Wolves 3 - 0 Reading: The Verdict

[b3h]

Random but why no stretcher for moments like that? If you're fucked why even hobble back, might make it worse

 

[Banjo]

Random but why no stretcher for moments like that? If you're fucked why even hobble back, might make it worse

I thought that was odd. They had the stretcher ready for quite a while but didn't call for it. Then he had to hobble from one side of the pitch to the other with great difficulty.

 

[jd1981]

One thing that’s great about this side is how they respond to defeat we also bounce back with a win and don’t start feeling sorry for ourselves.

 

[Johnny75]

I thought that was odd. They had the stretcher ready for quite a while but didn't call for it. Then he had to hobble from one side of the pitch to the other with great difficulty.

The medic may well have felt it didn't require a stretcher having done the assessment. We don't know what the damage is, it could well be bruised or he could've taken a bang on the ankle from the tackler and it was painful but not damaged (the cut is obvious to see).

Talk of severed ankle ligaments and fractures are daft at this time as we have no comparison to his other ankle to see if it was swollen or not and as the player himself has tweeted it's a fair assumption to make that it isn't broken.

 

[Irish_Wolf]

Vital win and to back it up with another win would be perfect start to the run in, and if spring would come I think it will help. Seriously think the long winter is the reason for our dip in form as its the first time many of the squad have experienced it.

 

[Tredman]

It's proper cold in Portugal in the winter too

 

[Trips]

Vital win and to back it up with another win would be perfect start to the run in, and if spring would come I think it will help. Seriously think the long winter is the reason for our dip in form as its the first time many of the squad have experienced it.

What a load of shit. Our record in the league through November, December & January was Played 14, Won 10, Drew 3, Lost 1.

Yeah, really struggle in the winter

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Hello everyone, I'm back.

Afobe was indeed dreadful in the first half. Atrocious touch, no work rate and no outlet. He did improve after half time and while the goal was only a tap in it still needed putting away. It's going pretty much the way I thought it would with him, he will get goals at this level if you supply him anything like properly but he isn't a good enough footballer for us now.

Doherty has never played that well for us before, he was excellent and that third goal is a delight. Not MOTM though as that has to go to Neves. Ridiculous player.

I suspect Batth will never start a league game for us ever again, he isn't getting back in now this season barring injuries.

Costa was excellent, possibly his best display of the season.

Reading are probably the worst team I've seen down here in the last five years. Absolutely appalling. No fight, no desire, no intent, no intensity, no plan. Good of Edwards to serve up the exact same performance that I've seen from him 150+ times. I felt sorry for Bod, who wants to play up front in a team like that. If they stay up it'll only be because of the pure shiteness of others (I'm looking at you Blues).

Didn't really want to come home on Monday but that was a nice sweetener last night

 

[Jinky]

What a load of shit. Our record in the league through November, December & January was Played 14, Won 10, Drew 3, Lost 1.

Yeah, really struggle in the winter

I think he meant we've seen a drop off in form a little because of the punishing winter schedule.

Whilst I don't agree with the argument our players can't handle a bit of cold weather etc - which is the one that generally gets thrown at us - I don't think it's unfair to say the grueling schedule over December/January is probably the reason why some of our players look absolutely shot around the hour of most matches. And the dip in results/form (whether we like it or not, based on how good we've been this season so far, 6 wins in 14 games since the turn of the year can be viewed as a bit of a 'dip') could be as a result of that.

I'd go as far to say Neves is the only player that doesn't appear to have slowed up since the start of the season. Well, and Boly.

 

[Jinky]

Hello everyone, I'm back.

Afobe was indeed dreadful in the first half. Atrocious touch, no work rate and no outlet. He did improve after half time and while the goal was only a tap in it still needed putting away. It's going pretty much the way I thought it would with him, he will get goals at this level if you supply him anything like properly but he isn't a good enough footballer for us now.

Doherty has never played that well for us before, he was excellent and that third goal is a delight. Not MOTM though as that has to go to Neves. Ridiculous player.

I suspect Batth will never start a league game for us ever again, he isn't getting back in now this season barring injuries.

Costa was excellent, possibly his best display of the season.

Reading are probably the worst team I've seen down here in the last five years. Absolutely appalling. No fight, no desire, no intent, no intensity, no plan. Good of Edwards to serve up the exact same performance that I've seen from him 150+ times. I felt sorry for Bod, who wants to play up front in a team like that. If they stay up it'll only be because of the pure shiteness of others (I'm looking at you Blues).

Didn't really want to come home on Monday but that was a nice sweetener last night

Welcome back DW. Pleased to hear you had a good trip.

 

[Langers]

Pleased you had a good trip, mate.

I keep seeing Neves' pass for Afobe's goal and it gets better every time I see it. The backspin is utter filth. Certainly in his top 5 'Porn Passes' this season.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

There was a move near the end that could have resulted in goal of the season. Amazing pass to a player breaking into the left side of the box and the pass was absolutely perfect. We are filth.

 

[Langers]

I think he meant we've seen a drop off in form a little because of the punishing winter schedule.

