Luton 1-1 Wolves: Verdict Thread

[Dire Wolf]

You really do have a downer on Sa don't you?
He made a superb save to keep it at 0-0 today and was generally OK for the entire game.
He didn't cost us a goal. He didn't make any daft decisions other than when Dawson didn't hear him. A typical defensive mix up that happens to all teams occasionally.

He is not afraid to come out for the ball and usually gets it. He is a pretty good reaction keeper partic. from close range.
OK, last season wasn't the greatest but he was carrying two injuries. His first season was better than Patricio at any point and he gave us another dimension.

Sa is far from our worst problem and yes, he hasn't hit his first season highs, I agree. However, if you think Bentley is going to do better, then you are grossly mistaken. Any keeper behind this defence is going to have problems.

I think I mostly agree with this, except he seems to be more prone to brainfarts than most keepers. He's not as big a problem as Kilman. Who is a bona-fide liability.

 

[Tony Towner]

I think O'Neill is being sincere in this video about his disappointment with the first half performance, but that makes me question the preparation. I didn't watch that half, but Luton only have 2 styles of play, they either defend deep with men behind the ball and try and hit you on the counter, which is more what they've been doing in the PL, or they try and overpower you by winning one on one battles and get in your face, which is what they did in the Championship. This suggests to me we were expecting the former, which given their situation, ours and them being at home seems naive

O'Neil 'can't get head around' Luton penalty decision

Gary O'Neil bemoans the penalty decision given against his Wolves side in their 1-1 draw at Luton in the Premier League.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Jinky]

I think O'Neill is being sincere in this video about his disappointment with the first half performance, but that makes me question the preparation. I didn't watch that half, but Luton only have 2 styles of play, they either defend deep with men behind the ball and try and hit you on the counter, which is more what they've been doing in the PL, or they try and overpower you by winning one on one battles and get in your face, which is what they did in the Championship. This suggests to me we were expecting the former, which given their situation, ours and them being at home seems naive

O'Neil 'can't get head around' Luton penalty decision

Gary O'Neil bemoans the penalty decision given against his Wolves side in their 1-1 draw at Luton in the Premier League.

www.bbc.co.uk

The issue I have with this is, he got it right against Liverpool and we were well on top in the first half. Then he was out-managed and out-thought by Klopp after the break and he had no answer to their tactical changes, so we went on to lose the game.

Yesterday it’s the opposite - he gets it wrong from the start. But at no point did I feel GoN was going to do what Klopp did last week by changing the course of the game. Instead, his substitutions were negative and we had little to no interest in trying to win that game. Even with 10 players, we have enough talent in the squad to go on and win the game against Luton, but he’s so bloody negative.

Dropping Hwang 20 yards deeper to stop Semedo being done like a kipper every time they have the ball is not the sign of some managerial masterstroke that some were trying to make out it was in the matchday thread yesterday. As others have said, he should be tweaking & playing about with a side in league 1 or 2 while he learns his trade. Not the PL where it’s actively hindering us.

 

[PuntsWolf]

Dropping Hwang 20 yards deeper to stop Semedo being done like a kipper every time they have the ball is not the sign of some managerial masterstroke that some were trying to make out it was in the matchday thread yesterday. As others have said, he should be tweaking & playing about with a side in league 1 or 2 while he learns his trade. Not the PL where it’s actively hindering us.

Christ. No one was trying to make it out to be a managerial masterstroke. You were making out that it was the worst change in history, when it had the desired effect. Which was just very silly, and even more silly that you keep trying to repeat it.

There is an ever growing amount of sticks to beat GON with. Picking one that isn’t and then continuing to bang a drum with it just detracts from any legitimate point about his tactical nous you may make.

 

[Carsy]

I agree with that assessment, Tony, but it strikes me that many of our conceded goals have come from nothing, or a spectacularly rapid breakdown on our own part.

I don’t trust our ability to keep a clean sheet.

I genuinely think with no penalty they could’ve played another 100 minutes and not scored. They’re more toothless than us.

It’s never a penalty, but, again it comes from our own making. Sa does not need to play quick ball in the match situation.

He’s always been erratic with his brain farts, but this year more and more they are being punished and costing us points.

I have no idea on Bentley as a keeper, but I’d be having a serious think. Surely Sa can’t be that thick and should know himself when to and when not to

 

[prawnking]

If what GON says carries any weight then he must be getting close to losing patience with Sa also, especially with his constant mentioning of craziness and unpredictability.

If Bentley has a storming game v Ipswich?...

 

[Wilf Wolf]

W

Christ. No one was trying to make it out to be a managerial masterstroke. You were making out that it was the worst change in history, when it had the desired effect. Which was just very silly, and even more silly that you keep trying to repeat it.

