Brighton 1 v Wolves 0 a disappointing visit to the south coast verdict thread

[Parkins left foot]

Am binning my 'lucky' Wolves coloured socks from now on as they have been worse than useless for the last 2 games

 

[playtheace]

Should have had 2 handballs but for poor reffing.
Played well and Brighton were hanging on for their lives.
They threw bodies (hands) and their keeper should have been motm for his saves to be honest.
Sorry for being too positive...perhaps Spurs will batter us next week and we will have one shot and score next week.

 

[malta mick]

am i correct in thinking that we're putting far more crosses into the box compared to last season ? if so, wouldn't it have been prudent to have kept Afobe ?

 

[malta mick]

Should have had 2 handballs but for poor reffing.
Played well and Brighton were hanging on for their lives.
They threw bodies (hands) and their keeper should have been motm for his saves to be honest.
Sorry for being too positive...perhaps Spurs will batter us next week and we will have one shot and score next week.

yes you're right, Bruno blocked a ball with his lower shoulder in the exact place that Traore was penalised for early first half. Always the same with refs though, they will award a foul outside the area but not for same offence inside

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

https://oscillatingwildly.net/reaction-brighton-1-0-wolves/

 

[MARKakaJIM]

Think the wide forwards are a big problem at the moment, only Cavleiro showing any real form but also playing a lot wider than previously. That leaves Jimenez really isolated and means nearly all the play comes out wide where the bodies are. It creates a lot of crossing opportunities but then there's no-one in the box as the wide forwards are too wide and central midfielders always stay deep.

Last year there was a lot more interplay between the front three and the wingbacks roamed in the space out wide. Now you have more interplay between wide forwards and wingbacks but teams at this level will defend crosses against a single forward all day long.

There needs to be more play within the width of the box in the final third and with higher intensity too, they don't move defences around anywhere near enough at the moment.

 

[YoungWolf]

Agree Mark - the few times we looked genuinely threatening we were when combined with the forwards in that area. Even Doherty’a chance in first half came thought that really.

 

[Alan]

https://oscillatingwildly.net/reaction-brighton-1-0-wolves/

Well said. Still think you're slightly too harsh on Adama but otherwise totally spot on.

 

[Parkins left foot]

https://oscillatingwildly.net/reaction-brighton-1-0-wolves/

A balanced read Dan - there are positives, but you didn't gloss over the negatives.

We are what we are are - a newly promoted side that is still adapting

Would rather be in our position than Cardiff or Fulham

 

[MARKakaJIM]

Agree Mark - the few times we looked genuinely threatening we were when combined with the forwards in that area. Even Doherty’a chance in first half came thought that really.

That sort of combination play is extremely difficult to defend against and was prevalent in Wolves' play last year but so far this year it seems confined to the fringes. Rather than using those moves to get wide forwards breaking into the box it's more often than not happening down the flanks but with few bodies in the box the crossing opportunities are largely worthless.

 

[AndyWolves]

Think the wide forwards are a big problem at the moment, only Cavleiro showing any real form but also playing a lot wider than previously. That leaves Jimenez really isolated and means nearly all the play comes out wide where the bodies are. It creates a lot of crossing opportunities but then there's no-one in the box as the wide forwards are too wide and central midfielders always stay deep.

Last year there was a lot more interplay between the front three and the wingbacks roamed in the space out wide. Now you have more interplay between wide forwards and wingbacks but teams at this level will defend crosses against a single forward all day long.

There needs to be more play within the width of the box in the final third and with higher intensity too, they don't move defences around anywhere near enough at the moment.

Absolutely spot on

 

[Premier Quality]

Can’t disagree with most of that Dan - my only question would be why your report singles out Adama (who was ok today) but barely mentions Costa whose final ball today was awful and has been mostly poor all season (bar a decent performance at Man Utd).

I get he’s the comedy hate figure now Doherty is playing well, but I think maybe you’re giving Helder far too easy a pass and focussing on Adama, because you were so against the signing in the first place?

Agree with the rest though, nicely written.

 

[Deleted Cyber]

Better check who is left handed...

Well it would have helped if Doc was left footed he may have got his shot inside the post.
And stop poking me.

