Brighton 0 - 0 Wolves Verdict Thread

[slink]

Well firstly Brighton didn't look like a side that are top of the league, the game changed after the red card but before that we weren't very good and neither were they. The formation just didn't work for us and isn't going to, a straight 4-4-2 doesn't work these days for me and especially with our personnel. We had no one to play through midfield and then no one to take players on which meant we were easy to defend against and often resorted to playing long balls forward. I know he did a good job in league 1 and pretty decent last year but even then i wasn't sure about Jackett and i'm definitely not now. I don't think he has any idea how to set us up at the moment and how to get us actually playing football again.

Martinez - MOTM by a margin. Saved well from the penalty and the rebound and then was in charge of everything that came into the box. Has to be number 1 as apart from the QPR game he's been very good

Iorfa - Back to Iorfa from last season, defended well and got forward well a few times in the first half. Obviously had to defend more in the second half and did that well

EEL - Solid at the back. Didn't look comfortable 1 vs 1 but it didn't happen very often so did well.

Hause - Solid like EEl, won everything that he had to and calm on the ball. Needed more options to play too.

Golbourne - What has happened to him? Terrible challenge for the penalty, gave Bruno and whoever ended up on the right for Brighton too much room and wondered out of position. Doesn't look the same player now that he did at the start of last year.

Henry - Did ok but just lacks a change of pace. Couple of excellent deliveries in the first half that we really should have scored from and worked very hard. Excellent deliveries were followed by some terrible deliveries though.

Coady - Gets stuck in and will always pick up cards but at the times i think along with most his red card was harsh. Will have to see it again on tv to be sure though. I thought he would get forward more than he does after seeing him early on but doesn't seem confident when he has to carry the ball.

Edwards - Worked hard and shifted the ball right and left well a few times but doesn't have enough quality to play in a 2 or enough creativity in a 3 when you want a team to play good football.

Ojo - Awful from the start, just didn't get involved a lot and when he did his end product wasn't very good.

Afobe - Not sure what to make of him at the minute, doesn't look a threat whether he's dropping deep or running in behind but the supply to him isn't great.

Le Fondre - Worked hard for the team and a lot went through him in the first half. Should have scored for me when his shot was cleared off the line but more of a threat than Afobe and i think was unlucky to come off but he had passed a fitness test to play.

Subs - Byrne - Showed his pace a couple of times and played a great ball to Henry in the move where Afobe's shot went our for a throw.

McDonald - Did ok but looks like he doesn't want to be here in all fairness.

Doherty - Came on to help at the back but wasn't on long enough.

 

[Lupo]

MOTM performance from Martinez. Best goalkeeping display I've seen at Molineux in a long time, he stopped everything thrown at him and his penalty save plus saving the follow up was excellent. He made a series of brilliant saves and was plucking the ball out of the air with confidence, very solid. My only criticism would be a couple of goal kicks were poor but it didn't cost us so what the hell.

The referee was a twat who constantly got conned by Brighton though the episode where he wouldn't allow the Brighton player back onto the pitch was mildly amusing

 

[kimsanderson]

First one I've made it to this year. Thought we we looked mostly solid, they never really looked like scoring, even after the red.

Like others though I thought we were very poor going forwards. Not sure what to make of Afobe at the moment to be honest, admittedly his service was poor again but how long can that excuse carry on? He did look a bit disinterested again.

 

[PuntsWolf]

Think people being Harsh on Afobe. What's he supposed to do when he has Ojo, Edwards and Coady offering nothing behind him and two full backs whose attacking ability is limited.

Although he probably wishes he'd left for Norwich. This team is going nowhere fast.

 

[The Bear]

ALF didn't seem to have the same problem. He made the most if what came his way, Afobe didn't.

 

[PuntsWolf]

Must have missed that. I thought we were dreadful in any attacking sense. Albeit I was falling asleep so wasn't really paying much attention.

Can't imagine he did that much, take out his chance from the set piece and I can't remember him doing anything else

 

[slink]

Seen the Coady red so many times now and i can understand why the ref has given a red because of the contact but they both go in studs up because they have to to make that tackle and Coady gets to the ball first and his foot slides off it on to Rosenior. He's very unlucky in my opinion but he will always be on that tightrope.

 

[Aikiwolf]

Just seen some highlights. I thought the Coady red was harsh - both players sliding in at pace and both with studs showing.

 

[playtheace]

Positives: Didnt lose and we managed to get a point from the top team with ten men.
Negatives: We are fucking boring to watch, weve gone backwards from the previous 2 seasons with much the same personnel.

