West Ham United Verdict

[Wonder Boyo]

The good news keeps on coming.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1576289249665503232

 

[Jefe]

To be clear, we didn't outplay West Ham whatsoever. They are not much cop either, but they deliberately soak up possession with an eye for a quick break (which they did for the first goal). The idea that we dominated or controlled that game is a comforting deception. Outside of a five minute spell where Costa put himself about, we barely troubled them defensively.

 

[Jefe]

The good news keeps on coming.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1576289249665503232

Another player that Bruno didn't withdraw immediately.

 

[WolfInSheep'sClothing]

And the muppets who called for Nuno's head, they were warned "beware what you wish for", now we see it.

I didn't call for Nuno's head, but it isn't like there are only Bruno and Nuno that exist as managers. We're as attractive to manage as we have been since the 70s.

 

[WolfInSheep'sClothing]

To be clear, we didn't outplay West Ham whatsoever. They are not much cop either, but they deliberately soak up possession with an eye for a quick break (which they did for the first goal). The idea that we dominated or controlled that game is a comforting deception. Outside of a five minute spell where Costa put himself about, we barely troubled them defensively.

We made the passes West Ham wanted us to make, and then they pinched our pockets anytime we were anywhere dangerous.

 

[hollo]

I was a supporter until today.Hd must be sacked as soon as possible. Benefica all over again.

How on earth can you be a supporter of his up until today. You should have relinquished your support a long time ago.

 

[VancouverWolf]

Yep Adama was pretty awful in the middle but looked much better when he went on the right and Costa came on.

I don’t think he was awful there…….it’s just that we don’t pass the ball right up the centre to anyone. Christ, why try something like that, right?

 

[Ian C]

I don’t think he was awful there…….it’s just that we don’t pass the ball right up the centre to anyone. Christ, why try something like that, right?

Exactly. There is no middle.

 

[Oldvic161]

Positives
Campbell did ok
Costa showed he’s not finished, rusty with his 1st header in months, can accept that
A Traore and Costa linked well, but it should have been a midfielder playing the ball through for the disallowed goal

Negatives
Nobody sprints to win the ball back, nobody sprints after runners, too much ambling about, the passing is slow and negative, 60% possession and 50% of that was passing back between midfield and defence getting absolutely nowhere.
RAN, if you’re just outside the 6 yard box shoot!
The 2 Portuguese wonder signings need to beef up, man up, and fight.
Lage, if I check my balance on my betting account in the next few days and have a few hundred quid in, it will be down to you, go now.

 

[wallace]

It's difficult to make so many changes in our squad setup and have cohesion on the field of play in the strongest league in the world To much wrong with that and bringing in players to late to get the blend together after so few games and as a result Bruno will carry the can for those above him. Probably time has run out for him and I'm not sure he would succeed anyway but the naivety in the running of the playing staff has hit him badly.

 

[Wolfman jack]

I think the 2 sides were actually fairly even i.e. poor. This inability to score when on top is getting ridiculous. Nunes and Ran had clear opportunities to score first half and both Missed the target. Would have changed the game. Sorry Mouts, but I cannot see what you bring to the team anymore apart from safe simple passes. Thankyou for coming tomWolves but I think we need more dynamism in midfield.

 

[CelebrityWolf]

wonder if Neto did a metatarsal

 

[Andi130]

Positives...Bruno is hopefully sacked in the morning.

Negatives. I don't trust Jeff will sack him

 

[Contrarian]

RAN is going to be a superstar and it is pretty ridiculous to slate a 20 year old this way. Zero doubting his quality and he more than anyone drives us up the pitch often times and that in itself shows our problems when a kid is the driving force to get us forward.

I don't care what he's going to be. I care what he does. At the moment he flatters to deceive. I agree he could be a superstar, but at the moment, he's lost his way badly.

 

[old wittonian]

How on earth can you be a supporter of his up until today. You should have relinquished your support a long time ago.

Perhaps you should tell Jeff Shi as well.

 

[Super NES]

Another laclustre performance and typical of the season to date which for me has been a shambles - both on the pitch and our decisions off it which have led in part to what we are seeing now.

We got rid of Ruddy, Coady, Saiss and Marcal to move out the old guard. On paper fine, but we had to consider the implications if we planned not to replace them / their role in the squad in some way.

Sa has made various mistakes this year and I can't help but think its because if he does he must be thinking, so what? Is he going to be dropped - absolutely no way. I'm not rewriting history and saying Ruddy was Buffon like, but the threat over Sa's position is no longer there which I believe is impacting his performances. Got fortunate again today when he struggled to collect a simple ball in.

Our decision to move to the back 4. Again, no issues at all with this and happy with Collins being brought in. But it's clear that Lage doesn't trust Gomes and Yerson - putting our player of the season so far into the back 4 to plug the gap. For me, it's a joke we resorted to this as a result of one player being out and 8 games into a season. Today Gomes should have been playing 100%, who hasn't done much wrong whenever he has played. This is Lage showing he doesnt trust his back up, and shows his lack of man-management. Next week, he will have to turn to one of them despite basically saying I don't think your good enough yet - all because of a short sighted fix of moving Neves into the back 4.

