Wolves 0-1 Norwich (FA Cup 4th Rd): Verdict Thread

[Nando]

The best use of Donk would be to get £10-15m for him and put that money towards a footballer.

We'd be pulling off a coup of the century if we managed that now. Turning down £25m two summers ago now looks rather painful.

 

[Dire Wolf]

Interesting to see people finally catching up: I've been on the 'Donk is a load of fucking crap' train for 2 seasons! It's a pity though, because his first season, when he finally got his opportunity, he didn't look too bad. Don't know how he has regressed so badly over the last couple of seasons, but he has. He's bloody rubbish.

 

[Paul]

I like the deflection of the team plays badly into a lets see who hates Donk the most thread

 

[jd1981]

Donk the new scapegoat now Traore has gone, played way of position then moved to CH. Only gets bit part involvement to. Not saying he’s great but there was some equally poor performances yesterday. Podence, Silva and Jimenez spring to mind.
I think Bruno completely over thought things yesterday.
It also highlighted the limitations of the squad especially if the first 11 don’t perform the bench is very limited.
If anyone wants to know why we’ve only scored 19 goals in the league just watch yesterday game and it’ll tell you why.
Our side is completely reliant on Neves and Moutinho performing every game.
With the squad we’ve got I’d say we’re banging against our glass ceiling in 8th place.

 

[Jinky]

First match I haven’t been able to watch “live” in sometime yesterday - sounds like I didn’t miss much. From what I’ve seen since, it looks like Ruddy made a couple of good saves - once when they were clean through one on one, and once when they pulled it back to the edge of the box to a man stood completely free and he made a good save low down to his left, only to let in a soft looping header straight over his head where he looks like he had weights in his boots.

Donk seems really out of sorts but was shunted in to a role he can’t play which is an odd call from Bruno. I saw someone criticising him for running in to the channel and passing it backwards. That’s what happened in the build up to Joao’s goal v Brentford too. But appreciate he is limited with what he can offer. Shame that we were lacking options in the wide areas yesterday when, with everyone fit, that’s probably the area we have the most depth!

 

[Deano]

Donk the new scapegoat now Traore has gone, played way of position then moved to CH. Only gets bit part involvement to. Not saying he’s great but there was some equally poor performances yesterday. Podence, Silva and Jimenez spring to mind.
I think Bruno completely over thought things yesterday.
It also highlighted the limitations of the squad especially if the first 11 don’t perform the bench is very limited.
If anyone wants to know why we’ve only scored 19 goals in the league just watch yesterday game and it’ll tell you why.
Our side is completely reliant on Neves and Moutinho performing every game.
With the squad we’ve got I’d say we’re banging against our glass ceiling in 8th place.

No he's not the scapegoat. The difference is the others (bar Silva) are usually good and proven that they can perform relatively consistently at this level. Where as Dendoncker has proven he is consistently poor for about 18 months, regardless of position

 

[Tony Towner]

One poor performance in the Cup hasn't changed anything re the league. I still think 7th is all to play for, but it relies on form, fitness and suspensions going our way. That would have been the same if we'd won.

Good chance that Watford will now be 2nd March I'd have thought which is 5th Round midweek. That would mean we go, Sunday, Thursday, Sunday, Wednesday, Saturday, which I think will drain them

 

[Mel Evo]

One poor performance in the Cup hasn't changed anything re the league. I still think 7th is all to play for, but it relies on form, fitness and suspensions going our way. That would have been the same if we'd won.

Good chance that Watford will now be 2nd March I'd have thought which is 5th Round midweek. That would mean we go, Sunday, Thursday, Sunday, Wednesday, Saturday, which I think will drain them

Shame that potential run comes a likely 3 or 4 weeks before our returning players can step up to contribute to the squad.

Sorry if clarified elsewhere, but was their any indication of when Trincao is likely to be back? When did he return a positive test is all we can know for sure I guess.

 

[Tony Towner]

Sorry if clarified elsewhere, but was their any indication of when Trincao is likely to be back? When did he return a positive test is all we can know for sure I guess

Don't know the specifics, but he was in the training photos from Tuesday, but not (that I can see) Friday. Would make Arsenal difficult I'd have thought as even if he's clear, he's not going to have trained

 

[PPB]

I have no idea how many times people in our row fucked off downstairs today, definitely a record in what is a row of remarkably weak bladders. But that twat who shouted shoot before we'd even kicked off took his lads to their first game today I overheard him say, and if he takes them to any more he needs to teach them how to fucking behave. The little scrote who sat behind me was constantly kicking the back of my seat, nudging me in the back and constantly had his feet in the gap between the seat back and the arse bit so every time one of the weak bladders went for a piss my seat didn't fold up. No matter hoe many times I turned round and glared at him he carried on. Pricks.

