Tottenham 2-0 Wolves: Verdict, 16/05/21

[big mean bunny]

I mean I watched in isolation from this forum/thread completely as had loads on today, and whilst I wouldn't say I enjoyed it I am surprised by some of the reactions a tad, it wasn't good but an inexperienced side against a side full of quality and pushing for the top 4 I was disappointed but not distraught at the end. The main thing was we were lacking quality where it was needed. The good bits were too far apart.

Hoever looks decent to me error aside, and Semedo looked more than solid over on the left, the ball Hoever clipped through for Traore on the quick change of possession and a few other bits all showed signs of being a top level player at least eventually.

I think that team in that shape with 3 or 4 added bits of quality or better depth and there is something there for me.

 

[Sam-Wolf]

Agreeing with basically everyone here - certainly wasn't encouraged by the performance today.

One thing I am massively annoyed about though, is the learning of the Podence surgery. Everyone on this forum knew there was something up with him. It's clear that we were going to be stuck in mid-table obscurity, not really looking up or down, for a long time, why have we been playing him and risking both the injury and the backlash from fans for potentially lacklustre performances.

If Adama really is our only fit winger, and everyone on here can see that Fabio is better with either a partner or at least someone close to him. Why have we not tried going back to the sort of 352/532 formation that we played so much in our first year back in the premier league? Ait Nouri is certainly looking more confident now and in places has utilised that entire right flank on his own, and Semedo could do the same on the right - Adama and him generally get in each others way anyway. On top of that, I think Dendoncker's best form for us is also in that formation when he's had a bit more licence to get up and down the pitch. Playing this formation would have given us the ability to play Vitinha/or Gibbs-White and allowed them to move forward more. The only major issue I see is who partners Fabs up top. I have always been massively against Traore up there in a two, but if it's worth having a go it's surely got to be better. I've been massively disappointed with Willian Jose too, but he also strikes me as someone who would be better with more people around him to link up with.

Interested to know what people would see as the pitfalls of this?

 

[GLASGOWOLF]

Doncks been awful for ages. He’s somehow managed to look like a defender playing in CM but then doesn’t bring any of those defensive qualities To midfield either.



Well I don’t know the moment Neville was on about. Did he try to shield it out and get mugged off? In which case it was maybe a tad stupid or good play by opponent. If he did the same as Hoever then it was lazy and stupid (good players can still do stupid things...).

Beckham did.it 1 minute before Halftime in a world cup qtr final, we were 1 up against Brazil thanks To Owen.
1 minute befire half time Beckham hurdled the ball 20 seconds later it was 1 -1.
Ranaldinho then lobbed Seaman from 50 yards we lose 2 -1

Every defender has done that

 

[Derby Wolf]

Can anyone please explain to me what qualities Dendoncker brings to the team? He doesn't tackle or break up play well, his passing is mediocre at best, his movement is almost non existent, he doesn't score many goals... I just don't know what he does well enough to be in the team. Please enlighten me.

As this season has been progressed I've been referring to him as Waitrose Dave. He's lost the things that were of benefit to us in the first two seasons and now just runs around lots and might score one every 25 games.

If he reverts to years 1 and 2 he could be a perfectly reasonable squad member next year, if he starts next season in the same vein I'd move him on.

 

[northfield wolf]

The highlights of Dendonkers season. Great header against West Ham.......and thats about it.

 

[sycophantia]

He's had a poor season, there's no denying that, but the whole team has been misfiring all through. He did good work for us previously so hopefully its just form. I would give him another season personally, whether or not he's first choice depends on if he can rediscover that form plus what our recruitment is over the Summer

 

[AndyWolves]

He should have 3 or 4 goals this season

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

He should have 3 or 4 goals this season

More than that! He has one, should have had 2 v Villa, 1 v Arsenal, 2 away at Leicester, there were plenty of other good chances too.
He seems to either blaze it over, or hit it too weakly, somewhere in-between would have meant he was leading scorer this season. Frustrating, because when you remember his goals v Fulham and v Everton his technique was really good.

 

[sycophantia]

More than that! He has one, should have had 2 v Villa, 1 v Arsenal, 2 away at Leicester, there were plenty of other good chances too.
He seems to either blaze it over, or hit it too weakly, somewhere in-between would have meant he was leading scorer this season. Frustrating, because when you remember his goals v Fulham and v Everton his technique was really good.

I think thats been part of the problem, at the start of the season he was playing ok and was getting into some great goal scoring positions but couldn't convert them....affected his confidence and gone downhill ever since.

 

[YoungWolf]

Have only seen first half so far (will watch second half tonight probably due to work) but...

- We defended pretty well for 40 minutes
- Had spells of possession but not enough in their half.
- Vitinha really struggled.
- Coady was good until him and Saiss just decided to let them pass straight through them for the goal.
- Semedo dealt with the diagonal balls from Dier to Bale pretty well.
- Adama was working really hard and those runs through the middle were great.
- Was Hoever really bad in the second half? He was absolutely fine first half give or take a couple of sloppy touches/passes (a bit like MGW)

 

[Jinky]

Watched it on my phone in a pub beer garden with my Spurs supporting mate. It's a sad state of affairs and says everything about how this season has gone, but I genuinely couldn't muster the enthusiasm to watch most of it. I switched off my phone after the second goal went in as I'd had enough.

