Brighton Verdict

[NewarkWolf]

Side note: can we talk about Raul’s foul throw in the 2nd half

Haha, I loved the fact that allegedly it came in and went back out so given a throw to them

Rauls back leg lifting 4 foot off the floor when taking it seemed to be OK.....

 

[SanFranWolf]

Bruno was brought in to make us a more attacking unit, which was based on his half season in charge of Benfica when they were scoring goals for fun.

Bruno was brought in because he was cheap, wouldn’t moan at the lack of support from the board and is Portuguese.

 

[Wolf316]

Bruno was brought in because he was cheap, wouldn’t moan at the lack of support from the board and is Portuguese.

And is a Mendes client.

 

[Ian C]

I said to my mate yesterday morning that we won’t score any more points this season. We’re likely getting shafted by either Citeh or Liverpool (or both) as well.

Bruno ain’t got a clue, he’s just guessed his way through the season, got a bit lucky but that’s run out. Get him ****ed off.

 

[DasWolf]

We've lost 7 of the last 10 games. I can see us losing to a relegated Norwich as well - it happened with Sunderland a few years ago.

Disgraceful stat and since Jan it's been mostly a disaster.

 

[rubyloo]

It wasn't just a bad performance yesterday, something was clearly 'off'.

I don't know what happens behind the scenes, but it would be consistent with a manager having lost the dressing room. Bruno certainly cut a very forlorn figure at 2-0 down as the fans were voting with their feet - in numbers I haven't seen before.

Having said that, there just doesn't appear to be any quality anywhere on the pitch. Some of the set pieces were embarrassing, passing non existent, we won nothing in the air and even poor ball control basics (for example, I think a Raul miscontrol led to the second goal)

No idea where we go from here but assuming Neves goes (and he'd be stupid not to) can't see anything other than a massive struggle next season.

Feeling pretty gutted this morning, it's been an incredible few years but whatever we had, it's gone.

 

[WickedWolfie]

It wasn't just a bad performance yesterday, something was clearly 'off'.

I don't know what happens behind the scenes, but it would be consistent with a manager having lost the dressing room. Bruno certainly cut a very forlorn figure at 2-0 down as the fans were voting with their feet - in numbers I haven't seen before.

Having said that, there just doesn't appear to be any quality anywhere on the pitch. Some of the set pieces were embarrassing, passing non existent, we won nothing in the air and even poor ball control basics (for example, I think a Raul miscontrol led to the second goal)

No idea where we go from here but assuming Neves goes (and he'd be stupid not to) can't see anything other than a massive struggle next season.

Feeling pretty gutted this morning, it's been an incredible few years but whatever we had, it's gone.

There was a significant exodus at 2-0. There was a deluge at 3-0. I stayed until the end. I reckon that the Wolves sections were no more than a third full at that point. I took some photos just before the third goal but they are too big to upload.

 

[Irish_Wolf]

You'd nearly think European football has been chucked on purpose. Totally abysmal effort when within touching distance.

 

[Finch3d]

There was a significant exodus at 2-0. There was a deluge at 3-0. I stayed until the end. I reckon that the Wolves sections were no more than a third full at that point. I took some photos just before the third goal but they are too big to upload.

Be good to see those, looked on motd to see the exodus but couldn't really see it.

I get around the too large file size by putting phone in portait mode, screenshot the screen and crop the black areas save and post that should work.

 

[reanswolf]

It wasn't just a bad performance yesterday, something was clearly 'off'.

I don't know what happens behind the scenes, but it would be consistent with a manager having lost the dressing room. Bruno certainly cut a very forlorn figure at 2-0 down as the fans were voting with their feet - in numbers I haven't seen before.

Having said that, there just doesn't appear to be any quality anywhere on the pitch. Some of the set pieces were embarrassing, passing non existent, we won nothing in the air and even poor ball control basics (for example, I think a Raul miscontrol led to the second goal)

No idea where we go from here but assuming Neves goes (and he'd be stupid not to) can't see anything other than a massive struggle next season.

