Man Utd 0-1 Wolves: Verdict and Vic burnt his backside thread.

[Carsy]

It is and always has been about how the opposition set up, against a midfield 3 they often struggle. Against whatever version of 4222 United were playing last night they will dominate

Also helps with the defence not being as deep meaning they’re in affect covering a smaller amount of space.

I can’t recall them being dominated too much this season. Last season was totally different, Ofcourse

 

[sycophantia]

If youre not fit you dont play. Pitch or bench for me.

Bruno handled the situation perfectly imo, played our best (only?) striker, it wasn't working (as far as scoring was concerned) so made a change.
Raul was obviously fit enough to start but was running out of steam. Don't think it's quite as straightforward as 'play if fit, don't if not' unless you're City/Liverpool/Chelsea.

 

[Tom Hark]

He missed some sitters last season to be fair. 4 or 5 six yard box misses that a decent striker should be burying. Raul and Hwang have missed a couple this year too.

If we're being fair, so too do Mané and Salah. Personally, I find it very easy to apply confirmation bias when I get an idea in my head, and I think I've been doing it with both Fabio (negative) and Adama (positive). (I did this very effectively with Christian Benteke for a good two or three years, starting at Villa. Mind you, he did make it easy for me.) I've rewatched Fabio's cameo a couple of times and he did somehow look a different player last night. Whether that's due to something that's happened in training, or improved confidence or whatever, or just a one-off, remains to be seen. For the first time, though, I saw a bit of the potential in there that some on here have already spotted. He looked like a footballer rather than a kid running round in his dad's shirt.

 

[sycophantia]

Also helps with the defence not being as deep meaning they’re in affect covering a smaller amount of space.

I can’t recall them being dominated too much this season. Last season was totally different, Ofcourse

Think the way Sa plays helps with this, defence and midfield can afford to be further up the pitch.

 

[Law's Bus]

and if we put him on the bench and started Fabio the call would be "well if he can make the bench, he should start"... no win situation

According to Spiers (yes, I know...) Fabio wasn't fit either and was only OK for about 20 mins.

We basically had no fully fit centre-forwards last night.

 

[MARKakaJIM]

Perhaps it's because I'm reading the thread this morning, but I think there's a lot of ott comments. Not about the performance as a whole, we played well ,more over individuals.

Podence was lively, a constant danger and our most likely creator, but often picked the wrong option, normally by keeping the ball too long and trying to take on a man too many.

Semedo is doing his best and is to be commended for constantly being an outlet, but if we had an actual wing back there we'd have been ahead at half time. Again not his fault, but it's a glaring issue for me in games like yesterday. Defensively he's good, bordering on very good, but if for example we had Trippier or someone of that ilk there we'd score a lot more. If we are staying with 3 at the back then we are going to continue to see good positions come to nothing.

As for Fabio, he did what you'd expect of a forward when you are protecting a lead, which is what his job was after the first 30 seconds. He worked hard, won a couple of free kicks, but nothing you wouldn't expect from Ashley Barnes or Shane Long in a similar situation. Good on him for that, but that's all it was.

Raul is a worry, he started the season off the pace, then looked his old self, then got unfairly criticised when isolated in the Burnley and Norwich games, but since then starting with his bizarre City sending off he's been off the pace, some of the offsides yesterday just looked plain lazy. I'm really not sure what's up with him.

What wasn't ott was the midfield 2. They were imperious

Disagree with you on the Semedo/Trippier comparison.

Not sure what you feel the latter is going to add significantly, his delivery is better for the most part but who's he actually delivering to? No-one makes the early run for those first time crosses to be worthwhile. You'd either end up with an alternate to Traore lumping stuff into the box that no-one gets near or he'd have to change his game and be the same as Semedo, taking an extra touch whilst waiting for support.

The wingbacks get way too much flack for their lack of incisiveness in my eyes, they just get played into dead ends all the time and expected to carve something out of nothing.

