Wolves 2-3 West Ham: Verdict Thread

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https://twitter.com/x/status/1379185920981655554

I think he is spot on with this, he has to take responsibility for how we set up for when the ball turned over. I'll have to watch it back but it felt like Semedo AND RAN were both high at the same time when we should probably just bring one inside, to have five behind the ball and five in front.

He is spot on but it’s been an issue every time we play a 4, he’s obviously spotted it but nothing has been done yet. That’s worrying. Both the full backs were high and so were the midfield 2 and it was basically 2v2 with Donk trying and failing miserably to get back. In this system far too often the fullbacks and the midfielders are pushed too high or the midfield 2 are too wide. We’re always then chasing back and refuse to be clinical in stopping counters.

 

[jd1981]

We have to find a cure for this before Friday, im starting to worry again. I think we nee two more wins, as35 points arent going to be ehough. Neto had an off night, im sure we will see a different performance on Friday. Fulham can be physical, thats why the defence needs overhauling before Friday, and if Coady plays like that again he can forget thr Euros.

You aren’t going to need 41 points to stay up means Fulham picking up 15 from 7 games and Newcastle 12 from 8

 

[Tony Towner]

We officially set up as 4231 tonight, really it was 40231 and therein lies the problem. I don't think Coady or Saiss can play in a 2, but that wasn't the biggest issue it was the way they were exposed. Everything else has been said

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Relegation isn't even remotely an issue.

Fulham, Sheff Utd, Burnley, West Brom and Brighton are our next five games. Go überpessimistic if you like and say we end up picking up five points from that.

Gives you 40.

Guarantee you that Fulham and Newcastle are not getting there.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Again can someone please explain what is and isn't a penalty. Dawson doesn't get the ball, he goes through Adama. VAR looks and says no. But I have 100% seen them reviewed in the last few weeks.

 

[Tony Towner]

You've got to have your gold specs very well polished to see that as a penalty

 

[PuntsWolf]

Again can someone please explain what is and isn't a penalty. Dawson doesn't get the ball, he goes through Adama. VAR looks and says no. But I have 100% seen them reviewed in the last few weeks.

David Coote...

In all seriousness it seems to be if it’s someone like Oliver reffing they never look at it. Or if it’s someone like Coote they are too scared to say anything.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Again can someone please explain what is and isn't a penalty. Dawson doesn't get the ball, he goes through Adama. VAR looks and says no. But I have 100% seen them reviewed in the last few weeks.

Yep, i was at a loss too.

I felt AT got fouled 2 or 3 times but Oliver just waved it away.

I'm not surprised Neto wanted to chin Lingard at the end, 3 incidents. He drops the ball when Neto gives it him, he gets booked for time wasting, THEN he kicks it away too.

Why does Oliver not book him again for kicking the ball away? He was really lucky there.

 

[jd1981]

Comes down to the “clear & obvious error” mantra that they go by. They’d argue it wasn’t a clear error

 

[jd1981]

In reality they make it up as they go along and have a very closed ranks attitude to everything

 

[The Saturday Boy]

We did eventually look like a half decent football team but arguably it is easier to be so when the opposition is already 3 goals to the good. West Ham allowed us to play in the second half and as such our defence was less stretched.
i thought Podence showed flashes of what he can do, particularly when dropping deep and Silva took his goal well. Neto was wasteful, Jose should have scored and we got ourselves into decent positions without ever really testing their keeper.
I hope we keep Vitinha - I think he is going to be a very good player.
please bring on next season.

 

[Lupo]

I'm not surprised Neto wanted to chin Lingard at the end, 3 incidents. He drops the ball when Neto gives it him, he gets booked for time wasting, THEN he kicks it away too.

Why does Oliver not book him again for kicking the ball away? He was really lucky there.

Then post match the shock eyed prick lies that Neto was upset about West Ham taking the ball into the corners. Wanker. Not you EP

 

[Trips]

Have read the matchday thread (oh joy) but only read the first 2 pages of verdict thread so if repetitive I apologise.

Stating the obvious but we look so much better going forward playing 4 at the back rather than 5, however we are so much worse defensively. So the conundrum is - can we become more dangerous with a back 5, or more solid using 4.

For me, a back 4 is the way to go. I think it will give us more options going forward and actively trying to win games, rather than not lose them. But we need to recruit players to play this way. We need to upgrade in centre defence and centre midfield for a start.

As Kenny has said this week, many for a while and DW for months - I cant wait for this season to be done. We aren't going down (ignore Fulham, even if they beat us Friday, they arent catching us on 35 points) So lets use it as a learning curve.