Feeling pretty gutted this morning, it's been an incredible few years but whatever we had, it's gone.

Good summary - I agree we have lost our edge, but its been self-inflicted and its that which really cuts me up.

 

[reanswolf]

There was a significant exodus at 2-0. There was a deluge at 3-0. I stayed until the end. I reckon that the Wolves sections were no more than a third full at that point. I took some photos just before the third goal but they are too big to upload.

I stayed to the end but it was 80% empty.
Not really surprised.

 

[Shergar]

Flew in from the USA, set out from Heathrow at 11:30, must have got at least 1 speeding ticket on the M42, got into Wolvo in time for one Guinness before the match. I turned up the ****ing team didn’t.

 

[Ironfistedmonk]

I’m not even mad anymore

Same here, I'm usually raging after we turn in a performance like that but I'm just a bit meh with Wolves right now, the club is drifting at the moment and so is my attitude towards them, how can you show so little motivation when you had a European spot within reach? Maybe the bust up rumours are true and Bruno is gonna get the chop, it would certainly explain the performances recently

 

[Tarcisio Mifsud]

I felt sorry for the Wolves fans at Molineux, who had to witness such a disastrous performance, where our players were really not interested to play. From home I felt ashamed of myself seeing my team being destroyed as if they were a Sunday league team. The only player who can get above a 5 mark is our keeper, who did a number of saves as otherwise the score would have gone up to double figures. But, who can explain, such a negative performance, where it looked like our players were almost drunk, allowing opponents to raise their standard of play from the very first minute. Do our players feel ashamed of themselves, they should not get paid for such a very below par performance.

 

[old wittonian]

You'd nearly think European football has been chucked on purpose. Totally abysmal effort when within touching distance.

Yes, and a few £ million with it.

 

[fev123]

I agree with certain things said, many of the players clearly didn't play for the manager yesterday but no successful football team is ran by the players, they have to take responsibility for how poor that was collectively. We pay, and they earn a lot of money to play professional football and to put in some of those performances reflects badly on nobody but those players. The two penalties are shocking mistakes and Boly's attitude of standing watching the penalty and not following it in typifies everything wrong with Wolves yesterday, I wouldnt tolerate that from an U10 team. Then the other two goals are being caught in possession out of balance by Jimanez and Neto going for a nutmeg! No aggression, no strength, no pride, no desire, no fight; bad attitudes. I'd say Sa, Coady, Neves, Moutinho and Fabio looked at least committed, but everything else is shocking. Wolves should back the manger, let him decide who goes. We learned this lesson with Kenny Jacket, if there are bad eggs then get them out and re-build. There is a lot of talent in our squad but also a lot of egos which need to be dealt with.

 

[wulfie88]

 

[Nivada]

View attachment 27749

I actually quite like that one to be fair.

 

[Irish_Wolf]

View attachment 27749

100% **** on from a height.

 

[Mile End Wanderer]

You'd nearly think European football has been chucked on purpose. Totally abysmal effort when within touching distance.

Giving away two penalties and the second one from Boly was ridiculous Iv said it for a while now the club doesn’t want to play in Europe that’s obviously the case.

 

[moseleyite]

The morning after and nothing original to add here but that's not going to stop me.

The best part of the day for me was catching up with a friend in the Posada before the match and then bumping into a couple of family members as I walked towards the subway. My cousin was devastated that the samosa stall by the University had sold out of their wares, and said that he thought it was an omen. How right he was! Well, obviously not as that's superstitious nonsense but his day certainly didn't get any better...

That was the easiest victory that Brighton will ever 'earn'. Let's make no mistake here, Brighton are not a world class team despite us making them look so yesterday; they're a very decent Premier League side with a smattering of very good players but what they are is a solid, well-drilled, organised, motivated and energetic unit that acts as a basis for that 'smattering' to do its stuff. We virtually didn't touch the ball for the first five minutes yesterday and you could almost sense Brighton realising that they were on to a winner. Actually, that bit might be hindsight filtered through disappointment though! To watch live, you see that each Brighton player seems to know their job and what's more you could see that they were motivated to do that job. There's a plan in place it seems.

