Wolves 1-0 Sheff Utd: Verdict Thread

[Tony Towner]

A very good interview

It is, someone mentioned in the week that he said he'd been looking at how City play against 10 men behind the ball and a low block. It's more than just playing a high line, he needs to look at his formation and personnel next time because against any other PL team we wouldn't have won today. It's also not taking your most effective player off and putting a CM on to stand on the toes of your centre halves


A wins a win though

 

[ROVERT47]

We won, that’s about it really, although in the first half we had two really good chances, Hwang and Neto I think when all they needed to do was just blast it but for some reason came all over Man City/ Arsenal and wanted to score the perfect goal.

 

[Wolvensam]

Sounded a forgettable performance (I was at work) but credit to O’Neil for taking responsibility for a shambolic second half.

If nothing else it’s Leadership 101 to blame yourself and take the limelight off your players.

 

[Jinky]

Saw a few comments saying it was a “typical” Wolves performance against this type of side, but I disagree.

Normally against “this type of side” we’re slow, methodical, boring - lots of sideways passing. I didn’t feel like we set up like that at all today. Gaz had Semedo pushed right up, Gomes & Lemina (in the first half at least) often running in behind Hwang - and RAN had a completely free role, spending a lot of time in the number 10 role!

Because of this, the first half was actually alright, although we could have asked Dawson to drop 5-10 yards deeper as I don’t think we should be relying on him to win a foot race v anyone, and that’s why they got in behind 2-3 times in that first half.

What I can’t get my head around is why we completely dropped those tactics in the second half because we were a goal up. They were abysmal & low on confidence. Just go out and do the same thing? You’ve got the crowd on side, why invite Sheff Utd on to us? Why stop playing? Why panic so much?

It was such an odd second half and I was pleased to hear Gaz’s comments on it after the game.

Ultimately it’s three points in the bag & we’re up to 8th. With the points we should have thanks to VAR, we could be level with Man Utd even with room for improvement across pretty much every area.

 

[sycophantia]

Thought we played ok first half, controlled it quite well, they had a couple of breaks but tbh didn't ever look like scoring due to their quality.
Fuck knows what happened at half time, not unusual for us to come out half arsed but we never really looked to be able to create anything.
Seemed a mindset to me, very negative, lots of backwards and sideways passing which is unusual for us this season. Invited them onto us and we struggled to cope. We did have a couple of decent chances on the break but fucked them up with poor decision making.
Having whinged about all that, we're sitting 8th, that's not too bad surely.
Also thats our poor performance (in our general one good, one bad) out the way, back to our best next week to give Newcastle a bloody nose.

 

[Mel Evo]

It was a good first half and the drop off to the level of the second was remarkable. A lot of tactical analysis will rightly go into how that happened but, for reasons I can’t begin to fathom, I’m blaming the bloke who finally kicked it through the hole at halftime.

On the plus side, we could draft him in for Hwang on Wednesday.

 

[Wilf Wolf]

A memorable game as I don’t think I’ll see a second half like that in the PL ever again epitomised by the comedy free kick from Hamer. Most of our team had good moments amongst the moments where the ball was just given away ridiculously cheaply. The exception was Hwang who barely did anything right. If we do need to raise funds by selling players he’d be top of my list, quite simply he is a very poor footballer who had a golden run earlier this season and I’ll be very surprised if such a run is ever repeated.

 

[Tony Towner]

On the plus side, we could draft him in for Hwang on Wednesday

His regression to the mean is a concern

 

[SSB]

Like Kilman can clearly pass the ball normally, can't he. But he decided that today he'd be Paul Blades.

I was sure he had taken a sedative at half time. As the game progressed he became more and more lethargic. Dawson at one point had to go and give him a shake.

 

[Wilf Wolf]

His regression to the mean is a concern

But almost certainly inevitable. I remember Willock going on a mad run for Newcastle a couple of years ago. Many years ago Martin Hayes scored loads one season for Arsenal. It didn’t make them great players, just the kind of statistical blip that occurs when the sample size is massive.

 

[Tony Towner]

But almost certainly inevitable. I remember Willock going on a mad run for Newcastle a couple of years ago. Many years ago Martin Hayes scored loads one season for Arsenal. It didn’t make them great players, just the kind of statistical blip that occurs when the sample size is massive.

Agreed, said at the time his new contract was an over reaction, that said he's best as a wide forward, not down the middle. Like anyone else who is asked to do a job there he's taking one for the team as a 9.

I quite liked Hayes in that early George Graham side, seeing him Rocastle, Adams, Groves etc coming through was interesting

 

[Dire Wolf]

But almost certainly inevitable. I remember Willock going on a mad run for Newcastle a couple of years ago. Many years ago Martin Hayes scored loads one season for Arsenal. It didn’t make them great players, just the kind of statistical blip that occurs when the sample size is massive.

Almiron similar last year for Newcastle. He's been shit this season. (Watch him play a blinder next week...)

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

It's a bit early to write Hwang off (again)

 

[Alan]

It's a bit early to write Hwang off (again)

Just natural at this point; he may turn it around and he may not, but I understand why people lean to the latter. Obviously my opinion of him is known.

Today I think the poor passing from deeper sold our forwards quite short, really. But we still got the moment of quality we needed. Swings and roundabouts.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

He's gone 3 (?) Games without a goal (and when he did score it was a brace).

Also he's been playing very central, which isn't where he's scored most of his goals for us from. I'd want to see him, Cunha and Neto as a 3 again and him not scoring before I'd write him off. That trio is dynamite.

Interesting that Neto was much more on the left today I thought, him and RAN combined well at times but were also caught on oneanother's toes too.

 

[Alan]

I agree, just understand why folks will be quick to label it a purple patch.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

I agree, just understand why folks will be quick to label it a purple patch.

Because they don't like to be proven wrong?

 

[Alan]

Because they don't like to be proven wrong?

That, and we’ve seen more of him not scoring than scoring, on balance.

 

[Lupo]

Poor game, horrible second half, thankfully against one of the worst sides ever to 'grace' the Premier League, a side that couldn't finish a breakfast. A win is a win, 3 points, clean sheet and 8th so we move on but that second half was painful

 

[Tony Towner]

I agree, just understand why folks will be quick to label it a purple patch.

Because it is until it isn't