Next on my frustration list is the obsession to flog Moutinho. It's gone past a joke now that he plays every 90 minutes. He can't keep up with play, makes stupid tackles to compensate for the game passing him by and offers minimal in terms of influencing a game. I'm not blaming him btw - the manager picks the team. Lage again has shown no bottle to drop him - perhaps he is in awe of him because of what a big player he has been in the past. But a semi decent manager knows how to best utilise each player in a squad - something Lage is not doing at all.

Finally, what is our game plan? We pass, pass, pass and pass some more until we lose the ball. We got rid of Nuno who had become stale and we wanted to dominate games. We dominate the ball but do nothing with it. We are a team who score 1 goal every 2 a bit games and have no idea of what to do when we concede - a dangerous combination. Shi and the board must know they have to act sooner rather than later.

The only straw I'm clutching onto is that there are still plenty of points up for grabs and there's no way this squad cant deliver more than they are providing right now. The players know he is going soon, so hopefully as soon as the trigger is pulled they start showing a bit more too!!

Very frustrating day all around - but no different from most other match days for the last 6 months or so.

 

[Flea]

I'm no Lage supporter - his body-language is terrible and he doesn't inspire from what I see, however our players are built-up to be better than they are. I've seen nothing in Guedes, precious little in Nunes and Collins always seemed to have a mistake in him. These were our summer signings. Couple that with Moutinho being completely out of form, Neto being perennially injured (he looks like having a period out again), Traore not seemingly match fit, Diego having not played for a year, RAN seemingly unable to do the basics of defending and Jonny, nowhere near his pre-injury best and it's no wonder we are where we are. Neves is having to cover CB as Lage doesn't seem to trust Toti (not sure why).
It's a complete cluster **** and not all Lage's fault. Shi must take some blame as he appointed Lage.
Our summer business, taking both sales and purchases was poor. We failed to strengthen our strikers by gambling on a player with a fitness level that an episode of casualty would laugh at and let players leave without adequate replacements. Players were brought in late, with no time to get up to speed before being thrown into the fray. This was hardly Lage's fault.
Our chickens are coming home to roost and we have a long, hard winter in front of us. I've seen nothing in the attitude of lots of our players that they have the psyche and mentality for a relegation fight.
Can a new manager get these players firing? Hopefully, but I don't believe that the balance of our squad is right and the players are not as good as lots seem to think, so he will have his work cut out.

This in full.I have nothing to add other than our current squad seems vastly overrated by many on here.
Guedes and Nunes looks like poor championship quality players.
Both of them seems really illacquitted to play in the Premier League and nowhere near the class we needed.
I am baffled regarding both combined performances.
Sure we got the right men here?They seem more adapted to being taxidrivers or something.

Bruno has to go..the team looks little no one cares,the lack of urgency..of some old fashioned desperation is scary.
We go out on the pitch and play the match like it is preseason IMO.

Bruno has got to go..but I am not sure at all any other manager in the world can turn this around.
I am sorry..I think we will get relegated.

 

[Bryce]

We are utterly predictable. Should change our name to Wolvercrabs as all our movement is sideways.

We made a **** team look decent again today as Lage set us up not to lose and as soon as they scored it was done. Lage is following a path that he truly believes and that’s fair enough. One win in 15 says otherwise and Jeff needs to act. The best set of players in a generation are being done a disservice by this absolute ******* of a manager who gets his tactics and team selection from mystic Meg or a crisp packet. Bin him or get relegated. It’s Jeff choice now

 

[Ned]

I’m not impressed with Guedes and Nunes at all but I genuinely believe with all my heart that another manager (even an average one) will get a tune from them. We have such a good team with so many good players, we just need a competent manager to put them together and stop trying to win the game like it’s a chess match.

 

[tonto]

It's horrible knowing we've lost as soon as the opposition score. Can anyone honestly say they were hopeful of any kind of result from 30 minutes onward?

I rarely ever say this about any manager, Lage Out..

Even worse is to know we have lost when the team sheet is revealed

 

[SmiffyWolf]

I’m not impressed with Guedes and Nunes at all but I genuinely believe with all my heart that another manager (even an average one) will get a tune from them. We have such a good team with so many good players, we just need a competent manager to put them together and stop trying to win the game like it’s a chess match.

Possibly but 80 million on Gudes and Nunes wow I think we got done . No better than what we had . Yes a few flicks and odd **** but Guedes and Nunes need a kick up the **** . No excuses you want to be good / great players then do something to show it .

****ed off tonight but both these players look no better than a 15 million signing from championship

 

[Contrarian]

This is a verdict about todays game not the last year (those should be on another thread IMO) Wolves deserved a draw IMO, 16 attempt by West Ham 15 by Wolves.. one attempt more than Wolves.

