Wolves 2-1 Arsenal: Verdict Thread

[The Bear]

Seen this posted elsewhere. Neves gave an interview after the match about how things have been for the team and himself lately.

Talked about how difficult this period has been, and referred to the bad run in the first PL season, and the poor start last. Wouldn't be drawn on what was said in the meeting amongst everyone but indicated it was needed while reiterating that they're all together though confidence has been shot. Also, said they're not playing as they would hope.
I didn't know his wife had the baby in Portugal so he obviously wasn't there and hasn't seen the baby yet and probably won't for some time. He said though he wanted to be with the team and watched the birth on his phone on the bus back from Palace!

 

[YoungWolf]

I'm not sure if this even makes sense but I think in the "old" system it was all about getting into good defensive positions and denying the opposition space, funnel them into areas and then win the ball back.

In the "new" system we need to be a bit more proactive and pressure the ball more to deny the opposition time to pick passes etc

Yep, I know what you mean.

My worry is Rodgers will have watched this game and licked his lips at how much space we left, especially if Vardy is back.

 

[The Bear]

From the Leicester fans I know, I don't think Vardy is going to be fit.

 

[Del Woppio]

Just on this, I absolutely agree as for a lot of that first half (second half is irrelevant to analyse as we had no defending to do), we were an absolute shambles BUT I'd rather we actually try to play a bit higher and actually just get better at it, if you know what I mean.

Yeah entirely agree. TBH I hate the low block, I know we made it work but it's just not the kind of football I like to see, and in the last 6 months as people have got used to us, it's looked less like we're in control and more like we're asking for trouble.

I'm certainly not expecting Nuno to go full on gengenpress, but if we're looking to transition to a more dominant style, then we can't allow the opposition 2/3rds of the pitch and all the time in the world when we haven't got the ball.

Keep the line a bit higher, but the forward four certainly need to press higher and harder, hopefully setting traps for the deeper two to pick off.

 

[AndyWolves]

Yep, I know what you mean.

My worry is Rodgers will have watched this game and licked his lips at how much space we left, especially if Vardy is back.

I think a stodgy 352 for that game, it'll be boring but hopefully solid

 

[lemonjelly]

Deliberate handball is only a yellow card as far as I'm aware. It's only a red on the goal line because it's stopping a goal. Hence the red here being for the goalscoring opportunity being denied.

wasn't a red for handball, it was a red for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity.

 

[AndyWolves]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1356692986395045891

Just cut out the brain farts Nelson!

 

[YoungWolf]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1356692986395045891

I thought for most of that first half he was appalling. he had a couple of decent breaks forward and one OK shot but so many times he lost his man behind him and then his play for their goal was pretty disgraceful.

And this is from someone who rates him!

 

[redvictor]

Seen this posted elsewhere. Neves gave an interview after the match about how things have been for the team and himself lately.

It was on Matchday extra with Mikey and the boys.

 

[Stan Hullis]

I thought for most of that first half he was appalling. he had a couple of decent breaks forward and one OK shot but so many times he lost his man behind him and then his play for their goal was pretty disgraceful.

And this is from someone who rates him!

You're not allowed to say that if you have backed him, the world doesn't work like that these days!

 

[BeaverWolf]

Yep, I know what you mean.

My worry is Rodgers will have watched this game and licked his lips at how much space we left, especially if Vardy is back.

Watched the 90 minutes of Leicester v Leeds. They were poor & we need to believe.

 

[PuntsWolf]

I noticed, more than previous games, that tonight Semedo moved inside more often off the ball - allowing Adama the space down the outside that he likes to run in to and attack. Semedo was dragging players with him and creating that space for Traore - so I'd like to see a bit more of that. It's felt like the two of them have occupied the same spaces too often this season and I was starting to think they couldn't play together (when on paper the opposition should be shitting themselves to come up against that kind of pace). Encouraging signs from them as a combination, I thought - although again, up against 10 men for the majority of the game perhaps they had a bit more space than normal. Definitely something to work with for Nuno there though, I think.