There is an ever growing amount of sticks to beat GON with. Picking one that isn’t and then continuing to bang a drum with it just detracts from any legitimate point about his tactical nous you may make.

Our initial approach was shocking and moving Hwang certainly steadied the ship and got us into the game until half time. Difficult to make an objective judgement on the second half given we were a man down and the incompetence of VAR. Nothing GO has done or said makes me think he’s the right man for the job and I doubt he’ll be here by Christmas but there’s little credibility in criticising everything he does, especially when occasionally it works. Even a blind squirrel finds the odd nut!

 

[Quirkafleeg]

It's sad that some are calling for Bentley. We've been blessed in that area, Ruddy, Patricio. Sa is a fucking clusterfuck, but is Bentley much better ?

 

[Lycan]

It's sad that some are calling for Bentley. We've been blessed in that area, Ruddy, Patricio. Sa is a fucking clusterfuck, but is Bentley much better ?

He's not but if you keep making the exact same mistakes week after week surely there have to be consequences. Sá has been shocking for too long now, his initial 3 months and the odd game like Everton have proven to be outliers.

 

[Quirkafleeg]

He's not but if you keep making the exact same mistakes week after week surely there have to be consequences. Sá has been shocking for too long now, his initial 3 months and the odd game like Everton have proven to be outliers.

Sa has been extremely lucky. If there wasn't any turmoil between Fosun and Lopetegui then a new keeper was on it's way.

 

[Kenny]

Well, the worst take on yesterday has been found.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

https://x.com/LFCApproved/status/1705862786444652708?s=20

 

[Tony Towner]

Plastic scouse prick

 

[Tony Towner]

It's not what you think it is EP, read the comments below. He's taking the piss

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

A rare sighting of PTS putting the boot in on a player (about bloody time):

Jose Sa, whose horrible throw-out to put Lemina in trouble led directly to the penalty incident, is an accident waiting to happen

 

[AndyWolves]

I understand there is an "explanation" around the penalty and something to do with the ball being deflected rather than played

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

From the same article (it isn't a very good explanation, simply because you can't explain away obvious bollocks):

Yet sources, who wished to remain anonymous to protect relationships within the game, have told The Athletic that Wolves players were told on the field by referee Josh Smith that he had seen the ball strike Gomes’ leg en route to his arm in real-time but still awarded the penalty because Gomes’ arm was in an unnatural position.

That explanation was supported by recently retired referee Andre Marriner, who sat in the directors’ box with officials from both clubs.

This season’s ‘Competition Guidance’ handbook from the Premier League and PGMOL states that handball will be awarded when a player “touches the ball with their hand/arm when it has made their body ‘unnaturally bigger’”.

But in the next section, “mitigating factors” include a “clear change of trajectory when played by the same player”.

Guidance from PGMOL at the weekend said Gomes was penalised because Smith and VAR John Brooks deemed he had not “played” the ball with his leg but had “deflected” the cross from Issa Kabore onto his hand, thus rendering the change of trajectory irrelevant.

Still, two days on, it feels like the most tenuous of explanations, given Gomes clearly made a conscious effort to block the cross with an outstretched leg.

Given that “proximity” is also listed as a mitigating factor, and it could be argued Gomes’ arms were extended “naturally” for balance as a consequence of his attempted block with his leg, the ruling seemed impossible to justify and Mike Dean, the former Premier League referee and current Sky Sports pundit, agreed.

“I think it’s in a normal position,” said Dean. “He turns to block the cross and it’s come off his foot or his knee and it might even hit his chest on the way up.

“I just don’t think it’s a penalty kick. I’m surprised it wasn’t overturned.”

Oh, Permatan agrees does he? Big wow.

It's not a penalty.

 

[Tony Towner]

Yes, that's in the PTS article, it's rubbish though and not how the law/guidance is written unless you are deliberately looking to misinterpret. Be interesting to see if Webb tries to stand that up today

 

[pr0sl0]

That interpretation of the mitigating factors is so bizarre. It's mitigated if the player "plays" the ball, but not if it's passively deflected?

So not only does it imply that if an opposition player smacks the ball at you, deliberately aiming for your hand, then it's a penalty - but if that's taken to its literal exteme then it also implies that a defending player could deliberately volley a ball up and slap it away with their hands, and it wouldn't be handball because it would demonstrate clear intent to play the ball. Completely nonsensical interpretation.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Should also point out that the still showcases some absolutely textbook Doherty "defending". Allegedly at LWB but he's just ambling around in the penalty area, marking no-one, stopping nothing.

Tubby prick.