Wolves have completed the signing of Roger Johnson from Blues on a four-year contract. See the official site for confirmation:
http://www.wolves.co.uk/page/News/0,,10307~2391472,00.html
Interestingly, the club don’t state that this is a record-breaking deal and Jez Moxey is quick to point out that the figures quoted in the press are ‘inaccurate’.
So does that perhaps mean we secured the highly rated defender for significantly less than £7 million suggested elsewhere?
Either way, I’m absolutely delighted by this vital addition to our squad.
Right from the end of last season, I identified Johnson as the number one target Wolves should be going after to plug the gaping hole in the center of defence, so I’m thrilled to see him arrive at Molineux.
He’s a natural leader, who I’m convinced will bring the very best out of the defenders we already have at the club and any other new faces that may well arrive before Wolves kick-off the 2011/12 season.
We know from experience what an asset he is and the qualities he’ll bring to the side. Strong in the air, reads the game incredibly well and not afraid to put his body on the line to make important blocks.
An old-fashioned center-half in many ways, but one that should be a significant improvement on what we already have.
Without doubt, it’s a big statement of intent from Wolves.
With the ongoing development of Molineux, the exciting plans announced yesterday for all-new world class training facility and another high-profile signing to welcome, surely nobody can question the ambition of the club right now?
The fact of the matter is, as was pointed out in yesterday’s Express and Star, there hasn’t been a better time to support Wolves in the last 30-odd years.
And when you look at the problems Johnson’s former club are having right now, we should all be counting our lucky stars at the favourable position we now find ourselves in.
I agree. A fantastic signing and great news re re-development of Compton. Would love to see more signings and sure we will! Get in!
Worth the wait and well done Jez as some fans would have wanted us to pay 12 million last two weeks for him.
Big, BIG, signing for us. It’s exactly who we needed and I think will bring out the best in our younger defenders, especially Stearman.
Right now is such an exciting time to be a Wolves fan, and I can only see this developing further.
Simply a perfect signing for us and adds a natural leader to our team. Great news.
No need for the swipe at Jez here though Thomas! I suspect that Jez was talking salaries not transfer fees and that the £40k is way off the mark which is pleasing to hear. If JM’s telling porkies on that then it will all come out in the wash.
Great signing – well done the 3M’s, credit where credit is due.
I take back what I said about preparing for a transfer window of disappointment!
Another centre half and a decent left back next please. (and new contract for Doyle too)
A team including Johnson, Jarvis, O’Hara, Hunt, Fletcher and Doyle will surely be strong enough to get more points than Swansea, QPR and Norwich.
Agree with you about a team with johnson, jarvo, ohara, hunt, fletcher and doyle… A massive step up based on our first season back in the prem. Although I’d add Milijas, Zubar, SEB and Foley to that list. I think they can all play a part in our success. Perhaps some may disagree with me on a few of those…. all will depend on our formations and tactics.
I’d say another centre half is unlikely given what MM said in the press conference around having Stears, Jody and Berra at the club.
sorry, I meant to say “a massive step up COMPARED to our first season back in the prem.”
Over the moon with this signing! Another step in the right direction for Wolves! Proves our ambition and hopefully more quality signings will arrive as we slowly but surely establish ourselves as a Premier League club!
Hard to find anything wrong with this signing. Really didn’t see us pulling this off. Hats off to the slick haired weasel
I agree. i think he’s our most impressive signing for years.
Not so much that he is the best player, i’d still count Doyle as a better player but the circumstances, ie- Established, good value, well respected defender of the right age.
When you hear Cahill being talked about being worth £20mil it shows what a bargain we’ve got ourselves.
Great news and well worth the wait. Now, let’s not take 2 steps back by selling Doyle!
Fantastic signing and yes, well done the 3M’s for achieving it. I fancy he has the qualities to allow Stearman to play alongside him. Johnson dominating in the air with Stearman’s pace and footballing ability, could be a tremendous combination.
Now please, please a quality left back and we could have a real premiership standard defence.
Best signing of the transfer window, and for Wolves the absolute key signing for our team to move forward. i`
Yes, absolutely delighted with this signing. I was like Oli, couldn’t see it coming off.
All seems a bit weird with Mills now. Had we have got him for the price we thought fair, would we have got Roger too?
It sounds like Mick isn’t in a hurry for another central defender now, judging by his comment in the press conference.
Well done to all!
Great signing, although disappointed that Mick thinks that Berra & Stearman do not need replacing as along with Henry & Ward they will NEVER be premier class & sadly another season of relegation struggle looms when we have the potential to really be a force next season.
