Wolves have completed their first signing of the January transfer window by drafting in winger Adam Hammill from Barnsley.
Read the full report on the Wolves site:
http://www.wolves.co.uk/page/News/0,,10307~2271258,00.html
Although the fee is, as always with Wolves, ‘undisclosed’ it’s believed we’ve paid £500,000, which triggered a release clause in the player’s contract.
If you believe what you read in the papers, Blackpool and Notts Forrest were both in talks to sign the player, with Everton and Liverpool also reportedly sniffing around in the background.
From what I’ve read on message boards, Barnsley fans don’t seem all that happy to see him leave for a paltry fee, so perhaps that’s an indicator that Wolves might have done some decent business here?
I didn’t necessarily think a wide player was a priority, but I suppose an injury to either Hunt or Jarvis would leave us with limited options.
He’s 23, so a good age and with 8 goals to his name already this season in the Championship, it will be interesting to see whether he can do it in the Premiership. He likes to take players on and run with the ball, so he should be the kind of player fans warm to quickly.
This might not be the big-name signing that many of us hoped for, but much like Guedioura last season, we’ve got to give the lad a chance to show what he can do, as he might prove to be an inspired addition.
Although it doesn’t say so on the official report, I can’t see any reason why he’s not available for selection against Liverpool on Saturday, so I’d imagine he’ll be named amongst the substitutes.
What does everyone else think?
Can he play left back?
A wild conspiracy theory would be that he’s replacing Jarvis who will now be sold, with frozen early bird prices announced to soften the blow of losing our wing wizard.
Ha, lets hope that is indeed just a conspiracy.
Although it’s certainly no coincidence that the Early Bird is announced on the same morning as our first signing of the January transfer window. Timing is everything.
Like last season, when they were announced the morning after we beat Spurs at home 1-0?!
Yeah, classic Jez.
Can’t blame him though.
I think interest would have been greater if the signing had been more high profile!
No sign of a left back to replace JVD either?
Do you blame him for charging me 5 booking fees when I purchased 5 tickets in one transaction the other day?
You can call it cynical but it seems good PR to me. Not everything is a conspiracy.
Some early Twitter reaction to the signing:
Tony Barrett [The Times]
Adam Hammill a good signing for Wolves. Remember seeing him score from halfway line in youth cup game once.
Chris Lepkowski [B’ham Mail]
Adam Hammill goes to #wwfc. Interesting signing. Had been on #wba radar for quite a while. Wolves taken low-cost, low-risk strike
Phil McNulty [BBC]
Interesting to see how Hammill fares at Wolves. Talented and well worth a punt at 500k.
nb// Worth noting that the nationals see this as pre-emptive strike given the possibility of losing Jarvis to Liverpool. Can’t see any way we would sell anyone before the summer though.
Lovely stuff Adam.
I think most people seem to think it’s decent business, given the low-risk nature of the deal.
If we lost Jarvis to Liverpool, I can’t begin to explain how gutted that would make me.
I mean surely not, given the spin coming out of Molineux about our ‘great bunch of lads’ and Mick’s ‘nobody jumping ship if we go down’. That would go against all of that.
In the summer, there’s a chance, but to do it now would be suicidal.
We’ll get less for Jarvis in the summer if we are relegated!
Didn’t he sign a new contract recently? We should get top dollar if he does leave.
Thomas – I thought Jarvis didn’t track back enough to help out Ward for your liking? (ha,ha,ha!) I agree with you though, we need to keep all of the players that might just help us retain our Premier League status.
Surely if the deal is good and fantastic money Jarvis going wouldn’t be the end of the world. If big money I would be tempted to cash in as while his dribbling and pace is fantastic, I feel his lack of final ball let’s him down.
I agree.Not a goal threat like Kights either.
Talking of which, whoelse of the Wolvesbloggeratti is on twitter? Would be good to follow some more wolves related tweeters. I’m @dboy if you are.
I’m @brimfieldben mate, as you well know from my follow Friday recommendations!! Speaking of which, I’ll get onto that again tomorrow. @wolvesblog is there too, but I need to do more to populate it.
I know you’re there! just wasn’t sure if there were other posters on here, who also were involved
All I know is me, you, Thomas, Adam B. Any others?
ps. i’ll do my first ever ff tomorrow. You pride of place at the start.
Cheers mate. I did set-up my twitter account ages ago after being told by my boss to get onto the whole phenomenon for work purposes. Funny then, that 18 months later and 95 per cent of my followers are Wolves fans.
I once tried to use it as a platform for PR engagement with some of the leading editors and writers in the PR industry, but I tend to get better results when I tweet about who should be playing on Saturday afternoon.
There’s been a real change in the last 12 months or so: it’s grown like the proverbial happy clappers it seems.
Is the george elokobi account that Matt Murray tweeted authentic?
Also @officialwolves are pretty good as far as footie clubs go on twitter… credit to them
@SkelKelly over here, although all I do is re-tweet comments from the Sam Allardyce spoof account @TheBig_Sam – that’s well worth a follow!
I’m @respecttrad
I love Twitter!
I think this is a good signing, seems to be a very confident player who can beat his man and score goals. For half a mill it’s worth a go.
I’ve seen Paul Konchesky might be on the move from Liverpool, with a few premier league clubs already interested in him. Could he be the left back we need?
