Wolves 0-2 Crystal Palace: Verdict Thread

[redvictor]

Only because older generations didn't have social media themselves.

Im 61 and have FB and instagram accounts. We aren't all old fogies..

 

[redvictor]

Bruno has had players he wanted. Adama, Trincao, Chiquinho, Hwang. Let's not pretend we haven't given him players.

Adama? Don't think so..

 

[Tony Towner]

Bruno has had players he wanted. Adama, Trincao, Chiquinho, Hwang. Let's not pretend we haven't given him players.

Adama was sold when he said he didn't want him to be. Chiquinho he's said he didn't view as a first team player. Not going to requote myself from the Summer transfer thread, but the one thing he hasn't got is the players he wanted

 

[jlo]

We'd have gone down under Nuno this season. He was finished. I don't know what finished him. Or why. But he was done.

It'd been a painful season until he was sacked, agree. But after a break I wonder if Nuno now would be quite a different manager. That said, I wouldn't go back. But neither do I see much in Lage's approach, however he has done just about enough to deserve longer - but that's pointless if he isn't backed, he doesn't now have the players he needs.

 

[Alan]

Adama was sold when he said he didn't want him to be. Chiquinho he's said he didn't view as a first team player. Not going to requote myself from the Summer transfer thread, but the one thing he hasn't got is the players he wanted

I'll take your word for it; wasn't aware of Bruno's comments to those effects.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Bruno has had players he wanted. Adama, Trincao, Chiquinho, Hwang. Let's not pretend we haven't given him players.

He also wants a big massive lump of a forward at some point so that'll be some more brilliant football to look forward to.

These are a big few games for him either side of the break, if we're as bad as we have been of late then he absolutely will be in trouble.

A really shit element is how he has zero impact once we've kicked off. If he tries to make tactical changes then it's not very evident (sometimes he takes one of the defenders off but it makes absolutely no difference), we never change our overall style and tempo even when we're clearly getting battered, his subs are shit, if we're bad in the first half then we're also bad in the second half so I don't imagine his HT team talks are up to much, we frequently start miles off the pace and never improve.

I'm not very impressed.

These were the on at least some level decent performances:

Leicester (A)
Tottenham (H)
Man Utd (H)
Everton (H)
West Ham (H)
Brighton (A, second half only)
Man Utd (A)
Southampton (H)
Tottenham (A)

The rest have been a range of just about average to bloody awful, an increasing number towards the bottom end of that scale. That's 18 and a half games out of 27.

 

[Haggstone]

I don’t think it matters all that much who we have in charge when our senior striker is desperately out of form, our record signing is a teenager who isn’t ready for the premier league and our most talented attacking player isn’t anywhere near match fit. Add to that, the fact that our most in form forward player this season has been Daniel (one good game in five) Podence, then it’s hardly surprising that we are a tough watch.

Squad needs a refresh for me. Still think we have the nucleus of a decent squad even without Neves, who let’s face it really ought to be pushing for a move in the summer.

That been said, if Lage really fancies himself as the man for the job, then he needs to buck up sharpish. The way he has carried himself of late ain’t exactly inspiring. Saying we played well one week (we didn’t), then having a public dig at young players the next isn’t really a great look.

Funny how quickly things can unravel.

 

[Wilf Wolf]

Interesting to see that some think the squad isn’t unbalanced. That is only the case if you want to play 5 at the back and have no wish to play an attacking midfielder. We have nobody who can play as an advanced midfielder and bring a bit of creativity and goal threat to the team.

We have become unbelievably predictable in how we play and very easy to play against and with the players we have it is hard to see anything but small tweaks to our approach. One I’d like to see is get Raul to play in the middle, we cannot afford to have him going wide so often. It is pointless as it leaves us with next to no threat in the box.

 

[Johnny75]

Interesting to see that some think the squad isn’t unbalanced. That is only the case if you want to play 5 at the back and have no wish to play an attacking midfielder. We have nobody who can play as an advanced midfielder and bring a bit of creativity and goal threat to the team.

