Coventry Verdict

[marrs-guitar]

Or Joao Gomes knocking the ball over someone's head in the middle of the park. What happened to kicking it to the corner and playing for time? We were 2-1 up and playing like we were winning 3-0 or something.

The crowd immediately striking up a rendition of We're Going To Wembley when there were going to be another 10 minutes play didn't exactly help in setting the right tone. It should have been obvious that this was going to be a scrap until the final whistle and we needed another big push to get over the line. We did it in the previous round vs Brighton but seemed that little Coventry weren't given the same respect.

GON also negligent in not breaking up play by bringing on Bouba for Sarabia and getting in the players' heads about keeping shape.

 

[WolvesinBrum]

I think if we'd have won yesterday, it would have been even better than last week. We played a strong Championship team with half the outfield starting xi and with a front line that was cobbled together from the players still standing last week.

I think on here before Fulham, I had the scratch team put out for that game, not yesterday. I understand why that was not done. The games are a week apart at the moment but you've got the accumulation of the whole season cutting in now. A few comments on radio / TV yesterday described us as leggy.

We were knocking it around the back yesterday but, RAN apart, there was noone playing in advanced positions who had any pace, that is usually our release.

At some point, we were going to run out of road with how we play and the thinness of the squad. Gary, and hopefully Hobbs supporting him, predicted this way before January. If it was about FFP, fair enough, but whatever, it still led to yesterday and it arguably will lead to potentially not being able to sell Pedro for a premium fee in the summer.

I love the squad still and Gary and his team. We've still got plenty to play for.

I hope we the comparisons to Bruno Lage are not necessary to make - they're way out of line at the monent. And he got heavily backed (Collins, Guedes, Nunes, Sasa) in that summer before he went.

I wonder if Gary will be backed as heavily?

 

[DC sits in the NORTHSTAND]

Like a great movie, twist & turns. So exciting, action, adventure, rising against adversity, the day is won, everyone celebrating....then the world blows up & it was all for nothing. You walk out of the cinema feeling empty. & it was all my fault. I'm sorry.

 

[North West Wanderer]

I think if we'd have won yesterday, it would have been even better than last week. We played a strong Championship team with half the outfield starting xi and with a front line that was cobbled together from the players still standing last week.

I think on here before Fulham, I had the scratch team put out for that game, not yesterday. I understand why that was not done. The games are a week apart at the moment but you've got the accumulation of the whole season cutting in now. A few comments on radio / TV yesterday described us as leggy.

We were knocking it around the back yesterday but, RAN apart, there was noone playing in advanced positions who had any pace, that is usually our release.

At some point, we were going to run out of road with how we play and the thinness of the squad. Gary, and hopefully Hobbs supporting him, predicted this way before January. If it was about FFP, fair enough, but whatever, it still led to yesterday and it arguably will lead to potentially not being able to sell Pedro for a premium fee in the summer.

I love the squad still and Gary and his team. We've still got plenty to play for.

I hope we the comparisons to Bruno Lage are not necessary to make - they're way out of line at the monent. And he got heavily backed (Collins, Guedes, Nunes, Sasa) in that summer before he went.

I wonder if Gary will be backed as heavily?

The Lage comparison was by a poster who has pictures of Lopetegui on his wall still.

 

[Supadavewolf]

so many gloating wba fans let them have their moment I suppose

 

[Supadavewolf]

The ball boy incident is here. Can’t see any mention of legal action nor should there be

https://twitter.com/x/status/1769025758758842757

Heat of the moment followed by a decent apology. He's not Satan.

 

[North West Wanderer]

so many gloating wba fans let them have their moment I suppose

I've been told today that the bennies hammered us when we played them. Special doesn't even begin to cover it.

 

[Supadavewolf]

If I was Hugo Bueno I'd be asking GON why Doc is getting on the field before me.
Doc looks disinterested and unfit, Bueno yesterday looked head and shoulders better.

That's because he is

 

[rubyloo]

Listened to it on the radio, whilst driving, lots of swearing & road rage afterwards

Driving back up the A38 after the game , around Lichfield, someone came up aggressively behind me at a ridiculous speed- as he went past I saw the wolves sticker and it all made sense.

However you dress it up, it was a shocking way to lose an important game and I think you have to cut people some slack in how they react.

I can guarantee Man City fans would give anything to experience the range of emotions we go through in a typical Wolves season.

 

[wolvesjoe]

The crowd immediately striking up a rendition of We're Going To Wembley when there were going to be another 10 minutes play didn't exactly help in setting the right tone. It should have been obvious that this was going to be a scrap until the final whistle and we needed another big push to get over the line. We did it in the previous round vs Brighton but seemed that little Coventry weren't given the same respect.

GON also negligent in not breaking up play by bringing on Bouba for Sarabia and getting in the players' heads about keeping shape.

Yes he seized up.....as soon as that goal from Bueno went in he should have called for substitution....traore for sarabia.....5 at the back, strong midfield, Ryan and chiwome to occupy centre backs and threaten counter.

