Aston Villa vs Wolves. The Verdict.

[KildareWolf]

Both teams big chances fell to CBs yesterday Konsa x 2 Coady x2 and Saiss! We really should of been 2 nil up but in saying that Konsa should of scored at the end and if he had of I would probably be out TV shopping now haha

 

[Ian C]

No pride or passion for me, that’s the worst thing, three big midlands derby games this season and we’ve taken a point. Fully expect us to get beaten again by West Brom too.

I don’t sign up for this whole transition ****, we’re entirely likely to lose Neto and Neves at the end of the season and Traore can just do one as far away as possible, complete waste of a shirt.

We’re by far the most tedious team in the league to watch, we can’t score goals or play our players to their full potential. We’ve been very, very lucky to get a lot of what we have out of recent games and frankly could and probably should be in the relegation places.

Nuno has drained every bit of excitement from our game and we’ve become a team that goes out each week happy to place for a goalless draw, it’s painstaking.

 

[Contrarian]

Same performance as the last few games. Midfielders playing in defence. Adama off the boil. Jose non existent. Wayward passing and shooting. 1st half sitting back. 2nd half we see a slight uplift but no end product.

Neto is the only threat we have in the team. It used to be several players not so long ago.

Not good enough! It’s the same week in week out.

"Forget it, it's over, we move on".

To exactly the same next week? And somehow next season is going to be different? We are going to be magically transformed by having a couple of weeks off (internationals will give an excuse for a bad start to the season, of course)? And every other team is going to politely step backwards and let us pass? The rest and fans back in stadiums will benefit only us? Magical thinking.

 

[wolfgar]

My wife wasn’t really paying close attention yesterday and confusingly praised Saiss for his amazing goal line clearance.

It was a tough watch again though wasn’t it? A really poor first 45. Passing all over the place, no urgency, no really threat and looking really easy to play through. Given that we had 5 at the back and a £36 million right back from Barca, I wouldn’t have expected to see things like Matt Targett being in 20 yards of space with the ball at our corner flag. I wouldn’t have complained if we were 1-0 or 2-0 down at HT

Special mentions for utterly terrible passing to both Moutinho and Donk. Jose anonymous. Traore incredibly irritating.

2nd half wasn’t exactly fluid, but we were better. Villa didn’t offer much and we should have won really. 2 dreadful misses. I guess you take a point, but I can’t say I had much fun at all watching that.

Jimenez, Boly and Podence back, 2 decent defenders, a powerful midfielder and a forward or 2 added to this squad please?

 

[wulfie88]

 

[goldeneyed]

The premier league champions came in for him and the offer of champions league football

We had no chance of keeping Jota, I’m not sure why people think we sold him, Liverpool brought him, it’s a big difference. Ask Southampton, or Villa, you get good players in this league then you get the big boys taking them off you. Nothing we can do about it. Leicester won the league yet still couldn’t hold on to Kante Mahrez and Drinkwater

We could have kept Jota. All we had to do was to ask for £65m and frightened Liverpool off. Sarr at Watford was the other candidate and they were asking £50m or so I believe even in relegation mode. We sold him for £41m plus four million potential extras because Nuno wrongly imv thought we didn't need him because of Neto's progression and Podence plus he wanted to change the way we played (that went well). You can always hold on to players if you really want to and there is a contract long enough to hold them to. Jota would just have had to get on with it. How we miss his partnership with Jimenez! Now we have the totally ineffectual Jose and Silva. and of course are struggling to score even one goal in open play these days.

 

[Leamwolf]

I do like Luiz, he was the one signing Villa made when they were throwing millions around on ****e that I wouldn't have minded at Wolves but I think we need someone more dynamic to compliment Neves and Mouts, I've not really seen the ball carrier in him and I don't think Nuno would ask him to be that player either

I don’t think many teams wanted to sign up to the rediculously low buy back and first refusal clauses that are built into the contract.

from what I know, people knocked Spurs for the regulon buy back clause with Real Madrid they would be baffled at the clauses in the Luiz deal.....