Not many of the usual ones around me yesterday. One young lad who was with his dad had a mouth on him like a navvy, I turned round to have a look at him and he must have been all of 9 years old. His dad never batted an eyelid.

As for the game, flat, like the atmosphere.

 

[AndyWolves]

I think Donk is a perfectly serviceable back up DM. He shouldn't be in the final third much at all and more importantly we shouldn't be asking him to be.

 

[Wulfie88]

 

[Throbber3]

You don't think we will get another 16 points? You think we will be less than one PPG to the end of May?
Palpable nonsense when we have 34 points from 21 games.

We will do well to get another 16 points . We may well get 20 points, but we won’t be improving our position or challenging for Europe I fear.. The squad is too small and weak in key areas. All signs point to say It’s going to be downhill from here. We could realistically get zero points in February. Only time will tell. I was optimistic at the start of the season but the lack of improvement in key areas of the squad and the obvious growing frustration of our manager at the lack of investment is having me review that optimism. I just can’t see it changing. We will probably be on a beach with 45 points mid April and that will be that . I can see the vultures circling to cherry pick this squad in the summer. Sa, Neves, Moutinho , Kilman maybe Semedo I will be surprised if more than 2 of those of those are here come 1st September. Fosun will be happy as they will be 100m better off and we can welcome some more Grasshoppers seasoned wood to fill the shoes. Enjoy it while you can. I think it will be the last we see of this quality . It’s very disappointing. Of course, February could see us surprise me and prove my worrying completely wrong. It xould happen and I would be happy if it did. So far in 270 minutes we haven’t scored against the two worst teams in all comps Burnley and Norwich.

 

[Alan]

Donk is catching way too much flak, IMO, but equally he is the easiest name on the team sheet to upgrade just now.

 

[Alan]

We will do well to get another 16 points . We may well get 20 points, but we won’t be improving our position or challenging for Europe I fear.. The squad is too small and weak in key areas. All signs point to say It’s going to be downhill from here. We could realistically get zero points in February. Only time will tell. I was optimistic at the start of the season but the lack of improvement in key areas of the squad and the obvious growing frustration of our manager at the lack of investment is having me review that optimism. I just can’t see it changing. We will probably be on a beach with 45 points mid April and that will be that . I can see the vultures circling to cherry pick this squad in the summer. Sa, Neves, Moutinho , Kilman maybe Semedo I will be surprised if more than 2 of those of those are here come 1st September. Fosun will be happy as they will be 100m better off and we can welcome some more Grasshoppers seasoned wood to fill the shoes. Enjoy it while you can. I think it will be the last we see of this quality . It’s very disappointing. Of course, February could see us surprise me and prove my worrying completely wrong. It xould happen and I would be happy if it did. So far in 270 minutes we haven’t scored against the two worst teams in all comps Burnley and Norwich.

Honestly, mate, I don’t understand how you get any enjoyment from the game at all.

 

[Throbber3]

Honestly, mate, I don’t understand how you get any enjoyment from the game at all.

You’re right. I am not enjoying it at the moment. I think we have seriously missed an opportunity. I backed Bruno and Sa In August. I backed a top 10 finish. I look at the squad now and it’s one injury and a couple of suspensions from playing the kids. City Liverpool arsenal twice Chelsea Spurs West Ham still to come, Norwich and Burnley still to play and we haven’t scored against them, an improving Newcastle and more solid Watford and Lampards Everton to come too. There are no easy games in this league and this squad will just run out of puff as it doesn’t have the depth. 11 goalless games this season too. I can’t pin my hopes on Neto and Jonny. Who knows how long it will take for them to get match fit. Yes I m pretty miserable about it at the moment.

 

[Nando]

You are aware that we're the form team in the league? Yes, yesterday was absolutely shite, but good grief man.

 

[Alan]

Someone with more time and sense than me should check our record against Dean Smith teams. It really does feel like he always knows how to stop us.

 

[AndyWolves]

The defeat against Norwich wasn't really anything to do with Fosun. We played shit and can play orders of magnitude better.

 

[Throbber3]

You are aware that we're the form team in the league? Yes, yesterday was absolutely shite, but good grief man.

I hope I am wrong . I really do . I just don’t share the optimism of many of you now. I fear this season will just peter out . Form is temporary. We were bottom of the form league and arguably playing better early in the season.