Wolves 0-3 Man City: Verdict Thread

[Dire Wolf]

I can't see that. What Jeff Shi knows about football you can write on a postage stamp, but I'd imagine reading a league table is within scope

Oh, I agree, you'd expect him gone soon if we don't win 2 of our next 3 games. Which I don't think we will.

 

[jd1981]

I think a 2011/12 situation occurs here I have a bad feeling he’ll nick a result just at a point of no return and keep us hovering around 14-17 then he’ll hit horrendously bad form then the board will panic about March time by then it’ll be to late.
Lage probably will end up being a good backroom staff member but certainly is way out his depth being numero uno.

 

[PuntsWolf]

I’m finding the “but look how well we played against Man City with 10 men” comments so strange. Think it’s clutching at straws.

We weren’t playing well to be 0-2 with 11 men were we? Which with their defence and our attack is the game done. They scored with their only two attacks pretty much without trying. They then didn’t even have to try and got so lacksadaisical if we’d have actually managed to get a goal (hilarious I know) we may have had a sniff as they may have struggled to get going (doubt it) and us having the crowd behind us.

Even still they still scored a third without us having a sniff and would have been 4 if Bernardo Silva didn’t bottle a 70-30 with Sa.

We were allowed to play some semi decent stuff in the middle of the pitch (we do this a lot), but it doesn’t lead to goalscoring chances so cannot be considered good. The game is about scoring goals not maintaining possession in the middle third where that is easy to do when you’ve got 8 players in there all comfortable on the ball and the bail out of going back to your GK. But then when it goes forward you’ve only got 2…And none of those have proven to be any good 1v1 vs a defender this year. I’ll say it again, I have no idea how we plan to score a goal.

 

[Tony Towner]

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If he stays past New Year we will go down IMO.

I can't see that. What Jeff Shi knows about football you can write on a postage stamp, but I'd imagine reading a league table is within scope

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[Johnny75]

I can't see that. What Jeff Shi knows about football you can write on a postage stamp, but I'd imagine reading a league table is within scope

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I don't think he gives a shit.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

We were allowed to play some semi decent stuff in the middle of the pitch (we do this a lot), but it doesn’t lead to goalscoring chances so cannot be considered good. The game is about scoring goals not maintaining possession in the middle third where that is easy to do when you’ve got 8 players in there all comfortable on the ball and the bail out of going back to your GK. But then when it goes forward you’ve only got 2…And none of those have proven to be any good 1v1 vs a defender this year. I’ll say it again, I have no idea how we plan to score a goal.

I've made the Hoddle comparison before and I'll make it again. It's superficially good football which happens by default as we have good players. It is incredibly dull to watch even at our best, keepers hardly ever make any proper saves against us, even in periods where we're on top (see Leeds and Spurs away this season). Drop below our best and we lose. Concede first and we lose. Trips and I got delayed getting into the ground yesterday due to the turnstile fiasco...had we known that while stood in the queue, we'd gone 1-0 down, we may as well have just gone back to the pub. Game over after less than 60 seconds because Bibs & Cones has no idea how to manage a game.

We have scored 8 goals in our last 14 league games.

 

[jd1981]

I’m finding the “but look how well we played against Man City with 10 men” comments so strange. Think it’s clutching at straws.

We weren’t playing well to be 0-2 with 11 men were we? Which with their defence and our attack is the game done. They scored with their only two attacks pretty much without trying. They then didn’t even have to try and got so lacksadaisical if we’d have actually managed to get a goal (hilarious I know) we may have had a sniff as they may have struggled to get going (doubt it) and us having the crowd behind us.

Even still they still scored a third without us having a sniff and would have been 4 if Bernardo Silva didn’t bottle a 70-30 with Sa.

We were allowed to play some semi decent stuff in the middle of the pitch (we do this a lot), but it doesn’t lead to goalscoring chances so cannot be considered good. The game is about scoring goals not maintaining possession in the middle third where that is easy to do when you’ve got 8 players in there all comfortable on the ball and the bail out of going back to your GK. But then when it goes forward you’ve only got 2…And none of those have proven to be any good 1v1 vs a defender this year. I’ll say it again, I have no idea how we plan to score a goal.

