Villa 0-0 Wolves: Verdict Thread

[Deutsch Wolf]

This this absolutely this!

Just so I have this right, Cyber, you want us to keep playing a striker who:

- We don't own
- We won't sign, and we have nothing to play for as we won't go down, won't make Europe and aren't in any cups
- Is keeping out our own £35m signing
- Does not offer any kind of out ball
- Never moves
- Has no pace
- Wins nothing in the air, if he even challenges, which is rare
- Has had about two shots on target since he arrived, both in the same game, ages ago
- Does not attack crosses
- Does not hold the ball up very well
- Creates nothing
- Does not occupy defenders
- Is 30 later in the year, so is highly unlikely to improve, for us or anyone else

I'd ask why but I'm not sure I'd understand the answer.

 

[Kenny]

Would prefer we play to his strengths if we are going to play him. How many times, especially first half do we get the ball with 2 players outwide and then play it back to midfield? Cross the bastard ball and cause problems. Contrast with Villa who looked to put the ball in the area whenever they could

 

[Deano]

I don't see Jose as having great movement or positioning in the box at all. I've watched him purposely a few times and he always seems to be standing behind defenders and in spaces where he has no chance of receiving the ball.

We don't create loads of chances so he is feeding off scraps but how many has he played now 9/10 games and I don't think he has even come close to scoring since his debut. His general play isn't very good either, doesn't really offer much hold up or link up play to compensate for his lack of goals. Don't get the point of persisting with him.

 

[redvictor]

Would prefer we play to his strengths if we are going to play him. How many times, especially first half do we get the ball with 2 players outwide and then play it back to midfield? Cross the bastard ball and cause problems. Contrast with Villa who looked to put the ball in the area whenever they could

There is a big flaw in that plan. There is no one there to get on the end of them. WJ is usually getting an ice cream when the ball does arrive. That or having a chat to the defender on how shit the weather is here...

 

[Kenny]

I don't see Jose as having great movement or positioning in the box at all. I've watched him purposely a few times and he always seems to be standing behind defenders and in spaces where he has no chance of receiving the ball.

The one chance we had to cross and actually did in 1st half. 1st movement to the near post but Neto doesn't cross...he then starts to pull back to create space and Neto then hits it a fraction to early and the ball goes between Jose and the defender, (think it clips the defender) into a wide open space that Traore should be in.
He holds back when Adama has it out wide because just like Adama himself, he has no clue where it could go and making a run is pointless as he won't see it.

Jose isn't great for us but we are contributing to part of that. We won't sign him and even if we wanted to do so he would tell us thanks, but no thanks.

 

[Kenny]

Also glad it was Saiss that missed the sitter...if that was Jose then the reaction would have made the stuff aimed at Kevin Kyle seem mild

 

[redvictor]

The one chance we had to cross and actually did in 1st half. 1st movement to the near post but Neto doesn't cross...he then starts to pull back to create space and Neto then hits it a fraction to early and the ball goes between Jose and the defender, (think it clips the defender) into a wide open space that Traore should be in.
He holds back when Adama has it out wide because just like Adama himself, he has no clue where it could go and making a run is pointless as he he won't see it.

Jose isn't great for us but we are contributing to part of that. We won't sign him and even if we wanted to do so he would tell us thanks, but no thanks.

Unless there is a big language barrier then a call to put it in a particular place would work. I'm sure WJ could tell Neto this as they both speak Portuguese. For me all the Portuguese players should be talking in their own language to each other on where to put the ball for them. It would work great as most opponents don't even speak their language. As in PEDRO, BACK POST in Portuguese wouldn't be understood by 99% of their opponents. Obviously Adama speaks Spanish, but i'm pretty sure WJ does too.
We are Portugal FC after all. Maybe use it to our advantage..

 

[Kenny]

Not a language break down at all. Just poor decision making when the player out wide has time to look and pick a player.
See Ings goal v us a month ago. Their player looks up, see's a crazy amount of players in the area (2) and puts the ball towards one of them. Crazy advanced thinking I know and hopefully it catches on.
We have plenty of opportunities to put the ball in and probably back out if only 1 player is in the area. Today, 1st half especially that 2nd player should have been Adama but he was strolling around in midfield moaning about the weather or whatever.

