Wolves 0-1 Arsenal: Verdict Thread

[Johnny75]

Another thing. Chiquinho looks like a chalk on the boots winger to me, we had one of those, it doesn't suit what the manager wants to do, so why sign another? I know Mendes etc etc, but even the 1 player the manager did get doesn't help him do what he wants.

I think the manager does want one of those type of players as he's alluded to having a target man up front to get on the end of crosses.

We have another winger on loan at Blackburn. I wonder if we're going to do that next season with Hwang and Raul/ A.N.Other up front.

Going to need another midfielder and a CB to do that though. That's a hell of a gamble.

 

[The Bear]

I don’t really understand what you mean. My argument is that if Wolves are to progress you keep players like Traore & Jota. I understand that might not happen. But you either have aspirations to be a Champions League team for the sake of a few million or you don’t bother.

Both of them desperately wanted to go. Both to clubs who are massive European giants who play in the Champions League every season and fight for the title every season. Chucking another couple of million as you suggested at them wouldn't have made the tiniest bit of difference.

 

[Tredman]

I think the manager does want one of those type of players as he's alluded to having a target man up front to get on the end of crosses.

We have another winger on loan at Blackburn. I wonder if we're going to do that next season with Hwang and Raul/ A.N.Other up front.

Going to need another midfielder and a CB to do that though. That's a hell of a gamble.

MGW and Mosquera might solve that?

 

[The Bear]

The thing I was most annoyed at was decision to play Marcal.

We've just won every league game in January, have the 2nd best defence in the league. So why swap one of the defenders out?

Then I checked, and our last three League clean sheets (Man Utd, Chelsea, Brighton) all had Marcal starting.

I'd still rather play Ait-Nouri from now on though as his forward runs help us score goals IMO - 8 in his last 4. Albeit his starts have been against bottom half sides (Sheff Utd, Southampton, Brentford, Norwich).

I guess it explains Bruno's decision to play Marcal though.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

The whole squad has peaked as a unit . It is probably obvious to anyone that it needed a refresh in the summer and it didnt happen. I love the fact that we are defensively solid , however when we concede we lose unless we play Villa. Thats pretty much it. It is unrealistic to expect to fail to score in half your games and not strugg;le. This season is an anomaly. Rarely does a team fail to score in 11 of 22 games and sit where we do. That form is unsustainable. It effectively says that you are pinning your hopes on not conceding to take a point if you cant score goals. Only Norwich and Burnley have scored fewer goals and they are both camped in the bottom three. Norwich have failed to score in 15 games. Burnley have only failed to score in 9 and they sit bottom of the league. We have enough points not to worry this season. Talk of europe is very premature for me. January 2022 was as good as it gets. We wont get any higher. So much needs to be done this summer.

I think this is a bit of an emotional response to what was on the whole a decent (but not great) performance.

 

[YoungWolf]

I'm struggling to be annoyed as others because although this month is a good opportunity I think it's one we are a tad fortunate to be in, so I expected us to drop off at some point. If it's this month in tough games, which we look like we will compete in, I can handle it. It's a shame we didn't try to make the most of our position in January but with how the club is being run I didn't get my hopes up about that either.

 

[Johnny75]

Having had time to think about last night properly and with a bit of perspective.

This isn't the dark days of boredom under Lamberk or the end of the Jackett era and getting to watch Neves week in week out has given me the most pleasure as a Wolves fan. He was our best player by a very long way again last night.

We've gone from a brilliant January to a dire February which is odd. Norwich showed us the horseshoe of doom was back and it was there again last night. No pace in possession unless it was on the counter and always going to the wide areas miles away from Raul.

We kept doing this even though Podence was having a disaster, even if he was continually booted up in the air, and Trincao was abysmal in his decision making, as crap an end product as Adama's was.

Our tactic of having the wide men stay wide and cut in was as frustrating to watch under Nuno as it is under Bruno and had the same results.

Tin hat on, this style of play seems to be some kind of club philosophy as it's the same under two coaches now and predictably with the same results.

There is something amiss in this, it's like somebody at the club has seen the best 3 up front systems and decided that's the way to play, neglecting the fact the best 3 up front systems play with 3 in midfield and attacking full backs.

This same person's philosophy has decided 3 at the back is the best defensive system but fails to realise it's one of the worst for transition on the counter or conducive to launch any attacking play. Tin hat off.

Our problems with the wide men are they are playing for themselves, no link play to Raul, they're occupying the channels and neither of them are Salah, Jota, Mane, Raphina or any other goalscoring inside forward.

It's like they've never played or trained together in this system before. Constantly checking to see where each other are and no fluidity. No third person running or clever angled runs. It's all so static or individual and that's bad coaching.

How can Raul do anything about that? Especially when he's in a funk in front of goal himself.

The coaching and philosophy needs changing as it isn't working.

Last night was frustrating and watching Bruno flail around on the sideline it seems he is too.

TLdr frustrating as fuck on every level.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I think this is a bit of an emotional response to what was on the whole a decent (but not great) performance.

Not sure what was decent about it. Poor in possession, created nothing, crap goal to give away.

 

[Johnny75]

MGW and Mosquera might solve that?

I don't see how MGW fits as he's a 10 unless we go 4-2-3-1. He's not know for his heading ability and Hwang is a better bits and pieces striker.

If we went Liverpool style 4-3-3 he could play as one of the 3 midfielders as you want that player attacking the box from deep, which he's good at. But then we'd have to replace our wide forwards to do that and get some goal scoring ones in.