Which brings us to ... us. What's the plan? That's an honest question. What. is. the. plan? If you were watching us yesterday for the first time without knowing anything about us then you would have gleaned absolutely nothing from that performance. Unlike our opponents, it felt as though none of the Wolves players had a sense of what it was that they were supposed to be doing both individually and as a unit. And yet, at the same time, we managed to be absolutely, 100% predictable! I know that those two statements are a bit of a contradiction but I swear they're both true.

We repeated the same patterns over and over and over and over. Sa would tap the ball to one of three, worried-looking (more on that later) CBs and the four of them would tap the ball tentatively (more on that later) between them. Sometimes, for a bit of variety, they would involve either the wing backs or the "midfield". The former, sitting so deep as to make a back five would play the ball infield to the "midfield". In either case, the "midfield" would scan the horizon for a distant, stationary attacker and either launch the ball hopefully or, under a slight Brighton press, turn around and play the ball back to the CBs who would send it back to Sa who would then "recycle" the ball by hoofing it up to the aforementioned marooned and non-moving attackers. So, there it is: both an utterly predictable pattern of play and yet, at the same time, having no real sene of what anybody was supposed to be doing! I don't know... is it possible that perhaps they're over-drilled into one pattern of play that removes any sense of flair or individuality? After nearly a season in charge, you would expect a coach to have at least begun the process of imprinting an identity on a squad of players. This team has no identity at all. Just me?

As I hinted above, there also seems a real tentative nature about the players as well. To be honest, I think I said this in my last verdict post so I could probably just cut/paste that here! From the moment Sa released the ball from a goal kick, the half dozen players that were in and around the box all looked terrified of the football or perhaps of making a mistake. I genuinely feel that's the reason our touches are often wayward and poor - it's because there's a fear of making a mistake that leads to a mistake as if the players are in their own heads, as the saying goes. There's a sense that the whole team were hiding from responsibility and were anxious when they had the ball at their feet and that's also the same in terms of our attacking play. Players are always looking to square the ball instead of shooting; players are always looking to shuffle the ball to another wide player (wide-fwd --> wingback --> wide-fwd over and over) rather than taking on their defender and attacking the box. Just me?

I'm not going to bother with player scores, what's the point, we all know they were mostly rubbish? Sa gets some credit even though he might have done better with the final goal (it was the other end of the ground so hard to tell). In the first half I thought that Silva did... okay with one or two nice touches and a sweet turn away from his marker on one occasion. Hwang was reasonably okay in the first half but managed to lower his standards in the second. Gosh, who else? I suppose Semedo put in a first half defensive shift and despite finding himself with two attackers running towards him he didn't shirk his job even if he was blunt going forwards - bloke's a FB not a WB to me and a decent one. Erm. No, that's it. Oh, I guess Neto added some sorely lacking urgency and energy and was unlucky at the death even if he's far from fully functional at the moment. Other than that, nothing. Everybody was hopeless and the whole squad seemed "under a cloud". The term "downing tools" has been brought up and I'm not sure that's quite true but something is truly amiss in the squad because they looked like a bunch of people who had been introduced to each other in the dressing room and taken an instant dislike to each other

I know people often point out mitigating circumstances of injuries and lack of player investment but, hell, the players on the pitch looked rudderless and lost. The least I expect is for them to know what they're doing (or supposed to be doing) and to be motivated either by their own means or the coaches. Regardless of the context of injured stars and lack of new blood, that was missing yesterday.

£41 and no samosas. What a day. How do you people put up with this **** every single week???

 

[Jefe]

Flew in from the USA, set out from Heathrow at 11:30, must have got at least 1 speeding ticket on the M42, got into Wolvo in time for one Guinness before the match. I turned up the ****ing team didn’t.

Ouch.

 

[Contrarian]

I have: "It occurred to me today that a number of bigger clubs will be looking at Potter and thinking that, if he can get the type of football Albion play out of their world class acts, he's worth a punt at their next sacking."

