Kenny Jackett says his focus is on finding a new and productive Wolves forward line as he aimed to draw a line under Benik Afobe’s January departure.
Afobe’s move to Bournemouth was high on the agenda as supporters questioned CEO Jez Moxey and Head of Football Development & Recruitment Kevin Thelwell at Wednesday’s meeting of the Fans’ Parliament.
Jackett says his own focus remains firmly on the players now in the Wolves squad and aiming to help the team up the table, as they prepare to take on Preston at Molineux tomorrow (3pm).
“Benik had a whirlwind year with us,” says the Head Coach.
“People saw the games, people can make up their own mind.
“There was a well publicised and big bid from Norwich in August, but it was quiet in the build-up (to January).
“You’re wondering whether things are going to happen, and the Bournemouth situation happened very quickly over three or four days - it wasn’t protracted.
“It did accelerate very quickly at the end and it was the right thing to do to let him go and move on to the Premier League.
“All of my focus and energy is now on finding the attacking equation that can be successful in this league moving forward.
“It has been a tough process through Graham coming in, Zyro coming in, and then losing them both and finding other strengths.
“There are considerable other strengths here and all of my focus is on those rather than players who are not here.
“I want to talk about players that are here, and the team progressing.
“It is about trying to narrow the gap between ourselves and the top sides both in terms of performance and in terms of results.
“That may be in giving the players here an opportunity or by recruiting.
“We have had many changes to the front-line so far this season.
“It is the players that are here now that are the most important as they are the ones who are looking to score goals and win games for Wolves.
“They are the players that I want to focus on – not the ones that were here.
“Football moves on, and football clubs move on past all of us.
“Wolves is a great club and we want to try hard to bridge that gap between ourselves and the top sides.”
Afobe and Scott Golbourne departed Wolves in January, with defender Mike Williamson and forwards Michal Zyro and Joe Mason the three senior players who came in.