Neither of those formations seem likely.

I'm not sure on Mosquera as I think we'll need to see more than 10 minutes of him to see if he can play in a 2.

I'd have no worries about Saiss and Kilman in a 2 but it's a bit slow. I think Gomes would be ok as well.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Not sure what was decent about it. Poor in possession, created nothing, crap goal to give away.

Well we didn't create nothing, Fabio should score, Chiquinho scores if he's a little bit braver (which was odd as in general he showed loads of desire), Saiss's effort was a good save, dodgy disallowed goal, Donk should score, Raul should do better with his header, Semedo should hit the target.

It certainly was a crap goal to give away though, no one took ownership and Sa made a bad decision, if he's coming he has to punch it, and White shouldn't be allowed to win that ball so easily.

 

[Throbber3]

Both of them desperately wanted to go. Both to clubs who are massive European giants who play in the Champions League every season and fight for the title every season. Chucking another couple of million as you suggested at them wouldn't have made the tiniest bit of difference.

I agree, so what happened to the model that got the likes of Jota, Neves , Patricio, Moutinho to come to Wolverhampton in the first place? There must have been something that caught their eye then that is not catching the eye of this current generation. I can only think it is a change in tack from the owners, backed up by their business since the Silva signing.

 

[Derby Wolf]

Well we didn't create nothing, Fabio should score, Chiquinho scores if he's a little bit braver (which was odd as in general he showed loads of desire), Saiss's effort was a good save, dodgy disallowed goal, Donk should score, Raul should do better with his header, Semedo should hit the target.

Fabio, Semedo and Donk (I wont put Chuquinho although you could usually include the AF's) did what they always do in front if goal. How many match threads in the last year have comments along those lines 'if only X, Y, Z' took their chance.

The exception is when those players score, not when they miss. In reality, Saiss and Raul had our two most meaningful chances when Raul needs to do better and Saiss drew an excellent save.

 

[Throbber3]

Fabio, Semedo and Donk (I wont put Chuquinho although you could usually include the AF's) did what they always do in front if goal. How many match threads in the last year have comments along those lines 'if only X, Y, Z' took their chance.

Fabio is heralded as a forward yet he does not appear to have the instinct of a forward. He didn't shoot when he should have and any forward worth their salt would have and then when the near post was vacant , begging for him to move to it. he stood on his heels and the cross went begging. He has had a bit of credit for a couple of decent cameos but the thought of him (and Trincao) up front for us next year fills me with dread. They are not good enough. I would be sending him to Grasshoppers if only to give him a bit of confidence in front of goal. He is neither use nor ornament here at the moment.

what was our XG?

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Fabio, Semedo and Donk (I wont put Chuquinho although you could usually include the AF's) did what they always do in front if goal. How many match threads in the last year have comments along those lines 'if only X, Y, Z' took their chance.

The exception is when those players score, not when they miss. In reality, Saiss and Raul had our two most meaningful chances when Raul needs to do better and Saiss drew an excellent save.

Yep, can't argue. We do create opportunities, but as you say all too often our players make bad decisions or just simply fluff it.

 

[The Bear]

Fabio is heralded as a forward yet he does not appear to have the instinct of a forward. He didn't shoot when he should have and any forward worth their salt would have and then when the near post was vacant , begging for him to move to it. he stood on his heels and the cross went begging. He has had a bit of credit for a couple of decent cameos but the thought of him (and Trincao) up front for us next year fills me with dread. They are not good enough. I would be sending him to Grasshoppers if only to give him a bit of confidence in front of goal. He is neither use nor ornament here at the moment.

what was our XG?

 

[Tredman]

I don't see how MGW fits as he's a 10 unless we go 4-2-3-1. He's not know for his heading ability and Hwang is a better bits and pieces striker.

If we went Liverpool style 4-3-3 he could play as one of the 3 midfielders as you want that player attacking the box from deep, which he's good at. But then we'd have to replace our wide forwards to do that and get some goal scoring ones in.

Neither of those formations seem likely.

I'm not sure on Mosquera as I think we'll need to see more than 10 minutes of him to see if he can play in a 2.

I'd have no worries about Saiss and Kilman in a 2 but it's a bit slow. I think Gomes would be ok as well.

Thats what I meant:

Sa
Semedo - Kilman - CB - RAN/Jonny
Moutinho - Neves
Neto - MGW - Pod
Raul​

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Surprised to see how much Neves's comments seem to have rattled Arsenal fans and the media in general.

Nothing controversial in them at all, there was certainly a time when Arsenal winning at Molineux would have been routine and expected.

 

[Johnny75]

Thats what I meant:

Sa
Semedo - Kilman - CB - RAN/Jonny
Moutinho - Neves
Neto - MGW - Pod
Raul​

That would mean no crosses which wouldn’t be a bad thing. But for some reason Bruno wants a target man to put crosses into.

I hope we don’t go down that route as I think we’d go down with that approach, it’s too old hat and easy to defend.

 

[Alan]

I thought Chiqi showed enough at both ends of the pitch to warrant a start.

Would be interesting to see how holds up over 70 minutes because, aside from baiting Martinelli into his second yellow, he was busting a gut for everything. Semedo must have been wondering what lottery he'd won to finally have some defensive support on that wing.

 

[Lupo]

Surprised to see how much Neves's comments seem to have rattled Arsenal fans and the media in general.

Nothing controversial in them at all, there was certainly a time when Arsenal winning at Molineux would have been routine and expected.

A huge amount of coverage and discussion about Martinelli's sending off