OK, looking more into it, you could well be right. Brighton fans aren't just like Wolves fans after all.

Brighton fans tolerate their manager whose taken them to 9th. Wolves fans want their manager sacked for taking them to 8th. Brighton fans have never booed their team at home despite several poor performances. (0-3 defeat to Burnley in a run of 5 home matches without scoring a goal). Wolves fans were booing at the interval yesterday and at various times in the past month. It's not a good look for some of our "so-called" fans, is it?

 

[kinyo298]

Many have said on here, Manage your expectations. I have, and i expect nothing anymore from them. I refuse any longer to get angry or disillusioned with the club.

 

[Zico]

OK, looking more into it, you could well be right. Brighton fans aren't just like Wolves fans after all.

Brighton fans tolerate their manager whose taken them to 9th. Wolves fans want their manager sacked for taking them to 8th. Brighton fans have never booed their team at home despite several poor performances. (0-3 defeat to Burnley in a run of 5 home matches without scoring a goal). Wolves fans were booing at the interval yesterday and at various times in the past month. It's not a good look for some of our "so-called" fans, is it?

Or, Wolves have higher expectations than Brighton.

 

[Jefe]

OK, looking more into it, you could well be right. Brighton fans aren't just like Wolves fans after all.

Brighton fans tolerate their manager whose taken them to 9th. Wolves fans want their manager sacked for taking them to 8th. Brighton fans have never booed their team at home despite several poor performances. (0-3 defeat to Burnley in a run of 5 home matches without scoring a goal). Wolves fans were booing at the interval yesterday and at various times in the past month. It's not a good look for some of our "so-called" fans, is it?

I think Brighton is a, shall we say, bourgie part of the country, so I doubt passions run all the high for such lowbrow pursuits as Football down there. Wolves fans are well known for their passion, which has impressed many a visiting fan, but it can turn to anger as we've seen in the past.

 

[Sketchead]

We haven't played well for ages and the players don't seem motivated. Which overall is a sign that the manager is done.

Strange given we're 8th but looking at our last four fixtures, we're gonna get a couple more hidings at least, which I think will spell the end for Bruno.

 

[Sketchead]

OK, looking more into it, you could well be right. Brighton fans aren't just like Wolves fans after all.

Brighton fans tolerate their manager whose taken them to 9th. Wolves fans want their manager sacked for taking them to 8th. Brighton fans have never booed their team at home despite several poor performances. (0-3 defeat to Burnley in a run of 5 home matches without scoring a goal). Wolves fans were booing at the interval yesterday and at various times in the past month. It's not a good look for some of our "so-called" fans, is it?

I get your point but there was a huge story earlier in the season where Potter went mad because their fans were booing them at home...

 

[Contrarian]

I think Brighton is a, shall we say, bourgie part of the country, so I doubt passions run all the high for such lowbrow pursuits as Football down there. Wolves fans are well known for their passion, which has impressed many a visiting fan, but it can turn to anger as we've seen in the past.

Might well be something in that. Similar to when you go to clubs like Reading and Brentford. Not quite the same, is it? Still, I would think expectation does play an additional role in that. Somewhere like Barnsley is not bourgouise, yet I find it unlikely they would get booed and all the vitriol we have had here (and it started back last season) for being 8th in the Premier league. And raised expectations are not that unreasonable, as Fosun were very open about how ambitious they were in the first 2 or 3 seasons- that they wanted Champions League and title contention within 10 years - among other highly ambitious statements.

 

[Contrarian]

We haven't played well for ages and the players don't seem motivated. Which overall is a sign that the manager is done.

Strange given we're 8th but looking at our last four fixtures, we're gonna get a couple more hidings at least, which I think will spell the end for Bruno.

By "ages" , we have played well for 2 years. Poor quality football even though we managed to grab some decent results - a year ago we were scraping 1-0 wins against the likes of Sheff U and Fulham, who others who hammering. We were barely any better than the relegated clubs. And those are just 2 examples of many.

