UK Confronts Hard Reality of Rebuilding Its Military Prowess
Britain's ammunition production begins life in the ancestral town of George Washington. Hundreds of technicians and robots work around the clock to manufacture the empty shells that are then filled with explosives and fired from a range of artillery systems.
The BAE Systems Plc plant in northeast England is operating 24/7 for the first time since the invasion of Iraq more than two decades ago. But the urgency of replenishing stocks of basic ordnance betrays just how far Britain's defense capabilities have fallen, and the scale of the task to restore them.
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It is entirely possible that Wolverhampton Wanderers' unexpected footballing restructure will work out well. There are clear signs that the decisions made this week might signal a loosening of the purse strings from owners Fosun, which will give the club a better chance of building a stronger squad. Advertisement But it is hard to view the departure of sporting director Matt Hobbs 'by mutual consent' — and the associated changes at the top of the club — on the eve of a crucial transfer window as anything other than a calculated gamble. There are many things to take from Hobbs' exit and the expected arrival of the former Sampdoria technical director Domenico Teti, but the overriding sense is that the move means greater authority for Vitor Pereira. 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Pereira's impact at Wolves last season is not in doubt, taking a team on its knees at the end of Gary O'Neil's rollercoaster reign and dragging it clear of relegation trouble with time to spare, all while building a charming bond with supporters and his players. But Wolves are now asking the Portuguese coach to fulfil a role for which he has little recent experience. In the past 12 years since leaving Porto, his hometown club, Pereira has held 10 managerial or coaching roles, with his three years in China at Shanghai SIPG the longest of his stints. He has won titles and had many more successes than failures, but he has rarely remained long enough to do the kind of building job he is now being entrusted with by Wolves. He has the charisma and knowledge that suggest he is capable of being more than a journeyman head coach, but he does not have masses of recent proof on his CV. So the decision still represents a calculated leap of faith. As for Hobbs, he can leave Wolves with his reputation enhanced on the back of two and a half years in which he has helped the club navigate choppy financial waters while maintaining their Premier League status, even if there were some scary moments along the way. Each of his transfer windows as sporting director came with a different remit — from the pressing need to give Lopetegui the tools for survival in his first, to the need to claw back a big financial deficit in his second, to supporting O'Neil to build a younger, fresher side in the next couple while continuing to turn a net profit, to another desperate rescue act this January. Each time, Wolves achieved the owners' objectives — even if Hobbs might have found himself at the centre of supporter discontent at the absence of consistency and coherence that, in truth, came from above him. And as well as pulling off the deals that made the necessary short-term impact when needed — Craig Dawson and Mario Lemina in January 2023 and Emmanuel Agbadou and Marshall Munetsi two years later — Hobbs left Wolves with assets such as the recently sold Matheus Cunha, Joao Gomes and Andre, who are certain to achieve huge profits, and others including Jorgen Strand Larsen and Rodrigo Gomes who might do likewise. Advertisement It is impossible to fully assess the impact of a sporting director at a club like Wolves, where ultimately key decisions are taken and policy is set above their head. But it is clear that Hobbs got much more right than he got wrong in his two and a half years in the top job, which followed seven and a half in various other roles. He achieved the profits the owners demanded while helping keep the club in the top tier and his input was respected by the club, who offered him a role in their new-look setup in an effort to keep his expertise. 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