Wigan 0 - 1 Wolves: The "We Won... Kinda" Verdict Thread.

[Lycan]

I have heard that excuse soooooo many times. The minutes silence has been well advertised.

I had no idea until it happened. Last thing a bunch of pissed up wulfs are going to think of at 14:58 is 30 years since valley parade.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

I know, I know, I know, and it is very unfortunate. However, the minutes silence at all league grounds has been advertised all week. When you are in the stand you obviously know, but it happens so often that those in the concourse don't realise it is time for the minute's silence. I personally think there should be an announcement in the concourses to try and avoid it happening. Give those fans down there the heads up the minutes silence is about to start.

BTW - the pictures from Valley Parade that they showed on half-time on SSN were very moving. I am glad that the fixture computer managed to put Bradford at home today.

 

[darlowolf64]

I know, I know, I know, and it is very unfortunate. However, the minutes silence at all league grounds has been advertised all week. When you are in the stand you obviously know, but it happens so often that those in the concourse don't realise it is time for the minute's silence. I personally think there should be an announcement in the concourses to try and avoid it happening. Give those fans down there the heads up the minutes silence is about to start.

BTW - the pictures from Valley Parade that they showed on half-time on SSN were very moving. I am glad that the fixture computer managed to put Bradford at home today.

The fire was actually on May 11th 1985 but Bradford commemorate it every season at their last home game

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Yes - it was the last game of the season, but the league season is finishing earlier this year. Just realised that. Booo to the fixture computer then, but kudos to the other clubs for agreeing to doing the memorial to match with Bradford.

 

[Deleted Cyber]

At the start of the season if you told me we would win 5 out of 6 against those relegated from the premier league and take 4 points off Wigan I would have bitten your hand off. Overall its a 7/10 season for me and could go to 9/10 if by some miracle we make the play offs. That would require a special set of results and probably us to beat Millwall by 5. If we do that and Ipswich lose which is not impossible we have to score 3 more than Brentford against Wigan so its goals goals goals against Millwall we need. I want Rotherham to win their game in hand tuesday as I do feel they have been stuffed with the points deduction ( other teams did not lose points for the same offence) even though that relegates Wigan and gives them less to play for.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Don't forget Derby. You can realistically forget Ipswich.

 

[Deleted Cyber]

Don't forget Derby. You can realistically forget Ipswich.

Really? They are at Blackburn. Not easy by any means. Derby are at home so guaranteed at least a point and a mega goal difference

 

[Quirkafleeg]

Don't forget Derby. You can realistically forget Ipswich.

I agree. I cant see any 10 goal swing even if Ipswich lose..

 

[Parkins left foot]

Thing is that Derby need to lose, us to win & Brentford to do no more than draw.

Can see the last 2 happening, but suspect that Derby will get at least a point & we are not going to overhaul their goal difference.

 

[Quirkafleeg]

I had no idea until it happened. Last thing a bunch of pissed up wulfs are going to think of at 14:58 is 30 years since valley parade.

Im not sure what's worse. The pissheads in the concourse or the fookers in the stand going.. Shushhhhhhh you wankers, you idiots , you scum at the top of there voices...

 

[jd1981]

Thing is that Derby need to lose, us to win & Brentford to do no more than draw.

Can see the last 2 happening, but suspect that Derby will get at least a point & we are not going to overhaul their goal difference.

Especially Derby playing Reading who've got a game midweek and are about as on the beach as you can get.
I expect any hope next week will be wiped out within 20 minutes.
Unless we win 6-0 and Ipswich lose 2-0.

