Cardiff 2 -1 Wolves: The Pantwetting Verdict.

[Johnny75]

We may well have decided to go long ball yesterday, but the problems were still the same. Midfield two too deep, IFs and centre forward far too far away from each other. Front three top far from midfield two. Wing backs given time wide as neither can cross. Pressed high and pushed deep. Flood the box on set pieces knowing we'll get beat to the second ball.

If all of that has been happening since Watford, regardless of whether we try short or long, then the shape is the only thing *left* to change

The shape is right, the implementation is wrong as you point out. When MGW and Jota came on they were deeper when we had the ball which allowed us control in midfield as Moutinho and Neves could support.

Neither Costa or Traore have the ability to drop into those spaces right now and so they end up miles away from the midfield pair. It's a simple but needed fix.

 

[Deleted Cyber]

I have woken up in a foul football related mood and need to have a damn good rant.

The last two performances against the bookmakers two favourites for relegation are quite simply unacceptable. Both those teams have largely justified that tag so playing so poorly against such shit teams, quite frankly I thought we we better than that.

For all the accolades about his world class saves Rui has by agreement been directly at fault for 3 goals at least in the first 14 games. Ruddy was at fault for two in the whole season. That's just for comparison. Personally I would rather my keeper got the basics right and didn't make world class saves. Rui needs to improve his command of the area and quick. Last night he came for a long throw and flapped so it's not just about the goal. When the goal goes in look at the heads of the defenders. They all drop. I am concerned that they may be losing a bit of confidence in Rui .

Moutinho did little of value last night bar the corner for the goal.

Raul may be good at holding up play but he looked awful last night bar the header for the goal.

Costa was a waste of a shirt.

Saiss looked no better than Bennett.

Traore at least trys things but every time he gets the ball the Benny Hill theme tune starts playing in my head. Impact sub only for me.

Nuno has 5 games to turn this around. He may be convinced that his way is right but the player's need to perform and he needs results. Our season, as I have said, will not be defined by three draws against Arsenal Man City and Man United but it absolutely can be defined by defeats against Huddersfield and Cardiff.

This is the fourth December 1st where my team have not won a game in November and apart from last season's glorious exception I am getting a bit cheesed off with it.

 

[Aikiwolf]

We sit to deep in our box when defending set pieces. Which works to clear the first ball but we have no one pressing to stop the 2nd ball in. Against a team like Cardiff that play on 2nd balls that's a really poor piece of tactical analysis from Nuno.

Our front three look disjointed from the game at the moment, no dropping deep to link play and spread far to wide.

 

[Tony Towner]

I'm sick of the 'imagine if Adama had done that' hero worship of quite a few on here, it's pathetic. Costa was atrocious last night, Traore a better level of poor. I agree that he's probably the one player who when he receives the ball you think something may happen, but it invariably doesn't. The victimhood on his behalf is tiresome and misses the point. At the moment it's a tallest dwarf competition.

 

[Dire Wolf]

My concern is that if you look at the forthcoming fixtures in the light of our last 2 defeats and general run of form, there isn't a game between now and the end of the year that you could say with confidence that we can win. It continues like this and we will be in the bottom 3 before too long. The last 2 results have been bad enough but the performances have been shambolic, and the team currently looks completely devoid of confidence and ideas on how to turn things around. So I'd say, yes, damn fucking straight Nuno is under pressure.

 

[Freddeno]

Since I was at a Christmas party with my job I recorded this..just watched it and as usual we deserved more, how the fuck did we lose to this shower of a team..I hope nobody complain about Traoré or Doc in this game. But..as I have said so many times, we need a poacher because its about scoring goals in football and winning games..buy someone like Higuain if possible..and I really miss Douglas set pieces..and MGW has earned a starting spot

 

[Kenny]

.just watched it and as usual we deserved more,

Did you record the right game?

 

[Dire Wolf]

Did you record the right game?

Lol, I did think that. We deserved exactly what we got, a humiliating defeat to one of the worst, least talented teams to ever play in the PL.

 

[Freddeno]

Did you record the right game?