 

[goldeneyed]

I understand why he was sold, after all when Liverpool come in what can you do. But all this stuff about Jota having "hit his ceiling" and "running down blind channels" is the stuff of simpletons, it really is.

He is 23 FFS, and still improving. He may well have spells when he goes in and out of form, but without him we have looked devoid of attacking intent, even with Raul fit. If it goes tits up for himat Liverpool, I would have him back in an instant, along with neves my favourite player at Wolves in many years.

Totally agree Reans but we could have put a higher price tag on Jota and frightened them off as Watford did with Sarr. It was Nuno's decision and it was a BIG mistake. I would even say by sending out that negative signal right at the beginning of the season it played a major part in us experiencing such a dreadfully disappointing campaign. That plus a useless summer of transfer dealing to try and fill the huge gap left after Jota and Doc were sacrificed. £65m for Semedo and Silva alone! Frightening.

 

[lobodelsur]

How about 50 mins? I mean you wouldn’t want us to be too expecting and entitled you ungrateful person

remember the past etc

Oh I know about the past alright, having been a supporter since the early 1960s. There were periods under McGarry, Barnwell and even Chung when we simply used to tear into teams from the off. That's why it is so frustrating watching our first-half performances.

 

[steve vena]

He does seem to be sitting still on things. Maybe the back 4 experiment has shaken him? If he thinks the answers are within then he certainly doesn't think they are with MGW killman Vitinha and Ait nouri. Looks like he's playing it safe now till the finish line.

Big summer ahead

 

[Perton Wolf]

For my money, the majority of those on here, who continue to be negative and are perpetual moaners, only began supporting us, following the Fosun takeover.

So far they've only experienced the successful side of the club. Now that our performances have taken a slight dip, it's 'sack Nuno', 'the whole squad is useless ', etc etc.

Whereas there are some of us, who began following this great club, in the mid 1950's and have experienced the highs and unbelievable lows , of being part of 'the pack'.

So for us, the current situation is not ideal but perfectly tolerable and part of the journey that is: 'Once A Wolf, Always A Wolf'.

Sounds like you're settling for mediocrity, which is fair enough as that's your choice but some of us think we can do a lot better with the squad we've got. Nuno is boring the pants off of most of us with his negative and defensive approach to the game, particularly in first halves. If you keep looking to the past and going backwards, then that's ultimately where you'll end up.

Just look at our goals scored in a game, 2020/21:

0- 11
1- 13
2- 7
3- 1
4- 0

Good job we aren't in the ground after all as most would be bored to death watching such turgid football every week.

Also, I highly doubt you'll find anybody who actually started supporting us once FOSUN took over, that's just daft.

 

[goldeneyed]

I think frankly because in Neto we had a superior replacement and it wasn’t fair on Jota’s career to hold onto him when another big club came knocking.

Jota was my favourite player and I was sad to see him go. He signed a Jota 18 shirt for my sons 18th, and promptly went on a streak of form which blew away the PL for us. I’ll never forget that. However I’m also pleased for him and think the price we got was good business. In the cold light of day, Jota wasn’t a reliable player for us, and may or may not be for his future clubs. When he’s good, he’s unplayable, outstanding, superb. When he’s off, he’s off and eventually needs dropping and a time on the bench. We said that while he was our player so we need to remember him for his good and bad and not just with rose tinted specs.

Jota and Neto could/should have been in the same team. Selling Jota was a terrible mistake. Name one striker who does not have fluctuations in form!

 

[Leamwolf]

Jota and Neto could/should have been in the same team. Selling Jota was a terrible mistake. Name one striker who does not have fluctuations in form!

From the sounds of paper talk we priced traore too high to sell and liverpool took jota instead.....

 

[Norwegian Wolf]

Jota and Neto could/should have been in the same team. Selling Jota was a terrible mistake. Name one striker who does not have fluctuations in form!

