Wolves 1-2 Everton: Verdict Thread

[Johnny75]

I do - looking better and better going forward, but defending, he gives loads of space, poor in the air, weak in the tackle - he does feel more like a WB (same for RAN), recruited for a 5 but now in a 4 where there is more defensive work to be done.

It was the perfect time to play a 3-5-2 last night but Nuno chose a diamond for some reason so I think he’s consigning 3 at the back to the bin.

 

[Jabbawolf]

How does he look “better and better going forward”? Can you provide examples?

Genuinely interested, because this is the line that I’ve read a lot, but when I watch the games it just doesn’t translate.

Jinky, darling - we must be watching different games - there are loads of times he has overlapped, played nice triangles with the midfielders, or set one of the wide players away - he's also had a few shots on goal that required saving.

 

[Jabbawolf]

It was the perfect time to play a 3-5-2 last night but Nuno chose a diamond for some reason so I think he’s consigning 3 at the back to the bin.

Seems that way but that makes the summer recruitment a bit bonkers.

 

[PuntsWolf]

Semedo did nothing a WB. Was still rubbish defensively (because in a wolves team you still have to defend) and he offered nothing going forward because he can’t do it on his own, that’s not his game, he’s not a winger. When he’s afforded space to overlap he looks good even if nothing actually comes at the end of it.

It’s like when people said “play Vinagre LW” err no. He was literally terrible going forward. A few step over do not make you a winger.

Semedo hasn’t been bad of late. He’s actually looked good in the FB position for the reasons I’ve mentioned, but yes he doesn’t stop crosses and gets beat easily. Still this isn’t the reason we conceded yesterday.

My biggest issue, is that he doesn’t really look noticeably better than Hoever at either end. Which makes the £27m+ look very bad business

 

[YoungWolf]

I sit between both of the opinions in that we have lost Raul and Fabio is years away from being ready so we need an adequate plan B.

That may well be a CM/ ACM if MGW doesn’t pan out, at least one more wide/ inside forward and a dominant CB if Boly is not going to do it.

I think there’s a larger problem at FB as you can see we are deliberately allowing crosses to come in with minimal pressure and trying to defend from there. That can’t continue as we can’t defend the cross in the air.

Yeah, I get that for sure. I think I am slightly in the camp that as long as Raul is fine, Silva will be fine as back up IMO next season. He's had a decent chunk of minutes in a fairly short space of time, once Adama and Podence are fit, and Cutrone/forwars signing are up to speed, we can give him a breather. It's just a bit relentless for now for him, but he'll be stronger for it once he has the chance to reflect, work in training for a sustained period and also bulk up a bit.

To be fair, in open we play we didn't really concede huge chances from crosses in open play. The goal is more of a cut back from the switch of play anyway, but the crosses from deep wide areas are not so much of a concern. Keane's header is very, very good but Donck has to realise the situation is not the same where there are a lot more bodies in the box at this point straight after a set piece and then Saiss just has to defend better anyway.

 

[Premier Quality]

I’m completely on board with this being a transition season, and I’m fine with spending the money on Silva - the club have scouted him extensively and Nuno thinks he can be our striker to get us/keep us in the top 4 for years to come.

he shouldn’t be playing 80 minutes at the moment though, he’s not ready and it’s not fair on him. He was physically shattered yesterday and should have come off at the same time as MGW. Cutrone is physically far more able to compete, and if he’s limited to ten minutes a game will moan again - I just don’t understand what we’re doing with them at the moment.

Donk can’t play the breaking midfielder role we’re asking of him. He’s finishing is bloody awful and he doesn’t create anything. He’s fine in a two where we’re asking him to run around a lot and shield the defence but the one where he sliced his shot from a good pass on the edge of the area for example, if he’d not been there, we would have kept moving the ball until someone else could shoot. He’s a hindrance at that end of the pitch.

Semedo was fine last night. We ask our full backs to pull inside so the switch of play will always catch us out if the opposition winger plays really wide. And it wasn’t him that was beaten for the winning cross either.

I thought MGW had a good game given his lack of game time, I’m looking forward to seeing him get game time.

 

[Paul]

I've read a lot of posts on here and took on board the criticisms, my thought is, surely there's a formation where we could maybe add another centre back to the line up so we spread them out and maybe support the wingbacks that are obviously being targeted week in week out. It may sound whacky, but it's got to be worth a try.

 

[Paul]

Another thing, don't like Ancelotti hugging Neto, get your hands off him

 

[Jinky]

Jinky, darling - we must be watching different games - there are loads of times he has overlapped, played nice triangles with the midfielders, or set one of the wide players away - he's also had a few shots on goal that required saving.

No, I think we are watching the same games, mate. I too, have seen those things. I just expect a bit... more?

 

[Wilf Wolf]

If we are going to play Semedo and RAN in a back four and still expect them to go forward a lot we need to accept that opponents will get some crosses in. That means we need to be strong aerially in central defence. With just two centre halves I feel Coady and Saiss just are not strong enough. Would Burnley have conceded that second goal with Tarkowski and Mee, would Everton with Keane and Mina? Boly would make a difference but I still think we need another centre half if we want to go to a back four.

By the end of the season Nuno needs to know his plans for next season and use the summer to balance the squad. At the moment I’d be looking for an experienced centre half to play alongside Boly, one who is solid defensively is more important than being great on the ball.

