Wolves 1-0 Aston Villa: Verdict Thread

[Derby Wolf]

Ground it out. The first 20 minutes was exactly what we needed - pressing all over, forcing mistakes and a high tempo, everything that last week's debacle wasn't. It was a fairly even game that they shaded on clear chances; Watkins should have buried his header first half (assuming there wasn't an offside in the build-up) and Mings had to score off the free kick at the back with 20 to go. But tough. Not our problem if you pass up good opportunities.

Again at 1-0 at home I'm comfortable these days - take the Leeds aberration out and we've only conceded 2 in the league at Molineux under Lopetegui.

There were no realistic fears beforehand but they're totally banished now. Let's look to next season.

Sa: Jekyll Sa today. One brilliant save from Buendia and he dealt with them trying to box him in off set pieces well enough. Didn't piss around with the ball either. He's too inconsistent long term, if he was like that all the time then we wouldn't have a problem. But well done today.

Semedo: No attacking output to speak of but was fine defensively bar a couple of slack passes out.

Dawson: Classic Dawson performance, headers and blocks wherever we needed them. Even had time for some top drawer keeping the ball in the corner near the end. Exactly the signing we needed, I was sceptical but delighted to be wrong on this one.

Kilman: Much like Sa you don't get this often enough. Where he was diffident and lethargic last week he was strong and definitive today.

Toti: Love a header in off the bar. Especially with a towering leap. Really was a superb goal. Did well on the ball too, just a good squad member, glad we've got him.

Nunes: A couple of trademark parks level passes first half but did well enough, mostly on the defensive side. Needed that after his Hunt vs Watford effort at Brighton.

Neves: Comparatively quiet on the ball but did all his defensive work well and you could see at the end what this meant to him. I don't want this to be a goodbye, it probably will be, but it's days like today I'll remember just as much as the spectacular goals.

Lemina: Stood up to a good Villa midfield and mops up danger so many times. He can actually shoot from range, I wish he'd try sometimes. Minor quibble though.

Neto: Working his way back. He's not the Neto of old yet but then he's hardly played for two years. We're as well playing him now because he's an asset who we need to deliver next season.

Cunha: A couple of splendid runs with the ball in the first half. Still indecisive in front of goal and you do wonder where the numbers to back up the fee will come from. But he did well enough.

Costa: Tries. Tries really hard. But he's not up to it, sorry. Should have buried his chance at the start of the second half but I never have any faith in him scoring those chances. We can't go along with a striker who never looks like scoring. Give him a good send off vs Everton, he deserves that but let's move on please.

We've got away with the Lage fiasco, I'm now eager to see how and where we build on the platform we have.

wasn't it Semedo who crossed when Costa chested it down for Cunha in the first half? thought it was a good effort. Admittedly very little apart from that.

 

[Alan]

wasn't it Semedo who crossed when Costa chested it down for Cunha in the first half? thought it was a good effort. Admittedly very little apart from that.

Good buildup between Nelson and Nunes on that chance but think it was Matheus who ultimately put the cross in.

 

[nimrod]

always great to beat villa and to finally get to 40 points. I’ll take that and party.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

His main fault is the three at the back nonsense which needs to stop - it invites needless pressure with 10 minutes to go. He has worked out his best team now though at least and adapted very quickly to the Premier League, to his credit.

Whilst I hate it and totally agree regarding the 3ATB thing.

How many times has it worked v collapsed us?

 

[Tony Towner]

When we beat them it's always my favourite win of the season. Singing mind the gap when you've just been beaten is hollowest of statements, in the grand scheme if you finish between 8th and 17th it amounts to the same thing.

As for the game very small margins. Great save by Sa, terrible misses from Mings and Watkins. We got away with errors such as Kilman(?) misjudging his header to leave Watkins free 8 yards out. I wasn't a fan of the defensive last 15 minutes, but that said they didn't score and didn't look likely to so can't criticise. The pitch must have a been very slippy, but strangely only for one team

 

[Tredman]

If only Cunha had got this to Nunes it would have been a magnificent goal

https://twitter.com/x/status/1654861215779176449

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

We had our own chances too. Cunha edge of the box and middle of goal with a free shot, Costa clean through, someone should have scored off the Neto cross towards the end.

I am also sure it was NOT a foul when Neto would have been clean through in the first half, Ramsey (I think) was going down quicker than a Ladbaby single on Boxing Day. But that's Attwell for you, you will always get bizarre calls all the way through every game.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

We're now 10th in the home table (most teams below us have only played 17 rather than 18 games, but even if they all won that extra game none of them can match our 29 points).

18th away (only Leeds and Forest are worse, Everton have the same points but a better GD thanks to last week's shambles) and you'd have to say fairly likely to lose the last two (not writing them off, but all things being equal) so that is a big area to improve next year.

 

[Kenny]

Fear a return to the beach next week. Rebound v Everton and v Arsenal could be anything presuming City have won the league before that point.

 

[Alan]

Can't see a chance in hell that 18th gets near 40 points so it probably doesn't matter at all if we lose out from here, but I absolutely don't want to see the intensity drop from today. And hey, if we end up pushing 45/46 points, all the better.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Can't see a chance in hell that 18th gets near 40 points so it probably doesn't matter at all if we lose out from here, but I absolutely don't want to see the intensity drop from today. And hey, if we end up pushing 45/46 points, all the better.

We really should beat Everton as they're shit, and worse than shit away from home.

Entirely possible we could officially condemn them. In which case you *might* get an end of season pitch invasion at Molineux this season, it just wouldn't be us doing it...

 

[AndyWolves]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1654915413162033154

 

[Jinky]

Also it should be plenty motivation to have the chance to send Everton down.

 

[Lupo]

Good, hard, battling performance that was the perfect response to the Brighton debacle. Everyone looked up for the challenge and great to see Toti (my MOTM) grab the winner. Though it felt like we were safe anyway it feels good to reach the magic 40 point mark, safety becomes mathematical in all probability on Monday if Everton don't beat Brighton or Southampton get something against Forest but we don't have to worry now.

30 points won under Lop. We were 4 points adrift at the bottom when he came in. He has achieved his primary objective, this summer the real fun can begin now we have a proper manager again, lets forget that Bruno Lage ever happened.

Well done boys!

 

[Johnny75]

Hard to disagree with what had been said already.

I was glad Lop put Neto on the left and Nunes on the right where he's effective.

Semedo was pretty poor today but he was the outlier as everybody else was good.

A word for Shatwell, a truly dire performance from start to finish. Stealing a living.

 

[Wellen Wolf]

Just a quick question. Who does Lopetegui enthusiastically gesture to you in the upper centre of the Billy Quiet at the end of the match when we win at home? Jeff Shi? It's a very enthusiastic set of gestures!

 

[Kenny]

Does his DOF pal sit up there or his family maybe?

 

[Tredman]

Usually where the families are.

 

[Tredman]

Hard to disagree with what had been said already.

I was glad Lop put Neto on the left and Nunes on the right where he's effective.

Semedo was pretty poor today but he was the outlier as everybody else was good.

A word for Shatwell, a truly dire performance from start to finish. Stealing a living.

Neto and Nunes were much better on the left and right respectively today. Wonder if having a good defender behind Neto freed him up a little.

 

[Wellen Wolf]

Usually where the families are.

Thanks Kenny and Tredman.