I find the “good effort” or “it was city, so what can you do attitude” infuriating.
For me if that’s how you view things then you’re happy with us battling relegation or having a return to the hell that’s the EFL.
The situation became clear once we went down to ten men City moved into second gear we moved into self preservation.
Trust me if City were in 5th gear it would’ve been 5-6 easily.
Football is 90 minutes per game playing well for 25 minutes is pointless and will leave you pointless.
The damming stats just keep coming with Bruno, his sides have not managed a second half in goal the last 9 games in league and cup.
9 times in a row he’s been unable to make positively influence his side after having them for 15 minutes.
His falling behind record is shambolic and continues to be.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I've seen us lose to Man City before but we've given them a proper game.

That was not us giving them a proper game, they won't have an easier win all season.

 

[jd1981]

The manager needs time bollocks is exactly that bollocks.
It’s an absolute footballing myth that managers need prolonged periods with players to become successful. In fact a new manager and new ideas is sometimes a big lift for players. Players at this level are very adaptable and given new instructions isn’t learning to become Dr is basic stuff.

 

[PuntsWolf]

I've made the Hoddle comparison before and I'll make it again. It's superficially good football which happens by default as we have good players. It is incredibly dull to watch even at our best, keepers hardly ever make any proper saves against us, even in periods where we're on top (see Leeds and Spurs away this season). Drop below our best and we lose. Concede first and we lose. Trips and I got delayed getting into the ground yesterday due to the turnstile fiasco...had we known that while stood in the queue, we'd gone 1-0 down, we may as well have just gone back to the pub. Game over after less than 60 seconds because Bibs & Cones has no idea how to manage a game.

We have scored 8 goals in our last 14 league games.

Still can’t get my head around where Moutinho and Nunes were playing in that first 20 mins. Neither finding space behind their 8s nor keeping tabs on KDB/Silva. Tons of space between our midfield and defence for them to exploit. Yet we didn’t exploit any space the other end. So basically we’re doing nothing out of possession and then being neat and tidy in it.

People near me saying he should have played a back 5 but that wasn’t the issue. The issue was the space in midfield where we already had 3 in there! Sadly they were in the wrong place. Playing 2 deeper midfielders was the way to go to plug those spaces but Bruno Lage felt leaving those spaces open was a good way to go against two of the best 8s in the world.

Add to that basically keeping 3 up top so Cancelo, Grealish, Silva got the man advantage down our right but then Neto doing bugger all when he’s got the 1v1 against Dias and likewise Guedes against Stones (although RAN wouldn’t give him the fucking ball). We’re shit on the counter, shit in open play and shit from set pieces.

 

[Langers]

I've no problem with losing to a much better side if we've given it our best and at least tried to have a go. I'm not convinced we did that yesterday, we looked like we were deathly afraid, unconvinced as to what we were actually supposed to be and utterly clueless as a result.

The owners have backed Lage with a lot of good signings this summer. If there's any hint of us being in a relegation battle, they'll get rid of him.

I'm convinced it's a case of when not if, but my biggest concern is how much damage will be done between now and the inevitable.

This squad shouldn't be anywhere near the relegation zone. The longer this goes on, the more likely it is that this season becomes a write off when it really shouldn't be.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

If there's a winner in the Everton vs West Ham game later then we'll be 17th. Had we actually played last week and lost (very likely), there's a good chance we'd probably be in the bottom three. I don't think anyone genuinely thinks we'll win next time at West Ham or the one after at Chelsea.

We're already in a scrap and once you get mired down there it isn't very easy to drag yourself out, even if you hit some semblance of form. Especially when you average less than a goal every two games.

 

[jd1981]

Yeah I don’t want to sound like I told you so but the disaster that was the end of last season has infected this season.
There’s this mythology amongst some of our fans that it’ll come good and not being battered by the big clubs translates to wins against the lesser sides.
There were a few on here after the spurs game that were confident that we’d be fine because we did alright in that game.
Next 5 games we’ve got
West Ham a
Chelsea a
Forest h
Palace a
Leicester h

Realistic total is 6-7 points puts us about 1ppg.
It could be worse and we only pick up 3-4.
No matter which way you cut it come the World Cup break the best we can hope for is being in a position of very much looking over our shoulder.
That’s assuming Dean Lage starts picking up wins.

