General Wolves News

[Deutsch Wolf]

Do they?

I mean Brentford often play a back four with Ben Mee and Ethan Pinnock at CH. They're alright but I wouldn't say they're "really, really good" (I would prefer either to Kilman in a back four).

 

[Deano]

It's not just the attributes, it's that they need to be really, really good for it to work for a club of our status.

There are plenty of other teams that are around where we are that play a back 4. Plus with having Lemina and Gomes that are defensively minded midfield players, you really shouldn't be relying exclusively on a back 5.

 

[Johnny75]

There are plenty of other teams that are around where we are that play a back 4. Plus with having Lemina and Gomes that are defensively minded midfield players, you really shouldn't be relying exclusively on a back 5.

Yep that's a coaching thing.

 

[Alan]

A great day but wouldn't say it turned anything particularly:

View attachment 11195

Chelsea at home on Christmas Eve was a big one. Could and should have been 4-0 down early on but they had Jackson and that camel Broja up front fucking everything up. We were in some bother if we'd lost. As it was we won, then won again twice in a week and all of a sudden relegation was basically out of the equation before we were singing Auld Lang Syne.

Pretty amazing how the Spurs match lives so large in my brain that I thought for certain it had come after the Fulham and Arsenal losses.

 

[Alan]

There are plenty of other teams that are around where we are that play a back 4. Plus with having Lemina and Gomes that are defensively minded midfield players, you really shouldn't be relying exclusively on a back 5.

They are defensively minded but on evidence (whether it's because of them or Gary's tactics, as I suspect) they are the furthest thing in the world from #6s. I don't think we can anticipate that they'll offer significant shielding for the backline at this stage as that's not what Gary has asked them to do, really ever.

 

[Tony Towner]

From memory last season the only PL sides who used a back 5 as their base system were
Wolves, Palace (after the managerial change), Luton and Sheff Utd. Its not like it's some unfathomable conundrum, Wolves just make it so. Fundamentally because since we've been promoted we've signed just one centre half, in the autumn of his career, who does the fundamentals right - with Mosquera potentially being another

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

If/when we move that way then:

a) The full backs need to defend the back stick much, much better
b) We need to keep the ball better (we haven't been good at this since Nuno left)
c) Clearly the CH pairing needs to be right, Kilman and Collins as our attempt in 2022 was a disaster

You can't cling to this comfort blanket of three CHs forever though. I mean we don't even have the same players (bar Doherty, and I don't ever want to see him play a single minute for us again ideally) as we did in 2019 - why would you *need* to play that way.

 

[Johnny75]

They are defensively minded but on evidence (whether it's because of them or Gary's tactics, as I suspect) they are the furthest thing in the world from #6s. I don't think we can anticipate that they'll offer significant shielding for the backline at this stage as that's not what Gary has asked them to do, really ever.

Definitely tactical as Gomes operated as exactly that in Brasil.

 

[Deano]

They are defensively minded but on evidence (whether it's because of them or Gary's tactics, as I suspect) they are the furthest thing in the world from #6s. I don't think we can anticipate that they'll offer significant shielding for the backline at this stage as that's not what Gary has asked them to do, really ever.

In the reports of training and warm up games so far, one of the midfielders has been very deep - often moving back into defence completely when one of the fullbacks pushes on.

 

[Alan]

Definitely tactical as Gomes operated as exactly that in Brasil.

I think it gets tricky with João because one of his key strengths is his "motor", to use the Americanism. I would be concerned that asking him to stay put too much might undermine that side of his game and make him less effective. All theoretical of course.

In the reports of training and warm up games so far, one of the midfielders has been very deep - often moving back into defence completely when one of the fullbacks pushes on.

God bless. I don't necessarily want us doing a Ruben style "CM slides allllllll the way back" but as has been noted on here multiple times, we simply can't go on vacating that zone of the pitch the way we so often did last season.

 

[Johnny75]

I think it gets tricky with João because one of his key strengths is his "motor", to use the Americanism. I would be concerned that asking him to stay put too much might undermine that side of his game and make him less effective. All theoretical of course.

Indeed, his engine is key but that can be used side to side as a shield as Endo and Fabinho did for Liverpool. I think it would suit him well.

God bless. I don't necessarily want us doing a Ruben style "CM slides allllllll the way back" but as has been noted on here multiple times, we simply can't go one vacating that zone of the pitch the way we so often did last season.

Yep, this vacating the midfield nonsense needs to stop, the opposition just press higher and wider.

 

[Alan]

Nothing makes a day feel special like finding common ground with Johnny.

 

[Carsy]

Mario Lemina to be Captain for the coming season

https://twitter.com/x/status/1816806398501736490

Correct choice.

Amazing the majority being underwhelmed with the signing, myself included. Grown up now I guess. Very good player

 

[Lycan]

Ruptured ACL for Enso González.

 

[b3h]

Aw man, that sucks.

 

[The Bear]

It's a real pisser as I thought he could kick on this season. He looked bright in his cameo at the end of last season and thought this year might be his breakthrough.

 

[Quirkafleeg]

Just thinking out loud here. Does Dazzling Dave put out a video if Gary O Neil farts differently ?

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Just thinking out loud here. Does Dazzling Dave put out a video if Gary O Neil farts differently ?

It's amazing how much content he puts out, and it's largely (all?) terrible.

 

[Jinky]

Just thinking out loud here. Does Dazzling Dave put out a video if Gary O Neil farts differently ?

I don’t even know who he is, which on this occasion, sounds like a good thing.

 

[Banjo]

Just thinking out loud here. Does Dazzling Dave put out a video if Gary O Neil farts differently ?

He's a very strange man who seems to be having the time of his life. No idea why his videos get views.