We were slow, lethargic, tepid and second best to more or less every ball. My mate commented that it was the easiest match they've had in a long time because they kept us penned in to our own half for so much of the match (4% possession in the final third of the Spurs half at about 35 minutes in, iirc).

There is a photo doing the rounds online of Adama with the ball and three Spurs defenders around him in the 87th minute of the match, 2-0 down, and not a single Wolves player anywhere near the box. Says it all.

I had enough of watching us weeks ago and it looked like the players had also had enough of playing then - still does. What's most disappointing is the younger players who should be well up for it - Vitinha, Fabio & Hoever - also looked bang average.

Just want this season to end, but unfortunately, still don't trust the recruitment team to get the right players in this summer to improve and refresh us ready for next season.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Hoever was absolutely fine other than a brain fart where he tried to let the ball go out and Regulon managed to nip in and steal it from him and that ultimately lead to the goal.

 

[Tredman]

Have only seen first half so far (will watch second half tonight probably due to work) but...

- We defended pretty well for 40 minutes
- Had spells of possession but not enough in their half.
- Vitinha really struggled.
- Coady was good until him and Saiss just decided to let them pass straight through them for the goal.
- Semedo dealt with the diagonal balls from Dier to Bale pretty well.
- Adama was working really hard and those runs through the middle were great.
- Was Hoever really bad in the second half? He was absolutely fine first half give or take a couple of sloppy touches/passes (a bit like MGW)

It was a stupid goal to give away from Hoever, but no I didn't think he was that bad. Didn't really do a lot which was a shame as he was much more involved in an attackign sense last week. Then again the Spurs front 4 were rather better than Brighton's attackers.

 

[broughtonwolf]

Agreeing with basically everyone here - certainly wasn't encouraged by the performance today.

One thing I am massively annoyed about though, is the learning of the Podence surgery. Everyone on this forum knew there was something up with him. It's clear that we were going to be stuck in mid-table obscurity, not really looking up or down, for a long time, why have we been playing him and risking both the injury and the backlash from fans for potentially lacklustre performances.

If Adama really is our only fit winger, and everyone on here can see that Fabio is better with either a partner or at least someone close to him. Why have we not tried going back to the sort of 352/532 formation that we played so much in our first year back in the premier league? Ait Nouri is certainly looking more confident now and in places has utilised that entire right flank on his own, and Semedo could do the same on the right - Adama and him generally get in each others way anyway. On top of that, I think Dendoncker's best form for us is also in that formation when he's had a bit more licence to get up and down the pitch. Playing this formation would have given us the ability to play Vitinha/or Gibbs-White and allowed them to move forward more. The only major issue I see is who partners Fabs up top. I have always been massively against Traore up there in a two, but if it's worth having a go it's surely got to be better. I've been massively disappointed with Willian Jose too, but he also strikes me as someone who would be better with more people around him to link up with.

Interested to know what people would see as the pitfalls of this?

On the Podence front, without any medical expertise or being privy to records, it's hard to know, but maybe the medical team thought it was an issue that would resolve itself through time on the pitch and now accept it won't?

On the 352/532 I think you have answered it yourself. We are free of relegation threat and not threatening any great leap up the table, so now is the ideal time to try and get the 4 at the back sorted. As Neville pointed out in commentary, they have to be committed to the change to see it through. We have to get our current players comfortable with 4 at the back, then the next step is getting them comfortable with being able to switch systems when required. Presumably last step is to integrate new players.

The Jose point is moot, his contribution as such has been to take the immediate pressure off Fabio, from which we are beginning to see rewards (not particulary yesterday). It's inconceivable that we will commit to buy, at least at the prices quoted, so irrelevant the system or players he operates with.

 

[YoungWolf]

Oh yeah, at least we know Podence isn't a coward now

 

[Freddeno]

Traore, then nothing, nothing and nothing... Hoever not ready..next..

 

[Johnny75]

Traore, then nothing, nothing and nothing... Hoever not ready..next..

This feels like a really bad haiku.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

I wonder how differently this season may have gone had we still got Phil Hayward, he left in February 2020 and it feels like our injuries have soared since then.

Of course there is nothing anyone could have done regarding Raul (apart from Luiz not being a massive clumsy cunt) but i wonder if the Podence, Neto, Boly and Jonny injuries would have had a different outcome with him still at the club, or if it's just bad luck and the mega season of 19/20 that fucked us! Of course it's probably a combination of all 3.

 

[Kenny]

I wonder how differently this season may have gone had we still got Phil Hayward, he left in February 2020 and it feels like our injuries have soared since then.

Of course there is nothing anyone could have done regarding Raul (apart from Luiz not being a massive clumsy cunt) but i wonder if the Podence, Neto, Boly and Jonny injuries would have had a different outcome with him still at the club, or if it's just bad luck and the mega season of 19/20 that fucked us! Of course it's probably a combination of all 3.

Looking around at most teams in the Prem this year there have been a huge amount of injuries. Normally you get 50% of injuries at a Steve Bruce club and the other 19 clubs make up the other 50% . This season seems to have hit everyone, especially in terms of muscle injuries. We've had more of them this year than we have had in the previous 3 seasons (source. Made it up based lack of desire to look and taking what I think is true. Thats how the internet works). Then of course we have had some ridiculous bad luck with Raul, Neto & Jonny

 

[The Bear]

How have LA Galaxy's injuries been since he joined?