 

[Wilf Wolf]

Game over after less than 60 seconds because Bibs & Cones has no idea how to manage a game.

I think everyone but a blind optimist knew the game was over before we’d made a pass. What followed was embarrassing as City were so comfortable that they went into neutral and cruised the rest of the game.

On reflection a proper stuffing might have been what is needed to wake Shi up from his apparent coma. If I’d been on the train not driving I’d have been tempted to go to the pub myself after the second. I can accept defeat if there’s a semblance of hope but watching us playing Hoddleball with hundreds of million worth of players is a waste of a Saturday.

 

[jd1981]

If the football is crap then results need to come regularly. If results aren’t great then it at least has to be a decent watch. We’re the worse of both worlds bad to watch and don’t win games.
Since being here we average 0.88 goals per game. We were told that things wouldn’t be dull under him. Nuno was binned off because the need for a change of direction.
Very good chance that we steered clear of trouble last season because the players were still picking up the organisation and fighting traits left by Nuno.
It’s no coincidence that it wore off towards the end of the season.

 

[Carrotdude]

I miss 2017-2020 Nuno when we actually posed a threat and had a plan in these games

 

[Trips]

I miss 2017-2020 Nuno when we actually posed a threat and had a plan in these games

This is the biggest thing for me, the lack of a plan. Not just in games against the big boys, but all games. I don't know what our plan is to score, outside of hoping Neves pings one in from 25 yards.

We create so little, our forwards are so far away from each other we rely on them doing something special to create a chance.

We have the best squad of players I've seen in my lifetime and we are wasting them, and wasting the season, with this idiot in charge.

People who advocate 'giving him time' - I'm not sure on what basis. We are fully in relegation form stretching back into last season. Once you get around 10 games in and you're down the bottom, its bloody hard to get out of it. Newcastle had CL form from January onward and it still took them a good while to get out of trouble.

I don't trust this guy to have us in any sort of form, and don't trust him for the Forest game which is going to be huge when it rolls around (we'll likely be in the bottom 3 by then) So get rid now

 

[Derby Wolf]

We'll play both Forest and Leicester back into form, especially the latter who will likely have a new manager bounce by that point.

We've got a first choice CB missing for the next 3 and a coach who has so little trust in the others he'd rather play his best player out of position for 60 minutes.

It must be utterly demoralising working for this wanker. I've rarely listened to his interviews because the first time I listened to him I just didn't think he held any gravitas whatsoever. This was before I actively disliked the bloke, I was just entirely apathetic toward him. Watching MOTD or the like I'd zone out from the end of the highlights until the start of any analysis.

 

[WsWolf]

We'll play both Forest and Leicester back into form, especially the latter who will likely have a new manager bounce by that point.

We've got a first choice CB missing for the next 3 and a coach who has so little trust in the others he'd rather play his best player out of position for 60 minutes.

It must be utterly demoralising working for this wanker. I've rarely listened to his interviews because the first time I listened to him I just didn't think he held any gravitas whatsoever. This was before I actively disliked the bloke, I was just entirely apathetic toward him. Watching MOTD or the like I'd zone out from the end of the highlights until the start of any analysis.

In fairness I can see why he did that with Neves. As much as I'd like to stick the boot into him I don't think that's a reason to do so.

If he starts like that next game then I'll agree but at 2-0 down it was obvious he wanted Neves stepping into midfield when we had the ball with kilman taking haaland.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

But he's left himself in a silly position, all of his own making.

We now have three games without Collins. We can play Toti who last played a first team game in May, or Mosquera who has never played a single minute for us in the league. Or leave Neves there which would be total nonsense. Particularly at 3-0, where was the issue in giving either of them 20 minutes? At least get them used to playing alongside Kilman when the game is totally gone. We didn't use all our subs, though we did make a Ken-style full back for full back change on 80 minutes for no reason.

On top of which, he publicly said that both were nowhere near as good as the first team starters the other week, superb stuff for morale there.

He's allowed Coady, Boly, Saiss, Dendoncker, Marçal and Hoever to leave all at once when they were all at least theoretical options (I wouldn't ever choose to play the final two, but they *can* play there).

He'll probably just claim that he wanted to sign Mathijs de Ligt, we couldn't get him so it's not his fault, needs more time.