team environment. This is not my 1st choice option and it's only done if really needed, I personally like to oversee my own players development so am not really a fan of loaning players in and out. There are two many things that can go wrong such as a manager not honouring the agreement you've made, playing the player out of position or not giving them the required minutes, also the player may not develop well in the managers formation and tactics.
Short term target is to do everything possible to keep both the first team and academy in the top league. Keeping both sides in the top league mean we can attract better quality players for both sides, a top player weather first team or youth is going to choose a club where they feel they'll get the best development and coaching therefor clubs in the top leagues have the best chance. if we're a top league club and can keep that status then 1st team players will see us as a potentially good option to take there career forward, a young players family and representatives will see a top academy and think that it's a good option to allow there youngster to come to and thrive. Long-term who knows, long-term my plan is to ensure we have a steady production of our own players coming through that can eaither play for us or go on to make a success at other clubs. We're also aiming to become the biggest club in the midlands and work towards getting regular opportunities to play in europe as that's where the players can really be tested against teams with more technical ability and who are coached differently.
This is an exciting long-term project here at Wolves and I can't wait to get started now, I feel that this seson will be a settling in season for myself and my staff so I would ask the fans to be patient allow us to learn about our squad, work out what is needed and do everything possible to achieve our goal and that is keeping both teams in the top league. Already I have received a lovely welcome from the fans and constnat messages wishing me look."
SO now we have our man in place, keep an eye on the fanzine as the manager starts to get ready for the season after a successful promotion with the 1st team and the academy team holding onto there top league status and getting a respectable finish in the league. Welcome to the new manager and his team and we wish you all every success at Wolverhampton Wonderers and a very long and enjoyable career at the football club.
Keep tuned into Wolves TV as we bring you more updates and news as the manager starts his rain in charge.