Wolves 0 - 2 Crystal Palace: The Verdict.

[YoungWolf]

It was such a shame that he fouled Zaha for the penalty having dealt with him very well over the course of the game.

His passing is okay and actually improved a lot in a short space of time since he joined us, but he isn't going to turn into a 'ball playing centre back' that would be an unfair expectation on him.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Not arsed about the penalty, game was gone and wouldn't have happened if it was still 0-0. He's just slightly fortunate that he didn't get a second yellow for it.

Neves was pretty good when he came on.

 

[Tony Towner]

It was such a shame that he fouled Zaha for the penalty having dealt with him very well over the course of the game.

His passing is okay and actually improved a lot in a short space of time since he joined us, but he isn't going to turn into a 'ball playing centre back' that would be an unfair expectation on him.

No, he's not, but as I said in my previous post I can't think of an example of a team playing a 3 that have all centre halves comfortable on the ball. I accept the way we play is unusual and there is more onus on them than a team that play a real 5 or conventional wing backs but yesterday Boly was on occasion too relaxed, gave away possession which should have led to a goal and was complicit in their first yet Bennett who was our best player gets criticised. It's just rubbish, we have issues against sides that set up against us like Palace and Fulham have, one with a compact midfield the other with defence only centre halves and two holding midfielders, but Bennett's distribution isn't the issue any more than signing an out and out forward like Abraham would be the solution.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I've mentioned this tangentially a few times recently, could a possible switch be Bennett off, Jonny to RCB (in the same role Azpilicueta played to great effect at Chelsea in a three), Vinagre at LWB? Gives us a more direct threat down the left and a better passing range from the back.

 

[NE66Wolf]

A couple of points I've not seen on this thread yet - Townsend had a great game for them and was a thorn in our backside from start to finish. The first goal was definitely offside but Boly and Coady both looked on in despair and neither of them appealed for the offside, if the assistant was in any doubt an appeal might have helped! To me it showed that they hadn't got a clue where he was when one of them should have picked him up.

Our support was very lacking tonight, its the quietest I've known Molineux for a long time - and given that my last three games have been Huddersfield, Watford and now Palace it was disappointing! Doubly so as after 34.5 years of marriage I finally got my wife to go to the game with me (I loved her comment of "It's the first time I've been in a pub when everyone has worn the same clothes").

 

[Siggy]

I've mentioned this tangentially a few times recently, could a possible switch be Bennett off, Jonny to RCB (in the same role Azpilicueta played to great effect at Chelsea in a three), Vinagre at LWB? Gives us a more direct threat down the left and a better passing range from the back.

Really like this idea especially when we are chasing the game and need to switch things up.

Saves us a sub too rather than potentially bringing to Donk on for Benno and Vinny for Jonny.

 

[Tony Towner]

I've mentioned this tangentially a few times recently, could a possible switch be Bennett off, Jonny to RCB (in the same role Azpilicueta played to great effect at Chelsea in a three), Vinagre at LWB? Gives us a more direct threat down the left and a better passing range from the back.

From a Jonny perspective I think that works, the issue for me is that when someone needs to be a more belts and braces physical challenge centre half that's Bennett's job as we saw against Mitrovic, Kane at home - I didn't see the away game. Coady can't do that, Willy can but it's not his forte. Cahill did that at Chelsea

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

From a Jonny perspective I think that works, the issue for me is that when someone needs to be a more belts and braves physical challenge centre half that's Bennett's job as we saw against Mitrovic, Kane at home - I didn't see the away game. Coady can't do that, Willy can but it's not his forte. Cahill did that at Chelsea

Really just looking at games like yesterday, especially at home. Not like any of Palace's attacking players were going to trouble us physically, nor were they really attacking to any great degree.

 

[Siggy]

Also most of the Palace threat was on the break at pace, something Jonny is far more competent at dealing with than Benno.

It all depends who we play and what their strengths are but I am all for this suggestion.

Get on the phone to Nuno!

 

[Tony Towner]

Really just looking at games like yesterday, especially at home. Not like any of Palace's attacking players were going to trouble us physically, nor were they really attacking to any great degree.

Yes, I think for games like yesterday that would work, although there was chatter beforehand that Wickham would start which could have proven more of a problem. I'm not wedded to Bennett, I just think his distribution issues are overplayed.

 

[Lord Knows]

Is the fact that Conor Coady is to nice part of the problem. Should he be demanding his centre backs play higher while also making sure his midfield allow him to do the deeper distribution by pushing them further forward?

 

[Premier Quality]

Is the fact that Conor Coady is to nice part of the problem. Should he be demanding his centre backs play higher while also making sure his midfield allow him to do the deeper distribution by pushing them further forward?

Absolutely - I could see the point of neves/saiss dropping in if we had Batth at the back, but Coadys distribution is excellent. The midfield need to move back into midfield, else we end up way way too deep.

 

[Tony Towner]

Is the fact that Conor Coady is to nice part of the problem. Should he be demanding his centre backs play higher while also making sure his midfield allow him to do the deeper distribution by pushing them further forward?

Undoubtedly as the defensive organiser something went wrong on their first goal. We neither pushed out or sat in and when he is offside you go full Arsenal 1989 and put pressure on the linesman. Neves played too deep after he came on and the whole side dropped back inviting pressure

 

[Johnny75]

Is the fact that Conor Coady is to nice part of the problem. Should he be demanding his centre backs play higher while also making sure his midfield allow him to do the deeper distribution by pushing them further forward?

PQ is right. However it is by design that our midfielders drop out to the edges so the opposition have no one to mark and have to come out and chase the ball. All well and good if they do that. Palace didn't. The antidote to the midfielders dropping out is the centre backs driving forward with the ball. Boly and Coady are capable of that and with Saiss/ Neves/ Donk dropping in then I think we should see more of this. It makes us more fluid and would cause the opposition more problems as we can move the ball forwards rather than backwards and sideways.

I think that's where Donk will eventually take Bennett's spot as we need to create problems from every position not just your traditional ones.

 

[Premier Quality]

Agree with that Johnny and that’s where I feel bad for Bennett as he’s been excellent bar yesterday’s penalty - but he hurts us in those games because he can’t give us an option to move forward creatively. And in games like yesterday that nullifies a whole side, as Costa lays it back to Doherty who passes to Bennett - and we don’t have the option to drive forward or find Costa again, so it just goes to Coady and across to Boly every single time...

 

[Tony Towner]

Agree with that Johnny and that’s where I feel bad for Bennett as he’s been excellent bar yesterday’s penalty - but he hurts us in those games because he can’t give us an option to move forward creatively. And in games like yesterday that nullifies a whole side, as Costa lays it back to Doherty who passes to Bennett - and we don’t have the option to drive forward or find Costa again, so it just goes to Coady and across to Boly every single time...

Despite him playing the best pass of any player in a gold shirt across the 90 minutes?

 

[Deleted Cyber]

0 shots on target in 90 minutes was a big part of the issue last night. I think there are many other reasons that Ryan Bennert as to why that was the case. Personally, if youre going to give a penalty give it witgh the last kick and the game lost and make sure its Zaha! lols! the only danger would have been a second yellow.

No one comes away with a lot of credit in that game. Bennet , was probably one of the best in Old Gold last night , but its a low bar. Him and Raul the only 7/10. Everyone else 5 , Cav and Costa 4

 

[Premier Quality]

Despite him playing the best pass of any player in a gold shirt across the 90 minutes?

Which pass was that?

 

[Tony Towner]

Which pass was that?

The one from the right half position to Jonny which he miscontrolled in the first half

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Neves' ball out to the left more or less as soon as he came on was better than that.