Friendly in Dublin

[JadeWolf]

One of the good things I noticed was everytime the cameras went to Julen he didn’t look happy. He hopefully saw the same weaknesses we saw. I’d rate Celtic as probably a lower table premier league team. So for them to have as many chances against our first choice defence is a worry. But there were some positives. Sarabia looks a different player to who we saw last season. Neto looks sharp. Lemina was brilliant (apart from the goal). I thought Cunha played well but a proper centre forward probably scores a hat-trick.

Hope all the Mixers enjoyed it! Heard there was some trouble after the game? Hopefully not and everyone was sensible.

 

[lobodelsur]

Doc isn't that good in the air, but Doc normally isn't back in position to deal with diagonals / lofted balls back. That responsibility always shifted to the third CB who moved across or the midfielder who dropped back to cover Doc.

For a long time under Nuno and Lage our 'out ball' was a clearance from Patricio/Sa to Doherty's head wide on the right side of the half-way line. He invariably won the ball. He may have faults, but his aerial game isn't one of them.

 

[wolfslair]

Senedo was far from the worst player out there

Didn’t say he was….. just the number of chances down to basic errors in him that we have seen for too long for a player of such large chunk of our wage structure and salary.

Mentioned Dawson also and how in the last two games he has looked immensely poor. Mother time is undefeated and takes a players legs overnight at times and I am hoping that isn’t what has happened to Dawson which is what is looking like has happened. Praying it is rustiness that goes with more game time and time on the training pitch.

All the best chances, which we gave up were down to these two on the whole. But semedo was guilty of bad positioning, slow reactions, doing his customary jog to walk when his man has gotten away from him. He is frankly the worst defender in the squad, costs too many goals and contributes nothing in assists or goals. Honestly a massive waste of space for what we paid in transfer and his wages, plus now the signing bonus to retain him.

Cunha missed chances, some basic ones. But, I imagine he will get large amounts of praise for his movement and actually getting in the positions to miss the shot which was also a massive problem.

 

[Rangiora Wolf]

One of the good things I noticed was everytime the cameras went to Julen he didn’t look happy. He hopefully saw the same weaknesses we saw. I’d rate Celtic as probably a lower table premier league team. So for them to have as many chances against our first choice defence is a worry. But there were some positives. Sarabia looks a different player to who we saw last season. Neto looks sharp. Lemina was brilliant (apart from the goal). I thought Cunha played well but a proper centre forward probably scores a hat-trick.

Hope all the Mixers enjoyed it! Heard there was some trouble after the game? Hopefully not and everyone was sensible.

I wonder if it's because he knows Fabio might be off to raise some funds and he saw the difference he made as soon as he came on.

 

[Mile End Wanderer]

Better get some centre halves in reserve then if we are going 3 at the back

Maybe we will have to

Watched the highlights back Kilman got caught once or twice got away with it.

Nunes has to score those kind of chances.

Sa looked decent made some good saves

Fabio & Cunha worked well unlucky at the end

More solid with Doc RB

Hodge did a job but we look so weak and little bit all over the place when defending especially the midfield and defence. System of some sort needs working on when we don’t have the ball. Maybe play with men behind the ball and counter teams

 

[wolfslair]

Maybe we will have to

Watched the highlights back Kilman got caught once or twice got away with it.

Nunes has to score those kind of chances.

Sa looked decent made some good saves

Fabio & Cunha worked well unlucky at the end

More solid with Doc RB

Hodge did a job but we look so weak and little bit all over the place when defending especially the midfield and defence. System of some sort needs working on when we don’t have the ball. Maybe play with men behind the ball and counter teams

Some of our best games in the Nuno era came from doing just that.

Nothing wrong with being a counter attacking team. Many sides have dominated leagues and excelled in European comps doing it.

 

[waveney wolf]

Re-watched the highlights,

It is actually worrying how far off the pace, out of position and how often people find space from semedo to get shots..

Dawson for balance, also looks woefully short of being ready to play prem football. It has been a worrying two run-outs from the corner stone of our defensive turn-around last season.

I would hate to be these two in the video session after this one, as they will be singled out quite a lot.