From a footballing perspective it was a mistake, however it was not in terms of the financial benefit to Fosun, to Jota's agent and to Jota himself. I guess the wishes of the fans (who value performances on the pitch)often play second fiddle to the interests of others.

 

[Wonder Boyo]

Sounds like you're settling for mediocrity, which is fair enough as that's your choice but some of us think we can do a lot better with the squad we've got. Nuno is boring the pants off of most of us with his negative and defensive approach to the game, particularly in first halves. If you keep looking to the past and going backwards, then that's ultimately where you'll end up.

Just look at our goals scored in a game, 2020/21:

0- 11
1- 13
2- 7
3- 1
4- 0

Good job we aren't in the ground after all as most would be bored to death watching such turgid football every week.

Also, I highly doubt you'll find anybody who actually started supporting us once FOSUN took over, that's just daft.

Think it's true that most of the overtly negative fans on here didn't just start supporting Wolves when Fosun took over. However, since we've been in the Premier League and relatively successful we've had a huge influx of new posters on here, and a lot (although not all) of them seem to be a little more knee jerk and overtly negative in our first Nuno wobble. I want success and improvement but I'm also realistic and know that football, like life, ebbs and flows. These are the good times for us in our recent history, and I'm enjoying it and don't think one relatively poor season under Nuno (a poor season is now midtable in the best league in the world) is enough to lose our patience with the most successful and committed manager in our modern history. I hate that many of our fans now act like the spoilt brats at Man United, Arsenal,Spurs etc. I guess it sadly comes with the territory.

 

[The_Blade]

Big summer ahead

I hope so. Do we also spend most of our budget on 2 players that don’t play?

 

[lobodelsur]

At last another fan that isn’t blinkered.

I've followed your discussion and read the article. There is SOME merit in the notion that Fosun and Mendes can make quick profits by buying, developing and selling younger players. But to suggest that that is their sole aim is to ignore some other factors.
First, we do not buy exclusively from Mendes' stable of players.
Second, as someone else has also pointed out, by investing in the squad and achieving European football Fosun can make the sort of profits which trading players does not guarantee them.
Thirdly, you ignore the very close personal relationship Mendes has with Nuno and which suggests Mendes would not be allowed to weaken Nuno's squad simply to make more money for himself and Fosun. Indeed, for the model you describe to operate Mendes needs 'friendly' managers in place at the clubs who can afford his highly-priced players. If he destroys his relationship with Nuno that is one less 'outlet' he has for his stable. So he has to keep Nuno happy.

But, its an interesting discussion...

 

[rg4352]

Some on here would assume you only began supporting Wolves since Fosun took over. You cannot criticise the regime !!
I attended my first Wolves game in 1972 and frankly, this drivel , week in , week out , is not acceptable.

Lol well they would be wrong, I was born into a family of wolves fans and have been going since I was 4 years old.
I finally got myself into a position financially to buy a season ticket in 2016 just prior to Fosun buying us, and had to go through the pain of watching Lambert manage us first hand!
This is just my point of view based on what I’ve watched, just because we’ve been through worse doesn’t mean I shouldn’t be allowed to criticise what is in front of my eyes as a lifelong fan, I’ve criticised in the past and praised when it’s due. I wish people would stop grouping people together based on their opinions, it’s ok to not be a happy clapper, and also to be one, it’s the joy (or anguish) of football!

 

[Norwegian Wolf]

I've followed your discussion and read the article. There is SOME merit in the notion that Fosun and Mendes can make quick profits by buying, developing and selling younger players. But to suggest that that is their sole aim is to ignore some other factors.
First, we do not buy exclusively from Mendes' stable of players.
Second, as someone else has also pointed out, by investing in the squad and achieving European football Fosun can make the sort of profits which trading players does not guarantee them.
Thirdly, you ignore the very close personal relationship Mendes has with Nuno and which suggests Mendes would not be allowed to weaken Nuno's squad simply to make more money for himself and Fosun. Indeed, for the model you describe to operate Mendes needs 'friendly' managers in place at the clubs who can afford his highly-priced players. If he destroys his relationship with Nuno that is one less 'outlet' he has for his stable. So he has to keep Nuno happy.

