Wolves 2 - 1 Chelsea: The Verdict.

[machin05]

So, MGW - the best player we've had from academy since Robbie Keane? Better?

 

[machin05]

Someone mentioned him and Gazza earlier in the thread - I don't think that's beyond reasonable, to be honest. He's brilliant. And it's not potential brilliance, it's actual here and now brilliance.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

So, MGW - the best player we've had from academy since Robbie Keane? Better?

That is a tough tough call. Give it a few years and we may well look back and agree that. Or possibly he will out-shine Keane.

For now it is just awesome to watch him develop.

 

[machin05]

Sky reporter "Nuno you have been questioned the past 2 games about your performances and your formation so do you feel like you answered those critics tonight?"

Nuno "No I don't answer to nobody."

Class from the main man, once again :icon_lol:

 

[Tredman]

WTF is all this nonsense that we haven't defeated a big 6 team since 2011. We got fucking relegated twice since then - bit difficult to beat the fuckers when you don't play them (we still managed to beat one one in the cup though.). Nobs.

 

[Lord Knows]

Needed that.

 

[Kenny]

Ryan Bennett’s long throws come from? They were awesome but I’ve not seen them before!

Cleary identified a weakness on crosses as we put more balls into (or attempted to) the box last night from wide areas than I have seen under Nuno....unless of course it now Nuno Espirito Warnock in charge

 

[east-coast-wolves]

Can't pick out many faults tbh. First half we defended well but were a little sloppy in possession on too many occasions.
Second half all round fantastic. Absolutely fantastic.

Gibbs-White was brilliant.
Nuno's formation tweak worked.
Bennett's tackle was phenomenal.

Overall, we deserved it. Bring on the next game.

 

[Walnut]

Watched MOTD and it showed nothing of our first half attacks, terrible. Gary Lineker and Danny Murphy sure like MGW.

 

[Tredman]

Yes thought they would've shown the knock down to MGW - was a great tackle by Fabregas.

 

[Deleted Cyber]

WTF is all this nonsense that we haven't defeated a big 6 team since 2011. We got fucking relegated twice since then - bit difficult to beat the fuckers when you don't play them (we still managed to beat one one in the cup though.). Nobs.

Wolves have defeated 'Big Six' opposition in the Premier League for the first time since February 2011 against Manchester United (2-1) - they were winless in their previous 18 such games. BBC

So thats fair enough even though the year skews it.

 

[Jinky]

A few reflections from me, having slept on it.

- Nuno has possibly stumbled on a formation which will work for us better in the top flight. It's been obvious for a few weeks now, that we've needed to find a way of offering some more support to the midfield two. By having MGW in the false 9, it allows him to drop in when required to give us another body in the middle, but he's such a young, talented, intelligent player that he also knows when to break forward and support Raul/Jota. I'd like Nuno to stick with this for a few weeks. MGW needs a run in the team (without us putting too much expectation on his young shoulders). I suspect Neves comes back in at the weekend - possibly for Moutinho who ran himself in to the ground last night but we *need* to keep the same shape.

- Combinations & balance. We've been missing these recently - but Jota & Vinagre down the left really worked. As did Doherty & Raul down the right. The way our inside forwards tuck in and interchange, means we don't *actually* have to play an out and out winger. Costa and Traore should remain 'impact subs' for now.

- Return to form. Jota and Patricio have both been dug out for poor form this season at different stages. Last night, both played well - and that meant the team did as a whole. Hopefully Jota really kicks on from here. Scoring must have taken a huge weight off his shoulders.

- Early crosses/being direct. There was a world of difference between last night and the kind of "direct football" we were trying to play against Cardiff last week. Don't get me wrong - we were still 'direct', it's just we were a lot smarter with it. Vinagre got some superb crosses in (showing genuine quality) - and he got them in early. We've been too easy to play against in recent weeks and have simply relied on the pace of Traore to try and make something happen; which I think was quite lazy of Nuno. Last night we introduced Ryan Delap-Bennett, and an obvious tactic to get more men in the box (something I've been critical of all season). It worked. Lets keep doing it.

- Jon Moss is an atrocious referee. Embarrassing.

You can really tell that Nuno, the coaches and the players have worked so, so hard in training since the Cardiff defeat - and I'm delighted for them. The big thing for us is to now go and do the same thing against Newcastle.

 

[Tredman]

So thats fair enough even though the year skews it.

Equally you could say I haven't won the lottery in any form since 1996. I haven't played since mind. It's a nonsense stat.

 

[Deleted Cyber]

I thought Raul and Jota looked better together and played closer together or was that just me? To me they provided support and an out ball to each other frequently. If so then the 3-4-1-2 that it looked like is here to stay.

Personally, I would bring back Neves and have Dendonker beside him in place of Moutinho and Saiss. But I guess it will be a stright swap of Neves for Saiss sand I can live with that.

 

[Deleted Cyber]

Equally you could say I haven't won the lottery in any form since 1996. I haven't played since mind. It's a nonsense stat.

its 1 win in 18 games! come on!

 

[Tredman]

its 1 win in 18 games! come on!

Equivalent to 1.5 seasons. Not 7 years.

 

[Jinky]

oh, and a few moments I won't forget quickly:

- Bennett sending Willian back to Brazil with an unbelievable tackle
- Boly's tackle on Morata saving a certain goal (which MOTD really weirdly decided to focus on, stating it was a penalty)
- Patricio's save from Willian's free kick
- Doherty's cross for Jota's goal was sublime
- MGW making Kante look like a park player
- Donk coming on, immediately winning a free kick and Nuno getting the crowd up

What a night.

 

[Kenny]

oh, and a few moments I won't forget quickly:

- Bennett sending Willian back to Brazil with an unbelievable tackle
- Boly's tackle on Morata saving a certain goal (which MOTD really weirdly decided to focus on, stating it was a penalty)
- Patricio's save from Willian's free kick
- Doherty's cross for Jota's goal was sublime
- MGW making Kante look like a park player
- Donk coming on, immediately winning a free kick and Nuno getting the crowd up

What a night.

I also liked Giroud having a hissy fit when Boly faked his injury to waste some time....you know what chaps, if you spend 70% of the game pretending to be badly hurt, to the point the ref halts the game twice to get you super quick emergency help that amazingly you don't need and recover from the triple fracture you made out you had, then you have zero right to complain when the oppostion does it once.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Equivalent to 1.5 seasons. Not 7 years.

A better stat would be that we have garnered 6 points from 5 games against the big six so far this season.

 

[GLASGOWOLF]

I have been quiet recently just too busy with getting the bar set up.

Cardiff game was the 1st in my bar, Chelsea the 2nd. Had a Chelsea fan in to watch the game, he come over shook.my hand and said you lot wanted to win my lot expected to win.

Delighted for the players and Nuno.