Very worrying and sorry but both need upgrading as a matter of re urgency. Re-signing semedo if he isn’t sold or used as make weight in a deal is frankly lunacy as he just isn’t up to the standard needed to be a premiership standard rb.

Yes he played for Barca, but his stats sucked there too, and the stories are out there in the public domain that they wanted him gone a whole season before Jorge shunted him onto us! What does that tell you! People normally want Barca first 11 players, no one was curing up for Nelson. He hasn’t been close to value or standard in any length or consistent period of time

If Celtic players found it this easy to make chances, we will be butchered by a half decent premier league team.

Not Semedos fault , he's a v good defender ....its because he never gets any help .
It's always been easy to overload Semedo ,,he had Traore in front of him ,and Coady alongside him for much of his wolves career . Traore was useless at tracking back and helping him , and Coady would never come across to cover him , so he gets isolated .
Now...we have a back 4 , so Dawson is going to be reluctant to come out of the middle, and who was in front of semedo yesterday? Nunes? He's not going to naturally help defend.
Take it to the other side of the pitch ,,,Bueno had Hwang last year, who will track back ... yesterday was it toti and ait Nouri ? Who will defend.
If you played doc in front of semedo, he d get a lot more help.

 

[BCWolf]

Celtic should have been out of sight at halftime. Manure won't even need to break a sweat to beat this lot in two weeks. No way in hell that PK gets given for us in PL.

 

[jonesy]

thought Nunes, Cunha and Neto played ok, thought Ryan, Fabio and doc changed it.

Julen can ask for all the signings he wants but if he can’t get a half decent bunch to string a few passes together it’s on him

 

[Yamalroite]

Yeah sounded **** poor all round.
How many Wolves were there? 500?

You should've gone and got it bouncing then.

Fairplay to every single one of them who went. Never under appreciate how much time and money fans spend on these trips.
It's the ones who didn't go who could afford it are the **** poor ones.

 

[FJRWolf]

Only seen some highlights but apart from first 10 minutes it looked like it was pretty even on chances.
Both teams looked equally dodgy at the back and terrible in front of goal.

 

[the 15th Wanderer]

Yup, l remember that. But it was as well as the League Cup not instead of it. The Anglo-Italian Cup was around at about the same time.

I can remember playing Fiorentina, early 70s. I don't recall the score I was very young

 

[Irish_Wolf]

Celtic should have been out of sight at halftime. Manure won't even need to break a sweat to beat this lot in two weeks. No way in hell that PK gets given for us in PL.

Agreed. Very good work out for both teams, and both teams squandered good chances.

Went to the bath pub afterwards with 4 Celtic mates and we had the craic with 6-7 Wolves lads. They were amazed at my knowledge of Wolves lol

 

[Irish_Wolf]

Only seen some highlights but apart from first 10 minutes it looked like it was pretty even on chances.
Both teams looked equally dodgy at the back and terrible in front of goal.

Did say before kick off Celtic only had 1 first choice defender.

The first picks are miles better than the reserves, Celtic really don't have any depth in that area.

 

[NordicWolf]

The constant Semedo bashing on this forum by a repeating few is crazy.
He’s a Wolves player and currently JL’s first choice right back. Support him!!

He had a decent game yesterday.

 

[clivewolves]

I don't take preseason friendlies too seriously. It's just fitness and seeing what needs to be worked on for the upcoming season. One of the things I liked but needs work on is the pressing. At times it worked, but when it didn't that was when Celtic cut through us like a hot knife through butter. Celtic exposed our defence because of it, but the team as a whole needs to press in the correct way if we are going to play that way. Maybe having Traore or Gomes in the midfield will improve that. It's something I'm sure we will improve upon in the coming months.

 

[Irish_Wolf]

But, but,…Celtic fans are angels!!!

There was no trouble anywhere before or after the game. Lots of banter in the pubs from what I witnessed.

