3 or 4 at the back?

[Milijas]

Not sure how 4 at the back can be questioned after keeping a clean sheet. The problem is the other end of the pitch.

 

[Gold Flag Flying High]

Not sure how 4 at the back can be questioned after keeping a clean sheet. The problem is the other end of the pitch.

Yep we could do with a clinical striker but they are not too easy to get. I understand the midfield debate but it’s not like we aren’t creating some chances and I thought dendonker had one of his better games for us yesterday.

 

[WeAreTheWolvesII]

We need to try and get better.

Will it work? I don't know. Concerns are totally valid right now and there is a chance that it won't work.

However we were the worst side to watch, in my opinion, by a distance over the past two years, which I don't think is right given the quality we have. So, trying to change is the way to go.

The way we were going would've resulted in relegation IMO and the stats back that up. It would also impact the way we would be perceived in terms of developing talent, attracting players etc. It was restrictive to the attackers, there's no doubt about it.

I have been a massive advocate of a back four but I have to admit I still think this could go ***s up but it's the risk we needed to take.

Hopefully a striker transforms the team - which is possible. But there's going to be massive pressure on the Newcastle, Bournemouth, Southampton games.

 

[manc_wolf]

In my view, it's an absolute myth whether 3, 4 or 5 at the back makes that much difference when so many other factors come into play.

The same people who moaned about 3 at the back are the first ones to say that they want the same Wolves back who played the first 3 games of last season! And I'm sick to death of reading all these people with short memories slag Nuno off and his style of football, completely forgetting some of the football we played in the first 3 and a bit seasons under him - it was sensational at times.

We cannot take into account almost anything after 2 games, with 2 totally different types of opposition, playing with no identifiable striker and one home / away game, ridiculous.

Both fullbacks need time to adjust - clearly - they haven't got a ****ing clue what they're doing atm - it will take time and I'm sure it will be fine after a few games.

Our 2 main centre halves can clearly play in a back 4, this is not an issue for me - Collins' stats yesterday were impressive albeit against an impotent side who came for the 0-0 / smash n' grab. Neves is dropping deep to cover when our CH's go marauding up the pitch, it's fine, but we're so ****ing weak in midfield, we have zero mobility - I feel MGW could be that player, but he plays too far forward in the hole, and so deep in the hole he turns us into a front 4 leaving us short in the middle - there is no link between him and Neves at all (nothing against him). Maybe he'll get better after a few games also.

I don't give a **** what formation we play - it's about our application of it. Obviously 4 at the back allows us to play with 1 more attacking player - but Fulham came and sat so deep they were virtually in the subway at times in the 2nd half. We've still got to develop in a whole raft of areas and none of them has anything to do with how many centre halves we have on the pitch. We've really got to learn how to break defensive teams down, as at least half our games at Molineux will be exactly like yesterday. We've got to learn how to improve the quality of our chances - I know we had a handful yesterday, but they were mostly errors by Fulham - our xG is still way too low, and we're too regularly getting 1 or 2 shots on target in games - it's just not good enough at this level.

I know we'll play better when Raul comes back - and it's obvious that we also need a good strong backup to Raul - because we simply *have* to play with a No.9 cos there are no other options out there incl Hwang & Guedes. The way he brings others into play, the way he links the midfield and attack, the way he causes havoc in the defence, it's a different game altogether. We were all crying out to bring Traore on yesterday, but he barely touched the ****ing ball! We're just creating no link between our midfield and attack!

Our back 4 is fine, if this is what we're going to play this season. We do need 2 top midfielders though in every game, which means we're 1 short. In my view, we need a truly mobile MF - Bruno knows we need Nunes.

And we simply must have a backup to Raul so that we have 2 out-an-out strikers in our squad.

This is far more important than ****ing formations, in my view

 

[wwbug]

I tend to agree with this. 4 at the back, 5 at the back, 6 at the back will make no difference to us at present. We need that man to get the ball to in the area. We just don't have him now and Guedes on half an hours viewing did not not look like an out and out striker. I know we all laughed at the prospect of Keiffer Moore but we need a Danny Ings, Callum Wilson type striker who all they do is sit in the box and put the ball away. Is that Blackburn guy still off the radar? Lage's attention needs to be at the front not the back.

