Middlesbrough 3 - 0 Wolves - the verdict.

[oldleemillgold]

So, the cup run is over, it was good while it lasted. (Honest)
When I saw the teams pre-match I told my Boro mates I was with in the pub that they would win 4-0, we just looked so unbalanced. However as the first half progressed our midfield was comfortable on the ball and, after a shaky start, the defence looked solid enough. The energy of Price and Saville (and to a lesser extent Wallace) meant that we got the ball down and passed well with McDonald pulling the strings. A lovely through ball sent Van La Parra clear on the left but instead of running at the goal he kind of ran a little too wide and slowed so that by the time he tried to hold up and find some support he was crowded out and his cross was easily cut out. An out and out attacker (ALF or Afobe) would of ran at the keeper and at least got a shot away.
Then it happened...a ball into the area from our right, a ball we had dealt comfortably with up to that point, just caused Ebanks-Landel to panic. The ball somehow got passed his attempted clearance and Adomah stepped around him and gave Ikeme no chance.
I expected (hoped) that we would see ALF for VLP at half time but that didn't happen and as the game went on EEL and Deslandes were targeted by Adomah and the rest of the Boro attack. The longer the game went, the more EELs head dropped...He began rushing passes and clearances and shanked the ball on a few occasions. Iorfa switched with him, moving to left sided centre back to split him and Deslandes but to no avail. Boro scored two more, one from a cross from our right which found Fabbrini in yards of space and the other from our left scored by Adomah which just showed up the inexperience in the back line.

Ikeme; Could do nothing to prevent the 3 goals and I was sure he got a fingertip on to the shot that crashed against our crossbar. 6
Doherty; Was often left 2 on 1 by the narrow midfield but played really well, good in the air and tried to support going forward as often as he could. 6.5
Iorfa; Was vocal, trying to keep the younger defenders in position but was fighting a losing battle. A captain in the making purhapse. 6
EEL; Dear me...He looked fine until the error for the first goal and then, in the second half, he just lost any confidence..A rabbit in the headlights! 4
Deslandes; Was very nervy early on against Adomah (Boros best player) but came into the game more and looked composed...Until he went missing for the 2nd and 3rd goals. Only young but there is definitely a good player in there. 5
Wallace; Not a right winger...Not a left winger! The boy tried and is competent on the ball. Needs to be played in the #10 role or not at all. 5
Price; The boy didn't miss a beat. He picked up where he left off. Busy, composed, did the basics and very well. Broke play up and played the easy ball. 8 MOTM
McDonald; Reports of a new contract looming could be right...He actually looked like he gave a $#@! or just maybe Price brings out the best in him. 7
Saville; A very busy performance. Switched from the left side to right. Strong in the tackle but sometimes very lose with his passing(or tried difficult passes rather than an easy one). Again, can't play wide and we lacked width until the arrival of Henry but not a bad performance. 6.5
RVLP; This boy is not a #10 and he is not a #9 either! He is fast but just doesn't have the game to play up front. Play him as a winger or don't play him. 4
Enobakare; Was left woefully isolated. Tried to get a couple of runs going on his own but it just wasn't working for him. He would of benefited from having ALF along side him rather than VLP. 5
Subs;
Afobe; Strange sub appearance. Didn't seem to care, didn't put much effort in but then came alive near the box and a few nice lay-offs/touches. 5
ALF; Came on and immediately put himself about, harrying the Boro back line with not much help from his team mates. 5.5
Henry; Came on and suddenly we had width...There was only 9 minutes left but at least we had a player out wide, running at the Boro defence. Mrs D asked why we didn't play him from the start as he clearly gave a damn! 6 (just not long enough on the pitch to warrant more)

A disappointing result in the end but a few bright spots....not many but Jack was back! McD had a partner who got him to look like he cared, Doherty had the best game I've seen from him for some time and Saville looked like he was better than a League One also ran. Sorry but that's all I've got

Best report on the teams performance (or lack of it) that I've read anywhere. Thankyou.

 

[darlowolf64]

Best report on the teams performance (or lack of it) that I've read anywhere. Thankyou.

Thanks OLMG.... I looked delighted at half time

 

[machin05]

Famous!

 

[The Bear]

Cheers for the report Darlo.

 

[Langers]

I'm no superfan but I am a supporter and that's what should be happening here, instead of shouting fucks at people.

I quite agree.

 

[Penk Wolf]

I quite agree.

I'm in the 'Couldn't give shit and can't be arsed camp' and I think a growing number of fans that seem to be having the same feeling is probably more worrying than the shouty types.