 

[1972 i began]

Nelson Semedo: I would cheerfully swap him for Luke Ayling
Craig Dawson: Absolutely crucial last season but someone made the shrewd point that he's reached the age where a break does more harm than good. May be match fit by October
Matheus Cunha: why is a manager paid £9m a year unable to see what 300 unpaid Mixers can see every week?
Fabio Silva: only a 15 minute cameo but starting to wonder whether brown sauce or tomato sauce is best with Humble Pie. Cannot sell him at the moment

It’s got nothing to do with Dawson not fit.He’s just way to slow to play a high line like that.Definitely need a new defender,at the very least.

 

[Irish_Wolf]

Fabio looked great.

The new top looked great.

Doc did well I thought.

Good to see RAN out there.

Hodge was awful first half but better second but I wouldn't put him ahead of BT or JG.

Why no Sasa, is he injured?

Cunha looked awful until Fabio came on then he almost instantly looked a player. I didn't fancy him on the pen at all.

Didn't see Fabio joining in the celebrations...

As a Celtic fan I can assure you Joe Hart doesn't save penalties. In fact his days are done. I've heard Celtic are after a new No1 and Hart will take a last pay day in Saudi land.

 

[lets all have a disco]

I think there was a few 'sore' heads in the wolves end ,hence the atmosphere was bit off.......and we need some new songs .......

Decent following considering the short notice....there was wolves fans all round the ground to be fair , not just in the away end...

Well done to everybody who was involved in the 'camden' before the game...they did well.....was proud of 'our'kids contribution....

 

[groundhogwolf]

The constant Semedo bashing on this forum by a repeating few is crazy.
He’s a Wolves player and currently JL’s first choice right back. Support him!!

He had a decent game yesterday.

Don’t worry once Semedo moves on they will just start moaning about someone else, eat, sleep, moan, repeat.

 

[thommo1984]

He had a decent game yesterday.

I mean, it’s a friendly so not that important, but he really really didn’t.

 

[Golden Arrow]

The constant Semedo bashing on this forum by a repeating few is crazy.
He’s a Wolves player and currently JL’s first choice right back. Support him!!

He had a decent game yesterday.

Well said that man!

 

[Fifty Niner]

Senedo was far from the worst player out there

I saw our first friendly v Porto on a livestream. Dawson was poor, twice in the first half miss hitting a simple pass sideways pass out into touch. Yet it seemed Semedo was the one being picked apart for nearly every aspect of his game, directly or indirectly.

I imagine If the opposition goalkeeper booted the ball down and it bounced over Sa into the net, Semedo would be blamed for not closing the goalkeeper down!

Eve at the friendly phase it seems there must be a villain of the piece and that villain is now Semedo.

 

[TF2Wolf]

I thought Neto was bright in the first half and Nunes should have scored a sitter. Other than that I thought we looked poor playing in the same way as last season until RAN and Silva came on then we looked a lot better as more fluid.

Cunha needs a striker to play off when he was up front with Neto & Sarabia he looked too isolated for me.

Celtic got behind Semedo really easily thought he was poor and Bueno didn’t have the best of games either. Dawson looked well off the pace which is worrying as our only right footed CB.

Trouble is apparently Celtic didn’t play a lot of first framers yet still ripped us apart quite easily at times.

We are only a couple of pre season friendlies away from the start of the season and I’m still not clear on the shape or discernible style of the team which is worrying but it maybe that Lopetegui is trying out different things?

Different players show glimpses of quality at different times in different formations but it just doesn’t seem cohesive to me at the moment.

Stadium was boiling, pre match at the Camden was good and fortunately for us didn’t see any trouble after the match had a chat with a few Celtic fans after.

Temple Bar was brilliant last night. Dublin is an expensive rip off though especially the taxi drivers

 

[Very Proud (AKA Still Proud)]

Trouble at the end of the game according to Nathan Judah. One fan seen with blood all over face. Absolute idiots.

Just like those idiots with their stupid stickers. Saw a pic of two Wolves fans taking the **** by putting them on the back of a Celtic fan. TBH if it was them then they deserved it.

For what it’s worth we. Had absolutely no problems at all and didn’t see any trouble anywhere and we were in pubs with them Celts all day.

 

[Irish_Wolf]

I thought Neto was bright in the first half and Nunes should have scored a sitter. Other than that I thought we looked poor playing in the same way as last season until RAN and Silva came on then we looked a lot better as more fluid.

