Wolves 0 - 2 Huddersfield: The Verdict.

[big mean bunny]

An all too real reminder of the parity that exists for the non elite teams within this league.

 

[Lycan]

At one point last night our front 5 was
Costa - Doherty - Traoré - Jiménez - Vinagre

I'm sorry but something has gone massively wrong somewhere if that's the team you're putting out. We're in a bit of a tight spot here because when managers start doing things like this I always feel like the best option is to go back to basics but there's also a problem with how teams have worked out how to play against us.

Its obvious how Cardiff are going to approach the game on Friday. They're going to press us high, flood the midfield and try to make their physical advantage count. As people have already said, there's no way Nuno is going to change the formation but there is room for the odd tactical tweak within our 3-4-3 which could make all the difference. We either need to drop our IFs further inside to give Neves/Moutinho a dig out, switch to a 1-2 up front and play Gibbs-White in behind or go in the complete opposite direction and just vacate the midfield. Spread Neves/Moutinho out wide, let Cardiff have the numbers inside and try to create overloads against their full backs.

 

[Deano]

Seen a lot of praise for Vinagre, he created some chances going forward but he's not there defensively at all. A couple of times he sprinted back and won a tackle but the situation came about as he was not in the correct position to begin with, he is young so obviously has some developing to do but we are really going to miss Jonny in the coming weeks.

 

[Carrotdude]

Seen a lot of praise for Vinagre, he created some chances going forward but he's not there defensively at all. A couple of times he sprinted back and won a tackle but the situation came about as he was not in the correct position to begin with, he is young so obviously has some developing to do but we are really going to miss Jonny in the coming weeks.

I think it’s very much relative praise given how the rest of the team played!

 

[Tony Towner]

I thought he resembled a dog chasing a balloon. Offensively he offered as much as anyone, positionally all over the place. However, he Coady and Bennett are the only members of the starting 11 I wouldn't particularly criticise

Nuno needs to make sure 343 doesn't become some sort of Wengeresque stubborn vanity project. It's been a month now since I called for an extra man in midfield as we are losing games in there. I'm more convinced now than I was then that it's essential, but as I'm not expecting it then we have to put someone in there that can potentially win the ball. Play Saiss, move Neves further forwards and go back to what served us so well last year. Neves and Moutinho isn't working and I'm not certain Neves and MGW in a two would either.

 

[MARKakaJIM]

I thought he resembled a dog chasing a balloon. Offensively he offered as much as anyone, positionally all over the place. However, he Coady and Bennett are the only members of the starting 11 I wouldn't particularly criticise

Nuno needs to make sure 343 doesn't become some sort of Wengeresque stubborn vanity project. It's been a month now since I called for an extra man in midfield as we are losing games in there. I'm more convinced now than I was then that it's essential, but as I'm not expecting it then we have to put someone in there that can potentially win the ball. Play Saiss, move Neves further forwards and go back to what served us so well last year. Neves and Moutinho isn't working and I'm not certain Neves and MGW in a two would either.

I don't think it's really an issue of winning the ball back, yesterday certainly wasn't but didn't really see anything of the Watford game, the problems came from having too few bodies in the middle of the pitch when in possession so it was too easy for them to be crowded out and not have an easy passing option to relieve pressure. Personally I don't see Saiss performing any better in that sort of situation, if anything he'd be even worse than those that played yesterday.

I think the other problem you get with this formation, as seen at times again yesterday, is that it never really provides many bodies in advanced positions so when you've gone behind it's often very difficult to really pile the pressure on and chase a game. Wolves couldn't really press particularly high up the pitch as only the front three would go and then could easily be bypassed by going wide or Hogg dropping deep in the middle. Then in possession you have the same problem with only the front three really getting anywhere near the opposition goal and if a team has got a lead to defend they can easily bring men back and just suffocate attacks with pure numbers, the midfield really need to get higher up the pitch at times, particularly when there are three defenders behind to cover and in games like yesterday they only have one true forward to monitor. Neves in particular seems to spend massive amounts of time really deep, sometimes he barely gets more than 15 yards away from a centre half, which just seems incredibly unnecessary when Coady is capable of quality distribution from the back.

 

[Parkins left foot]

Probably the most depressing trip I have made recently - was annoyed on Sat, but calmed down now.

Given that we started with 10 of the team thaT did well against Arsenal the performance really wasn't expected & whilst there has been talk of formations etc really if you have 8 or 9 players having the worst game they have had all at the same time you are going to get done over (really looked like someone had turned the 'skill' dial on the team from 7 to 1!)

Coady did reasonable & Vinagre was bright, but naive particularly defensively though given his age & experience level that's not surprising. Jota was better than the others on before without being spectacular & should have been the half time sub instead of Traore - this wasn't the game for him. MGW tried hard without any support & seeing as they had full control of that area then maybe we should have gone MGW - Neves - Saiss in there for the second half & sacrificed one of the front 3 especially seeing as they were all either within 5 yards of each other or 30 yards apart & unable to interact.