My concerns are exactly the same.
Is Guedes just a better version of what we already have ?
Thats another versatile wide player who may chip in with 4-6 goals .
We have 4 of those already. Just as we have 3 defensive midfielders. Thats 7 members of out first team squad and bench.
Who is looking at the overall picture - the balance ?!

 

[AndyY]

Defensively, I thought Jonny was fine. In contrast to RAN, Jonny showed good positioning, made some tackles, cut out crosses. Though he did offer little going forward. But as we were playing 4 forwards...maybe that was their job?

I'd seriously consider moving Jonny back to the left and starting Semedo on the right, providing he's fit enough. Probably overreacting, but RAN has looked so lacksadasical these past 2 matches, if we get similar at Spurs, I'd consider putting Bueno in there for Newcastle & Bournemouth ! He's not got the quality of RAN, but will put in 120% effort and will remain focussed, not lose concentration.

I think RAN has always been better going forward than defending, and Jonny is the opposite.
Assuming we don’t sign any midfielders this week (& Raul still out), I would play 4-3-3 with Jonny on the left and Semedo at RB, with RAN on the LHS of the midfield 3 alongside Neves and Dendonker and A front 3 of Neto, Guedes and MGW.

 

[TheConcourse]

In my view, it's an absolute myth whether 3, 4 or 5 at the back makes that much difference when so many other factors come into play.

The same people who moaned about 3 at the back are the first ones to say that they want the same Wolves back who played the first 3 games of last season! And I'm sick to death of reading all these people with short memories slag Nuno off and his style of football, completely forgetting some of the football we played in the first 3 and a bit seasons under him - it was sensational at times.

We cannot take into account almost anything after 2 games, with 2 totally different types of opposition, playing with no identifiable striker and one home / away game, ridiculous.

Both fullbacks need time to adjust - clearly - they haven't got a ****ing clue what they're doing atm - it will take time and I'm sure it will be fine after a few games.

Our 2 main centre halves can clearly play in a back 4, this is not an issue for me - Collins' stats yesterday were impressive albeit against an impotent side who came for the 0-0 / smash n' grab. Neves is dropping deep to cover when our CH's go marauding up the pitch, it's fine, but we're so ****ing weak in midfield, we have zero mobility - I feel MGW could be that player, but he plays too far forward in the hole, and so deep in the hole he turns us into a front 4 leaving us short in the middle - there is no link between him and Neves at all (nothing against him). Maybe he'll get better after a few games also.

I don't give a **** what formation we play - it's about our application of it. Obviously 4 at the back allows us to play with 1 more attacking player - but Fulham came and sat so deep they were virtually in the subway at times in the 2nd half. We've still got to develop in a whole raft of areas and none of them has anything to do with how many centre halves we have on the pitch. We've really got to learn how to break defensive teams down, as at least half our games at Molineux will be exactly like yesterday. We've got to learn how to improve the quality of our chances - I know we had a handful yesterday, but they were mostly errors by Fulham - our xG is still way too low, and we're too regularly getting 1 or 2 shots on target in games - it's just not good enough at this level.

I know we'll play better when Raul comes back - and it's obvious that we also need a good strong backup to Raul - because we simply *have* to play with a No.9 cos there are no other options out there incl Hwang & Guedes. The way he brings others into play, the way he links the midfield and attack, the way he causes havoc in the defence, it's a different game altogether. We were all crying out to bring Traore on yesterday, but he barely touched the ****ing ball! We're just creating no link between our midfield and attack!

Our back 4 is fine, if this is what we're going to play this season. We do need 2 top midfielders though in every game, which means we're 1 short. In my view, we need a truly mobile MF - Bruno knows we need Nunes.

And we simply must have a backup to Raul so that we have 2 out-an-out strikers in our squad.

This is far more important than ****ing formations, in my view

Good post.

We’re becoming obsessed with the numbers rather than the execution within those numbers. If we move the ball as slowly as we did on Saturday it doesn’t matter if we play a front 6.

Can only assume Bruno wants the 433 so when Neves does drop in they still have a link to forward players. It’s badly missing right now.