Notts Forest 1-1 Wolves: Verdict Thread

[big mean bunny]

Only just caught up on the game. I have been pretty critical of Sa but some of the comments in the match day thread made it seem like a howler. He will be disappointed however the Forest goal is much worse from a keepers angles and actions, makes himself small by going low far too quickly and should be getting something on the Podence strike. I'd be livid at him if I was his coach, where as with Sat he retreat isn't too much of a problem as he resets and has given himself a good stance.

 

[ROVERT47]

Very sanctimonious crap from Cooper and portraying Forest as the sweet little innocent angels.
Comments almost as bad as Warnocks xenophobia after we beat Cardiff.
Well Stevie at your manor less than 12 months ago you had a full on pitch invasion that resulted in a former player being seriously assaulted.

Cooper like Howe and Gary O’Neil is the beneficiary of the commentators, pundits, media’s version of, “he’s one of our own”.

 

[lupollet3]

Shockingly bad performance. No redeeming features (other than Neves looking, as he always does) like a premier league footballer.
Sa is a disaster waiting to happen, Dawson and Lemina showing why we paid what we did.
Cunha, Sarabia and Nunes probably the worst £100m ever spent.
Neto has gone.
Kilman and Semedo a liability.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Cunha, Sarabia and Nunes probably the worst £100m ever spent.

Not that the above cost £100m but Guedes, Cutrone and Hwang are a far worse trio of signings.

 

[Jinky]

Just seen this. Our pass map from the match. Just under 75% possession. That’s a LOT of safe, shit, predictable, slow, boring, sideways and backwards passing.

We’ve got to be the first side in Premier League history to have that much possession but to only create one shot on target.

Absolute shite.

Lop needs to ditch this horseshoe of doom stuff, ditch this idea that playing loads of defensive minded midfielders is a good idea, and actually get us playing forward, playing in patterns and actually creating something past the half way line. Easier said then done, but as touched on yesterday, we’ve got the players that can do it if he picks them.

They should be embarrassed looking at the pass map above.

 

[Sniffer]

It’s no horseshoe.

 

[MARKakaJIM]

View attachment 7096
Just seen this. Our pass map from the match. Just under 75% possession. That’s a LOT of safe, shit, predictable, slow, boring, sideways and backwards passing.

We’ve got to be the first side in Premier League history to have that much possession but to only create one shot on target.

Absolute shite.

Lop needs to ditch this horseshoe of doom stuff, ditch this idea that playing loads of defensive minded midfielders is a good idea, and actually get us playing forward, playing in patterns and actually creating something past the half way line. Easier said then done, but as touched on yesterday, we’ve got the players that can do it if he picks them.

They should be embarrassed looking at the pass map above.

This problem long predates this manager, at some point you have to question whether the bit in bold is actually the reality.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

It’s no horseshoe.

Agreed, I hate that stupid phrase. Doesn't even make sense.

 

[Johnny75]

It’s no horseshoe.

How can you not see that's a horseshoe?

 

[Johnny75]

Agreed, I hate that stupid phrase. Doesn't even make sense.

You might not like the phrase but it isn't stupid and does make sense as the pattern above proves.

 

[Alan]

It proves that we’re shite pretty much everywhere in the final third. Not breaking news.

 

[leedswolf]

You might not like the phrase but it isn't stupid and does make sense as the pattern above proves.

Only if you take advantage of the space the tactic is designed to create.

 

[Sniffer]

How can you not see that's a horseshoe?

Far less advanced wide area play compared to heat maps of the past. Shows the ball further forward in central areas but spread across the pitch. From what I see there is little or nothing in the final third, suggesting playing a side who were compact in banks of four protecting their area.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

It's a really silly, reductive phrase that people are throwing out whenever we play poorly.

If you have two central midfielders sat on the toes of the centre halves and all the attacks down the flanks - we have had this in the past without a doubt - then I suppose it applies. Lately, not so much.

Look at Villa's heatmap from Saturday.

Must have been rubbish, surely, looks a bit like a horseshoe to me? Except they won 2-0 at Chelsea and it could have been 5-0.

 

[PuntsWolf]

Far less advanced play because we spent half the time passing it amongst the CBs, then into midfield only for it to get bounced back, then drop Neves into CB, play it into mdifeld, bounced back, then drop Lemina into CB, pass it amongst ourselves and then long ball out wide - repeat.

Fucking dogshit and we weren’t even being pressed. Forest just let us do if.

The old horsehoe was with the WBs as we used to go pretty direct out there but not cross it and just play back into midfield.

 

[C.L.D]

I wonder if Lop has a relegation clause. All this tinkering is not what you want with the stakes being so high. Either that or he knows EPL managers can be "sacked" no matter how long on your deal, so he's prepared to just potter about if it happens, he'll get his buyout.

It feels like we've been saying all season we're not as bad a squad, doubly so after what appeared to be a good transfer window and yet here we are.

Fosun/Shi really did just think their job was done/sorted after promotion season signings went well. "Clearly this works, don't need to do anything else" and now we reap the benefits.

 

[Jinky]

How can you not see that's a horseshoe?

I didn't want to get in to a second debate last night so just left it

But I have no idea how you can't see a horseshoe either.

The reality is, we pass it across the backline from side to side. We have one of the central midfielders stood in-between the two centre backs (I've absolutely no idea why we are still doing this in 2023), it goes in to one of the other central midfielders and then back to the defenders again. Occasionally we pass it forward to one of the full backs who struggle to advance further up the pitch, so they go back again - and if we're *really* lucky, Adama (or whichever winger has randomly been picked) might occasionally progress up the channel before we inevitably pass it backwards again or try a low cut back cross.

Shit saying or not, it is literally a horseshoe.

 

[Tony Towner]

It literally isn't. Bugbear of mine

 

[Johnny75]

It literally isn't. Bug bear of mine

You're wrong.

Edit: Forgot TT was a pedant. As you were.

 

[Wolftone]

We move the ball too slow, it's two-touch all the time because of lack of movement in midfield. Nothing is created through the middle of the pitch. I'm hoping the lack of Neves might encourage Lopetegui to play Nunes through the middle of midfield and at least give another
option to Podence/Adama as an out-ball. Wouldn't hold my breath though.
He'll probably go with Lemina and Moutinho. Yawn.
*Neves not nerves. F***ing Auto correct