Cunha needs a striker to play off when he was up front with Neto & Sarabia he looked too isolated for me.

Celtic got behind Semedo really easily thought he was poor and Bueno didn’t have the best of games either. Dawson looked well off the pace which is worrying as our only right footed CB.

Trouble is apparently Celtic didn’t play a lot of first framers yet still ripped us apart quite easily at times.

We are only a couple of pre season friendlies away from the start of the season and I’m still not clear on the shape or discernible style of the team which is worrying but it maybe that Lopetegui is trying out different things?

Different players show glimpses of quality at different times in different formations but it just doesn’t seem cohesive to me at the moment.

Stadium was boiling, pre match at the Camden was good and fortunately for us didn’t see any trouble after the match had a chat with a few Celtic fans after.

Temple Bar was brilliant last night. Dublin is an expensive rip off though especially the taxi drivers

Us locals do not drink in the temple bar area lol

 

[KBWWFC]

For a long time under Nuno and Lage our 'out ball' was a clearance from Patricio/Sa to Doherty's head

Sorry to be that guy, but Doherty was gone a long time before Sa.
The out ball to doc died in Nunos second season.
Lots of people were complaining about Patricio's distribution (clamouring for ruddy!) Due to the large amounts of throw ins we were conceding from goal kicks when Doc would miss his header.

 

[TF2Wolf]

Us locals do not drink in the temple bar area lol

I know lol.

Unfortunately my two lads wanted to sample the famous Temple Bar atmosphere and to be fair it was good in the Temple Bar pub.

Think we’ve paid the tourist tax with a couple of taxi drivers though lol

 

[waveney wolf]

Celtic should have been out of sight at halftime. Manure won't even need to break a sweat to beat this lot in two weeks. No way in hell that PK gets given for us in PL.

Well said

 

[Premier Quality]

Re-watched the highlights,

It is actually worrying how far off the pace, out of position and how often people find space from semedo to get shots..

Dawson for balance, also looks woefully short of being ready to play prem football. It has been a worrying two run-outs from the corner stone of our defensive turn-around last season.

I would hate to be these two in the video session after this one, as they will be singled out quite a lot.

Very worrying and sorry but both need upgrading as a matter of re urgency. Re-signing semedo if he isn’t sold or used as make weight in a deal is frankly lunacy as he just isn’t up to the standard needed to be a premiership standard rb.

Yes he played for Barca, but his stats sucked there too, and the stories are out there in the public domain that they wanted him gone a whole season before Jorge shunted him onto us! What does that tell you! People normally want Barca first 11 players, no one was curing up for Nelson. He hasn’t been close to value or standard in any length or consistent period of time

If Celtic players found it this easy to make chances, we will be butchered by a half decent premier league team.

It’s really noticeable that when the ball is played into the space behind bueno, that Kilman is over there to cover, but that when it’s played into the space behind Semedo, Dawson is stuck to the centre.

I didn’t think Semedo played particularly well yesterday, but you have to take into account the lack of cover he gets.

 

[lostwolf]

I think there was a few 'sore' heads in the wolves end ,hence the atmosphere was bit off.......and we need some new songs .......

Decent following considering the short notice....there was wolves fans all round the ground to be fair , not just in the away end...

Well done to everybody who was involved in the 'camden' before the game...they did well.....was proud of 'our'kids contribution....

We need to remember the old songs! We've got loads.

 

[wolfslair]

It’s really noticeable that when the ball is played into the space behind bueno, that Kilman is over there to cover, but that when it’s played into the space behind Semedo, Dawson is stuck to the centre.

I didn’t think Semedo played particularly well yesterday, but you have to take into account the lack of cover he gets.

He needs more cover than he should though.

Bueno is very much in his infancy for football career in terms senior experience. Semedo is late 20’s and played at the top level for a long time so he shouldn’t need a fraction of the bailing out and covering as Bueno does so the comparison doesn’t work for me.

Bueno in contrast offers a great deal more in the final third, nelson is frankly woeful and very wasteful and the fact he plays back and sideways more than anything else is a concern and he does kill alot of promising moves or wastes forward runs by others

 

[lets all have a disco]

We need to remember the old songs! We've got loads.

