Brentford verdict

[Slothmonkey]

Brentford learnt how to play us imo. We helped them. We are at our best when we drop off and break at speed. Brentford did not allow that and we had to be the team who tried to break them down. We are not that type of team and we have never been. We always struggle and we did again today. Take away all Brentfords time wasting. Tactically Frank did GON today imo. Sa, Dawson did not help by being awful either.

 

[Ned]

Poor from the get go and the sloppiness never really left our game. We lacked quality going forward all game and really didn’t look like scoring barring the Dawson offside goal.

It’s a shame really but at least we have everything and never gave up, you just need some quality to go with it.

Not too downtrodden about this game though; there’s no sense of injustice, Brentford werent TOTAL s-houses and we simply didn’t deserve anything.

It’s a wasted opportunity to carry on our form but I guess with our squad the way it is, we will have days like this semi regularly.

 

[Matt]

The thing with Bellegarde is… he’s a central midfielder. We bought him to replace Nunes in that hybrid centre mid/left side role and then we changed systems and play him as a winger or false 9.

 

[Urko]

Blame the players they didn’t follow the gameplan

 

[JadeWolf]

Gave it a go but not our day. If Dawsons goal stands I reckon we win. Wouldn’t want to watch Brentford every week.

 

[Dorbelflunk]

One to try and forget

 

[Ned]

Brentford learnt how to play us imo. We helped them. We are at our best when we drop off and break at speed. Brentford did not allow that and we had to be the team who tried to break them down. We are not that type of team and we have never been. We always struggle and we did again today. Take away all Brentfords time wasting. Tactically Grank did GON today imo. Sa, Dawson did not help by being awful either.

I thought this about Utd too, they went and did their homework and deservedly beat us.

We are very susceptible to counter attacks and generally struggle at breaking deep lying teams down. I wouldn’t be shocked if our away form becomes our saving grace, which is a complete reverse of earlier this season.

 

[thommo1984]

Self inflicted.

Crap.

Move on.

This.

See you next week.

 

[northnorfolkwolf]

Sa was terrible today, a game we should have got at least a point out of.

Thing with Sa is that he's a really good shot stopper but often after he's given the ball away. His distribution, either long kicks or short have always been terrible. Move on in the Summer.

 

[Woodsetton Wolf]

It’s like the same old same old @sedgwolf1980 moaning like ****
Never looked like we were going to score what a contrast to the Chelsea game.

Can’t fault the Corporate in the north bank WV1 wouldn’t swap it for the back of the south bank though

 

[Fen Wolf]

Have you created an account just to bash Bellegarde?

Yep. I’m that much of a mystic Meg, I created it in 2018 just to bash JRB in 2024.

 

[Slothmonkey]

Also, since my wife decided to become a die hard Wolves fan at the start of December. Only games she has missed are Man United at Home and this game. We lost both. So, for me part of the blame is her fault. She is going India on the 17th Feb for 5 weeks. So we're ****'ed.

 

[northnorfolkwolf]

We play a lot of the crap sides at home to end the season. They will watch what Brentford did today and match it. Does not fill me with great confidence tbh.

 

[Golden_Wolf]

Felt like one of those games where nothing came off.

Frustrating as it is, tuck it l. Dust ourselves down & go again.

Hope Cunhas injury ay too bad

 

[TelfordWolf]

Can you think of a player more out of his depth in a gold shirt than Bellegarde.

I’ll go first: Vallejo.

JRB Runs around a lot but; Lightweight. Loses the ball nearly every single touch unless he goes backwards.

Awful against Utd. Awful again today. O’Neil realised his F up at bring him on at half time but didn’t have the guts to hook him so sacrificed Toti instead and totally changed shape in a panic.

I don’t mind JRB having 10min here or there, but he’s nowhere near the standard required to play a significant part of a premier league game.

Bit much?

 

[Dorbelflunk]

I don't think you need to overthink your homework on us - essentially, catch us on the back foot when we've played out from the back and don't let us score first.

 

[Super NES]

Another poor home performance, and one where we were the masters of our downfall. Disappointing, but reflective of our mid-table position where we will have ups and downs.

We started slow, and presented them with two great chances of the back of losing possession in terrible positions with Sa trying to play out from the back. The corner gave away for the 1st goal was completely avoidable but to be fair to Semedo he read well to be in a covering position in the first place. And the defending from the corner was laughable - presume Sa called for it as suprising to see Dawson not challenging. The 2nd goal was also as a result of our attempt to overplay - need to be smarter where to take risks and where not.

The Cunha injury completely changed the game for us. I think Bellegarde has something but he needs to be slowly integrated into the team to build up his confidence - him coming on after 20 mins or so didnt help us. Played one good reverse pass for Sarabia which led to Netos header, but apart from that contributed next to nothing throughout the game. I would have thrown in Fraser for his physical presence, give us a better chance to hold the ball up and to stay in a more central position to effectively occupy the Brentford centre backs.

A few bright sparks though, with RAN looking great (apart from his final ball) and Doyle playing some great balls over the top. We needed more of that to get the likes of Collins and Pinnock turning and running towards their own goal where could have exposed their lack of pace. Playing it in front and side to side played straight into their hands, and for the majority of the game they looked comfortable in defence as a result.