 

[Derby Wolf]

People keep telling me we won’t get dragged into a relegation scrap because the teams down there are so bad. For that to not occur we need to start picking up points now.
When you’ve won 1/8 games and are depleted by so many injuries it just can’t be ignored. Yes the chances are we’ll put a couple of wins together and move into mid table but being so dismissive comes across as arrogant.

You just said it yourself, 1 win in 8 yet we're still 11 points clear of 18th. Sheff Utd are gone then its two from the remaining five with Burnley the least likely imo. Realistically, we're at the bottom of our mini-league. I expect ourselves Palace, Leeds, WHU, Arsenal Villa and Southampton to interchange for the remainder, things are looking rosier at Arsenal after looking incredibly poor for a few weeks.

Preventing the two 4-0's would see us higher in the league on GD for a start and the midtable is incredibly congested.

 

[Jabbawolf]

No, I think we are watching the same games, mate. I too, have seen those things. I just expect a bit... more?

I get that, especially with the Barca background and fee - I am just trying to be more optimistic these days!

 

[sycophantia]

We do let opposition get behind our fb's too often and that needs to stop. Thought Semedo and RAN were pretty good last night, RAN's assist being the hilight. Semedo made numerous runs off the ball and the pass was on but ignored for some reason. Seems to me our players are struggling with this transition thing and keep reverting to type. Semedo, RAN, MGW and Donk got into some terrific forward positions but often the man on the ball just rurned away and played it safe. Its happened a lot lately and I thought it was because nobody was making the runs but I paid more attention last night abd the runs were there....we have to be braver on the ball if we continue with thid system imo

 

[PuntsWolf]

If we are going to play Semedo and RAN in a back four and still expect them to go forward a lot we need to accept that opponents will get some crosses in. That means we need to be strong aerially in central defence. With just two centre halves I feel Coady and Saiss just are not strong enough. Would Burnley have conceded that second goal with Tarkowski and Mee, would Everton with Keane and Mina? Boly would make a difference but I still think we need another centre half if we want to go to a back four.

By the end of the season Nuno needs to know his plans for next season and use the summer to balance the squad. At the moment I’d be looking for an experienced centre half to play alongside Boly, one who is solid defensively is more important than being great on the ball.

Tarkwoski and Mee are no bigger than Saiss and Coady. They are just better at defending balls into the box.

Keane and Mina are big fuckers but on the floor they make Berra look agile. Getting in and around them on the deck is the way to beat them, same as Burnley. Not slinging in crosses to a child.

 

[YoungWolf]

Think the Semedo's runs being "ignored" think may have been a limitation of having Donck on the right of the midfield three. He just doesn't position his body to play forwards, or see those passes that often. Really good defensive midfielder, but we have got to get away from him being the midfielder joining the attack. In a 4231, where he sits deeper alongside Neves (and can breakforward from time to time), I think he'd be very important to stop counter attacks. But it needs Podence/Gibbs-White ahead of him for me

 

[Deano]

If we are going to play Semedo and RAN in a back four and still expect them to go forward a lot we need to accept that opponents will get some crosses in. That means we need to be strong aerially in central defence. With just two centre halves I feel Coady and Saiss just are not strong enough. Would Burnley have conceded that second goal with Tarkowski and Mee, would Everton with Keane and Mina? Boly would make a difference but I still think we need another centre half if we want to go to a back four.

By the end of the season Nuno needs to know his plans for next season and use the summer to balance the squad. At the moment I’d be looking for an experienced centre half to play alongside Boly, one who is solid defensively is more important than being great on the ball.

I agree with you that Coady and Saiss aren't strong enough as a pairing at CB, at the end of the day they were both signed as midfielders. That's not to say they aren't CB's now, they have both done a good job there in a 3 but if we are playing with 4 at the back we need at least one to be a more imposing natural CB - like Boly (who wasn't in great form before his injury)

RAN and Semedo are expected to provide attacking support and it's a difficult job especially without the support of that extra defender centrally but it's not like they are getting caught upfield with no support and then crosses are flying in - opposing wide players are getting in behind them and getting crosses in far too easily even when they're in the full back positions, its too easy for teams. Luckily Everton weren't playing with a recognized striker last night to get on the end of any.

 

[prawnking]

I think aside from the second half last night and the second half against Brighton performances have actually been a little better over the past 5 games (including the Cup).

On Boly, although I would be happy to give him a shot at the LCB spot for the reasons Deano gives, I think we should be careful in turning him into 'the answer'. I think some of our senior players have seen a dip in form at times this season; Rui, Boly, Moutinho, Neves, Semedo, and Adama have all had poor spells, which doesn't help with all the changes we've been making.

 

[Templeton Peck]

Think the Semedo's runs being "ignored" think may have been a limitation of having Donck on the right of the midfield three. He just doesn't position his body to play forwards, or see those passes that often. Really good defensive midfielder, but we have got to get away from him being the midfielder joining the attack. In a 4231, where he sits deeper alongside Neves (and can breakforward from time to time), I think he'd be very important to stop counter attacks. But it needs Podence/Gibbs-White ahead of him for me

I'd like to see Vitinha in that role too. Always looks very good when he comes on.

 

[Loki]

I`m in the play a back three camp. If Semedo and RAN are expected to get forward as much as possible, they need support defensively because they are not very good defensively. Semedo seems to play better going forward when Traore isn`t playing. I think we would have been dead and buried first half if Calvert-Lewin had been on the end of those crosses from Digne.

 

[Jinky]

I'd like to see Vitinha in that role too. Always looks very good when he comes on.

Was fairly anonymous against Brighton and was eventually replaced. I like the look of him, but I don't think he is ready to start games.