Cardiff will need changes

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Patricio: Kicking was diabolical at times and he simply has to save the free kick, no excuses

Bennett: Not too bad defensively but his lack of passing ability hurts us

Coady: Probably our best player on the day. Even then his distribution wasn't as good as normal

Boly: Worst he's ever played for Wolves, injury or not. Got beaten in the air by Pritchard at one point

Doherty: Welcome back 2015 Matt. Fucking dreadful

Neves: Worst he's ever played for Wolves. Offered very, very little and the free kick at the end sums it up

Moutinho: Worst he's ever played for Wolves. Passing was negative and not really in the game at all. Corners are still shit

Vinagre: Had the beating of Hadergjonaj....so we stopped giving him the ball in the second half. Still learning defensively

Cavaleiro: Worst he's ever played for Wolves. Got basically nothing right

Jimenez: Did at least try hard and unlucky not to score. Not sure what was going on with the Andy Keogh style pass to no-one when clean through

Costa: Marginally better than Cav but it really is marginal

MGW: Some impetus from the middle of the park but he couldn't turn it around on his own

Traore: Appalling touch (seriously, as bad as Jake Cassidy at times), falls over like a bad Kevin Doyle impressionist, non-existent awareness and movement. Still looks like he doesn't understand how to play football. Terrible value, £18m for that?! I'd happily get rid of him in January

Jota: Did alright although the game was gone by the time he arrived

I'm still annoyed tbh.

 

[darlowolf64]

Patricio: Kicking was diabolical at times and he simply has to save the free kick, no excuses

Bennett: Not too bad defensively but his lack of passing ability hurts us

Coady: Probably our best player on the day. Even then his distribution wasn't as good as normal

Boly: Worst he's ever played for Wolves, injury or not. Got beaten in the air by Pritchard at one point

Doherty: Welcome back 2015 Matt. Fucking dreadful

Neves: Worst he's ever played for Wolves. Offered very, very little and the free kick at the end sums it up

Moutinho: Worst he's ever played for Wolves. Passing was negative and not really in the game at all. Corners are still shit

Vinagre: Had the beating of Hadergjonaj....so we stopped giving him the ball in the second half. Still learning defensively

Cavaleiro: Worst he's ever played for Wolves. Got basically nothing right

Jimenez: Did at least try hard and unlucky not to score. Not sure what was going on with the Andy Keogh style pass to no-one when clean through

Costa: Marginally better than Cav but it really is marginal

MGW: Some impetus from the middle of the park but he couldn't turn it around on his own

Traore: Appalling touch (seriously, as bad as Jake Cassidy at times), falls over like a bad Kevin Doyle impressionist, non-existent awareness and movement. Still looks like he doesn't understand how to play football. Terrible value, £18m for that?! I'd happily get rid of him in January

Jota: Did alright although the game was gone by the time he arrived

I'm still annoyed tbh.

Fair...

 

[Kenny]

Was it Coady that tried to pass to Jiminez in the first half but he had stopped to tie his laces up...pass still fell about 10 ft short but if it had made it, it just would have hit him. That moment summed up our performance.

We better see a stonker of a reaction at Cardiff on Friday.

Saiss, Dendoncker and MGW should all be asking Nuno a few questions this week.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Just before we conceded, Doherty blootered a pass against someone from about two yards away. I don't even know what he was trying to do. Less still do I know why he was playing the pass for the goal first time with his left foot when he had plenty of time. Your left foot is shit, Doc. Don't do that.

 

[Parkins left foot]

Plus everyone now knows that when Patricio goes to kick the ball then it's only going one way - stick a big player on Doherty & you'll win it back as often as not

 

[Johnny75]

I'm still annoyed tbh.

It doesn't show...

Fair summing up of the performance mind.

 

[Parkins left foot]

It's annoying that it was Huddersfield that did this given our record against them recently & where they were, but Deutsch's summing up is accurate if that many players have their worst game for us at the same time then we really aren't going to get anything (just thank our lucky stars that we didn't play like that v Man City - would hate to have to think what the score would have been then)

 

[Norman Deeley]

Patricio: Kicking was diabolical at times and he simply has to save the free kick, no excuses

Bennett: Not too bad defensively but his lack of passing ability hurts us

Coady: Probably our best player on the day. Even then his distribution wasn't as good as normal

Boly: Worst he's ever played for Wolves, injury or not. Got beaten in the air by Pritchard at one point

Doherty: Welcome back 2015 Matt. Fucking dreadful

Neves: Worst he's ever played for Wolves. Offered very, very little and the free kick at the end sums it up

Moutinho: Worst he's ever played for Wolves. Passing was negative and not really in the game at all. Corners are still shit

Vinagre: Had the beating of Hadergjonaj....so we stopped giving him the ball in the second half. Still learning defensively

Cavaleiro: Worst he's ever played for Wolves. Got basically nothing right

Jimenez: Did at least try hard and unlucky not to score. Not sure what was going on with the Andy Keogh style pass to no-one when clean through

Costa: Marginally better than Cav but it really is marginal

MGW: Some impetus from the middle of the park but he couldn't turn it around on his own

Traore: Appalling touch (seriously, as bad as Jake Cassidy at times), falls over like a bad Kevin Doyle impressionist, non-existent awareness and movement. Still looks like he doesn't understand how to play football. Terrible value, £18m for that?! I'd happily get rid of him in January

Jota: Did alright although the game was gone by the time he arrived

I'm still annoyed tbh.