The Semedo runs were good, but we can’t give the ball away like we did today. Adama and Podence were so wasteful, and then with no Donck in the team and Moutinho getting quite high up the pitch we were so open.

The 4-2-3-1 we played today is poles apart from the 3-4-3 we played at the weekend. Why are they so different, they don’t need to be and that’s why it looks “chaotic”. But if we didn’t the ball away so cheaply it wouldn’t be so much of a problem.

I thought for most of that first half he was appalling. he had a couple of decent breaks forward and one OK shot but so many times he lost his man behind him and then his play for their goal was pretty disgraceful.

And this is from someone who rates him!

Kept pressing out of the back 4 on the edge of our area and Adama wasn’t doing the tracking back so just a gaping hole for them to play into and get in behind. He’d have been better just standing still maintaining shape forcing them wide and requiring them to do something to beat him/get a cross in.

It’s honestly basic FB play. “Don’t get sucked in” the classic Sunday league shout.

 

[Dire Wolf]

Having said I was turning off early in the 1st half, my partner told me I had to watch or I couldn't call myself a fan! She's right. So...

Boy that was a much needed win. Performance in the first half was abysmal, thought the penalty was a bit iffy but God did we need that good fortune. A wonderful goal and a red card later and we looked like we'd remembered how to pass and move again. It's a amazing what having the space and freedom of 2 extra players can do!

Individually, I thought Neto was outstanding again, Jose was very good and looks an intelligent footballer and Moutinho enjoyed having the extra time and space in the 2nd half. Traore was awful in the 1st half but was another who enjoyed the extra space of the 2 man advantage and put in some excellent balls in the 2nd half. I thought Semedo, Kilman and Podence were genuinely terrible in the main, though the through ball that led to the penalty from Podence kind of makes up for the rest of the absolute tripe he served up.

Onwards and upwards hopefully.

 

[redvictor]

More i see your posts the more i think I know you.
I used to go away with Fingles

To be fair GW my memory is pretty shite. Particularly as it's over 40 years ago.

 

[BeaverWolf]

You're not allowed to say that if you have backed him, the world doesn't work like that these days!

Players can be good or bad - they are not consistent. But maybe you were being sardonic?

 

[Dire Wolf]

I thought for most of that first half he was appalling. he had a couple of decent breaks forward and one OK shot but so many times he lost his man behind him and then his play for their goal was pretty disgraceful.

And this is from someone who rates him!

Totally agree. He was terrible.

 

[darlowolf64]

To be fair GW my memory is pretty shite. Particularly as it's over 40 years ago.*

*translates as “shit, he’s onto me”

 

[northfield wolf]

I remember Fingles knocking a Blackpool fan out up at their place. We were very naughty boys on that day. Last day in October 1976.

 

[Tony Towner]

arsenal now have luiz and leno suspended for 3 games too. makes the mid table battle even more open

They'll both be 1

 

[Trips]

Main thing - we won. The run we were on we needed a win, don't care how. Done.

On to the game. Only really watched the first 60, had some stuff come up at home which meant I wasnt paying attention to the final half hour apart from the odd glance, so my opinions are on that 60 minutes.

I think a back 4 is the way to go forward for us, however I don't think we have the personnel currently and need to recruit there in the summer. Kilman is not a left back, and hopefully when Jonny, Marcal, RAN are back fit we dont see him there again. As much as I love Coady, and see what he brings from a leadership point of view, a back 4 centre back he isnt. Need to recruit at centre back as a point of urgency.

On the positives, despite our poor first half performance I did see some green shoots. When we had possession, we didn't see the aimless passing along the backline for 5,6,7 passes. It was more direct, more impetus, more ambition to get it to the creative players quicker. It didnt lead to much (until the penalty) but the intent was there. We weren't creating anything the last few games, we at least looked to have more intent tonight.

Still work to do, the garden isn't rosey now, but a win is a win and should calm any relegation fears people had.