I believe so..that face of Warnock showed up a few times..ooh and one more thing..keep Nuno

 

[Freddeno]

I thought the Hudds game was much worse tbh

 

[Deano]

I thought the Hudds game was much worse tbh

Not a high bar. We were poor in both. And I think there are more problems than just the front 3 with this team.

 

[Freddeno]

Not a high bar. We were poor in both. And I think there are more problems than just the front 3 with this team.

As i said MGW with his movement and creativity deserves a start

 

[Tredman]

I'm sick of the 'imagine if Adama had done that' hero worship of quite a few on here, it's pathetic. Costa was atrocious last night, Troare a better level of poor. I agree that he's probably the one player who when he receives the ball you think something may happen, but it invariably doesn't. The victimhood on his behalf is tiresome and misses the point. At the moment it's a tallest dwarf competition.

Agree, it's dull that every thread has to become about Adama. That said the days of Costa and Jota getting a pass have to come to an end. On this season's form only, up to yesterday, you would start adama and Cav.

Personally I think we go back to Jota and Cav and tell them to put a proper shift getting back.

 

[Nando]

Jota has to start. He was good when he came on yesterday. His head was up, he found space and took people on.

 

[Dire Wolf]

I think the problem Nuno has is that he wants to keep the same system and play our game, which is great and worked superbly in the Championship. The thing is the quality of opponent and tactical nous of the managers/coaches in the PL is far superior and somehow thinking your way will not be countered is asinine. Even poor teams like Brighton, Huddersfield and Cardiff have us figured out and have adapted an effective way to play against us. Expect more of the same.

 

[Johnny75]

I think the problem Nuno has is that he wants to keep the same system and play our game, which is great and worked superbly in the Championship. The thing is the quality of opponent and tactical nous of the managers/coaches in the PL is far superior and somehow thinking your way will not be countered is asinine. Even poor teams like Brighton, Huddersfield and Cardiff have us figured out and have adapted an effective way to play against us. Expect more of the same.

This is just rubbish from start to finish.

 

[Freddeno]

I think the problem Nuno has is that he wants to keep the same system and play our game, which is great and worked superbly in the Championship. The thing is the quality of opponent and tactical nous of the managers/coaches in the PL is far superior and somehow thinking your way will not be countered is asinine. Even poor teams like Brighton, Huddersfield and Cardiff have us figured out and have adapted an effective way to play against us. Expect more of the same.

You have a bit of a point there..my feeling is you have to look at the quality of opposition and set up your team, tactics and formation according to that and im sure Nuno do that...in the PL you get punished much more when you commit mistakes..but Hoiletts goal yesterday was just brilliance and nothing you can do.

 

[b3h]

I think we tried to play more direct but we weren't good enough and it just played into Cardiff's hands.

Carragher must have said "2nd ball" about 20 times but he was right. Cardiff were beating us to pretty much every 2nd, 3rd ball. That's just not good enough, doesn't matter if you're playing Cardiff or City. Hard work is half of the battle and we don't even have that going for us at the minute.

I think the problem is split - a lot of players are not playing well enough, and 3421 (343 is with touchline hugging wingers, no?) is so damn specialised that it turns to shite when even one piece of the puzzle is not working properly, let alone several pieces. There's nowhere to hide because each position is so particular and noticeable.

That leads to Nuno. He's paid to sort this out.

Pant wetting:

>I think finishing 15th ish would be enough for Fosun in a first season. I don't think they nor Nuno are as 'ruthless' as some people think.

 

[Freddeno]

We need a win now to gain belief and confidence in what we do

 

[Lord Knows]

I don't really buy into the narrative from Carra and Nev that our midfield was strangled today like it was at Huddersfield, tonight was more about how poor the front 3 were, lack of movement, lost the ball too easily, didnt hold it up and link they just were not effective.

The issue is clearly the front 3, we don't need to change shape, we need the front three to find form.

Swapping Traore and Raul with one another 4 or 5 times throughout the game did nothing to help us, I'm not sure what the thinking is with that, it hinders us.

The issue certainly is the front three but maybe more about using different characteristics than finding form. The front three at Wolves whatever the combination struggles to retain possession because the first thought is to turn and run with the ball.

The work from the training field regards receiving and passing needs to be more of a priority if we are to create a platform for continued forward momentum.