Slag the players off all you like, but the manager also had his worst game for Wolves and, as someone has commented above, he seems to be developing a Wenger-esque refusal to even consider changing his mind.

 

[lemonjelly]

Nuno needs to make sure 343 doesn't become some sort of Wengeresque stubborn vanity project. It's been a month now since I called for an extra man in midfield as we are losing games in there. I'm more convinced now than I was then that it's essential, but as I'm not expecting it then we have to put someone in there that can potentially win the ball. Play Saiss, move Neves further forwards and go back to what served us so well last year. Neves and Moutinho isn't working and I'm not certain Neves and MGW in a two would either.

Agree with this. Nuno hasn't really had a plan B since he joined, and we've seen him struggle with subs, and he seems to struggle to change a game. Last season, we were able to change games by superior firepower. Not this.
A combination of not upgrading both wingbacks, plus an unwillingess(?) to adapt our tactics could become an issue. Many of us critiqued Mowbray at west brom for sticking with his philosophy of attractive football. I don't want to see a reversion to long ball, but I do want to see adaptation, and flexibility. Nuno has to learn how to change a game with substitutions, as throwing extra forwards on didn't work last season, and won't this either.

We have 1 point from 15, and our xG is low. Not time to panic, we equally have good players, and a good coaching set up. However, we need to learn, and incorporate flexibility. We also need some confidence.

I don't think it's really an issue of winning the ball back, yesterday certainly wasn't but didn't really see anything of the Watford game, the problems came from having too few bodies in the middle of the pitch when in possession so it was too easy for them to be crowded out and not have an easy passing option to relieve pressure. Personally I don't see Saiss performing any better in that sort of situation, if anything he'd be even worse than those that played yesterday...

Neves in particular seems to spend massive amounts of time really deep, sometimes he barely gets more than 15 yards away from a centre half, which just seems incredibly unnecessary when Coady is capable of quality distribution from the back.

I think part of Neves dropping back is it allows us a couple of options for the incisive pass we know both are able to make. Boly is also capable, and Hause and even recently Doherty have unleashed great long crossfield balls to switch play, so it is probably a tactic, and being developed with other players. However agree with you that Saiss is unlikely to resolve the issues we're seeing.

 

[PuntsWolf]

I’ve decided to watch it again. Try and have and calmer view of that’s happening.

25 mins and we haven’t actually been that bad. Certainly not massive issues with the system. Nothing in the game just Doherty gifted them a goal (he’s also been absolutely fucking dreadful) and everything Costa, Jiminez and Cavaleiro have done had been horrific. Cavaleiro has miss placed 5 yard passes on repeat.

Moutinho and Neves have been OK actually, Vinagre positionally weak but doing OK.

Edit:
Right so I’ve got to half time. Cavaleiro barely deserved a 1/10. Horrific. It’s not even the CM that have been that bad. They’ve been pressed but we’ve escaped it plenty, the front 3 have just been so bad (less so Raul). General distribution from the back been woeful too. Just misplacing so Many easy balls.

Not really been too much wrong with the system I’d say, Hudd have done well and limited us but that’s not the reason why players are failing to make simple passes and lay offs.

Can’t wait to see the Adama show in the second half...


So first 20 mins of the second half. Started slow but then started to look slightly dangerous. Traore has been atrocious down the middle but also looked the only one who is threatening. Just keeps falling on the floor. He should have played on the right. Jimenez was unlucky not to score but then also god knows what he was doing a few times. MGW looking good but Neves not really influencing anything.

Free kick is just a shambles. The whole point of the wall is to stop you having a free dig on goal. We’ve pretty much just left it free for him to put it there and he did. It’s not even a good angle for a free kick either, if there wasn’t a wall he wouldn’t have scored as Rui would have been covering his near post (not saying we shouldn’t have had a wall, it just highlights how much of a joke it was).

 

[SSB]

Free kick is just a shambles. The whole point of the wall is to stop you having a free dig on goal. We’ve pretty much just left it free for him to put it there and he did. It’s not even a good angle for a free kick either, if there wasn’t a wall he wouldn’t have scored as Rui would have been covering his near post (not saying we shouldn’t have had a wall, it just highlights how much of a joke it was).

 

[Premier Quality]

I wonder why - there doesn’t seem to be any good reason for it that I can see?

 

[PuntsWolf]

Tracking the runner wide if they lay it short