Wolves 1-2 Norwich: The Verdict

[Freddeno]

ok, thanks Dan

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Essentially the issue with our back four at present is that we did not improve our centre half options in any meaningful way, we chose to upgrade on EEL (who was basically never going to play) but nothing else. Stearman was never going to be the answer and even with our current difficulties I wouldn't really want him playing at Villa. He isn't as good as the pair playing now and that nonsense "returning hero" reception he got still makes no sense to me. I also still refuse to believe that he was the best centre half we could possibly have signed, even if our primary targets turned us down. Plenty of people on here could name half a dozen from this division alone who we probably could have got, wouldn't have cost silly amounts, are definitely better than Stearman and would have had a fair chance of improving us. I stand by what I said at the end of the window, we'll be looking for a new centre half again in January. Which is perverse really if you've gone to the trouble of signing someone in the previous window, they should have been the answer or at least somewhere close to it.

What annoys me about Batth's mistakes for the Grigg and Jerome goals are that they are very much within his remit to stop, I can accept that he has certain limitations but I know for a fact he has it in him to outmuscle Will Grigg or to jump and contest a header against Cameron Jerome (who is passable in the air but hardly Duncan Ferguson with cornrows). Given the amount of stuff he can't do, he really has to make sure that he IS doing the stuff that falls under his list of capabilities, or it starts to look very bad indeed.

He won't be dropped though, he hasn't been dropped since Saunders was sacked. The club (and the management by proxy) have made it clear that he's their man while we're at this level, which is a stance I'm ok with providing he's performing capably (he largely was up until Tuesday, in fact he's had at least three games already where he's got to have been in the running for Man of the Match so let's not be too revisionist about it). I'd be very surprised if he missed any league games this season for reasons other than injury or suspension.

 

[Aikiwolf]

The thing Stearman has that neither Iorfa or Batth has is the ability to control a football and play a pass, I also don't think Stearman would have been outmuscled by Jerome for the header. Having said that; Stears has other issues that means he isn't the solution to our defensive frailties.

I'm also not sold on Prince, I've watched him a couple of times and he doesn't seem to impact the game enough for me. Yesterday I thought the game passed him by far too easily.

 

[Langers]

It's so bloody frustrating watching us start slowly time and time again. Norwich are a very good side and we can't expect to get anything out of such a game if we only turn up for 45 minutes.

The first half was really shit and we were comfortably 2nd best in all areas.

Much more to be positive about in the 2nd half - gutted for Nouha missing a chance he'd have normally buried.

Absolutely no complaints about the result from me. Yes we played well in the 2nd half but over the 90 minutes there's no way we deserved anything. Norwich worthy winners.

I am started to get frustrated by revisionist nonsense and impatience from a section of our support mind you. I suppose it's to be expected because with the new resources at our disposal comes greater expectations.

Lack of consistency is annoying and constantly shoddy first half displays aren't good enough by any means but some of the hyperbole festering on twitter makes me cringe.

I think Deutsch is spot on regarding the defence - that'll be our priority in January.

 

[sycophantia]

Not sure I agree Stearman is any worse than Iorfa or Batth, maybe not an upgrade but not worse, but we knew it was gunna be 2 from those 3 once we couldn't sign a decent defender, actually Iorfa hasn't been as bad at CB as I though he would be. If we can minimise our defensive errors I feel sure our attacking players can help us win more than we lose.

 

[Aikiwolf]

I don't think Stearman is worse - just he has a different set of frailties! Fwiw I like a CB pairing that includes someone who can control play a bit of football and therefore I'd probably have Stearman in my team.

 

[jd1981]

Back four more so centre half is becoming a real headache, the first goal yesterday was very depressing how it was conceded.
I agree that over the 90 minutes we didn't deserve anything from the game.
The first 45 minutes is as a poor as I've seen and going in 1-0 down flattered us especially when you consider at one point Norwich almost walked the ball into the net only to be saved by the legs of Ikeme.
Thought the midfield were very wasteful in possession at times and looked very lightweight.
Second half was an improvement Coady seemed to give some stability in the middle when came on.
Dicko also gave us more of a focal point going forward, but even when we were creating chances and creating pressure you always felt Norwich just needed to move up a gear to regain some control.
I was sat right behind and at perfect eye line level for that Brady goal, as good a strike as I've seen looked like it was going over initially but dipped perfectly.

 

[slink]

Stearman definitely isn't worse than Batth and Hause definitely isn't. The sooner he gets fit and Zenga realises he's actually good the better. Despite the Batth errors i still think we would have got something out of the game had Zenga not played whatever formation he came up with in the first half and i think the players we have are good enough to be challenging in this league so it's up to Walter now to not just be likeable but to implement an identity and to be tactically up to it.

 

[Norman Deeley]

Stearman definitely isn't worse than Batth and Hause definitely isn't. The sooner he gets fit and Zenga realises he's actually good the better. Despite the Batth errors i still think we would have got something out of the game had Zenga not played whatever formation he came up with in the first half and i think the players we have are good enough to be challenging in this league so it's up to Walter now to not just be likeable but to implement an identity and to be tactically up to it.

Yep, 11 games in now - that's a quarter of a season. If you forgive Walter the first five games and treat them as pre-season, then since the beginning of September we've taken 7 points from 6 games with a GD of -2 which clearly is nowhere near good enough. Starting to feel about Walter much as I felt about Stale: like him as a bloke but it needs to be happening on the pitch

 

[Deleted Cyber]

We have played 7 sides that sit in the top ten currently. The worrying point is that we failed to beat Burton Ipswich and Rotherham
while losing at Wigan. Those are the teams we must beat. They are the messy 1 0 wins that make the difference. Newcastle yesterday scrapped it out and left Rotherham with the points 1 0. That's why them and Norwich are favourites.