But, its an interesting discussion...

Bear in mind that Mendes got the Wolves job for Nuno (and presumably Valencia). That relationship works both ways.

 

[Sussex Wolf]

Jota and Neto could/should have been in the same team. Selling Jota was a terrible mistake. Name one striker who does not have fluctuations in form!

In theory, yes, but for whatever reason we kept Neto, Podence and Adama instead of say Neto, Jota and one of Podence or Adama .

 

[Ernie the Wolf]

Think it's true that most of the overtly negative fans on here didn't just start supporting Wolves when Fosun took over. However, since we've been in the Premier League and relatively successful we've had a huge influx of new posters on here, and a lot (although not all) of them seem to be a little more knee jerk and overtly negative in our first Nuno wobble. I want success and improvement but I'm also realistic and know that football, like life, ebbs and flows. These are the good times for us in our recent history, and I'm enjoying it and don't think one relatively poor season under Nuno (a poor season is now midtable in the best league in the world) is enough to lose our patience with the most successful and committed manager in our modern history. I hate that many of our fans now act like the spoilt brats at Man United, Arsenal,Spurs etc. I guess it sadly comes with the territory.

Great post - spot on. Reflects the want it now brigade.

 

[lobodelsur]

That relationship works both ways.

Indeed.
What is interesting here is that the relationships are effectively circular; Nuno - Fosun - Mendes; Mendes-Nuno- Fosun; Fosun- Mendes-Nuno; all at arms length, but all closely connected.

 

[Leamwolf]

Great post - spot on. Reflects the want it now brigade.

It isn’t a want it now brigade, it is simply that if this team hadnt achieved two seventh places, an far cup semi, europa league quarter final with nearly exactly the same squad then the near year longs worth of crap would be understandable.

but look at the team now, we are only 2 players short of our best 11. They are playing the same formation and have the same coaches. The championship winning team would spank this team in its current form and they didn’t have a striker like Raul Jimenez up front.

history and research into improving losing teams who were once performing at a higher standard will tell you that isn’t as easy as “start again in pre season and add a couple of new players” as the majority of the team will still have the same hang ups and defensive mindset drilled into them.

I have experienced something similar to what is going on at wolves as a semi pro rugby player and in my professional career when I did video analysis for clubs and it isn’t a quick and easy fix to sort what is going on contrary to people’s beliefs.

if people want this new season and new player improvement next season when there are the euros which will take away a number of players one the best ways to do it if you don’t want nuno sacked or to walk away is to introduce fresh ideas with new coaches and let some of the current crop go. Look at the best performing managers, they always changed the coaches below them to keep things fresh when they did a rebuild and this is likely to be needed with us too.

 

[Parkfieldswolf]

I've followed your discussion and read the article. There is SOME merit in the notion that Fosun and Mendes can make quick profits by buying, developing and selling younger players. But to suggest that that is their sole aim is to ignore some other factors.
First, we do not buy exclusively from Mendes' stable of players.
Second, as someone else has also pointed out, by investing in the squad and achieving European football Fosun can make the sort of profits which trading players does not guarantee them.
Thirdly, you ignore the very close personal relationship Mendes has with Nuno and which suggests Mendes would not be allowed to weaken Nuno's squad simply to make more money for himself and Fosun. Indeed, for the model you describe to operate Mendes needs 'friendly' managers in place at the clubs who can afford his highly-priced players. If he destroys his relationship with Nuno that is one less 'outlet' he has for his stable. So he has to keep Nuno happy.

But, its an interesting discussion...

To an extent Mendes does need to keep a relationship with Nuno but as you can see from the Valencia experience Nuno bore the brunt of the owner and Mendes shortcomings and was eventually hounded out by the fans. It doesn’t appear to have affected his relationship with Mendes.

