Crusaders (H) 25-07 Build Up

[PuntsWolf]

Point being though it gives teams something else to think about

Boly can hurt teams with the ball, but you'd let Bennett have possession all day long.

If all 3 centre backs can pick a pass which one do you close down / put a man on

If playing a better Ball player there sees us start carving teams open at will then I take it all back. It won’t though, difference will be negligible.

Because Traore spent most of the game as a right winger Bennett was further forward than usual in right midfield. If he was more comfortable on the ball there were first time passes which could have helped to develop situations rather than controlling it with his first touch and playing the easy ball with his second

As above. RCB isn’t the reason we are so predictable. It’s become the easy excuse. We’ve played Saïss there and nothing was different.

 

[AndyWolves]

If playing a better Ball player there sees us start carving teams open at will then I take it all back. It won’t though, difference will be negligible.



As above. RCB isn’t the reason we are so predictable. It’s become the easy excuse. We’ve played Saïss there and nothing was different.

I think your probably right

Maybe overlapping CB a la Sheff united is something to look at

 

[The Bear]

Traore was the best of a generally poor attacking performance. Not because he was effective, but because he tried more than anyone else.

 

[The Bear]

Did Traore not get two assists?

He was the only one who could really beat his man

No he got one. Moutinho got the second.

 

[PuntsWolf]

I think your probably right

Maybe overlapping CB a la Sheff united is something to look at

Simply having more than 4 men in the attacking third will help up against 10.

4 men holding hands on half way line. 2 CMs inside left and inside right only slightly further forward . WBs high on wing and two forwards dropping deep with 5/6 men around them.

 

[MARKakaJIM]

I’ve said it before, but we basically play with 4 CBs with Neves dropping deep. Makes it all too easy to defend against in the attacking 1/3.

When teams are attacking with 4 at the back, their full backs are as wide and high as our wingbacks with only 2 or at worst 3 people in the middle. Us having 4 in there is just a complete waste of a man.

Playing a better CB isn’t going to make a huge difference. He isn’t going to suddenly start committing players, give and go with the CMs/ WB. It will be more of the same.

When Boly steps in it never leads to anything. Just goes to Jonny and recycles.

I agree. Neves is the biggest problem in the situations where teams pack their defence, his most potent weapon is his long passing so if teams defend wide and deep that's largely negated. He's never likely to go at teams through the middle so if they're content to restrict space behind and let him have the ball then it's never really going to so much damage. Be better off with another Moutinho who will push further forward, look to have the ball in tighter spaces and maybe commit defenders, that's more likely to draw them out of their shape.

Thought Traore was the best wingback on display tonight, Johnny steady and generally quite cautious as per, Vinagre played out a homage to 2018 vintage Traore with pointless tricks and zero end product. Genuinely wasn't a Wolves player less deserving of a goal than him.

Weird game in balance. Generally played tidy stuff but it's still effectively a preseason game so not a lot of threat, interplay between Jota and Jimenez a lot more promising following the latters inclusion though. Then on the other side got a pub team playing one of the biggest games of their lives sticking everyone behind the ball desperately trying to cling on. Just ended up like a half arsed attack v defence training game, Wolves got the job done and was pleasantly surprised at some of the play Crusaders attempted after seeing the highlights from the last round.

 

[Jinky]

I was obviously watching a different match so I will sign off and go to bed.

I think that’s a good idea. Your comments on Traore are ridiculous and you’ve just proven that he’s going to be the target of your abuse, no matter what the performance is like.

 

[Tyrannosaurus Dan]

Yeah, Paddy is talking absolute bollocks about Traore.

He was clearly our most attacking threat, beat his man and got a cross in nearly every time and set up a lovely first goal. He was far better than both Jonny & Vinagre on the other side. I thought Vinagre was far more frustrating (apart from his tap in). Too many step over attempts.

 

[Newbridge Wolf]

Traore was fine tonight, couple of crosses weren't the best but had the beating of the 2 defenders sat on him and was our best outlet for getting past a stubborn defence.

MGW seemed to start well then went a bit off, should have really scored at least one, and just didnt seem to get it right, frustrating night for the lad as he had a chance to shine here

It was a tough game for us to break down, Neves man marked for the game.

Lacked energy at times and as mentioned above looked a half arsed attack vs defence at times. Sometimes it is difficult when the opposition offer nothing apart from defence.

Game aside, what an evening, floodlight European football back at the Molineux, I thought these days were never going to happen again

 

[Kenny]

Low energy yesterday could easily come from how bastard warm it was and players just protecting themselves from being dead on their feet by half time. (It was so warm even Paddy complained.....but he also caved in to the idea of using contactless in the RL so who knows where his head was).

I thought Traore was fine. Only had one cross that went badly wrong but he did hit it whilst running at full pelt. Donk was my MOTM.