 

[Tony Towner]

I can’t recall them being dominated too much this season. Last season was totally different, Ofcourse

Villa and Brentford are 2 that spring to mind

 

[Tom Hark]

This has surely got to go on the banner:

 

[WolfMan]

Doesn't seem long ago that many Wolves fans wanted Saiss, Coady and Joao out of the team/sold.

They've well and truly stuck that narrative up their arses.

Must admit I wanted Coady gone a while ago, he's really proved me wrong. I'm delighted he has though!

 

[Tony Towner]

Tbf I don't think anyone has said they wanted Coady out of a back 3. Just that they don't think he's the player for a 4

 

[Wilf Wolf]

If youre not fit you dont play. Pitch or bench for me.

That is a sweeping statement that is far too black and white. Lee Dixon played about 700 games and I recall an interview where he said there were only about 20 where he was 100% fit without any issue whatsoever. Should he only have played those 20 games? Obviously not, so the question is more how fit does a player have to be to play and that will depend on the alternative options. In Raul’s case there aren’t many especially with Hwang out and Silva apparently also struggling after Covid.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Tbf I don't think anyone has said they wanted Coady out of a back 3. Just that they don't think he's the player for a 4

No, not having that, many wanted him replaced last season, and that was with a back 3.

 

[YoungWolf]

In a back three I don't know why anyone would see him as the priority to be replaced. I'm quite keen to see him in a back four now as I think he's added to his game a lot this season with Bruno asking him to do a lot more in his role. So be interesting it he could cope. Think he'd be OK but might be a step too far if we want to challenge for Europe in that shape.

 

[Throbber3]

That is a sweeping statement that is far too black and white. Lee Dixon played about 700 games and I recall an interview where he said there were only about 20 where he was 100% fit without any issue whatsoever. Should he only have played those 20 games? Obviously not, so the question is more how fit does a player have to be to play and that will depend on the alternative options. In Raul’s case there aren’t many especially with Hwang out and Silva apparently also struggling after Covid.

Thats fair enough , but you qualify that he is on the bench as he is recovering from COVID. Sticking him straight in then excusing a poor performance because of COVID post game would not be the right approach for me.

 

[AndyWolves]

Thats fair enough , but you qualify that he is on the bench as he is recovering from COVID. Sticking him straight in then excusing a poor performance because of COVID post game would not be the right approach for me.

Is it not as simple as a knackered Raul is better than a knackered Fabio? And that was the choice Bruno had to make

 

[SSB]

Usually hate a visit to Old Trafford, but yesterday's was one of the better ones.

 

[AndyWolves]

Is it not as simple as a knackered Raul is better than a knackered Fabio? And that was the choice Bruno had to make

@Jasperwolf you're going to have to tell me what you find amusing about this post?

 

[nimrod]

That is a sweeping statement that is far too black and white. Lee Dixon played about 700 games and I recall an interview where he said there were only about 20 where he was 100% fit without any issue whatsoever. Should he only have played those 20 games? Obviously not, so the question is more how fit does a player have to be to play and that will depend on the alternative options. In Raul’s case there aren’t many especially with Hwang out and Silva apparently also struggling after Covid.

like JR before the '74 league cup final. i think he was about to hobble off and then he scored the winner

 

[Throbber3]

@Jasperwolf you're going to have to tell me what you find amusing about this post?

I forgot Fabio had covid too so the point is moot!

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

In a back three I don't know why anyone would see him as the priority to be replaced. I'm quite keen to see him in a back four now as I think he's added to his game a lot this season with Bruno asking him to do a lot more in his role. So be interesting it he could cope. Think he'd be OK but might be a step too far if we want to challenge for Europe in that shape.

I think people just get bored, and lose some sense of logic, he like Saiss have been with the club a long time and sometimes people just want something new and "sexier".

He's been a revelation since moving to CB, he's a fantastic man and captain, and other than a 10 or so game wobble last season, when everyone was below par he has been superb. This season adding bite and assertiveness to his game (clearly on instruction) he has been seen regularly snapping into tackles, and interceptions (a few last night) 10-15 yards further forward that we would have seen him in years gone by under Nuno. Also the myth of him being bullied by more physical players has been put to bed by how well he has dealt with Antonio, Wood among others this season.