Wolves 1-2 Newcastle: Verdict Thread

[Dire Wolf]

Aye, you can't be offside off a corner and the flag went up off one pass. God knows what they were thinking.

Just wanted to remind us, in case we'd forgotten, that officiating in the PL is a dog's arse.

 

[sycophantia]

C) He looked at the player's shirt

D' he's a moron?

 

[Jinky]

Appreciate I’m extremely late to the party here but just wanted to post some of my thoughts from Sunday.

At 1-0 up we were on top and the better team. At that point, with Newcastle on the ropes, Gaz simply had to bring on Forbs and go get a second goal (posted as much in the matchday thread at the time so I say this without the benefit of hindsight). Instead, he brings on Hwang, Doc & Doyle and we lose the game. Those are the fine lines in the PL, but by Gaz’s negativity - he’s cost us a win, or at worst, a draw. The loss is all on him this week for me, and I say that as someone who has defended him a fair bit. Don’t bring on Matt Doherty - he’s shite. Don’t bring on Hwang for any occasion other than replacing Larsen for a few minutes here & there.

Lima & Rodrigo were two of our brightest sparks in pre-season. Both performed well & bagged assists/goals, yet one can’t make the squad & the other can’t get off the bench. Yes they are young, yes they need time to adjust, but you also need to show trust in them.

Speaking of trust, I have zero in this team/squad managing a game properly while Gaz has these scattergun tactics going on. I can just about accept he might not be the type to go for the jugular at 1-0 and try to get a second with an attacking switch - it’s easy for us as fans to suggest it. But if you must go defensive, or try to see out the game - do it properly. Bringing on Doyle & playing him in a midfield 2. Having Lemina playing some weird hybrid Donk advanced on the right role. Putting “Channy” on in a position that we all know he can’t play, then sticking Doc behind him - Christ. He’s not helping himself.

There were positives, but it’s hard to highlight them too much because there’s just so much wrong both on & off the pitch at the same time. Andre looks like a player that will go right to the top of the game, and I do really like Strand-Larsen but part of that might be because it’s refreshing to actually have someone up top who can hold a ball up for the first time since Raul, pre injury.

Things don’t look like they’ll get much better in the next month or so, and you have to wonder where the players confidence will be at that point - let alone what things will look like in the stands.

I want Gaz to turn it around - he seems like a decent bloke, but I’m not sure if he can/will.

 

[The Bear]

It seems one of GON"s go to tactics to bring on an extra CM if we are winning. Problem is it makes us sit deeper and invites them on to us, with one less player in their half for an out ball.

 

[Dire Wolf]

Agree with pretty much all of that Jinky.

 

[Lycan]

Superb player. If we find a system to work around this guy we'll be more than fine.

 

[Alan]

Superb player. If we find a system to work around this guy we'll be more than fine.

So gone in January

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Superb player. If we find a system to work around this guy we'll be more than fine.

A Brazilian Karl Henry, which isn't a bad thing.

 

[Lycan]

A Brazilian Karl Henry, which isn't a bad thing.

Not the player I would've compared him to...

 

[Squeak]

Kevin De Bruyne: "I think 'passes completed' is the most useless statistic there is. I can have 96% pass completion playing sideways or backwards without being dangerous for the whole game. That means I haven't done anything."

 

[Lycan]

Kevin De Bruyne: "I think 'passes completed' is the most useless statistic there is. I can have 96% pass completion playing sideways or backwards without being dangerous for the whole game. That means I haven't done anything."

That's great. Except he was dangerous wasn't he.

 

[lemonjelly]

He really stood out Sunday. Many good aspects to his game. You're totally right @Lycan if we build around him, we'll be quite good tbh.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

He really stood out Sunday. Many good aspects to his game. You're totally right @Lycan if we build around him, we'll be quite good tbh.

Yes and no. The midfield should look good and it should stop us losing the ball and conceding a big chance inside 10 seconds which has been happening for far too long.

It doesn't solve multiple other issues, like us not defending set pieces properly, or trying to play out from the back and being horrible at it, or picking obviously sub-standard players who individually cost us, or (as yet, post-Neto) failing to find a proper balance for the front three.

 

[MARKakaJIM]

That's great. Except he was dangerous wasn't he.

Only one underhit pass through to Lemina on those highlights that I think gets anywhere near 'dangerous'.

 

[big mean bunny]

It seems one of GON"s go to tactics to bring on an extra CM if we are winning. Problem is it makes us sit deeper and invites them on to us, with one less player in their half for an out ball.

Added to this is Johnstone now being the keeper. Through his two games so far his average starting position for nearly all actions is 10.5yards. Meaning he is the opposite of a sweeper. Sa was at 17. Only Sels, Ramsdale and Raya (which I was surprised about) have a lower starting average in the Prem.

Whilst incidental as a stat, my worry was that he plays too deep and close to his line as I don't think he is very athletic (by top level pro standards). So the two things could compound each other.

 

[Tony Towner]

Added to this is Johnstone now being the keeper. Through his two games so far his average starting position for nearly all actions is 10.5yards. Meaning he is the opposite of a sweeper. Sa was at 17. Only Sels, Ramsdale and Raya (which I was surprised about) have a lower starting average in the Prem.

Whilst incidental as a stat, my worry was that he plays too deep and close to his line as I don't think he is very athletic (by top level pro standards). So the two things could compound each other.

We played a deeper line against Newcastle and Forest than we did v Chelsea or Arsenal so you aren't comparing like with like

 

[big mean bunny]

I am also not comparing it like for like as it's a characteristic of Johnstone throughout his career. Not just with us. It's just useful to compare that sample.