 

[Leamwolf]

To an extent Mendes does need to keep a relationship with Nuno but as you can see from the Valencia experience Nuno bore the brunt of the owner and Mendes shortcomings and was eventually hounded out by the fans. It doesn’t appear to have affected his relationship with Mendes.

Because nuno got paid well to go..... football management and coaching at the top level is one of the few jobs you get rewarded even when you fail.
So would he hate his mate? Who got him a great job, well paid to do the job and well compensated again when he was sacked and then another great job afterwards?
nuno has benefited personally from his relationship too and needs Jorge as much as Jorge needs him.

 

[rg4352]

Great post - spot on. Reflects the want it now brigade.

I don’t think the majority are an I want it now brigade to be honest, I think most people would just like to see enjoyable to watch football. I wouldn’t be upset at our current league position if I felt we were playing to our best or even 75% of that, but we aren’t. We don’t have a markedly different team to the one I’ve watched the last couple of years that got us so far in the Europa league or 2 top 7 places in the premier league, and yet we don’t look even remotely like that team.
I wasn’t expecting a champions league finish this season, I was hoping we could finish in or just below top 7 again, so we could keep ourselves looking an attractive prospect for our current quality players, and for future ones that could possibly get us to the next level in time.
Instead I will probably spend the summer just praying desperately we keep our star players, because I’m not convinced we could convince similar calibre to come to us like we may have been able to if we were performing better!

 

[Elvis Wolf]

Sounds like you're settling for mediocrity, which is fair enough as that's your choice but some of us think we can do a lot better with the squad we've got. Nuno is boring the pants off of most of us with his negative and defensive approach to the game, particularly in first halves. If you keep looking to the past and going backwards, then that's ultimately where you'll end up.

Just look at our goals scored in a game, 2020/21:

0- 11
1- 13
2- 7
3- 1
4- 0

Good job we aren't in the ground after all as most would be bored to death watching such turgid football every week.

Also, I highly doubt you'll find anybody who actually started supporting us once FOSUN took over, that's just daft.

Absolutely agree PW, the more I read my statement re people starting to support us, once FOSUN took over, the more I realised what a stupid thing it was to say.
Just decided to leave it and see what transpired.
Hey Ho!!

 

[maws]

We could have kept Jota. All we had to do was to ask for £65m and frightened Liverpool off. Sarr at Watford was the other candidate and they were asking £50m or so I believe even in relegation mode. We sold him for £41m plus four million potential extras because Nuno wrongly imv thought we didn't need him because of Neto's progression and Podence plus he wanted to change the way we played (that went well). You can always hold on to players if you really want to and there is a contract long enough to hold them to. Jota would just have had to get on with it. How we miss his partnership with Jimenez! Now we have the totally ineffectual Jose and Silva. and of course are struggling to score even one goal in open play these days.

Respectfully, you are assuming a lot there you don’t know how much they wanted Sarr, press speculation is just that.
It’s happened since I’ve watched football, players from medium size clubs go to bigger clubs. If Liverpool want Jota/Neto/Neves, we won’t hold on to them end of

 

[maws]

Stating the bleedin' obvious is my remit. We're not that blinkered when it comes to "big boys" taking our best players and/or players just wanting to move. What's troubling me is that the SQUAD has been massively weakened by the sale of Jota (Neto was already here for those who keep saying we had a ready made replacement for the FIRST XI). Leicester made decent squad additions for their stars who left, Maddison, Tilemans, the chap at the back for Slab-head, etc.

All young players though? Maddison was how old when they signed him? Fofana is only 19? Teilemans was how old 21? It’s a similar approach

 

[JOSWolf]

Am I reading right that a few on here are suggesting that fans that are supposedly overly negative on here only started supporting us recently? I would suggest that is totally wrong.
Most that I have seen being critical on here have in some and most cases been Wolves fans for many years.

 

[northnorfolkwolf]

Sounds like you're settling for mediocrity, which is fair enough as that's your choice but some of us think we can do a lot better with the squad we've got. Nuno is boring the pants off of most of us with his negative and defensive approach to the game, particularly in first halves. If you keep looking to the past and going backwards, then that's ultimately where you'll end up.

