Wolves 3-0 Liverpool: Verdict Thread

[Jinky]

Re-watched the whole match last night and the second half performance was weird. As in, I absolutely understand why we were perhaps a bit cautious and switched to playing on the break; but there was really no reason for us to go quite as defensive as we did. The game-plan this weekend worked out perfectly in the end, but on other occasions, we'd concede during that period and then we'd be inviting unnecessary pressure on to ourselves. I'm not a massive fan of the all out defending tactic when we're comfortably in charge of the game, but it's difficult to criticise anything about the performance, really.

And I do have to say, that final 2-3 minutes where we just kept the ball and Liverpool were chasing shadows, was absolutely fantastic. Klopp's face on the sidelines was a picture!

On Neves; I just think it's that fans of other clubs won't be watching our full 90 minutes week in week out, so other than the odd screamer here and there, a lot of his work will go unnoticed. I'd love him to stay even longer but I think he's going this summer, regardless of what happens - and like everyone else, I'll be gutted.

 

[Kenny]

; but there was really no reason for us to go quite as defensive as we did

Maybe the changes Liverpool made forced us to be like this. As we struggled to get the ball back and counter we made changes and got a grip back on the game?

 

[Stan Hullis]

Liverpool were just having a better moment following a bollocking at half time, they were always going to have a spell.

Bringing Raul and Joao on helped us get some control back and broke Liverpool's momentum again.

 

[Jinky]

Maybe the changes Liverpool made forced us to be like this. As we struggled to get the ball back and counter we made changes and got a grip back on the game?

Klopp didn't make a substitution until the 65th minute! I think it's more that they had a bollocking at half time and were always going to be fired up for 5-10 minutes. Once we'd weathered that initial storm, I think we could have gone back to a more similar style to the first half, rather than defending the edge of our own box. They were there for the taking and we invited pressure on to ourselves. Really, the Raul/Joao switch came at a good time for us and then the third goal killed it as a contest.

It's a very minor gripe, though. Like I say, very difficult to criticise anything about the performance and I reckon Julen will learn more and more as each game goes by about these players etc too.

 

[Tony Towner]

Managers only make tactical changes when they make a sub?

 

[Kenny]

Doesn't need to make a sub does he! Slight adjustments here and there, telling certain players to move to deny us a counter, overload certain areas. Sometimes what other teams do decide what we do. They make their tactical switches and we stick to how we was, then we probably leave them with chance after chance.
The good thing here is we reacted to what they had done, worked out what we needed to do and changed it. Pretty much guarantee 5 months ago, we settle into the pattern Liverpool set us up for, for the rest of the 2nd half and the subs are late and swapping like for like

 

[Jinky]

Fair enough. I'm nitpicking anyway. I don't think Klopp changed much tactically. I just think he gave them a bollocking and the players responded to that, which was always going to happen. My main (and only) point, really, is that I wish we didn't go from completely controlling the game to going all out defence - especially with 45 minutes left! Klopp might have been OTT with his comments but his wider point of us barely being in their half until we scored our 3rd is correct. In the end, thankfully, it didn't matter.

 

[Tony Towner]

There wasn't a plan to go all out defence. They pushed their full backs, particularly TAA higher up the pitch and we didn't adjust to it particularly well. Moutinho coming on to give us the extra man in midfield fixed it

 

[Wolvensam]

Fair enough. I'm nitpicking anyway. I don't think Klopp changed much tactically. I just think he gave them a bollocking and the players responded to that, which was always going to happen. My main (and only) point, really, is that I wish we didn't go from completely controlling the game to going all out defence - especially with 45 minutes left! Klopp might have been OTT with his comments but his wider point of us barely being in their half until we scored our 3rd is correct. In the end, thankfully, it didn't matter.

I think part of us going defensive is just reverting to type/a bit of a comfort blanket really. It’s almost as if that’s our go to when the opposition switch up tactics so it buys us some time to judge how to adjust and play them, and we know we’re a solid counter-attacking team so that becomes our outlet. It tends to always happen at the same point: at the start of the second half.

It is very risky but thankfully on Saturday we got away with it.

 

[Tredman]

There wasn't a plan to go all out defence. They pushed their full backs, particularly TAA higher up the pitch and we didn't adjust to it particularly well. Moutinho coming on to give us the extra man in midfield fixed it

Cunha tired a fair bit too which didn;t help.

 

[Carrotdude]

I think we still have a tendency to get a bit panicky when under pressure and drop deep. Not sure it was by design

 

[Johnny75]

Cunha tired a fair bit too which didn;t help.

As well as the sub of Hwang. His work rate really pushed Robertson back and Adama didn't have that, just not his game.

Be interesting to see what JL does now.

Podence would be the change for me v Soton rather than Adama.

 

[Tredman]

As well as the sub of Hwang. His work rate really pushed Robertson back and Adama didn't have that, just not his game.

Be interesting to see what JL does now.

Podence would be the change for me v Soton rather than Adama.

I thought Pod on Saturday too, but I think JL got it right.

 

[Tony Towner]

As well as the sub of Hwang. His work rate really pushed Robertson back and Adama didn't have that, just not his game.

Be interesting to see what JL does now.

Podence would be the change for me v Soton rather than Adama.

Hwang will be a big miss (who'd have thought that?) He put in a real shift on Saturday and executed the gameplan really well. We know that following instruction isn't exactly a strength of either Podence or Traore, but I agree with you, that I'd pick the more talented player

 

[Kenny]

I think we still have a tendency to get a bit panicky when under pressure and drop deep. Not sure it was by design

I think that in most cases it is just the fans who get panicky! You watch a game where a team is trying to force their way back in and it feels like we are clinging on, making bad decisions etc. Watch the game back later and its a different thing all together. We actually defended well, were organised and restricted them.

Exception to the above is the Leeds game at Molineux last season...

 

[PuntsWolf]

Liverpool took more risks pushing players higher, we couldn’t keep the ball, got pushed further back, players started panicking a bit misplacing forward passes to start a counter or just hoofing rather than looking and the cycle continued.

Adama wasn’t winning the long ball and he wasn’t tracking back meaning he was doing nothing going one way and helping them going back, Cunha wasn’t keeping it and tiring also. JL made the changes, Adama started winning the long ball and we regain control.

They were willing to leave 1v1 one at the back (as they were losing…), we could have just said fuck it and done the same but there’s more chance we concede than score again.

 

[YoungWolf]

Keita caused us a lot of issues start of second half too, though he was very wasteful. Strange time he’s had at Liverpool. Then we brought moutinho on as mentioned which really helped and they took Keita off not that long after.

 

[lemonjelly]

Hwang will be a big miss (who'd have thought that?) He put in a real shift on Saturday and executed the gameplan really well. We know that following instruction isn't exactly a strength of either Podence or Traore, but I agree with you, that I'd pick the more talented player

Hwang is also better from a team pov, in that when Semedo bombs forward Hwang repeatedly dropped in to right back to cover him. Neither Adama nor Podence would do that.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Not sure if mentioned but the TV angle from the linesman area for the Neves goal suggested that Adama was trying to find Raul rather than Neves with his assist, certainly with the glance he did and the power he put on his pass. Ironic really given how many times he could have got assists and there's been a bad finish.

 

[North Shropshire Lad]

Ruben's game benefitted massively on Saturday by the role and performance of Lemina. It also benefitted from having Dawson, Sarabia and Lemina in the side with their added experience. Dawson in particular called Neves aside a couple of times and pointed something out. As a result Neves didn't look like he was taking everything and the ref on all the time and was able to flourish himself. Any player carrying a team will always be one of the ones who benefits the most when others step up.