Getting pretty fed up of being told how to support my football team on here.
Watching Wolves set up with a flat back four and three defensive midfielders away to a bang average BHA team who had won 3 in 12 before this game (including 5 without a win and 2 losses in a row) was downright depressing. I took very little enjoyment from this victory. The players should be proud of their effort and determination but nothing else. As for KJ, I sincerely hope that that's the last time we set up like that. We're now into the transfer window and have a significant cushion between ourselves and the relegation zone, it's time to play with some freedom and start trying to win games on our own merits rather than through the failings of our opposition. I'm going to the Fulham game in midweek and I fully expect to see several 'new' faces and a new attitude, if that's the case then the last week will have been worth it.
I've just watched last nights joyless win back and while I agree that we defended well in the terms of working hard and putting our bodies on the line, I thought the actual defensive organisation and pattern of play was dreadful. Chris Hughton should be very worried about his teams inability to break Wolves down last night, any team with a hint of style or flair would've created chance after chance against us but there weren't actually that many openings. Their game plan didn't seem to extend much beyond giving the ball to Kayal or Wilson and hoping they'd do something special. This wasn't a defensive masterclass from Wolves, we stymied BHA through sheer weight of numbers, the physical size of our back 4, hard work and a hell of a lot of luck. So many times the ball went out wide to a BHA winger/full back and despite having the entire team in our own half nobody went to close him down. Similarly, every time the ball was knocked into the box our entire back 4 seemed to be rooted inside our own 6 yard box with a host of BHA players queueing up at the back post. We were incredibly lucky that they didn't manage to get one ball of genuine quality into the box in 90 minutes.
Ikeme - 8 MOTM - His kicking is atrocious. We don't even contest half of his long kicks, I can't work out what's going through his head when he's hoofing the ball for the 20th time in a row. What does he hope to achieve? With the negatives out of the way, easily our MOTM and we can chalk up 2 extra points thanks to him in my opinion. 2 excellent saves, including the header at the end which was world class, controlled his area well all night and was smart enough to waste time when he could. Keeper going down with cramp, classic.
Iorfa - 6 - Won some good headers and I can't remember many chances coming from him (apart from when he fell on his arse and let the ball bounce in the area). Was a willing runner going forward but never really got in the right positions and was hesitant in possession. I thought Murphy gave him an unnecessarily tough game today and there are some basic errors creeping back into his game. I'd rest him for the cup game and have him ready to go against Fulham.
Batth - 6 - Considering the aerial bombardment we had at times during that game he won surprisingly few headers. I thought the defensive line was all over the shop which falls on him but equally he should be praised for motivating those around him to dig in and win the 3 points.
EEL - 8 - Make no mistake, he hasn't suddenly turned into a good footballer. This is the equivalent of Roger Johnson being touted for the England squad because he had Barry Ferguson, Lee Bowyer & Lee Carsley sat in front of him for 90 minutes. The whole point of that formation last night was to limit the number of times inferior players like EEL & Doherty were being isolated 1v1 against their attacker. The one time he was isolated he got burned by Wilson but then did well to track back and make a goal saving tackle. Fair play to the kid though, he headed and hoofed away everything that came near him. Every time BHA put in their shocking deliveries it was EEL rising above everyone else to head away. Absolutely in his element last night & can't begrudge him his Sky MOTM award.
Doherty - 5 - For 75 minutes he was the worst player on the pitch by a country mile. The first 15 minutes were an absolute bomb scare. Watching it back again I lost count of the amount of times Crofts and Bruno just drifted past him as if he wasn't there, Doherty inevitably turning his back and sticking his heel out blindly in the penalty area. For a team that defended with 7 men pretty much camped on the edge of our own box for the whole game there was an extraordinary amount of space down our left hand side. The moment in the first half where he stood over a virtually unmoving ball for a full 3 seconds trying to shepherd it out of play only for a BHA player to nick it away sums him up as a footballer. Once Brighton had given up any pretence of trying to break us down and had resorted to just lamping it in the box (after they took off Zamora funnily enough) he won a few important headers. He stepped in front of a wayward pass towards the end and broke which was decent play (and the sort of thing he was doing with regularity at Charlton) but ran straight into a Brighton player and lost the ball. I thought he was one of our best players vs Charlton and considering the game he had at LB vs Bournemouth I thought maybe there's something there to work with... No. No, he's absolutely shite and doesn't know how to play the position. We need Kortney Hause or a new LB to come in sharpish because I don't trust either of our current options as far as I can throw them.
McDonald - 5.5 - Once BHA had practically gone 4-2-4 the game opened up a bit and he started to play well. Twisting out of trouble and finding a quick pass. Before that though he gave the ball away time after time and was just a body on the edge of our area. Should be praised for his work rate.
Coady - 6 - The game did open up for us in the last 20 minutes and he started to come into his own with a few bursting runs through the centre and one hammer of a shot which was well saved by Stockdale. The better of our 3 defensive midfielders. For the first 60 minutes he gave the ball away too much and was effectively just a body on the edge of our area. Should be praised for his workrate.
Edwards - 5 - Gave the ball away a lot. Just a body on the edge of our area. Should be praised for his workrate.
Henry - 5 - One bit of nice play to put Benik in down the side of their CB but apart from that it was yet another toothless display from one of the only 3 players allowed to venture forward into their third of the pitch. Lacks the speed of thought to consistently perform at this level. He doesn't fool anyone in the Championship, they all know what he's capable of and what he isn't and it's all too easy to stop him. Nothing to be afraid of as an opposing full back. For the umpteenth time this season he was subbed off and immediately improved upon by whoever his replacement happened to be. Hopefully with Byrne, Sigurdarson, Graham and Zyro all available we should start to see less and less of James Henry in the second half of the season. As with all the others he worked hard.
Graham - 6.5 - A tough evening for him as he was very isolated and Brighton clearly went out with a plan to kick him early and often to try and limit him. I have no idea how Bruno and Crofts both escaped yellow cards. Created our goal yet again, beating his man and getting a decent ball in. Struggling to think of a single goal we've scored since he came in that he hasn't been involved in. Hopefully the injury isn't serious.
Afobe - 6.5 - Frustrating night. As with Graham he was kicked from pillar to post all game and had to come off before the end. I bet he's absolutely knackered this morning. Worked his arse off and did well to fight and scrap under the high ball to give our other 2 attacking players time to close the 30+ yard gap and help him out. Can't continue like this though, there's only so long you can ask a player like Benik to put in those sort of performances. His only glimpse of goal was when he ran onto Henry's through ball, faught off the defender and did brilliantly to fire off a shot from a tight angle.
Sigurdarson - 7 - Did really well when he came on. Looked very sharp and more importantly up for the fight which was one of the main criticisms of him in our League 1 season. Still an exciting player in there somewhere, I'd love nothing more than for him to win a place in our team and a new contract after so many ruled him out. Just frustrating that he was subbed on for the purpose of winning headers vs Inigo Calderon and not for his ability with the ball at his feet.
Byrne - ? - Didn't have much time but worked hard like the rest.
le Fondre - ? - Ditto for Byrne.
I'd love to see us line up like this some day soon:
Martinez
Iorfa Williamson Hause New LB
McDonald Price
Zyro/Byrne Sigurdarson Graham
Afobe
At the moment that seems like a pipe dream.
Well, that got out of hand...