Just look at our goals scored in a game, 2020/21:

0- 11
1- 13
2- 7
3- 1
4- 0

Good job we aren't in the ground after all as most would be bored to death watching such turgid football every week.

Also, I highly doubt you'll find anybody who actually started supporting us once FOSUN took over, that's just daft.

Your post made me think about our Champs season under Nuno. In the 46 games we played, where we dominated the whole league and were head and shoulders better than any other side, we scored 3 goals or more just 12 times? That's 34 games we managed just 2 or less and we were on top in most games that season. We let in just 39 goals all season. So thinking back the writing was on the wall even then (though we didn't realise it) about the way Nuno sets his teams up to play. Those who think Nuno can change his ways are deluded and what we've seen this season we will see again next imo.

 

[northnorfolkwolf]

Am I reading right that a few on here are suggesting that fans that are supposedly overly negative on here only started supporting us recently? I would suggest that is totally wrong.
Most that I have seen being critical on here have in some and most cases been Wolves fans for many years.

Coming up 60 years in my case!

 

[Contrarian]

Both teams big chances fell to CBs yesterday Konsa x 2 Coady x2 and Saiss! We really should of been 2 nil up but in saying that Konsa should of scored at the end and if he had of I would probably be out TV shopping now haha

And the one where Watkins had the ball at his feet with the goal at his mercy had chose to pass instead, and messed it up. Huge chance that one. I can see what he was thinking - Rui had narrowed the angle, it was close in, so rather than blast it with an 80% of scoring, he passed to a team mate who would have had a tap in and certain goal. Only he totally messed up the pass.

A strange game overall. The proverbial "match of two halves". I agree with something Dean Smith said after - that he wasn't sure whether Villa were poor the second half, or that we raised our game. Probably a bit of both. Because they were moving the ball really well in that first half, we were static and they looked really sharp, passes were spot on and they cut through us several times. it just looked a matter of time before they scored.

Yet from early in the second half, it looked like we'd given them the lead-lined boots we'd been wearing in the first half! Villa looked static, lacked energy, repeatedly misplaced passes. Our passing was still off, but just enough finding it's mark to take control. Also, we played 10, maybe 20 yards further upfield. Again, not the first time this season that has happened. Why do we even bother sitting so deep? Does any good ever come from it? Losing the ball 10 yards inside the other half must be less risky than losing it 10 yards inside our half?

Also interesting, Dean Smith also said that first half was one of the best they've played all season! So there you go. It didn't look stunningly impressive to me, yet is was one of their best! Overall, 2 mid-table teams slugging it out. Villa look like they've dropped off since their early form, highly doubt they will be pushing for top 7 now. Neither will we, of course. Credit to the person who posted it at, can't remember the id, but the comment was "Villa look mediocre and we look clueless". I think that's a great summary of our problems. We seem to have the players, but don't know what to do. Chances from set pieces, which is again, par for the course for us, we create so little from open play. It looks like we just don't know how, even when in control, as we were for most of the second half.

Finally, as usual, we get little luck against Villa - even though Lady Luck teased us with those crossbar hits in the first half. The final result will always flatter them and I think we edged it overall, yesterday, 1-0 to us based on the second half and that open goal miss, would have been fair enough. So once again, the result flatters Villa.

 

[The Wolf In The North]

Just look at our goals scored in a game, 2020/21:

0- 11
1- 13
2- 7
3- 1
4- 0

I thought those were scorelines for a moment or two. I was sitting there wondering "Wow, how the **** did I miss THOSE games?"

 

[Mutchy]

Finally, as usual, we get no luck against Villa. The final result will always flatter them and I think we edged it overall, yesterday, 1-0 to us based on the second half would have been fair enough. So once again, the result flatters Villa.

They hit the woodwork twice.

 

[Contrarian]

They hit the woodwork twice.