 

[redvictor]

Not a language break down at all. Just poor decision making when the player out wide has time to look and pick a player.
See Ings goal v us a month ago. Their player looks up, see's a crazy amount of players in the area (2) and puts the ball towards one of them. Crazy advanced thinking I know and hopefully it catches on.
We have plenty of opportunities to put the ball in and probably back out if only 1 player is in the area. Today, 1st half especially that 2nd player should have been Adama but he was strolling around in midfield moaning about the weather or whatever.

Or maybe talking to WJ about it. Which would explain how it sometimes seems we have 9 men playing..

 

[malta mick]

Yes i accept Jose gives us a physical prescence and he will win the odd lofted ball, but he shows no movement to find space in the box. Whether this is because he knows there is little chance of a ball played to him i don't know.
Secondly, it's most likely we are safe from relegation, so why aren't we playing the young lads a bit more to learn if they have a future or not, or has that decision already been made ? Only 1 sub made again today - why ????
PS. thought the ref was pretty decent today/

 

[Kenny]

Or maybe talking to WJ about it. Which would explain how it sometimes seems we have 9 men playing..

Jose is always in the box in those instances so unless he is shouting to him.

Nothing will change between now and the Man Utd game in May and the sooner its over the better and we can all move on. Players can go away on a great British Summer, Nuno can see his wife, Neves can finally meet his newborn child, Jeff can meet face to face with Jorge. Just wish we could get 3 of the 10 games played in the weeks off we have after Liverpool beat us instead of dragging it out

 

[Kenny]

Only 1 sub made again today - why ????

Because he got upset at people calling one of his subs on Tuesday ridiculous...

 

[redvictor]

Jose is always in the box in those instances so unless he is shouting to him.

Nothing will change between now and the Man Utd game in May and the sooner its over the better and we can all move on. Players can go away on a great British Summer, Nuno can see his wife, Neves can finally meet his newborn child, Jeff can meet face to face with Jorge. Just wish we could get 3 of the 10 games played in the weeks off we have after Liverpool beat us instead of dragging it out

LOVELY DAY 'INT IT! In Spanish of course.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Yes the ref was pretty good today. The only small point I would pick up on is I suspect Targett knew what he was doing when he stuck his elbow into Neto's face, the big dork, but that was one for VAR to examine and they evidently just wanted to go home ASAP.

Amazingly the ref has less to do when Grealish isn't playing.

 

[Kenny]

Yes the ref was pretty good today. The only small point I would pick up on is I suspect Targett knew what he was doing when he stuck his elbow into Neto's face, the big dork, but that was one for VAR to examine and they evidently just wanted to go home ASAP.

Amazingly the ref has less to do when Grealish isn't playing.

Wasn't a lot for him today but played advantage when he could. Even told Mings to stop being a twat when he tried to get Neves booked in the 1st half.

Also saw Grealish as many times in the stands as we do when he plays...

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I was worried when I saw Mings hurtling over towards Neto in the first half. That was a Zyro waiting to happen, the twat would have done it as well. So while I would normally have a go at a player pulling out of a challenge, the right thing to do.

 

[YoungWolf]

I haven’t watched the game yet, and will do so tomorrow regardless of some of the comments...

It sounds like nothing particularly new, so I still get confused at some of the reactions. We aren’t physically capable of 90 minutes performances, I think

 

[Kenny]

I was worried when I saw Mings hurtling over towards Neto in the first half. That was a Zyro waiting to happen, the twat would have done it as well. So while I would normally have a go at a player pulling out of a challenge, the right thing to do.

Yeah, I was expecting Neto's season to be over and Mings grinning as he walked away from it.

On Mings, kind of, our inability to cross early was highlighted in the one instance when Mings was dragged out by Neto. right there, they have lost a player who will winheaders and put in blocks from the centre of the area and we....passed back to Semedo, to Moutinho, back to Neto and Mings was back in the centre. Take advantage of the uncertaintity of him not being there.

 

[prawnking]

Whatever you think of Jose, he's a bit of a red herring imo. We're just as poor with him or Fab starting games. The problem is our forward play generally is extremely low quality.

Too slow, hesitant and unsure, we don't seem to know what our strengths are, let alone play to them, we're always just relying on world class solo play from someone.

Luckily we don't let in much at the back either, but it's a really uninspiring and unattractive look we've got right now

 

[Tredman]

We definitely looked weary today, shouldn’t be the case with so few games recently but it seemed that way. Suppose relying on Moutinho so much is bound to bite us.