Just seen XG has it at 1.0 to them and 0.5 to us. The only way you can say we deserved even a draw from that is if you ignore their numerous misses and double up on ours. Only one team was ever going to score a goal in that game.

All this neat possession is deceptive. And it seems that we create so little , match after match, when we get one cross in onto one attackers head, we've forgotten that good teams do that 3 or 4 times a half. We are in such a famine for entertaining, attacking football, a stale sandwich begins to look like a gourmet meal.

 

[Oldgold Wolfcub]

I manage an U12’s team.

I think my team have more identity in our play, more shape, more punch and speed in our attack. We can also cross the ball from a corner!

When can they start?

 

[RosehillWolf]

Neto is going to be missing for a few games according to it. Good time to give young Campbell an extended run , he looks like he’s going to be a star

 

[L78]

The last team west ham kept a clean sheet against you got it wolves the team that keeps on giving gutless performance and that comes from the manager

 

[SmiffyWolf]

Neto is going to be missing for a few games according to it. Good time to give young Campbell an extended run , he looks like he’s going to be a star

Bruno young players = no chance

Probably an old head thrown in out of position

 

[Corporal Hicks]

Awful, Awful, Awful. 90 minutes I’ll never get back.
No more excuses or chances Fosun he's done, simply not good enough so get him gone now please.

 

[Stourwolf]

Adama 'doesn't want to be here'? He had a good game!

He was our best option going forward bar anyone

 

[manchesterwolf17]

Neto is going to be missing for a few games according to it. Good time to give young Campbell an extended run , he looks like he’s going to be a star

That was a positive I forgot about actually. He did look good. Actually tried to make something happen. Unlike Guedes.

 

[Blackpool Wolf]

I thought we played pretty well and with Costa on its possible to see a positive future.

Agree with previous comments that some very poor strategic decisions -

- not having business done until 5 or 6 games into the season

- getting rid of Coady when no faith in reserve centre halves.

 

[manchesterwolf17]

Just seen XG has it at 1.0 to them and 0.5 to us. The only way you can say we deserved even a draw from that is if you ignore their numerous misses and double up on ours. Only one team was ever going to score a goal in that game.

All this neat possession is deceptive. And it seems that we create so little , match after match, when we get one cross in onto one attackers head, we've forgotten that good teams do that 3 or 4 times a half. We are in such a famine for entertaining, attacking football, a stale sandwich begins to look like a gourmet meal.

So true.

The fact we can all remember the chances we do create so vividly says it all. We're clinging onto anything.

 

[Jd132]

I think Scott had it right in the strategy videos in the Summer- the team played best under Bruno when he had no options.

Until Bruno goes, I am now given to believing that injuries to players he plays despite them being gash (Moutinho, Jonny and Guedes) alongside Neto, Hwang, Raul, Kalajdzic and Chiquinho would actually benefit the team.

 

[reanswolf]

The sad thing is we are so boring and uninspiring . Dull as dishwater.

 

[manchesterwolf17]

He was our best option going forward bar anyone

Put in 2-3 excellent crosses.

You could see Costa's presence and movement helped. I think they could work really well together if they're given opportunities to.

 

[Darvo]

We’re in trouble. Big trouble.

How can we have spent so much and yet be so short in two key areas of the pitch?

We don’t look like we could buy a goal at the moment.

Thought Costa showed his quality. He makes the right decisions. Far too many of the others just don’t.

Sorry to say it but Moutinho looks shot.

 

[Darvo]

Can’t see Lage surviving (thankfully) ... but there have been some big mistakes made above him.

 

[sc91]

Another player that Bruno didn't withdraw immediately.

I was ****ing seething when it was clear Neto was hurt and then forced to come onto the field of play.

 

[CelebrityWolf]

Says a lot. Team has no significant strengths. Not seen that before.​

​

Match Summary​

West Ham	Wolverhampton
Strengths
Created a high number of chances relative to their possession	(Team has no significant strengths)
Stole the ball often from the opposition
Were effective at creating goalscoring opportunities from long shot situations
Were effective at creating goalscoring opportunities from counter attacks
Weaknesses
(Team has no significant weaknesses)	Were poor at finishing
Styles
Favoured long shots	Favoured long shots
Had a high shot frequency when in possession	Dominated possession

 

[WolfInSheep'sClothing]

Just seen XG has it at 1.0 to them and 0.5 to us. The only way you can say we deserved even a draw from that is if you ignore their numerous misses and double up on ours. Only one team was ever going to score a goal in that game.

All this neat possession is deceptive. And it seems that we create so little , match after match, when we get one cross in onto one attackers head, we've forgotten that good teams do that 3 or 4 times a half. We are in such a famine for entertaining, attacking football, a stale sandwich begins to look like a gourmet meal.

There is always 8 people around the ball defending any of our "chances" and sod all around the ball when defending any of the opposition chances. No stat properly reflects that.

 

[WolfInSheep'sClothing]

Even worse is to know we have lost when the team sheet is revealed

Too many occasions under Bruno. And none where he has surprised me.