Why are we blooding Ojo for Liverpool? Really if he was OUR player i doubt Jackett would have him near the team, an incredibly wasted opportunity for one of our own
to play in the first team....Byrne did more (on his unnatural side?) in 25 minutes than Ojo in 65 minutes, Damn even Van La Parra would offer more..
We moaned when Jacobs was shoved out there last season (when given a chance) and now we are having to watch this.

Martinez Motm for the penalty save(s) and basically not making a mistake off one of the numerous routine saves he had to make.

Brighton : Thought they played quite well first half and cut through us on both wings a few times with no real end product.Dont know why they took Hemed off as i thought he looked quite useful in the first half.

 

[playtheace]

 

[YoungWolf]

Ojo has come in for a lot of flak today, but from what I heard he made a difference against Bolton, and he certainly improved us against Charlton.

I can't work it out whether I rate him all that much either, myself, but we have him and I'm prepared to give him a chance. He's highly rated within both the Liverpool and England set up. He has obvious technical ability, he can cross and strike the ball very well. He's also physically very good, strong and yet, he doesn't ever look like he wants to run at top speed. He doesn't take on the full back, which is bizarre and frustrating. He's a strange one for sure.

It sounds like we did well to get a point. I'm glad for Martinez to come into good form, we have good competition in that department. And EEL and Hause claiming a clean sheet is equally good news. That will do them wonders as a pairing.

I worry about Golbourne. I'm not sure he's truly over his injury issues. He does look hesitant to engage in physical battles and he doesn't always seem confident to strike the ball. He had similar issues for Barsnsley after he had a serious injury for them.

I worry that Edwards and Henry are now our key players. And if that is the case, then I don't think we stand a chance of making the play offs. Both are barely capable, consistent Championship performers, we know that already. Good as back up, when they can come in with a point to prove but not to be regular starters and be relied on.

and I seriously worry that KJ won't be able to work this one out. We don't have the quality of Sako to win us games on his own. And despite his poor start to the season before injury, Dicko has always made us tick and we miss that too.

I don't want this season to peter out so quickly, because we have so many promising young players that whilst they might develop well for this experience, we may not get to see the best of them at a better level with us.

 

[Johnny75]

I've watched the red and in today's game it's a red, even 5 years ago it's a yellow but you just can't leave your feet anymore as its deemed as not in control. It did look dangerous and from the ref's position I can understand.the decision he's made.

There wasn't much else in the highlights to comment on, from either side, so thanks to those that went for the reports. I find it sad that we have fallen so badly from the end of last season to the beginning of this. It's night and day with the loss of only one key player, but in reality, the loss of a spine of the team (Stearman, McD, Dicko) through one reason or another has had the biggest effect.

 

[The Bear]

That picture above emphasises why it wasn't a red. Coady just got unlucky that he caught the player after the ball and the ref has made a rash decision.

 

[Johnny75]

That's just your opinion Bear, in real speed it looked a red in today's game, he left his feet and caught the player. The picture is taken just before Rosenior contacts the ball and Coady is a fraction after that. It used to be a 50:50 but they seem rare in today's game.

 

[The Bear]

Both players made pretty much the same challenge though. It looks bad at speed because Rosenior was the one who got caught.

 

[slink]

That's just your opinion Bear, in real speed it looked a red in today's game, he left his feet and caught the player. The picture is taken just before Rosenior contacts the ball and Coady is a fraction after that. It used to be a 50:50 but they seem rare in today's game.

Coady definitely gets the ball first, his foot comes off the ball onto Rosenior. He's unlucky because Rosenior's studs were showing too but i can see why the red was given even if i was furious at the time because you could see he got the ball.

 

[Aikiwolf]

Imo it shouldn't have been a red but equally it isn't clearcut enough to be overturned. Getting the ball isn't enough of a defence anymore - or even part of the rules.

 

[The Bear]

No chance it'd be over-turned.

 

[FrankMunro-371]

I do not think that an appeal would be successful. Personally I think the red card was probably correct given the modern interpretation of the rules.

 

[Aikiwolf]

I do not think that an appeal would be successful. Personally I think the red card was probably correct given the modern interpretation of the rules.

C'Mon Frank, tow the party line for once and hate on the ref! ;0)

I agree it wouldn't get overturned though, which means Price may finally be back in contention (injuries aside) and I think he makes us a better team - every cloud and all that!