Arsenal verdict

[Royal wolf]

Too much respect shown to a team with a dreadful defence. As soon as I saw a front 2 with Adama up top I was concerned. How many times does he have to play there before nuno realises he isn’t a striker

 

[Living at other WWFC]

Came second.
As we deserved

 

[old wittonian]

Crap

 

[BridgnorthWolf Inc]

Nuno has earned some slack but that was a lacklustre performance and I cannot understand why you would **** around with a winning formation.

 

[Big Mack]

Can't keep giving sides so much respect in the first half. Beginning of second only one team looked likely. Substituting Doc for Neto unbalanced the side and we never looked the same side. One Nuno has to learn from and not make the same mistake again.

Still a lot of football to be played.

 

[Deleted member 7206]

Couldn't pass, ciuldnt defend and couldn't penetrate one of the worst defences in the league. Poor

 

[Deleted member 5635]

You defend like that, you get what you deserve, **** all

 

[Deleted member 8455jwf]

They were average, we were a lot worse. I don’t think anyone gets above a 5 with Moutinho, Boly and Doherty notably dire. Shame, we move on massive game in week.

 

[WonderWolf]

We weren't crap.....just not quite good enough.

Reality.

Still in it with a chance though.

 

[Irish_Wolf]

Very poor defeat at the business end of the season. Absolutely could not afford to slip up considering the form of Man Utd.

 

[VancouverWolf]

My thoughts?
Nothing for it now but heavy drinking.

 

[Deleted member 4184]

Worst performance since Chelsea at home. 9 points from 12. We go again...

 

[North Bank]

Credit to Arsenal they came and stopped us creating many chances, got what they deserved.

I think this is a great example of where the crowd would have made a big difference. Molineux would have been rocking this evening and could have spurred the lads on, they looked very flat for most of the game.

Going to need to win the last 5 to get top 4 but you know what? Another Europa League qualification would be a great season it would just seem a disappointment when Champions League is a possibility.

 

[Irish_Wolf]

They were average, we were a lot worse. I don’t think anyone gets above a 5 with Moutinho, Boly and Doherty notably dire. Shame, we move on massive game in week.

Saiss was the poorest for me

 

[Oh When the Wolves]

Should have been 3 4 3 and attack that awful side .
Too much respect to players who are clinical in final third .

that said ,they were very lucky , we weren’t clinical, and the drinks break completely changed the result imo

 

[SA Wolf]

Surprise selection of Traore up top with Jiminez and it worked for 15 seconds. After that, Arsenal managed the game. Nothing of note from Wolves other than a miss from Traore early in the second half. Moutinho's set pieces were surprisingly poor and both Boly and Saiss looked well out of sorts at the back. We've now let Arsenal back to breathe down our necks.
The next matches against Blades who seemed back to their best against Spurs and Everton who beat Leicester are now huge for any European ambitions.

 

[Wolfy McWolf-Face]

Crap all around. An arsenal side that we had more than a enough in our locker to beat. Fortunately we dont usually play that badly 2 games running.

We never play well with a week off now!

 

[VancouverWolf]

Very poor defeat at the business end of the season. Absolutely could not afford to slip up considering the form of Man Utd.

Oh but don’t you ya know.....some say Ole will be gone soon.....

 

[WeAreTheWolvesII]

Can't grasp the team selection.

Traore is only ever a striker when the opponents have to push up - like Man City away or when we are winning. Honestly, it's a decision I can't even comprehend. Utterly ridiculous.

We showed them too much respect, should've played 3-4-3 and attacked.

This is Nuno's problem and if we're honest it's been his problem for a while. We won three 'nothing' games after the restart but we lost this when we go behind.

Our record against sides 15th or above is W4-D13-L6.

At home, our record against the sides 15th or above is W1-D7-L4

Yes, really.

That's a MASSIVE problem.

We've effectively been flat-track bullies this season, quite funny considering last season. Also, I don't want to call them flukes because we deserved them but two of the four wins and the only win at Molineux was against Manchester City. The point is, there style is unique in Europe and clearly suits us.