 

[Johnny75]

https://oscillatingwildly.net/reaction-brighton-1-0-wolves/

Agree with all that Dan. We started off really well with Costa and a Traore both picking the ball up in inside positions and getting support from their wing back but for some reason they started to drift wide after 20 minutes and ultimately out of the game until Cav and Jota came on.

I thought after the change we looked far more potent but lacked a forward to really test Dunk and Duffy.

As you've written, we were much better than against Watford and I was encouraged by our play in general. You highlight we need to get support to Raul and in fits and starts we did this, particularly Moutinho but it isn't quite enough right now, we need to be quicker and stop having our inside forwards bugger off out wide.

 

[Johnny75]

Can’t disagree with most of that Dan - my only question would be why your report singles out Adama (who was ok today) but barely mentions Costa whose final ball today was awful and has been mostly poor all season (bar a decent performance at Man Utd).

I get he’s the comedy hate figure now Doherty is playing well, but I think maybe you’re giving Helder far too easy a pass and focussing on Adama, because you were so against the signing in the first place?

Agree with the rest though, nicely written.

The Adama love-in is painful to read. He wasn't very good after 20 minutes today and was rightfully hooked. His movement off the ball is atrocious whereas Costa's is very good even if his end product is lacking at the moment.

 

[Premier Quality]

The Adama love-in is painful to read. He wasn't very good after 20 minutes today and was rightfully hooked. His movement off the ball is atrocious whereas Costa's is very good even if his end product is lacking at the moment.

Okay, I’ll play.... The costa love in is painful to read. He was poor in the first half and even worse in the second. His end product is non existent, as shown by zero assists and zero goals, and there was a point today where he even managed to hit Bruno with a cross that he hit after Bruno had jumped in the air...

The inside forwards are our biggest issue this season - Helder has played all our games and contributed absolutely nothing at the end of the field he’s employed for - yet you focus on the guy who has delivered because you spent so much of pre season stating how shit he is, and you don’t feel you can backtrack on your comments, it’s sad.

Fwiw, I don’t think Adama was amazing today, I think he was ok, nothing more - but to focus on him and ignore Helder (given Jota has been getting attention) seems pre determined...

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Can’t disagree with most of that Dan - my only question would be why your report singles out Adama (who was ok today) but barely mentions Costa whose final ball today was awful and has been mostly poor all season (bar a decent performance at Man Utd).

I get he’s the comedy hate figure now Doherty is playing well, but I think maybe you’re giving Helder far too easy a pass and focussing on Adama, because you were so against the signing in the first place?

Agree with the rest though, nicely written.

I just think the focus was on him today, this should have been his stage, we've heard over and over how Jota has been rubbish and Adama would be better...well, he wasn't really.

You could probably say that Cav deserves a shirt and then the other three can scrap it out between themselves as none of them are offering much.

The thing is that I still don't know what the hell it is we're supposed to have bought with him. Other people like him more than I do, I can live with that.

 

[ndorsetwolf]

Unfortunately, the stats fail to demonstrate the inconsistent performance of Anthony Taylor. Missed the first half handball which could have been a game changer. Ignored all the holding and pushing in the box second half. How is it acceptable for two defenders to surround Cab and pull him away from the ball.

4 minutes added time, 5 subs is 2·5 mins, Bruno was treated for 3 mins and how much lost to the lack of ball boys on the West side.

Inconsistent use of the advantage rule.

We need to understand how to game the ref - don't like it, however every other team does it to their advantage. Murray spent half the game in the refs ear, and got away with blue murder.

Frustrated, because we need to be more clinical, and yet I'm talking about a ref again.

 

[Premier Quality]

Who’s said that?

Traore is still a work in progress, we all know that, and his positioning was better today, and he played a fair few safe straightforward passes, rather than trying to run through two players, so there’s improvement. He also had a few good runs, and had a decent cut inside and shot that Ryan gathered. He wasn’t amazing, but he was decent - as we as a team were first half.

I’d agree with the Cav +1 bit - just think it’s harsh to focus on Adama when others were both worse today, and have been all season so far...

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Well I could write loads about every player. But then you get your report at 9pm, not 6pm