[Carabao Cup 4th Rnd] Wolves 2-0 Gillingham: Verdict Thread

[Lycan]

Didn't learn a hell of a lot from that really. It's not easy to play against a low block like that, not an obstacle our players will have faced very often and not one we will face again this season unless we draw a similar team in the FA Cup.

The main positive for me was the impact the subs had when they came on. We all know their quality so it was good to see those players maybe on the fringe of the first XI put in a good performance and make a claim for a starting spot at Everton. Lope has given Hodge, Guedes & Costa a lot of game time in the 3 'friendly' games he's had in this build up but after that I wouldn't be surprised if all 3 were benched and Matheus, Hwang & Raúl start in their place.

We totally controlled the game, as you'd expect us to do, but lacked a real plan of how to cut through Gillingham in the final 3rd. In the first half we tried a lot of flicks and close 1 touch passes in and around their box and while it nearly worked once or twice that's not the way to go about beating a team like that. How often do you actually see teams get cut apart like that? Our main threats seemed to be the creativity of Bueno on the left and 2 Rúben Neves set pieces. We weren't helped by Semedo & Guedes' performances completely shutting down any hope of creating anything down our right side.

Moving to the 4-2-3-1 (and then from that into a 4-4-2) in the second half was the right call, Hodge wasn't playing well and we needed to commit more players forward, but not the personnel change I'd have gone for. Adama doesn't even bother to beat a man any more and I'm not sure Podence is really suited to a central role. I'd have put Hwang on and kept Podence out wide. Matheus made an instant impact when he came on, they just couldn't get near him and he's always positive, the little clipped ball to the back post for Semedo would've been a brilliant assist.

Great to see Raúl causing a bit of chaos as well, took his penalty well and he chased everything, I think it was clear to see that he was going out to impress the new manager. Lope wants us to press high and Cunha is apparently a forward with a very high work rate so I wouldn't be surprised if over time we end up settling down with a Cunha - Raúl - Hwang front 3 as they're going to be the forwards best suited to that kind of football.

 

[1986]

Not sure why people might have expected an instant positive performance from us last night , despite the opposition . Rome was not built in a day . If Lopetegui is to be a success it will take him longer than one game .

Our main weakness up until now , and throughout last season was a failure to score , or even create chances . Based on last night , little has changed .

Very difficult to form a conclusion when the opposition was a League 2 outfit at the bottom of their league .

 

[Paul]

You’re not going to score goals if your standing still, moving the ball at snails pace, not getting in the box, not crossing it and refusing/unable to play through the middle.

The one thing I thought had changed was the speed of play and the pressing?

 

[Tredman]

At first maybe, quickly reverted back tho

 

[Deano]

I thought we moved the ball slowly as usual and took the safe option way too many times, just letting them reset back into their defensive positions, we still didn't look like we knew how to build an attack properly. Costa offered nothing again, in an ideal world Jimenez would start on Boxing Day but from Lopeteguis comments yesterday I don't think he will be fit enough to start.

 

[Johnny75]

At first maybe, quickly reverted back tho

Second half when we bought that fraud of a right winger on changed it. I wouldn’t play him again. Bested by a Lg2 full back.

We looked much better with Hwang and Raul on and I thought Costa did OK in the tight spaces.

Bueno clear MotM.

 

[Jonzy the ref]

It just goes to show it doesn’t matter how much possession we have we are incapable of opening up sides who sit in because we are totally toothless and impotent up top .
This group of players will take us down because they can’t ******** score against a team who sit 92nd
A change of players ,a change of tactics ,a change of intent is required because this is patently not good enough .

 

[Tyrannosaurus Dan]

I don't think we can really take too much away from last night. It was a pretty dreadful game against awful opposition in a stadium that weirdly had no atmosphere right from the moment the teams walked out. We just had to win and we did. I think we'll see a difference in the team over the coming weeks.

The main positive I guess is the impact of most of the substitutes. I thought both Hwang & Nunes looked much improved, I'm delighted Raul got a good reception and a goal and it was a decent cameo from RAN. I agree that Bueno was the stand out performer and Guedes was truly dreadful. There is a decent footballer in there somewhere but it is currently very well hidden.

 

[PuntsWolf]

The one thing I thought had changed was the speed of play and the pressing?