I'm meant to be at Preston on Saturday, but think I'd rather stay on the piss in Blackpool.

 

[Lord Knows]

Wouldn't it be nice for once for a set of supporters to actually support and give ower lads some love, instead of vile threats because things aren't going so badly. I mean its not as if Jackett has been under achieving for the last two seasons for supporters to actually think its correct to throw insults and stupid 'Pie Man' and 'Scouse Mafia' comments. We've had a League One title and missed out on the Playoffs with record high number of points. Its about time ower so called fans stepped up to the plate and tried to support the lads through this rough period.

I think I've mellowed in my old age, but one thing that aggrieves me these days is not bad football, but supporters heckling, calling players cunts and wankers etc etc. Its getting like that again it seems... I wish you'd all fuck off tbh.

You right of course, without clarity from boardroom level regards expectancy this season its difficult for fans brought up in a microwave society to look at the bigger picture. Long term planning have never really been on the Wolves menu.

 

[machin05]

Kenny has said a number of times that our expectation for this season is promotion.

 

[Lord Knows]

Kenny has said a number of times that our expectation for this season is promotion.

I guess a dozen or so Championship managers will utter such pre season thoughts, its an industry built on dreams.

 

[playtheace]

Kenny has said a number of times that our expectation for this season is promotion.

He has to say that though or maybe hes in cloud cuckoo land.

KJ seems to want to be the architect of his own downfall, lots of people can see where its going wrong but nothings done.
Its very strange.

Maybe should be for the E&S thread but Tim MK2 seems to hit a lot of things on the head in his pieces for the local rag.

Put players in their natural positions:
"George Saville on the left wing and Rajiv Van La Parra up front are two experiments that, on this evidence, should not be repeated"
Neither experiment worked. In fact you had to feel sorry for the players in question, who had both been itching for a first team chance and finally got it, only to find themselves in an unnatural position.
Saville was even bizarrely switched with Wallace to play on the right wing at times.Square pegs have never fitted into round holes, and they never will"


For Saturday:
"If he (Byrne) and James Henry are used on the flanks, Benik Afobe and Adam Le Fondre centrally and Price and McDonald in the middle, Wolves have more chance of flourishing than not"

 

[Jolemai]

It may well be that against Preston.

 

[croxdenabbey]

I think we've all become a bit 'numb'. The fact that there was no actual 'Matchday Thread' for the Boro' game shows the inertia that is creeping in. I'm a superfan of nigh on half a century. I wear my 'Wolves' tie at school and I follow every game in any manner that is available. However, I am a bit tired of Kenny's bland statements and I find the 'backwards momentum' from the near-miss of promotion, last season, to be of great concern. Why is there such a lack of confidence in some of our players? Why doesn't Kenny know who is best players are? Why sell Stearman? Why spend £1m on a 'bench warmer'? We really do seem to lack ambition. We even seem to lack direction and every game sees a different side with 'square pegs in round holes', no coherence, odd substitutions and players that look increasingly disinterested. Sorry, but it just doesn't feel too good, at present. Who else can we moan at besides Morgan, Moxey and Jackett. I really hope Jackett can turn this load of crap around as I like him. But I fear he's being liked less and less, whether or not the blame for our slump lies at his feet. We can still achieve promotion but I fear that this will be beyond us, unless we are able to get an experienced centre-half and a half-decent full-back on loan and our forwards can actually do what they are paid to do (score goals) instead of being the limp, impotent, sorry bunch they have become. I hope I'm regretting writing this in a month's time with 10 more points or more in the bag.

 

[malta mick]

good post CA

 

[Langers]

I think we've all become a bit 'numb'. The fact that there was no actual 'Matchday Thread' for the Boro' game shows the inertia that is creeping in.

No, it shows it was a cup game. For which inertia kicked in when Frank was in short trousers.

 

[croxdenabbey]

No, it shows it was a cup game. For which inertia kicked in when Frank was in short trousers.

My God, Langers, they were playing in the village with a pig's bladder way back then!

 

[Jolemai]

My God, Langers, they were playing in the village with a pig's bladder way back then!

Frank showing his political colours at a young age then?

 

[Wolf Hunting]

If I remember correctly, Jackett said after the game something along the lines of, "...we couldn't see where we were going to get past their defense, ....we couldn't see that man, ....we didn't know where he was going to come from..."
Well he certainly wasn't coming from the bench!
And Kenny, they're all your players, they're all your choices, we really don't want to hear you saying you couldn't see where that player (who could take on and beat his man) was going to come from.
Jesus!