Champions League over and Nuno needs to be more adventurous. It's holding him back from being an elite coach and at some point it will hold us back. This team are good at football. Player for player we should've backed ourselves to win. Instead we sit back, counter and don't play to our potential.

 

[Perton Wolf]

Rubbish performance unfortunately, we just set up so passively and negatively. Really disappointing considering the attacking talent we have.

Would like to see us go 3-4-3 the rest of the way, the 3-5-2 formation too often results in us being boring to watch, uncreative and one dimensional. Can get away with it vs the bottom sides perhaps but not against the better sides.

 

[Leominster_Wolf]

We were **** we lost
adama can’t play up front
a day where everyone had an off day - not convinced 352 is the way forward.
still **** happens

 

[Royal wolf]

We always play a dangerous game sitting back and inviting pressure, I’m really not a fan of it. How many times have we gone a goal down this season due to this tactic? It may have worked Noticeably in the last 3 games against poor very poor sides but today has reminded us.

 

[VancouverWolf]

 

[Tring Wolf]

Hugely frustrating. Was crying out for us to start 3-4-3 and run the wide channels.

Despite playing poorly, the game turned on two big moments - the mistake from Boly and Adama’s miss.

All of a sudden, the season is on a knife-edge. Just as likely to miss out on the Europa as we are to make the Champions League. Going to be a nail-biting finale.

Poor performances all round with Doherty, Boly and Moutinho particularly bad.

Patricio 6
Boly 5
Coady 6
Saiss 6
Doherty 5
Moutinho 5
Neves 6
Dendoncker 6
Jonny 6
Traore
Raul 5

Jota 6
Neto 5

We have no right to be critical as this squad has given us so much and we are massively overachieving again this year. Just a really frustrating time to put in a performance like that against what was a pretty average Arsenal side.

If I’m right, we’ve still only beaten one team currently in the Top 14 at home this season (Man City). That’s the next progression we need to make next season.

 

[DasWolf]

Woeful. Patricio was my best player because he didn't really do anything wrong.

Too slow, too respectful of a team that were there for the beating.

What on earth the thinking behind the dreadful free kicks was...

Not a single positive from today's game.

 

[JAIRDUCOCHET]

Only positive for me was the 5/2 for Luiz to be booked.

 

[Surrey Wolf]

Really poor, if we were gonna play 3-5-2 from the off Jota should've started in place of Traore. Really shocked by how we fell apart & ran out of ideas, everything went out the window footballing wise. Ragged, clueless, panicky.... a very bad day at the office

 

[bigbluewolf]

First time I’ve been able to watch them after the season restart and they produce a dismal performance like that.

 

[Newbridge Wolf]

****

 

[Contrarian]

I think we play better when we play more matches. After the long lay-off, teams need to get back up to speed. The week off did us no good at all. We looked really sluggish today. TBH We did in 90% of the 3 previous matches too, but give Arsenal some credit, they are a far better team than the bottom 4, so always were going to test our defence.

 

[Ewok vs Wolf]

Got it wrong im afraid by going 352. Not a fan of Traore through the middle.
Looked better once we went 343 that was until the constant stoppages in play of the drinks break and constant use of subs makes the whole competition a joke and not one im interested in.
At least skysports are pleased with the result.

 

[wallace]

We never started. Should have gone at them from the start but we never got at a very ordinary defence.
Patricia 7
Boly 5
Cody 5
Saiss 5
Jonny 6
Doherty 5
Dendonker 6
Mortinho 5
Neves 5
Traore 5
Jimenez 4
Neto 6

 

[maws]

Nuno’s worst game of the season, but he’s allowed mistakes, some woefully below performances notably Saiss Moutinho and Raul. Only Rui Neves and Jonny looked ok, credit arsenal though no team has pressed us like that in a long time, they were worthy winners. If only Adama had scored early in the second half

 

[xbomber]

Poor match. Didn't look like we wanted it as much as arsenal. Shame to see us second to so many 50/50s. Shame to give an average defence nothing to worry about also.