We have become unbelievably predictable in how we play and very easy to play against and with the players we have it is hard to see anything but small tweaks to our approach. One I’d like to see is get Raul to play in the middle, we cannot afford to have him going wide so often. It is pointless as it leaves us with next to no threat in the box.

This just isn’t the case, as people have given plausible alternatives in personnel and formations.

 

[WolfMan]

If Lage gets a quick powerful centre half and a dynamic CM, enabling him to play the 4 at the back he's publicly stated he wants to play, and we're still shit, fair enough. I do think there's just been an element of pragmatism this season.

Better to have a job come the end of it, which it looks like he will have, than trying to play good football and getting smashed and potentially relegated, a la Frank Lampard's Everton.

Appreciate the points being made about this group of players being capable of better football, but to be honest I just don't see it, and I suppose that's really the crux of the matter.

 

[Wilf Wolf]

This just isn’t the case, as people have given plausible alternatives in personnel and formations.

Given Lage had previously favoured a back four and started with it preseason and abandoned it and hasn’t gone back to it it appears he doesn’t think he has the squad to do it.

Who would you play at CH?

 

[Johnny75]

Given Lage had previously favoured a back four and started with it preseason and abandoned it and hasn’t gone back to it it appears he doesn’t think he has the squad to do it.

Who would you play at CH?

My back 4 (when all fit) would be:

Semedo — Boly — Kilman — Jonny

There’s plenty of pace, natural FB cover and a balance of footballing brains there.

Added to that I would play 4-3-3 with Donk parked in front. Neves and Joao would be the other two midfielders playing much further forward with the ball, where I think Neves and Moutinho are best, especially when you look at their performance first half against Everton and United.

But again it’s not the players, it’s mentality and tactical style that would mean change. I’d prefer us to play a Klopp’s style Gegenpress but at the moment we have no style.

 

[Wilf Wolf]

My back 4 (when all fit) would be:

Semedo — Boly — Kilman — Jonny

There’s plenty of pace, natural FB cover and a balance of footballing brains there.

Added to that I would play 4-3-3 with Donk parked in front. Neves and Joao would be the other two midfielders playing much further forward with the ball, where I think Neves and Moutinho are best, especially when you look at their performance first half against Everton and United.

But again it’s not the players, it’s mentality and tactical style that would mean change. I’d prefer us to play a Klopp’s style Gegenpress but at the moment we have no style.

Boly is nowhere near fully fit and recently Kilman - for understandable reasons - has looked poor. Interesting you choose not to pick two of our defensive mainstays, Coady and Saiss which suggests an unbalanced squad to me.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Not really. They just wouldn’t be quick enough in a four

 

[Wilf Wolf]

Not really. They just wouldn’t be quick enough in a four

So you wouldn’t play two of the centre halves in a four but the squad is balanced. Hmmm…

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

As we play in a five it is balanced enough

 

[prawnking]

It's a brave manager who is going to jettison what Coady brings to the table, especially for a player who, let's be honest, can't be relied upon to keep fit and hasn't done for several seasons

 

[Johnny75]

Boly is nowhere near fully fit and recently Kilman - for understandable reasons - has looked poor. Interesting you choose not to pick two of our defensive mainstays, Coady and Saiss which suggests an unbalanced squad to me.

Perhaps you missed the part where I said *when all fit*. Bruno has suggested Boly is fit now.

Saiss plays in a 4 for Morocco so would be the next in line. Coady just doesn't have the abilities to play in that role for me.

Sanderson and Mosquera may be ok next season but we won't know until then.

 

[Wilf Wolf]

As we play in a five it is balanced enough

But my point was it’s only balanced if you do that. Going round in circles so I’ll leave it at that.

 

[prawnking]

Perhaps you missed the part where I said *when all fit*. Bruno has suggested Boly is fit now.

But for how long? He's missed all of this season and over 40% of each of the previous two. At 31 I'm not sure that's going to improve?

You'd work all week with him in a 4 then he'd drop out on the Friday and you'd be chucking Coady or Saiss in anyway