Defensive frailties will be our undoing. Centre half and keeper are a must for me. He stood little chance for bradys goal yesterday but once again a 30 yarder sails in!

We could do with a 4 or 5 match unbeaten run with a couple of wins and a couple of clean sheets. Boost to the confidence. The consolation is we are not villa

 

[Langers]

We'll conveniently forget that Batth was our best defender in several games earlier in the season then, yes?

I don't think there's any reason to go so overboard with the criticism of Batth. He's been responsible for 2 horrendous goals over this week and I think it'd be a fair argument to say he should be dropped as a result but why the revisionist nonsense?

 

[fizzwolf]

Let's hope when Dicko gets up to speed he becomes our "prolific" goal scorer as we don't have one at present - 15-20 a season would be good to start with - that lad at Bristol City, on loan from Chelsea, seems to know where the net is pity he wasn't on our radar.

 

[Deleted Cyber]

We'll conveniently forget that Batth was our best defender in several games earlier in the season then, yes?

I don't think there's any reason to go so overboard with the criticism of Batth. He's been responsible for 2 horrendous goals over this week and I think it'd be a fair argument to say he should be dropped as a result but why the revisionist nonsense?

It was really really weak defending in both cases. Yes he has had good games but you can't hasve 3 good and 2 bad every month. I would be happier if he had 5 games satisfactory doing his job. Denis Irwin school of consistency please from all the defence then I am certain we will outscore teams

 

[slink]

We'll conveniently forget that Batth was our best defender in several games earlier in the season then, yes?

I don't think there's any reason to go so overboard with the criticism of Batth. He's been responsible for 2 horrendous goals over this week and I think it'd be a fair argument to say he should be dropped as a result but why the revisionist nonsense?

I think the praise was over the top, he played well and probably did look good in a couple of games but he has more bad games. Brentford's goal last week he misjudges the ball and runs under it, they score from that move, he was in the wrong position for Wigan's first goal and the less said about the second the better. Yesterday he tried to wrestle Jerome and actually ended up looking at Ikeme as the ball was headed and then he tracked Brady inside got to far away from him and didn't close him down, great strike yes but the strike could have been stopped.

All of those problems aren't tiny little errors they are costing us goals and points. I've never rated him as highly as some and he was awful last year and has slipped back to those standards. Not going overboard or is it nonsense just my opinion backed up with reasons why. I could go on as his reluctance to be calm on the ball and not just hoof it out of play or upfield drive me mad but i'll leave it at that.

 

[Premier Quality]

Only just watched it as I was at my sisters wedding yesterday - that's the best game I've seen Edwards have for a while, but I was very disapointed in prince, he didn't get anywhere near involved enough and was walking around at times.

i still think it's a couple of mature players to help the guys through games that were missing, going forward we'll be OK.

 

[FrankMunro-371]

I think it is becoming clear that while not doubting Batths commitment to the cause he is sadly just not good enough. Far too many silly mistakes.

 

[Parkins left foot]

A good weekend notwithstanding the defeat & hideous first half

Jerome's goal was almost played out in slow motion - ball in from the right, Danny just about helped Jerome up to head the ball goalwards then Ikeme watched it float over his head without any movement as if watching a spectacular hot air balloon coming in to land. In truth Danny had a poor game - at least twice in the second half I watched him running in the opposite direction than the one needed to deal with danger & he was bailed out more than once by either CBJ or Doherty by one of them coming across to deal with situations he should have. A better CB is a must in Jan as is a new keeper.

We should have been more than one down at halftime & whilst the second half was much, much better we didn't do enough over the game as a whole to justify getting anything. Their second was against the run of play & whilst it was a very good hit (I was right in line with it) he should have been closed down which would have made it more difficult at the very least.

Midfield didn't work at all in the first half, Edwards appeared not to be there & Prince was frustrating, losing possession far too often. Improved in the second, particularly Edwards who was by then playing a position he understood.

Dicko had the expected rousing reception (hopefully this didn't put too much pressure on him to be the saviour) - a fully match fit Nouha would have got at least one goal, but important that he is back as without Bodvarssen we have no one else who can lead the line. Cavaleiro is not a centre forward though tried manfully.

MoTM - Costa. This lad is seriously rapid & I doubt there is a full back that can stay with him in full flight. Still inexperienced & doesn't always make the right choice (one lovely cut in from the right in the second half when a chip to the back post with their keeper off his line would have found Dicko unmarked - chose to shoot & put it just over). Will forgive him that & he will give defenders nightmares, we just need to get the ball to him on the ground with time to run at people - we didn't do enough of that.

Special mention to CBJ - for a lad that young I don't think that I have seen a calmer person in possession than him for a very long time

 

[Parkins left foot]

PS to the above - Edwards lucky to only get a yellow for a sneaky kick onto the ankle of a Norwich player after the original foul had been given. Probably the last person you would think who would do that

 

[The Bear]

Yeah I thought he was gonna get sent off for that as it looked like a stamp. On the replay though he just tripped him to stop him getting away quick.

 

[Dart wolves]

just seen their goals , first one sunday league defending ,gotta at least make the forward earn his goal,not give him a free header
second , excellent strike, but had plenty of time because he wasn't closed down quickly, and when he did shoot,Batth turns away as to
get out of the way of the ball, is this whats players are coached to do now because of poss deflections ??
in my day you put everything in the way of the ball to block it (including testicles !)