Whilst I don't agree with the argument our players can't handle a bit of cold weather etc - which is the one which generally gets thrown at us - I don't think it's unfair to say the grueling schedule over December/January is probably the reason why some of our players look absolutely shot around the hour of most matches. And the dip in results/form (whether we like it or not, based on how good we've been this season so far, 6 wins in 14 games can be viewed as a bit of a 'dip') could be as a result of that.

I'd go as far to say Neves is the only player that doesn't appear to have slowed up since the start of the season. Well, and Boly.

We've had a bit of a dip, no question about it. But I think the severity of that dip has been exaggerated by those fuckers below us going on ridiculous runs to close the gap. We've ALWAYS bounced back from defeat with a good result (and I think a win and a clean sheet every time as well) and we've never looked like going on the sort of poor run we suffered during the 2008/09 season.

I'd put it down to the squad being human rather than any particular issues with fitness, fatigue etc. And hopefully it's behind us now.

 

[Jinky]

Pleased you had a good trip, mate.

I keep seeing Neves' pass for Afobe's goal and it gets better every time I see it. The backspin is utter filth. Certainly in his top 5 'Porn Passes' this season.

I sent a clip of that goal and pass to a group of mates on whatsapp last night, most of them are fans of PL clubs - and the general consensus was that you see that kind of pass every few minutes in the Premier League and Neves will struggle to do that "with less space".

I had to bite my tongue.

 

[Langers]

I sent a clip of that goal and pass to a group of mates on whatsapp last night, most of them are fans of PL clubs - and the general consensus was that you see that kind of pass every few minutes in the Premier League and Neves will struggle to do that "with less space".

I had to bite my tongue.

Yeah, as I'm sure you never watch any PL games for yourself :icon_lol:

 

[Trips]

6 wins in 12 in the league (14 if you include the Swansea games where we saw mass changes to the team)

The dip in form that has people rattled was the run of one win in 5 before last night, however in that run we had away games at Preston (who were 7th at the time) and picked up a decent point, Fulham and Villa who admittedely were much the better sides against us, and were both on fantastic runs of form and then the home game against Norwich which barring the rick from Ruddy we would have won. We can't pin that game on the gruelling winter.

I agree that some of the players do look tired in the closing stages of games, but suggesting that's because the foreign players aren't used to the winter schedule (such a rubbish cliche) is wrong. Possibly against Fulham you could accuse them of tailing off toward the end, but the game against Villa was done after the 3rd goal and the players still kept going until the end. Against Norwich it was down to Ruddy us not getting the 3 points, nothing to do with tiredness.

 

[Wombat del combate]

As someone (Jinky?) said the other day, we were starting a ten-game season. With last night's results we now have a six-game variation against Villa and Fulham given our leads over them to secure promotion; nine against Cardiff for the title (eight if you believe the status quo will remain because even if they beat us the goal difference swing won't be enough). Squeaky bum time hasn't quite ceased but is noticeably diminished.

 

[b3h]

Pleased you had a good trip, mate.

I keep seeing Neves' pass for Afobe's goal and it gets better every time I see it. The backspin is utter filth. Certainly in his top 5 'Porn Passes' this season.

From the Steve Bull stand it really looked over-hit... Nope, was perfect with some kind of crazy ass spin on it. Bladdy lavvly

 

[GLASGOWOLF]

6 wins in 12 in the league (14 if you include the Swansea games where we saw mass changes to the team)

The dip in form that has people rattled was the run of one win in 5 before last night, however in that run we had away games at Preston (who were 7th at the time) and picked up a decent point, Fulham and Villa who admittedely were much the better sides against us, and were both on fantastic runs of form and then the home game against Norwich which barring the rick from Ruddy we would have won. We can't pin that game on the gruelling winter.

I agree that some of the players do look tired in the closing stages of games, but suggesting that's because the foreign players aren't used to the winter schedule (such a rubbish cliche) is wrong. Possibly against Fulham you could accuse them of tailing off toward the end, but the game against Villa was done after the 3rd goal and the players still kept going until the end. Against Norwich it was down to Ruddy us not getting the 3 points, nothing to do with tiredness.

Not sure he meant shit in the Winter.
My understanding of his comment mirrors my thoughts.

We are coming to the end of a long hard winter, we have a number of players who are young and have never played this many games at this intensity, their form will always fluctuate, as it does with most young players.
It seems to be that our dropped points have all come against teams that have played with a very high intensity, trouble is as Villa found last night playing 90 minutes with that intensity drains your energy, and means you struggle to recover for the next game, even if said game was 7 days later.
It's why very few teams could play constantly with the intensity shown by Villa, and Fulham for a sustained period.

 

[Law's Bus]

We've had a bit of a dip, no question about it. But I think the severity of that dip has been exaggerated by those $#@!ers below us going on ridiculous runs to close the gap.

This is exactly what's gone on. Realistically all three of Cardiff, Fulham and Villa have gone on ridiculous runs - a more realistic look at the severity of the dip is to look at the teams just below that.

Looking at the table after the QPR game (10 Feb) v now:

Derby - was 13 points, now 17
Bristol City - was 19, now 21
Preston - was 22, now 22
Sheff U - was 22, now 21
Middlesbrough - was 23, now 18.

None of those are significantly nearer to us than they were.