An open goal trumps hitting the woodwork! We missed an open goal tap in, hit the woodwork once and a one-on-one spectacularly saved about 6 feet out.

On XG, its around 2-1 to us. I know it's just a potentially flawed stat, but that feels about right to me overall (as indeed did the 3 goal win for Man City which was 0-3 on XG)

 

[Contrarian]

Just look at our goals scored in a game, 2020/21:

0- 11
1- 13
2- 7
3- 1
4- 0

I still love the optimism of our fans, who when predicting matches, always go for scores like "we win 4-2". Or even "2-2 draw", "lose 2-3".

If before each of our matches, you tossed a coin for each team, heads was 1 goal, tails 0 goals, I reckon you'd have got our correct score enough to have made a profit at the bookies .

PS I just tried this - Liverpool 1 Wolves 1, wouldn't be so bad, lets see....

 

[Supadavewolf]

Coming up 60 years in my case!

Youngsters - hah!

 

[Black Country Wanderer]

Great post - spot on. Reflects the want it now brigade.

Dont think its totally the "want it now" brigade,but i have noticed this season in particular that the comms thread is so negative right from the start
You can guarantee the first 20-30 comments will be running the players down,even if we are doing ok,just about every game

Im not saying at times we dont deserve it,but for gods sake not every post,and some of them are just laughable in their innaccuracy

Then the verdict thread,we veer from CL to relegation form in a matter of weeks, where neither is actually true

Im all for a debate,and of course opinions vary,thats the whole point of a forum,but to moan for moanings sake is not needed,lets have some thought into what people think to put it right,if indeed it needs righting

Criticise when criticism is deserved by all means,and it has been recently,but lets keep things in perspective,we are not and never have been CL class,we did great to get Europe in our first season, and played some excellent stuff,but lets not be blind to the fact we set up almost identical to how we have this season, just did things quicker and better overall

Losing Boly,Raul,Jonny,Podence for most of the season, plus Jota and Doc moving on, was always going to effect us
The new players bought in needed time to bed in ,and a proper pre season, they got neither, and it shows
The youngsters got thrown in the deep end ,and mostly floundered,not a total shock surely

We tried a system change, and started shipping goals ,and still not scoring,so reverted to type,its worked,maybe not entertaining but it was getting too close for comfort as to dropping into trouble to do much else

We need players,quality players,but more over we need to rest,regroup,have a proper preseason,and see how we go next time
Lets all have a bit more patience,no matter how hard it is sometimes

 

[dewolfman]

Dont think its totally the "want it now" brigade,but i have noticed this season in particular that the comms thread is so negative right from the start
You can guarantee the first 20-30 comments will be running the players down,even if we are doing ok,just about every game

Im not saying at times we dont deserve it,but for gods sake not every post,and some of them are just laughable in their innaccuracy

Then the verdict thread,we veer from CL to relegation form in a matter of weeks, where neither is actually true

Im all for a debate,and of course opinions vary,thats the whole point of a forum,but to moan for moanings sake is not needed,lets have some thought into what people think to put it right,if indeed it needs righting

Criticise when criticism is deserved by all means,and it has been recently,but lets keep things in perspective,we are not and never have been CL class,we did great to get Europe in our first season, and played some excellent stuff,but lets not be blind to the fact we set up almost identical to how we have this season, just did things quicker and better overall

Losing Boly,Raul,Jonny,Podence for most of the season, plus Jota and Doc moving on, was always going to effect us
The new players bought in needed time to bed in ,and a proper pre season, they got neither, and it shows
The youngsters got thrown in the deep end ,and mostly floundered,not a total shock surely

We tried a system change, and started shipping goals ,and still not scoring,so reverted to type,its worked,maybe not entertaining but it was getting too close for comfort as to dropping into trouble to do much else

We need players,quality players,but more over we need to rest,regroup,have a proper preseason,and see how we go next time
Lets all have a bit more patience,no matter how hard it is sometimes

The first comments will be negative because we are always poor in the first half