Time to regroup, hope the injury to Cunha isn't too bad and bring Hwang back into the team next week to get us more aggressive up front and do his usual running which creates space for others to exploit.

One thing this squad has shown so far is character and the ability to respond to disappointing performances / results this season. Will be classic Wolves to get 3 points at Spurs next week, and I think we will.

 

[wallace]

We never got going in the 1st half, no energy, bad defending, terrible passing, Sa looked determined to give Brentford every opportunity possible with his clearances and then failed to come for the ball when they scored their opener. With Cunha having to be replaced and no hwang available we had no suitable sub and stuck a midfielder in his place.
2nd half the effort and desire flowed and Dawson headed in but the slide rule gave him offside. More huff and effort again then a sloppy pass gives Brentford a 2nd.
Solid defence and what they describe as gamesmanship took the game tamely to the final whistle.

 

[Mile End Wanderer]

Sheffield United will come and play the same

Frustrating times

 

[Wonder Boyo]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1756369072088924459

 

[thommo1984]

We're just flogging these players to death....that was so so poor today. But nothing to come in and give some of these some time off.

Always assumed this was going to be a big problem as we go deeper into the season. Very worrying that’s it’s shown itself just a week after the window closed.

 

[Tring Wolf]

Thought Nathan Collins played really well for them. Fair play to him after the shocker he had at their place.

 

[Stourport wolf]

The law of averages says, if you play the same team enough times in a short period of time, eventually they will get something out of it.

 

[Starsky]

File under one of those days and move on.

It won't be the last time the lack of forward options costs us. Game over when Cunha went off.

Bellegarde is crap

 

[Golden Arrow]

Classic "smash and grab" and full credit to the opposition as despite our possession we had little to offer.
A mid table encounter with two teams going nowhere.

 

[Wonder Boyo]

One of those days to forget. Hate long journeys home after defeats, but I did have a bad feeling about today. We're a middle table team so we're inconsistent, just like all the other mid table teams. After a great performance last week though it's very disappointing.

Summed up perfectly by GON:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1756368663790195114

 

[Minimalist]

Verdict - Sa and Bellegarde need improving on in the summer.

I think we need to give Bellegarde more time. We haven’t quite found the role for him yet.
Yes he may have been poor today, but remember how many people were writing off Hwang after about the same amount of time into his wolves career.

As for Sa, I think by now we know exactly what he can and can’t do. If distribution from the keeper is important to GON I’m inclined to agree he’s a weakness; it’s not his ability with the ball , it’s his decision making.

 

[Mile End Wanderer]

It really was the Bournemouth of last season. Lick our wounds and move on. Important we regroup and not get to down about it but we have to improve against this type of team

 

[WickedWolfie]

Be curious to know why Hwang wasn't in the squad and Son has come on after an hour and set the winner up for Spurs.

Son wasn't playing in the Asia Cup with strapping on both legs....

 

[Dorbelflunk]

Thought Nathan Collins played really well for them. Fair play to him after the shocker he had at their place.

He's a good player, yes he joined in with the playacting but did stop play for Cunha so can't be too bitter

 

[Mile End Wanderer]

Son wasn't playing in the Asia Cup with strapping on both legs....

Hwang wouldn’t of made any difference today. We was that bad first half. Up hill task for us once the ball hit the net. We don’t chase games all that well. Especially today. Chelsea and Man Utd we showed fight. We didn’t see much of that today.

 

[MasWolf]

Not convinced by Bellegarde in the slightest. Perhaps he needs a full season to get into the swing of things.

I also think someone at the club needs to have a word with Neto. His ego seems to be getting a bit too big.

 

[MasWolf]

He's a good player, yes he joined in with the playacting but did stop play for Cunha so can't be too bitter

Also noticed that he didn't celebrate with the team after each of their goals. Went straight back to his half. Fair play!

 

[Ches78]

I find it hard to believe that Sasa wouldn't have featured at all today, if he'd been on the bench...

 

[ToastedWanderer]

Bad day at the office and a crappy long var offside check took the wind out of our sales. Not sure how many more games I can stomach watching Brentford players get such horrible injuries every 2 minutes..

 

[Bostin]

Some days it just doesn’t go your way, and you have to take it in on the chin.

After not beating us in 3, they understandably came out of the traps. Thought we dealt well with that, then we lost Cunha and with him most of our ability to break them down.

Sa’s distribution is getting worse, if that’s at all possible. He could’ve cost us 2 goals in the first half, and ultimately did in the second. We need to upgrade him.

I don’t want to make the mistake of writing Bellegarde off as we have with others, but he doesn’t add anything IMO. Appreciate he’s been out of position, but was crap on the wing today aswell when he had the chance.

I’m not going to be too hard on them after the recent run of form, onto the next

 

[TelfordWolf]

Santi Bueno to get a run of games for me now.

 

[Wolfman jack]

Be curious to know why Hwang wasn't in the squad and Son has come on after an hour and set the winner up for Spurs.

Hwang came back with calf injury

 

[WW1963]

Could have been three down early on. When Cunha went off I just knew it would be a bad day.

Brentford worthy winners. Next game please.

 

[Mile End Wanderer]

Santi Bueno to get a run of games for me now.

Instead of who?