There was a few in the ground sinking 'lets all have disco' when we scored ....Ive got more songs than some of the players....

 

[so-called fan]

It was worrying how whenever there was a set piece our players were switching off and how often we were caught asleep, especially in the first half. Bueno dug us out of trouble at a corner, IIRC, where they had been able to simply pass the ball along the ground to somebody standing inside our penalty area. Dave Edwards mentioned that Nuno used to have full training sessions in the morning of friendlies to build up stamina, and okay it's just a friendly, but it's still disconcerting to see such a lack of awareness. It was just a pre-season friendly though, so perhaps my concern is misplaced.

 

[Premier Quality]

He needs more cover than he should though.

Bueno is very much in his infancy for football career in terms senior experience. Semedo is late 20’s and played at the top level for a long time so he shouldn’t need a fraction of the bailing out and covering as Bueno does so the comparison doesn’t work for me.

Bueno in contrast offers a great deal more in the final third, nelson is frankly woeful and very wasteful and the fact he plays back and sideways more than anything else is a concern and he does kill alot of promising moves or wastes forward runs by others

That’s not true, playing the ball inside the full back is pretty standard fare these days, it’s the centre backs job to be covering that - the full back can’t cover inside, outside and the winger at the same time, that’s why it’s a team sport.

The same is true of any position - if a player is completely isolated, someone else hasn’t done their job.

That’s not to say he’s brilliant because he’s not, but you have to look at the whole, not necessarily just the individual.

 

[wolfslair]

The constant Semedo bashing on this forum by a repeating few is crazy.
He’s a Wolves player and currently JL’s first choice right back. Support him!!

He had a decent game yesterday.

Sorry but I think a senior player who is a major chunk of the salary budget should be a top performer.

Not the consistent weak link in the team.

If you think he played well, watch highlights of major chances, he (as well as Dawson for balance) was at fault for many of their best chances.

I support all wolves players, who try hard and show commitment.

Nelson’s constant jogging then into a walk when he is caught out is infuriating. He was only the first choice as there was no other choice. I can see doc taking his place when he is fully up to speed. Doc is better defensively on the deck and in the air, plus he is levels above him when it comes to being a goal threat and also assists.

 

[Golden Arrow]

Speaking to a Celtic supporter in the "Bath" pub after the game; he said a sectarian flag was rolled out at our end.
Don't know if that was the case but have seen a sticker earlier today at the airport referring to "Wolves British Alliance"
Was hoping all that *******s was behind us.

 

[wolfslair]

That’s not true, playing the ball inside the full back is pretty standard fare these days, it’s the centre backs job to be covering that - the full back can’t cover inside, outside and the winger at the same time, that’s why it’s a team sport.

The same is true of any position - if a player is completely isolated, someone else hasn’t done their job.

That’s not to say he’s brilliant because he’s not, but you have to look at the whole, not necessarily just the individual.

Dawson is an issue, I accept that and a few chances were down to Dawson.

However the ease and how often in general or even yesterday players get away from him is an issue with him and him alone.

It is well known by statisticians and video analysts at other clubs, if you want to beat wolves you go down his side or land balls ontop of him. Look at how often we concede goals down his side or from his man getting away from him far too easily.

If he didn’t have the Barca tag, he wouldn’t have cost as much as he did and people wouldn’t be pulled into him being a good player. His stats there were very very weak and he is a rare Barca first team player who they struggled to sell, he was well punted to the market the summer before and at a discount in the jan before also with no takers.

He is only with us because of uncle Jorge, not because he was the best replacement for DOC.

 

[wolfslair]

Speaking to a Celtic supporter in the "Bath" pub after the game; he said a sectarian flag was rolled out at our end.
Don't know if that was the case but have seen a sticker earlier today at the airport referring to "Wolves British Alliance"
Was hoping all that *******s was behind us.

In fairness to the club, some idiots may have seen this as an easy way to do that kind of **** to an antagonise Celtic fans and not actually been wolves fans at all.

In pre-season, arranged last minute, in Ireland there was always the chance that could happen.