 

[Lycan]

Wasn't the best game of football yesterday, certainly not helped by the worn down pitch and the perilous position Wigan find themselves in. They had a lot of the ball but we stood tall, defended well and had the better chances on the break. Kim Bo-Kyung saw quite a lot of the ball in the centre of the pitch but unlike Fabbrini & Vossen who ran us ragged in the No. 10 position over the last month, he lacked a bit of quality and never looked like he was going to 'pick the lock' and create a clear cut chance. Wigan's best player was easily James McLean, he was popping up all over the place and probably gave Iorfa the hardest test he's had all season. I'd definitely have him here in the summer on a free, he's a bit of a knobhead (twice got in shoving matches with Nouha & Price) but I think it shows passion. He was sent off for a crap challenge on Stearman but he had to make it, 50/50 and their keeper had come up for a corner.

The goal came slightly against the run of play, we broke with Golbourne down the left who was fouled (I think by Bong?) on the edge of the box. Sako swung in a lovely ball and Afobe peeled off his man to nod in at the back post. There were a couple of Wolves players queuing up behind Benik, I have no idea where Wigan's defence went to. We had a goal disallowed in the second half, McDonald played one of those lovely first time balls over the defence to Afobe who controlled it, shook off the defender and just managed to squeeze it past Carson (who should have done better). I think we might've been robbed a little there as I don't think he was offside although it was hard to tell from behind the goal. Wigan had the ball in the back of the net once but it was so blatantly offside that even I could see it from the other end of the pitch. Carson made several cracking saves to deny Dicko, Afobe and then Edwards, his save from the Edwards header a contender for save of the season. Kuszczak only had to make the one save where he tipped the ball over the bar but he dealt well with crosses.

Not quite sure what formation we were supposed to be playing. At times it was a 4-4-2, at times 4-3-3. The midfield didn't know whether they were coming or going and as a result we surrendered possession to a Wigan team that were really there for the taking. Out of possession Wolves didn't look like they knew where they were supposed to be pressing and looked very out of sync with each other. There was also a lot of the aimless hoofing that has crept back into our game over the last month or so. It has to stop, we simply don't have the right forwards to do that. Play to their strengths instead of making them wrestle with tanks like Maguire all game.

I thought the fans were decent today although the way Wigan kept the ball lent itself to a few quiet periods. A few renditions of 'you laughed at us when we went down, who the fuck is laughing now?' and 'Que sera sera, you're going to Shrewsbury' really wound up the Wigan fans, several in the stand away to our left were going absolutely mental. Half time was absolutely epic, I came up afterwards drenched in beer and sweat. Amazing atmosphere, it was like the best gig you've ever been to X5. Also had great fun at the station, I was on the other side watching the Southbound Wolves fans.

Kuszczak - 7 - Dealt with crosses well, making several good punches under pressure and had to make 1 save to tip the ball over the bar. Not much else to do really.

Iorfa - 6.5 - Probably the worst I've seen him play but he still wasn't poor. Held his position very well while Wigan passed in front of us and gave McLean a very hard game. He never really got forward much at all and when he did the move often broke down with him. He made a few sloppy errors defensively but as ever, he's so athletic that he can get back and cover himself so it didn't really matter.

Ebanks-Landell - 8 - He is a fucking bomb scare with the ball at his feet but is technically a very good defender and a physical freak to boot. He times a challenge so well and made two gorgeous sliding tackles, the first on McLean in the first half was a thing of beauty. Mclean had made a run in between Iorfa and Stears, KBK played him in so EEL came across and completely wiped him out. Solid in the air and dealt with everything Wigan threw at him. Unlucky not to get MOTM but his passing takes his score down a notch or two, on several occasions he just booted it into touch under no pressure at all.

Stearman - 9 MOTM - A real leaders performance from our stand in captain, constantly talking to EEL and Iorfa. Put his body on the line for the cause and you could see how much the win/clean sheet was to him at the final whistle. Never put a foot wrong all game.

Golbourne - 7.5 - Played well. Had a bit of trouble with McLean when he switched wings but defensively he was very sound. Didn't get forward as much as we're used to seeing from him and never really linked up with Sako down the left all game, not helped by the wonky formation we were playing. We had one counter attack towards the end of the game where he could've crossed to an unmarked Afobe but slowed it down and passed backwards. I'm starting to get annoyed at him for doing that tbh, he always cuts back for the pass to Sako/McDonald.

