Villa 0-0 Wolves: Verdict Thread

[Deleted Cyber]

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.

I look at our options. WJ at least has some strength. Fabio utterly underwhelms me. So far the 35m looks to weigh heavily. He is, at best, worth 20 minutes when the opposition tires. He is not strong and has little pace. He is not a poacher and does not shoot from in or out of the box. WJ needs better service. Give him that then I will make my mind up. I have seen enough of Fabio to know that he is not, and is unlikely to ever be, a lone target man. That does not mean I would sign WJ on the basis of what he has shown. I would not. But he is a better 9 at this time than Fabio. It’s a low bar

 

[Deleted Cyber]

And our crossing in general today well and truly sucked.

 

[Kenny]

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.

We are like a lot of teams right now and the issue is struggling to get going mentally now. Generally going through the motions and willing this pointless shite season to end

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

He really doesn't have strength, I don't think I've seen him hold a single defender off under pressure. If you give it to him and he's unmarked, he will pass it to someone else within five yards, mostly. That's it.

Whatever we paid for Fabio, we did pay it and he's our player. You don't think it'd be better to use him in games that don't matter a hill of beans? I wouldn't mind so much if José were doing *anything* but he doesn't, he's a massive reason why we never retain possession.

 

[Kenny]

And our crossing in general today well and truly sucked.

Set plays fine. Open play either didn't do it or over hit it. Not just today though

 

[HanDoJin]

Fabio needs to bulk up for next season because he ain’t going to get any quicker. You can see there’s a real player there but...he...is...not...quick

 

[Kenny]

he's a massive reason why we never retain possession.

He was doing that fine today, especially first half. Problem today, he was retaining possession and finding Neves etc 5 yards inside our own half

 

[HanDoJin]

Would be very happy to see as many young faces as possible over the final 10 games. There is literally no point starting Moutinho or Donk or anyone who has basically played 45 games with about 10 days off

 

[prawnking]

At the moment we play like Big Trak when we have the ball, it's like we have a set of pre-programmed plays that we attempt regardless of what the opposition are doing. Teams just hold us at bay, we'll pass around in front of them then give up, pass back to Coady or just lose possession.

Apart from the odd spark from Neto, we seem to have lost the ability to sniff out weakness or exploit a situation, as Kenny says we kill our own momentum half the time. It's like we're playing in our heads... just not in the moment.

 

[Kenny]

It's like we're playing in our heads... just not in the moment.

Thats a perfect description. Unfortunately I don't think we move from that until August, regardless who we pick in the 11.
Not through choice, its just were we and a lot of clubs are at this moment in time.

 

[YoungWolf]

We are like a lot of teams right now and the issue is struggling to get going mentally now. We are no different to a lot of teams in this Division. Generally going through the motions and willing this pointless shite season to end

This is very true (regardless of yesterday). I can’t bring myself to get overly frustrated at the moment because I get how difficult this last year has been, and how it affects the game.

If we come out of a normal pre season, with some new additions, and we still have same laboured approach for long periods of games, I’ll be worried, but there are too many variables at the moment that can count against us I feel.

I’m not trying to absolve Nuno of any blame by the way because he’s made some bad/odd decisions at times and it’s his job to find ways round the situation but it really is a unique time in football

 

[Kenny]

I’m not trying to absolve Nuno of any blame by the way because he’s made some bad/odd decisions at times and it’s his job to find ways round the situation but it really is a unique time in football

Im going to wait until May before I give my proper views on this season (something for everyone to ignore) but for me the bad/odd decisions come from a change in Nuno's mood and that change is what I would expect given his own circumstances
I would fully back the idea of Nuno of leaving the Country for work reasons after the Liverpool game, flying to Spain, driving to Portugal and spending 10 days with his wife. Then returning and doing whatever ever he needs to do as per the law and leave his coaching team to look after the team for that period. He won't but he should.

 

[HanDoJin]

We are like a lot of teams right now and the issue is struggling to get going mentally now. We are no different to a lot of teams in this Division. Generally going through the motions and willing this pointless shite season to end

This.
There’s legitimate criticism of Wolves right now, but I’m prepared to look past 99% of it as literally everything right now is just... wrong. Playing 45 games, all behind closed doors, in weird little cocoons whilst the news of the outside world is just unrelentingly grim. Who gives a flying fuck about this season?!

And laying into Fabio (which I’m not accusing anyone of here but I’ve seen plenty elsewhere) is so daft. He’s a child who’s moved overseas during a pandemic to play way more than anticipated in one of the worlds toughest leagues. Lay off it (plus he comes across as a real good kid in interviews so...)

 

[Kenny]

This.
There’s legitimate criticism of Wolves right now, but I’m prepared to look past 99% of it as literally everything right now is just... wrong. Playing 45 games, all behind closed doors, in weird little cocoons whilst the news of the outside world is just unrelentingly grim. Who gives a flying fuck about this season?!

Chuck in Nuno not seeing his wife and Daughter for months, Neves only seeing his new born child via Zoom and a load of things we won't be aware of as footballers on huge wages cannot complain as "others have it just as hard but only earn a fraction of what they do so stop ya complaining"

Its all shit and hopefully it ends in May and we come back in August to life as we all want it.

 

[YoungWolf]

Also, after the Albion game (obviously less said the better), we were 22 points from 19 games. I looked at it as a chance to do better in the second half of season. We are currently 13 points from those 9 games o think. If we get another 13 or so points, in a season as shit as it’s been with the various issues we’ve found, 48-50 points isn’t the end of the world, even if it is a disappointment.

 

[HanDoJin]

I’m sure there’s a thousand and one incidents we’ll never hear of that would stop any of us doing our jobs to their very best. I know I’ve been rank at work this entire year. I’m good at my job but my mind isn’t on it for obvious reasons.
Imagine not being able to attend your own mother’s funeral like Klopp? Christ.

Wolves were a bit naff for the first 45 today, sure. Ah well. There’s probably only four or five message boards across the entire division of genuinely happy fans. Bring on next August

 

[YoungWolf]

Yeah I can’t get over Klopp, and now Alisson’s, situation. Just an awful position to be in

 

[PuntsWolf]

Just decided to watch the 3 min highlights on sky app. Both of Coady’s chances were probably easier than Saiss’, was expecting worse than that.

 

[Wolvensam]

They live the same lives as us: work, sleep, rinse, repeat. The only difference is they get paid an awful lot more, but that doesn't strip you of basic human needs. There isn't a fat lot to do in Wolverhampton when there isn't a pandemic, let alone when there is.

I imagine the likes of Silva and Neto return from training to houses they probably live in, alone, and sit on Zoom to their families or play FIFA. WJ is probably living in a hotel room.

 

[AndyWolves]

For me, Silva has efforts on goal / chances and WJ does not. I don't think Silva should start, but surely he deserves more game time.

Give him at least 1/2 hour Nuno, he can't do any worse than WJ. What's the worst that could happen?