Haven’t you got the Open to prepare for mate? Sandwich ahoy! Don’t agree with Henry. Think he is invaluable, but there again, everyone on here knows my love-in with Karl! Think Stears could really come of age too.
If you think Henry is good then you really do have a problem cos he wouldn’t know how tp pass the ball forward as long as he’s got a hole up his backside
Ah, the dinosour logic. Me see ball. Me boot forward. Bring back Neil Emblen!!
Yes, summat like that, preferably to one of your own players !! hardly rocket science mate 🙂
What’s hardly rocket science? Passing the ball forward, and to your own players? Blimey you should be manager.
Okay then mate, we’ll agree to disagree.
You can have Emblen, Sedgley, Corica, Osborn, Atkins, Sanjuan, Samways, Dowe, Ferguson, Rankine or summat like that.
I’ll have Henry.
agree with you Ben, henry has done a fantastic job for us. last season wasn’t his best, but he had a bad injuries and the negative media attention clearly affected him. with a new season, and a stronger defence behind him I think he will be back to his best.
with henry and o’hara, I think we have a good strong midfield.
Tell you what you can have em all including your hero Henry & i’ll have Peter Broadbent (Wolves legend)
Thanks for qualifying the Peter Broadbent mention. I’d have never guessed he was a Wolves legend.
See my all time Wolves XI for an ode to him
https://wolvesblog.com/3038/wolves-blogs-all-time-11
If you remember Broadbent, then I’m sure you remember the utter dross we’ve had in the centre of midfield for the last 30 years (save for Rae, Ince, and one or two others) who not only couldn’t give the ball forward, but couldn’t give a flying f**k about our club full stop.
We’ll agree to disagree on Henry. You see a crab who can’t pass forward.
I see a little bit more, that’s all.
Was not being pretentious about Broadbent as i had no idea how old you are ? Personally would prefer Kenny Hibbit to Mike Bailey in your side, but got to admit apart from omitting my mate the “Doog” you aint far away from what i would have as my all time Wolves X1. As i trained on a daily basis with most of them i’m probably a bit biased !! Still think Henry is crap tho. lol
Well, if you trained with such illustrious players, surely you must understand that any team needs a ‘Water Carrier’.
Someone who wins the ball, doesnt give it away and lets the others play, covers their arses, protects (whats been a dodgy) back four and yet occasionally is more creative than his so-called creative team mates.
I played with Alan Sunderland and Steve Daley a few times mate and I know how essential they felt a ‘Henry’ is to any team.
But then, you just see a crab. Lets hope David Moyes agrees with you!!!
Do you not think that Johnson could get the best out of some of our defenders, thus taking them to a better level?
Berra and particularly Stearman I feel could do very well, with a leader like Johnson alongside them and hopefully, please god, a new left-back.
Indeed mate. I think there may be a blog in formations too at some point 😉
Johnson could make a 4-4-2 system all the more credible. But there again, he has only ever played in a 4-4-2 system at Blues, apart from when little Chucho played up front with Jerome 2 yr ago.
Hmm, food for thought!
Anyone else fretting that Johnson might get crocked in pre-season and miss most of the season? Oh my pathetic, twisted, miserable mind. I do apologise.
Apparently played every league game for last two years Ben so hopefully very robust too.
Well worth the wait – we got a star player right here! 🙂
Great signing will hopefully shore up our defence does anyone here think we need just one more defender? and good point made about Blues finances makes you think doesn’t it?
Agree and disagree with the above comments.
We have signed probably the best defender in the Prem, and that is massive.
Stearman, for me, will become England material.
Henry, Berra, and Foley need to be bench warming.
No one has mentioned Adlene G, in my opinion a shoe in alongside OHara every week.
Mark my words, if the first team squad is made up the following, we will be up in the top half.
Hennessey, Zoobs, Johnson, Stearman, Milijas, Adlene, OHara, Hammill, Fletcher, Jarvis, Doyle and a new left back.
If he puts Craddock, Ward, Berra, Foley and Elokobi before any of those, we are doomed.
My worry is how long Johnson will be bench warming before he’s ready!
Yes a real boost to the team, and the added bonus is that we are now a much more attractive prospective club for other transfer targets, who will see that someone as good as Johnson signing means Wolves are worth playing for……….as we fans have known for centuries!!!!!
PS, it’s never a bad time to be a Wolves fan!!!
COME ON ME BABBIES!!!!!!
R.Johnson goes straight into the first team. Wolves starts playing pre-season matches saturday. In one article he looked forward, or hoped to participate already then. Usually we substitute a lot of players in these matches, almost 11 substitutions each half. It would have been different if he was bought in the middle of the season or maybe in january (if we’ve played well defensively before the window opened).