Felt a bit for their keeper at the end as he had a decent game.

 

[Kenny]

Oh and what the hell is that cows in a blender t-shirt the players are wearing when warming up?

 

[Tredman]

Donk was my motm too, his passing isn't quite neves-esque when playing in his role though.

Also annoyed the subs no longer warm up in front of us - kids used to love that, even if they are dressed like an extra from Blackadder.

 

[SSB]

Anyone know why none of the Executive Boxes were in use last night in both the Billy Wright & Steve Bull stands?

 

[Lycan]

I think if that had been the 3rd game of any other pre season we'd all be pretty happy.

Nice of their keeper to throw the ball in the net at the end. Crusaders will have to come out and attack us at Seaview now and we should take them apart.

Feel for MGW. I thought he was doing alright considering they were defending with 2 banks of 5 but then he dragged that shot wide and his head seemed to drop.

Traoré played well but definitely could've been better. I thought we actually did a good job of switching the ball out to him and getting him isolated 1v1 against his full back. He rinsed the poor guy a few times but then never really did anything with it. It's often my frustration with Doherty in that position, he'll have a good game, maybe walk away with an assist or a goal but you can't help but think that given the freedom and service he had he could've done so much more.

Good to see how sharp most of the regulars were this early in pre season. I think we'll look back and say how well we've managed this pre season.

 

[MARKakaJIM]

Traore was fine tonight, couple of crosses weren't the best but had the beating of the 2 defenders sat on him and was our best outlet for getting past a stubborn defence.

MGW seemed to start well then went a bit off, should have really scored at least one, and just didnt seem to get it right, frustrating night for the lad as he had a chance to shine here

It was a tough game for us to break down, Neves man marked for the game.

Lacked energy at times and as mentioned above looked a half arsed attack vs defence at times. Sometimes it is difficult when the opposition offer nothing apart from defence.

Game aside, what an evening, floodlight European football back at the Molineux, I thought these days were never going to happen again

Neves man marked? They barely got a man within 15 yards of him!

 

[sycophantia]

It was a bit frustrating, huffed and puffed a bit, but you've got to give Crusaders a bit of credit, defended well most of the game with 2 banks of 5.
Don't think anyone had a particularly good or bad game, although Jota's finish was superb. Traore best his men well but delivery was hit and miss, but that was the same for all our forwards/midfielders. It appears in some quarters that MGW is gunna be the new Traore, didn't think he was that bad , struggled in a congested area but did hit some excellent passes at times and linked the play.......no better or worse than anyone else imo

 

[Newbridge Wolf]

Neves man marked? They barely got a man within 15 yards of him!

Not man marked but there number 7 was on him like a shot everytime he got near the ball.

 

[jlo]

I'm in the Traore was bang average, but weirdly still our only effective attacking outlet, camp. I hate watching players stand still when they dont have the ball. I thought he was most effective in the last 10 minutes when he started cutting inside like Doc would. Beating his man to the corner produced FA. But making Traore the scapegoat is difficult when there wasn't much creativity elsewhere.

 

[Nuno's Beard]

To be honest, I thought Traore did a reasonable job, he did beat his man time and again but his final ball wasn't the greatest. He offered us width and stretched the pitch, but he does need to work on that final ball. To say he was awful is a tad unfair!! Morgan Gibbs-White was poor in my opinion (although he was out of position), but even when he dropped back into midfield he wasn't really very good. Two many lapses of concentration when either trying to get the ball under control or playing a pass. What was evident was that prior to Raul coming on, we were missing a natural centre forward in and around the box against a team like that. Jota was trying his best to find space and drive at their defence, but there wasn't any of those clever centre forward runs or movement to either work an angle for Jota, receive the ball or make space for midfielders making a run, it was all a bit static.

I think Moutinho or Jota were probably the best of the bunch for me, both trying to get on the ball as much as possible and makes things happen. Unfortunately for Jota we didn't really have another forward for him to work off.

It did highlight the fact we haven't really got any options to change things in the final third of the pitch, so hopefully that was a positive and we bring in some extra options that we can use to destabilise teams when they sit in like that.


All in all it wasn't a disaster, a professional job done with no goals conceded. Slightly fortuitous to get the second but it wasn't as if it wasn't deserved. Makes the second leg that little bit more comfortable now. They will actually have to show some form of positivity at home, which will play into our hands.

 

[Premier Quality]

It felt like we were really rusty, as you’d probably expect in pre season, and they had a really good shape, which meant for the majority of the game we just passed it in front of them. None of our players were really incisive, except Jota who missed a couple of good chances he would bury when he’s match fit, and Traore who skinned his man well, and played with his head up looking for the pull back (maybe he had a lot of feedback from not playing it to Donk in Asia).

Traore probably MOTM, although Jotas finish was superb. Glad we got the second goal, will make the second leg far more comfortable on a plastic pitch.