Probably earns more that the £2.50 per week our wage structure allows us to offer!
2.50!! nobody told me it had gone up!
I like that shout Putney Wolf. I think Konchesky would be a great buy. I do think that Mick has placed his trust in Big George for the foreseeable though, and in some ways I can see why after his performance against Chelsea in particular. He is improving all the time IMO.
I think a left back is definitely necessary though. And far be it to be seen as a snub for Ward and George, it should be seen as the opposite – as a player to learn from and take the load off a bit.
We could not sign him because he has played for two clubs this season.
Bugger! I mite Facebook his mum anyway and see what she thinks
I see his agent had a buy out clause in his contract similar to the one when we signed SEB. If he makes a similar impact it will be a fantastic signing. £500k is premier league petty cash, and for a lad good enough to go through the Liverpool academy and an England undr 19 international – thats some pedigree.
No risk financially, and necessary cover for our wingers, plus he could be the closest thing to Kightly – a creative goalscoring winger. Its all positive on this signing, lets just hope he gets to play.
Well Mark, he’s got half a chance of getting a game as he isnt from our own academy!!!!
Wish him well!
Have not seen him play, but on BBC 606, a comment reads:
“You’ve got an absolute bargain their guys! Fast, skillful, clever, can finish (only thing missing is his ability to put a good ball in …)”
Jarvis 2.0, then! And all the more so if your cable tv provider puts up a ‘do not adjust your set’ message if/when he tracks back to defend …
That sounds good Kowloon.
BTW, who was it that said Jarvis did or didn’t track back? Didn’t you say he does, and someone said he didn’t?
He’s great at tracking back! I remember Jarvo snapping his hamstring by tracking back 70yds like a madman to cover for Ward when we lost at home to reading 3-0.
Can’t blame him if he isn’t as keen now!
Despite what Stourbridge might rip me for, I made the following point about Jarvis tracking back.
When he plays as an orthodox wide player, he’s great at tracking back.
However, this season, he’s been tucked inside a lot more for some reason, probably trying to make space and get on the ball as teams know more about him.
But because he’s been more tucked inside, we’ve been caught out more with balls down the flanks, particularly with a make-shift left-back rather than a quality one.
Recently, this situation has improved though.
I make that 2.1 on the Jarvis tracking back front Thomas – can I have a bonus point for the predictions league please?
Hard not to be impressed with the video.
Agree mate. I now think he’s the next Zico.
I bet Kightly isn’t enjoying watching that so much though.
that’s what came to mind when I was watching
As much as I hate to think it, I can’t see Kightly pulling the shirt on again for us. Terrible thought but it just seems like he’s got one of those problems.
Is anyone else annoyed by how they now show off a new signing by having them with a shirt with their name on the front?
It’s not correct, and they only do it so the sponsor’s name is included in the picture.
Yes, I realise there are more important things to worry about, but it’s little stuff like that which really grates.
No, I completely agree. It does my head in. It’s as if Sportingbet have put it in their contract terms and every Tom Dick and Harry we ever get have to have their names emblazoned similarly. It just looks bloody stupid.
In fact, if I had enough money I would buy a replica shirt and have the word ‘stupid’ written on the front, underneath the sponsors name.
It would be a reference to how much it grates, and to the idiot wearing the thing in the first place.
Another Moxey masterstroke! I hate everything he stands for!
Ok with Paul konchesky out the window, what about Pascal Chimbonda? His contract has just been terminated with immediate effect by Blackburn…
He looks good in the video. A bit like Kightly in his prime! If not better!
I could make me look good in a Youtube video
Oh, of course you could. Silly me!
Pascal Chimbonda = trouble, trouble, trouble. Wouldn’t want him.
First thing i thought of when the signing of Hamill was announced was cover/competition for Jarvis and Hunt and a replacement for Kightly.
Hope this is the start of a few more coming in.
Where is he from? He can’t be English, he can kick with both feet.
Yes, great business…. just like Surman, Friend, Hill, and Maierhoffer were going to be
For goodness sake MCacthy, why buy in an area that already has adequate cover? we need a mobile CB and LB… jeeze this is frustrating
Spot on Dazza – if we fail to sign a decent defender I fear the worst. With this defence we are vulnerable and if we keep conceding we will go down. Other than the bargain price I see no reason to have purchased this player.
I wouldn’t like to lose Jarvis. However, ultimately everyone has their price, and if Liverpool make a stupid bid it will be very good for us.
If Bent is “worth” 24 million, how much is Jarvis worth?
2.50 and a bag of chips 😉
First impressions on seeing Hammill is for an athletic 23 year old he looks a tad on the podgy side. His manager says he floats in and out of games and this could be down to fitness levels. I reckon he’ll find it a lot harder at Wolves and, with a new level of fitness who knows how good he could be. My only reservation on the video was it looked like it had been speeded up to just a bit quicker than a Benny Hill chase. I mean, if that was normal speed i’d sign everyone in it, possibly a couuple of the stewards as well.
I was thinking their ballboys looked a bit spritely. Yes, their stewards would give the 2 step dance academy something to think about, who could do with a bit more zip to their moves. Particularly the chunky chick at the end.
I liked the vid even more when it said at the end….”….up next – the hottest girl at the Notting Hill Carnival!!”
And she was.