I mean when they had the ball we did press them but they had it for about 2 seconds at a time, have no ability to maintain posesssion and zero outball up front, so it just got hoofed back to us. That would have been the case with any manager against this calibre of opposition as they can’t keep the ball and had no intention of trying either. So in the binary sense, yes we did press but you can’t exactly quantify it or appraise it’s quality.

As for moving it quickly. I’d say we were no better than any other League cup game. Just this time we actually had close to our best team out. Moutinho and Hodge just standing still in front of CBs and Neves with no intention of getting the ball, just directing traffic out wide to the FBs. Bueno had a go, Semedo did not. No one else tried to really beat a man to get in behind to overcome the low block problem. Podence did once or twice but then the quality after was awful. Then he moved central and turned to flicks even when in space when what he needed to do was get on the ball, then and run at them, commit players, look for one twos, work a yard for a shot.

Instead just safe play out wide only for it to go round again. If we can’t take risks against these where if you lose it it’s pretty much irrelevant as we will get it straight back then who will we take risk against?

 

[WsWolf]

Echo a lot of the thoughts on here. It is difficult to break open 11 players who in fairness held a good shape in a condensed area, however we didn't actually do a lot to drag them out of position.

We did try to move the ball at a higher pace but the single biggest issue for me is our movements off the ball. We have far too many players who aren't interested in moving unless it's to receive the ball, there's no pattern of movement at all just a series of individuals doing what they want, that to me was disappointing considering he's had 6 weeks with most of these players.

With this being a consistent theme across 3 managers I'm pretty certain now it's the personnel being incapable. Don't really want to see Podence, Guedes or Adama again none are capable of what we need them to do. Moutinho can't be playing in the position he is in a midfield 3 either.

 

[darlowolf64]

Nah, shit teams playing against Premier League teams NEVER cause an upset...

 

[Tyrannosaurus Dan]

What was the penalty given for? I just saw a scramble from where I was.

 

[darlowolf64]

What was the penalty given for? I just saw a scramble from where I was.

There were about 3 fouls in the build up but in the end it was given for a shirt pull on Hwang.

The ref allowed play to continue for a short time to see if we scored in the scramble but as soon as we didn't, blew for the pen. Good refereeing

 

[Jinky]

You can tell how bad we've had it because I got genuinely excited by a small bit of link up play between Costa & Raul, shortly after Raul had come on. Diego ran off his man, actually received a pass from midfield (something we need to massively improve on instead of playing the safe option over and over again), and laid it back for Raul who couldn't quite get his shot off.

I mean, it's the most basic movement but we just haven't seen it for ages.

 

[PuntsWolf]

Nah, shit teams playing against Premier League teams NEVER cause an upset...

Of course they do. But it’s normally aided by being at home on a “leveller”, playing against a weaker team, condensed in the middle of the season where it’s an inconvenience and the mentality is wrong. Also normally teams who are well drilled playing well in their current league.

None of that applied last night, or shouldn’t have given where we are, new manager etc.

 

[darlowolf64]

Of course they do. But it’s normally aided by being at home on a “leveller”, playing against a weaker team, condensed in the middle of the season where it’s an inconvenience and the mentality is wrong. Also normally teams who are well drilled playing well in their current league.

None of that applied last night, or shouldn’t have given where we are, new manager etc.

Bottom of the Premier and in shit form having not played for almost 2 months?

 

[Kenny]

Glad the ref didn't use the World Cup rules on time added on. For the time wasted on every goal kick, free kick and throw in we would all still be in the ground now

(not having a go at Gillingham for this, standard tactic to annoy the opposition and try to unsettle them)

 

[sycophantia]

Glad the ref didn't use the World Cup rules on time added on. For the time wasted on every goal kick, free kick and throw in we would all still be in the ground now

(not having a go at Gillingham for this, standard tactic to annoy the opposition and try to unsettle them)

My lad spent from the 30th minute ranting about it.

 

[Kenny]

Ref could have sorted it out but let it ride, so they just carried on. He gave the keeper 3 final warnings.

 

[SSB]

Lopetegui and team did mention the timewasting to the forth official. I think they may have been a bit more aggressive about it if it hadn’t have a been a young lady