Same as should have happened against Manchester. Hopefully he will learn from this most painful lesson

 

[Supadavewolf]

Yes he seized up.....as soon as that goal from Bueno went in he should have called for substitution....traore for sarabia.....5 at the back, strong midfield, Ryan and chiwome to occupy centre backs and threaten counter.

Same as should have happened against Manchester. Hopefully he will learn from this most painful lesson

I hope he does, but I'm still left with the feeling that GON thinks both Hugo B and Bouba have the plague

 

[marrs-guitar]

Yes he seized up.....as soon as that goal from Bueno went in he should have called for substitution....traore for sarabia.....5 at the back, strong midfield, Ryan and chiwome to occupy centre backs and threaten counter.

Same as should have happened against Manchester. Hopefully he will learn from this most painful lesson

After the Utd game he encouraged me by immediately identifying that we had been poor in not getting into the right positions to deal with their throw that created the goal, but yesterday he seemed rather meek to me, almost just shrugging it away with us having a lot of injuries and - more bizarrely - than he didn't have defensive options available, when he had about 8(!) defensively-minded players already on the field and a DM on the bench.

That's the 2nd week in a row that he has made things far harder than necessary for us imo. There were more than enough options on the field and bench for him to get this side set-up to play out 10 minutes of goalless football against a lower league team.

 

[mcwolf]

credit to Coventry ' they had the rub of the green and took advantage of it .....still ****ed off about the result and will enjoy seeing em get stuffed at Wembley

 

[Minimalist]

If I was Hugo Bueno I'd be asking GON why Doc is getting on the field before me.
Doc looks disinterested and unfit, Bueno yesterday looked head and shoulders better.

Doc should be the backup for the rwb/rb position and only used elsewhere in absolute emergencies.
Bueno should always be ahead of him on the left side.

 

[Asthmatic Wolf]

I apologise unreservedly. Emotions were running high .. but that is no excuse.

Likewise. Have a great day.

 

[rincewind]

so many gloating wba fans let them have their moment I suppose

Yes but I shut one up last night by saying I can accept yesterday's disappointment for the memory of the game at their place and their fans sporting reaction when they realised they'd lost!

 

[hollo]

If I was Hugo Bueno I'd be asking GON why Doc is getting on the field before me.
Doc looks disinterested and unfit, Bueno yesterday looked head and shoulders better.

Bueno will leave then.

 

[rincewind]

On the game itself, I've recovered a little now. Firstly congratulations to Coventry, fully deserved their win and it would have been robbery if we taken that. They were fitter, stronger and better organised and continuously caught us with quick breaks.
We were, by contrast, disorganised (partly injuries yes but partly self inflicted) and slow. I expected the attack to be a little toothless at times but the defence was shocking. I couldn't work out whether we were trying to play 3 , 4 or 5 at the back. We lacked mobility in attack, Fraser was bullied by their centre halfs and as for Lemina at left wing......
I've followed this club since the 70s and it'd fair to say that yesterday did not come as a complete surprise, though disappointing.

 

[Bill McCai]

Some of the defending!

 

[WickedWolfie]

No but losing in the final would be funny

That means that they get a trip to Wembley though.

 

[Macman]

Some of the defending!

Thanks Bill, but I might just give that video a miss.

 

[groundhogwolf]

Unfortunately my season ticket is J1 right next to them lol so double suffering

You should have been on the train into Birmingham, never felt so embarrassed, completely owned on and off the pitch.
Time to dust ourselves down stop whining and **** the villa

 

[Contrarian]

That means that they get a trip to Wembley though.

It's an expensive day out, though. Maybe they will make a business decision to not go there?

 

[WickedWolfie]

It's an expensive day out, though. Maybe they will make a business decision to not go there?

They'll be saving their giros for a ticket, a bottle of meths and a fix....

 

[wulfie88]

 

[sedgwolf1980]

Some of the defending!

Why oh why did I just watch that.

A million times worse than I even remember. That second goal, oh my lord. At the time, I thought it came straight after Lemina fannying around, I didn’t realise we had so many chances to clear after that. Oh my lord that was absolutely pitiful.

 

[S G Wolves]

Not seen the highlights. Just can't do it. Too painful. Watched some of the City game yesterday with difficulty.

Keep reminding myself been a good season with memorable highs like wins at Spurs and Chelsea. Cup games are always different to League games. We ran out of steam and just couldn't see the game out. Really bad game management decisions that the players will be well aware off.

The win would have been great but the reality was we were poor and the right team won. They've had some terrible times so good luck to them and hope they enjoy their big day out...

Still a bit raw...

 

[WolfInSheep'sClothing]

Why oh why did I just watch that.

A million times worse than I even remember. That second goal, oh my lord. At the time, I thought it came straight after Lemina fannying around, I didn’t realise we had so many chances to clear after that. Oh my lord that was absolutely pitiful.

It was literally the whole team at fault. And the 3rd I wasn't happy with at the time but how many are just walking and not doing their jobs properly. Too many players going through the motions feeling sorry for themselves.