Price - 6.5 - Was never really in the game. Didn't do anything wrong though and made a few crunching tackles.

McDonald - 8 - We never got close to them in the middle when they were in possession but when we counter attacked it was McDonald leading the charge. Back to his best yesterday, top performance.

Edwards - 6 - Had a flick on header at the front post saved well but apart from that never really got into the game in an attacking sense. A lot of hassling and harrying in the middle of the pitch but it seemed like he was the only Wolves player doing that and Wigan just passed around him. Left Iorfa completely isolated on the right.

Afobe - 7.5 - Nice movement for the first goal and could've had another but it was ruled out. A couple of times we broke and he chose the wrong option or he wasn't played in when he was wide open. So close to a top performance but not quite there, still absolutely lethal in front of goal. He looked absolutely kicked towards the end.

Sako - 6 - He wasn't fit. This wasn't a classic Bad Sako performance where nothing he tries works, he just get didn't get a foothold in the game at all which is unusual for him. He worked hard defensively to help Golbourne out and put in a lovely cross for Afobe's goal. That wave towards the fans at the end felt like goodbye.

Dicko - 7- Worked hard, didn't really come off for him. Had one acrobatic effort which he didn't quite connect with. Subbed off for Doyle.

Hause - Came on for Sako and went to LB with Golbourne ahead of him. Dealt with everything he had to, strong in the air and actually started a few counters as Wigan looked to throw everything they had at us. No complaints.

Doyle - Ok. Dived for a few free kicks which helped relieve pressure at the end and passed the ball well.

 

[Langers]

Top report Lycan - thanks.

 

[The Bear]

Cheers Lycan.

I keep hearing about how amazing half time was yet no-one actually says what happened!

 

[Quirkafleeg]

Did somebody let a smoke bomb off down there, all I saw from the gangways was smoke coming into the stand.

 

[Lycan]

It was an absolute riot. Smoke bombs going off, someone found a mop from somewhere and started banging on the lights which started flickering on and off, beer getting thrown, non stop singing, there were wolves fans climbing the walls and hanging from the rafters. It was like a moshpit.

 

[Quirkafleeg]

I shouldn't laugh at vandalism but remember the scene in Jurassic Park where the bloke is on the bog and the T-Rex eats him. Well one year at The Hawthorns the bog cubicles all collapsed after fans smashed them down and there was a bloke taking a shit, it was pure comedy and I still laugh in my head about it now.

 

[YoungWolf]

Thanks for the report Lycan!

I'm glad EEL did well, I was very critical off the back of one cup performance (when we lost to Morecambe) which was a very silly thing to do. At right back and centre bac he has given us strength at the back, despite his technical deficiencies. What I've liked about him is that he seems to understand his own strengths and weaknesses well, doesn't try to be anything he isn't.

As a back up option he is absolutely fine, though I would like to see Hause at centre back as I think he has the greater potential.

No surprise either that Stearman and McDonald step up with big performances and the team gets a result. Was he better with a pacier option in Landell, or no different performance to earlier in the season when he's been very good?

 

[sycophantia]

Glad EEL did ok, he seemed to get panned on here for a while before he featured much and the few times I've seen him over the last couple of seasons he's been pretty good. So along with Hause its nice to know we have some good young back up who might even go on to be the next Frank Munro

 

[Lycan]

Cheers Lycan.

I keep hearing about how amazing half time was yet no-one actually says what happened!

Actually found a vid of the whole thing, starts just after the smoke bomb. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHm_azcU5_U

No surprise either that Stearman and McDonald step up with big performances and the team gets a result. Was he better with a pacier option in Landell, or no different performance to earlier in the season when he's been very good?

Wigan didn't have a lot of pace up top, neither of them were really tested for pace in behind. We were compact, forced them out wide and dealt with everything they threw into the box. Batth would've been right at home tbh.