I think we will not do too badly if we bring in Ridgewell or Konchesky for left back.
Konchesky’s gone to Leicester.
A nice team building up now a potential best 11 could be
(names with * are positions that need to be strengthened)
Hennessey
Zubar Johnson Berra Elokobi*
Kightly(provided it is 2008 kightly)/Hammill Henry O’Hara Jarvis
Doyle* Fletcher
I would love to see us go for Wallace and a PROPER quick striker
no Hunt? Here’s what I think our first eleven is right now:
Hennessey
Foley
Stearman
Johnson
Elokobi
Jarvis
Henry
O’Hara
Hunt
Doyle
Fletcher
Improve on Elokobi, and I think we have a very strong team with some good squad members.
Things are certainly looking up at Wolves.
Jarvis is shortlisted by Villareal and Liverpool. We’re well covered in his position (Hunt, Hammill). I read an article where he was valued 9 mill, which is far too low. He must at least be worth 15 mill if Doyle is valued 12 mill.
I don’t think we will sell unless it’s for silly money though.
I wouldn’t say Jarvis is worth more than Doyle, even if he is a bit younger. Jarvis went missing too often at the end of last season, and until he improves his consistency he will remain an excellent prospect. Kev’s the real deal and he’s in his prime.
And if Tevez is valued at a gazzillion, braziilian pounds, then how much is Ward worth, with his play anywhere, high goalscoring, shift working attitude???!!!
fantastic this week has got to go down as one of the best to be a wolves fan. I think with blues woes it might be worth while going back to blues and offering a cash plus berra/stearman deal for dann. I still think we will get the left back from Hearts and i would love the signing of either Dann of bassong. Well done to Moxey like him or loath him you cant deny we are in a very good place right now. I can imagine him ripping Pannu to shreds over the deal.
Now I’m really gutted we fell out from signing M. Mills. The three M’s has worked on the Johnson deal since may, and I’m pretty sure they had in mind signing both.
R.Johnson and Mills would have been a terrific constellation in the middle. If we could sign Dann we would have done an even better deal, on short term, as they know each other from Birmingham. Tomkin might be a decent player, but I’m a bit sceptical. Westham leaked goals last season.
Over the last two seasons our team has always had at least two or three top quality players in the starting liine up, but it seems we’re going to have alot of quality on the bench next season too.
When you’re struggling to fit players like Hammill, Milijas, Craddock, Edwards, SEB and Guedioura (agree with Clive, for me he should start every week when fit) into the team you realise how far we’ve come in a short space of time.
Bring on August 13th!
Yes, the signing of Johnson I felt was vital if we were to go forward.
Perhaps, the potential ‘signing’ of Mills was a ‘joint’ effort to make Birmingham think we had alternatives and Reading to use ‘Wolves’ to up the price to potential ‘suitors’. It benefited Wolves and Reading.
I do not think we will sign another central defender but hopefully a left back.
If, as someone else mentioned Johnson remains fit my fears for next season are already fading….
Great time to be a Wolves fan, even after 50 years of supporting them…..
Massive signing. I was convinced someone was going to come in and poach him at the last minute.
Definitely a great time to be a wolves fan. This signing makes it feel like we are really moving forwards as a club and like others have mentioned our squad isn’t looking half bad is it?
I’m a bit concerned about Villa accepting an offer from Liverpool for Downing! I think it could trigger an avalanche of signings for wingers throughout the Premier League! Meaning that somebody (Villa?) are going to make a substantial bid for Jarvis. Maybe an offer which will be too good to turn down.
I rate Doyle very highly. But if Jarvis was to leave, I believe he would be a bigger loss in my eyes.
I hope I’m very wrong and we hold onto our best players!!!
So Aston Villa are now officially confirmed as a selling club, I reckon having them for our 3rd game of the season could be a great time to play them. Their whole game was based on Young & Downing hurting the opposition, without them they won`t be half last years side.
What point would there be in Jarvis going there, he`s probably going to be a first pick at Wolves, and we are in a much better place with a very settled squad and side.
Wolves must be unique amongst the premiership teams in that we don`t need to sell, and if silly money was offerd we have Hammill ready to staep in. i`d take £15m for Jarvis.
We may be feeling a bit cocky now we have a top quality centre half, that will count for diddly squat unless we get the left back next. We may get away with George playing there with someone like Johnson telling him what to do, afetr all George has the pace and physicallity for the premiership. These speedy wingers in all the promoted sides will know left back is our achilles heel with Ward`s lack of pace, that position must be sorted out.