Let's hope he can pick them up for Wednesday.

 

[Macman]

Need a Burnley win tomorrow...

 

[Deleted member 5910]

Sadly when this excellent side does lose, Nuno's tactics are typically at the forefront. Traore as a centre forward should only ever be played when we're defending a lead and looking for a ball over the top. There was no chemistry between him and Raul, and our 5-3-2 (get them in 0-0 at HT tactic) failed, putting us off-kilter. Arsenal disappointingly outfought us as well. Reality check tonight, with the other results going against us. Should likely put Champions League talk to bed. Schooled by Arteta in many respects.

 

[Deleted member 8455jwf]

Can't grasp the team selection.

Traore is only ever a striker when the opponents have to push up - like Man City away or when we are winning. Honestly, it's a decision I can't even comprehend. Utterly ridiculous.

We showed them too much respect, should've played 3-4-3 and attacked.

This is Nuno's problem and if we're honest it's been his problem for a while. We won three 'nothing' games after the restart but we lost this when we go behind.

Our record against sides 15th or above is W4-D13-L6.

At home, our record against the sides 15th or above is W1-D7-L4

Yes, really.

That's a MASSIVE problem.

We've effectively been flat-track bullies this season, quite funny considering last season. Also, I don't want to call them flukes because we deserved them but two of the four wins and the only win at Molineux was against Manchester City. The point is, there style is unique in Europe and clearly suits us.

Champions League over and Nuno needs to be more adventurous. It's holding him back from being an elite coach and at some point it will hold us back. This team are good at football. Player for player we should've backed ourselves to win. Instead we sit back, counter and don't play to our potential.

Thing is I don’t think our defenders can cope with us going for teams.
They need the shape to contain as Doherty is too slow to get back and all 3 CBs struggle 1v1 to a degree (Boly less so than other two).
Doesn’t help we lack a proper athlete in middle of park. Lots to improve upon, but still well in command of a top 6 place.

 

[Deleted member 5962]

Can't grasp the team selection.

Traore is only ever a striker when the opponents have to push up - like Man City away or when we are winning. Honestly, it's a decision I can't even comprehend. Utterly ridiculous.

We showed them too much respect, should've played 3-4-3 and attacked.

This is Nuno's problem and if we're honest it's been his problem for a while. We won three 'nothing' games after the restart but we lost this when we go behind.

Our record against sides 15th or above is W4-D13-L6.

At home, our record against the sides 15th or above is W1-D7-L4

Yes, really.

That's a MASSIVE problem.

We've effectively been flat-track bullies this season, quite funny considering last season. Also, I don't want to call them flukes because we deserved them but two of the four wins and the only win at Molineux was against Manchester City. The point is, there style is unique in Europe and clearly suits us.

Champions League over and Nuno needs to be more adventurous. It's holding him back from being an elite coach and at some point it will hold us back. This team are good at football. Player for player we should've backed ourselves to win. Instead we sit back, counter and don't play to our potential.

It is both a strength and a weakness how predicable we are. We have 1 way to play and if it doesnt work, we dont really do anything to change.

 

[Martin Riggs]

I thought both teams were poor, they took their chances, we started to grow into the game the 2nd half after Jota came on. Terrible substitution after that though to take off Doc who was coming into the game. Traore was finally in his best position on the right, causing trouble then he takes him off and suddenly Arsenal are delighted as he's 20 yards away from their defence at right wing back and the last 20 mins he was pretty much as a regular full back. Baffling. He's tried that sub a few times and I don't think it's ever worked.

But these day's happen though, where we just never get going, it even happened in the championship, Nottingham Forest at home for example where we could play all day and not look a threat.

 

[siwolf80]

Seems playing in 2nd gear doesn't always get you wins...

Thought Nuno got the line up wrong, Arsenal are weakest at the back, so we play 352 but not the usual 2 strikers. Apart from a 15min spell in the 2nd half I thought we were 2nd to most balls, dwelled to long and basically ran out of ideas.

However disappointing the result is the season goes on and we still have a lot to play for, there will be ups and downs.