 

[WickedWolfie]

It was literally the whole team at fault. And the 3rd I wasn't happy with at the time but how many are just walking and not doing their jobs properly. Too many players going through the motions feeling sorry for themselves.

Too many players running on empty with no realistic replacements to give them a break. Hopefully the two weeks off and perhaps a few players returning to fitness might help.

We got away with the small squad with Nuno because of the playing style that he adopted.

 

[Adrian_Monk]

Heat of the moment followed by a decent apology. He's not Satan.

Agree. O'Neil is deflecting.

I'd expect, when he's had chance to reflect, he'll hold his hands up and say (whilst in mitigating circumstances thanks to the ****ty hand he was dealt) he still got everything wrong yesterday.

 

[crocos]

What my boy said as we trudged out of Molineux was actually bang on the money - if there hadn't been that absurdly long VAR delay, there wouldn't have been all that injury time and we'd probably have been walking out feeling lucky but happy instead.

That VAR situation was bonkers, and great to hear us & them all singing the same thing in unison about it.

If things had gone that way, you'd have to say Cov would have been robbed and then some though. They were way better than us throughout, apart from that 10-15 minutes towards the end of the second half when we finally had some zip & energy and scored twice as a result.

 

[loppers86]

The Lage comparison was by a poster who has pictures of Lopetegui on his wall still.

There’s no room for JL - it’s full of pictures of Nuno.

 

[WolfInSheep'sClothing]

Too many players running on empty with no realistic replacements to give them a break. Hopefully the two weeks off and perhaps a few players returning to fitness might help.

We got away with the small squad with Nuno because of the playing style that he adopted.

You think? We've had a week to prepare for this. I think 6 or 7 players stopped doing their job properly because they thought the game was won.

 

[Oliwolf44]

Have watched Liam keen analysis on express and star YouTube and was balanced as ever. Agree on that this is an emotional team and the bond with the fans like nunos time here is an emotional one. I'm definitely onboard with this team it was a rollercoaster of emotions yesterday.
We have used that emotion to our advantage (spurs, wba, man utd to draw level) but when you are that emotional the composure goes missing. See man utd, cov late goals. The emotion gets you through some times but we need reinforcements to keep it going. Only so many times these players can get by on sheer will alone.
All emotional runs come to an end, but let's hope this is just a blip at the start of a long run of this team.
Have faith in type of players Hobbs brings in but let's see those players actually being brought in to help the team please so we actually have a squad that can compete!

 

[WickedWolfie]

You think? We've had a week to prepare for this. I think 6 or 7 players stopped doing their job properly because they thought the game was won.

Forums are about opinions. The one you have is perfectly valid albeit not one that l share. That's fine.

 

[Mel Eves on a bike]

Painful to watch back isn’t it. Why we didn’t just tuck in during injury time I don’t know. Just sit with 10men behind the ball.

Just beggers belief.

 

[JadeWolf]

What my boy said as we trudged out of Molineux was actually bang on the money - if there hadn't been that absurdly long VAR delay, there wouldn't have been all that injury time and we'd probably have been walking out feeling lucky but happy instead.

That VAR situation was bonkers, and great to hear us & them all singing the same thing in unison about it.

If things had gone that way, you'd have to say Cov would have been robbed and then some though. They were way better than us throughout, apart from that 10-15 minutes towards the end of the second half when we finally had some zip & energy and scored twice as a result.

I think it’s a really good point your lad makes. Without that VAR nonsense there isn’t a 97th and 100th minute.

 

[bully306]

The injuries were bad, the performance was equally bad. To somehow get in front without so many top players was magical. To be 2-1 up in a game we were struggling in and not see the game out was criminal. 2 minutes from wembley and we lost. I still cant believe it.

Box it in the corners, make more subs, 11 behind the ball, feign injury, change the keepers gloves, keep posession, slow it down, dont take risks, do anything to wind the clock down. We all hate to see it, but it all works. Collect bookings for time wasting. Naive.

When you have 5 first teamers out and such a thin squad we should have swallowed some pride and played like underdogs.

We may have our integrity, but id rather have a day out at wembley with cunha, hwang and dawson back..

 

[Oliwolf44]

What my boy said as we trudged out of Molineux was actually bang on the money - if there hadn't been that absurdly long VAR delay, there wouldn't have been all that injury time and we'd probably have been walking out feeling lucky but happy instead.

That VAR situation was bonkers, and great to hear us & them all singing the same thing in unison about it.

If things had gone that way, you'd have to say Cov would have been robbed and then some though. They were way better than us throughout, apart from that 10-15 minutes towards the end of the second half when we finally had some zip & energy and scored twice as a result.

Let's not spin a var narrative because it's not the game for that lol. Sounds like sour grapes and we didn't deserve anything. We know VAR is **** but their goal was the only thing that spurred us into life

 

[WickedWolfie]

Painful to watch back isn’t it. Why we didn’t just tuck in during injury time I don’t know. Just sit with 10men behind the ball.

Just beggers belief.

Particularly as we've done that so often this season. Perhaps the absence of Dawson?