I'm wondering if it's actually a sign that this core group of players is done. The football is so dismally similar to under Nuno at it's worst. Can't score goals. The horseshoe of doom and so on. Yes, Bruno can't change plan in a game and has other weaknesses. But when performances are almost clones of last seasons (and many of the season before, when you look at it), and you see the same 5 or 6 names right down the middle of the team sheet...

So that's 2 managers who from a position of apparently doing well, have become "done" because these players can't and/or don't want to play anything other than sit back, slow down and snatch a goal playing rope-a-dope football.

 

[Andywolf74]

What concerns me is there’s slowly but surely becoming a whiff of last time we were in the Premier league in that we bring in players, they don’t get a run in the first team and we end up with a small group of players that are becoming less and less effective as a unit. Without doubt we’ve got some talented players but collectively we must have one of the smallest, least physical and slowest teams to transition from defence to attack in the League. If Lage doesn’t think that a major overhaul is required then I don’t think he’s the right person for the job next season and I think Fosun risk us losing are Premier league place if they can’t see this either.

 

[reanswolf]

What concerns me is there’s slowly but surely becoming a whiff of last time we were in the Premier league in that we bring in players, they don’t get a run in the first team and we end up with a small group of players that are becoming less and less effective as a unit. Without doubt we’ve got some talented players but collectively we must have one of the smallest, least physical and slowest teams to transition from defence to attack in the League. If Lage doesn’t think that a major overhaul is required then I don’t think he’s the right person for the job next season and I think Fosun risk us losing are Premier league place if they can’t see this either.

I'm sure he recognised all of that within a few weeks, but was told of the FIFA financial restraint upon us.

 

[Matt]

FOSUN have been ruthless throughout their ownership, so I’d expect that to continue in the summer. The noises in the usually reliable media (Percy and co) are that FOSUN will be spending this summer, so we have to hope that is true.

 

[Contrarian]

Maybe the players just don't fancy trecking round Europe with Bruno? Reminds me of situations at work where the company have promised "rewards" of getting to work on even harder, longer projects if only you do well on this one. Add in more time spent on journeys with "senior managers" and they are surprised when staff mysteriously fall just short of the targets they need to earn this "reward" of more hard work.

Not the first time, either, is it? We were well placed in the post-lockdown run in, but more mysterious under-performing followed ending with us falling just a little short of the small squad being sent on more gruelling trips around Europe. Coincidence?

 

[Hoganstolemywife]

FOSUN have been ruthless throughout their ownership, so I’d expect that to continue in the summer. The noises in the usually reliable media (Percy and co) are that FOSUN will be spending this summer, so we have to hope that is true.

Got a link to something like that mate? Be good to see!

 

[Contrarian]

FOSUN have been ruthless throughout their ownership, so I’d expect that to continue in the summer. The noises in the usually reliable media (Percy and co) are that FOSUN will be spending this summer, so we have to hope that is true.

Hasn't it been the same every transfer window since the first on promotion? Rumours of big spending only to be followed by Loan to Buy of a couple of players we hardly heard of?

 

[Matt]

Got a link to something like that mate? Be good to see!

Wolves prioritise striker signing with interest in Valencia's Goncalo Guedes

Wolves have also tracked Reims forward Hugo Ekitike and are in the market for a right-sided centre-back

www.telegraph.co.uk

“Wolves owners Fosun are prepared to spend in the summer, following their reluctance to bring in new players during the January transfer window.”

 

[Matt]

Hasn't it been the same every transfer window since the first on promotion? Rumours of big spending only to be followed by Loan to Buy of a couple of players we hardly heard of?

I don’t think so? I could be wrong but I seem to remember the media saying we weren’t going to be spending much last summer.

 

[Hoganstolemywife]

Wolves prioritise striker signing with interest in Valencia's Goncalo Guedes

Wolves have also tracked Reims forward Hugo Ekitike and are in the market for a right-sided centre-back

www.telegraph.co.uk

“Wolves owners Fosun are prepared to spend in the summer, following their reluctance to bring in new players during the January transfer window.”

Cheers Matt. Spot of good news

 

[clivewolves]

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