We have played a back 5 since Nuno arrived and it has served us well, but if we want to kick on we need to be more proactive with the ball, and for me a back 4 is essential to that. We do though need to make sure we don't concede every time the opposition attacks!

Use the last 8 games to see who can play in he starting XI with the formation we want, who can do a job from the bench or in the squad, and who needs replacing

 

[VanWolfie]

Well, we certainly were not bored with how Wolves played. 4 at the back makes the game more exciting but produces many schoolboy errors. Jose needs to go, he should have scored twice in the first half and Neto surprisingly missed an open goal. But the worst was when Lingard was allowed to run over 60 yards untouched to score the opener. That was deflating and disgusting. Only to be overtaken by the four or five Wolves players who ran alongside hime before Bowen scored on a shot that should never beat a keeper. And Samedo got suckered yet again (I'm prepared to give him till next season but if he doesn't improve defensively, he needs to be jettisoned) and suddenly we are 0-3 down when Jose could have put us ahead early on which would have changed the game. So, while the game was action-packed and some of us got the different approach we have been craving, the first half was like watching incompetent schoolboys! Nuno has to sort out the indefensible stand-off behaviour of our defenders or otherwise we are going to suffer some heavy defeats and he's going to lose his job. I don't know which I prefer; being bored by lack of attacking intent or absolutely gutted at defensive deficiencies. I've gone on record as saying this is the best team I've seen at Wolves since I first watched them back in 1953. After tonight's defensive frailties, I cannot say that anymore.

 

[big mean bunny]

Neves looked better when he was deeper, this means though we need a more expansive CM to contribute to the forward play and then the CBs - I think you get away with one of the pair last night when playing with a much more solid CB next to them, not both, we all know we need a CB though, my worry is trying to bring in two in one window. If I was prioritising signings now it would be

CB
CM
LB
SS/CF - The Jose replacement 3rd striker, but a completely different mould of player


5 additions and them all working seems a lot, but I'd like them to look at increasing the depth of the senior squad by at least 2 players. I'd be happy for them to be looking at a similar deal to Marcal for example, or if they think some of the younger players are ready to make more of an impact again fine with that, but a lot of the times it feels they are prop subs, that are never actually going to play.

 

[northfield wolf]

You aren’t going to need 41 points to stay up means Fulham picking up 15 from 7 games and Newcastle 12 from 8

I worry too much jd1981, ive seen all of this before. Looking at the tables this morning one more win should do it. That bloody defence worries me though. Just going back in time, the Premier League safety net used to be 40 points. AND didnt West Ham (yes them) go down on 42 points one season ?

 

[Paul]

CB
CM
LB
SS/CF - The Jose replacement 3rd striker, but a completely different mould of player


5 additions and them all working seems a lot, but I'd like them to look at increasing the depth of the senior squad by at least 2 players.

So five players to drop straight into the first team, 100, 120+ million maybe should do it, probably need a bit more

 

[Tony Towner]

While we are doing doom and gloom. Jonny is a lesson that we can't glibly say Raul will be back next year so everything will be alright.

Speaking of Raul, I don't think we took him for granted because I think we knew what we had with him but Jose has shown just how much we rely on him for goals. I know this isn't universally agreed on here, but for a backup I think he's done a reasonable job with his link and hold up play. Raul's goals from nothing - 2 were this season and the other 2 exceptional finishes papered over a very large crack around creativity and particularly finishing. Do other sides miss as many sitters as we do?

 

[Deleted Cyber]

How many goals has Semedo been at fault for now? I think it's 5 or 6?

I have Rui and him down for 15 between them in the should do better stakes. Not howlers but at best , international defenders or goalkeepers should do better. You can’t say Doherty was any worse and You can’t call Pope out for “letting his country down” for his footwork and then back Rui for for fucking up goalkeeping basics like near post angles.
Semedo is just a very poor right back at defending and crossing end of .

 

[Deleted Cyber]

On the season in general we have been headless chickens for about 20 of our games. Huff and puff, screw up the basics , concede first, lose. It doesn’t matter who we play that scenario has happened far to often in the last 12 months. We justify it if it’s a big six ream, we get over excited when we beat a box six team and overlook the cavernous gaps in our squad both offensively and creatively. We looked much better with Fabio and Jose in a two for example. Their third goal is a Sunday parks kids goal to concede 2 v 6 40 yards from goal and they still score. That is truly abysmal defensive midfield play. That’s where a DM takes a yellow and commits the foul. And we did it twice! I am convinced that Coady and Boly can work in a 4 with a quality DM in front. Semedo needs to get back to basics and RAN needs to watch and learn.
However I fear Neto will be gone in the summer and maybe AN other like Traore. I really hope the money raised is far better spent than the 80m spunked last year. Otherwise our stay on the premier league will be ending.