Fulham away Verdict

[Whirligig Wolf]

We scored from a corner!

Thought we played really well but as at Rotherham we failed to finish off enough chances.
Ikeme. 8. Not a lot to do 1st half. 2nd half commanded his box well and made one super low save.
Goldbourne - 7. Really solid, great energy levels. And has extra to do covering sako!
Doherty - 7. Cracking display. Maybe still lacks the calmness to play the perfect final ball. Overlapped reggie really well. Poor Sam , so emblematic of last season's marvellous renaissance, may struggle to displace his young rival.
Stearman- 8. Really good. Looks less rash than in previous seasons. One great comedy break which resulted in him thumping it out of play of cruyff like silly skills. Tackled, blocked and really complements the more agricultural Ba'ath.
Ba'ath 8 . Much better game than against Rotherham where I thought he had a rather torrid time up against a giant opponent.

Evans - 7. His best game of the three so far. One superb tackle 1st half seemed buoy his confidence. Plays some wonderful long passes. Great vision. Seems fitter than last season. Loses a mark for occasional sloppy play.
McDonald -9. Probably gets an extra mark for his hair. 1st half was wonderful. Like cook and downing and dennison all rolled into one.

Edwards. 7. Energetic! Was it his dummy for the goal? Gives his all, closes down. Can't be without him if playing 2 out and out wingers.

Sako - 6.
Lost two marks for a) bloody penalty miss and b) ridiculous dummy that let them break late in the piece. Looked out on his feet and would expect him to be rested at the weekend. You know if he was brilliant all of the time he'd be worth £100m. But he's not, so he's not! Frustrating! Links well with dicko.

Reggie Perrin - 8.
Ran his full back ragged! Brilliant at times. But, and it's a sako sized 'but' , he needs to learn to pass. Great potential and seems a cracking signing. Bit Forrest Gump .

Dicko 7- what a trier. Great reward in winning the penalty as he had a tough job tonight. Gets caught offside too often, doesn't get on the end of chances that fly across goal. Has great strength and pace.

Fans 9. great turn out as at Rotherham - louder today though (drunker?) . And nonstop noise.
Lose a mark for not having a great variety of tunes. Not that I have any great ideas!
Couple of other points- Fulham have good players, Parker ,even up against McDonald, looked classy ( although he undoubtedly slows their game down) but they remind me of us 2 seasons ago. Be great if magath stays the whole season as he can take them back to their proper place in the 3rd tier.
Our movement off the ball is exceptional.
Our team spirit brings a tear to this fat lad's eye.

Love Kenny's revival and if we can nab a quality striker we've got half a chance this season.

 

[SouthwesternWolf]

Really happy reading that. Seems strange to say this after the last week's complaints but what a job Kenny Jackett has done putting this club back together.

I, like a lot of others, would have dropped Evans tonight, but good on KJ and Evans for proving me wrong.

 

[Phys Ed Wolf]

Thanks for that WW. I'd like to add my opinion but sadly I was listening to Radio 5

 

[JOSWolf]

Great read Whirligig. Cheers.

 

[Deleted member 3518]

Delighted with the performance and style of play, possibly could of made more of the possession we enjoyed but Kenny is definitely developing a style which is very pleasing on the eye, a million miles from where we where before he arrived. 10 out of ten for all and 11 for the fans, tonight was one of the nights that makes following the Wolves so special. My 40th wedding anniversary too, Wolves drew with Liverpool at the Mol on that fateful day!

UTW!!!

 

[cobweb]

Very encouraging. If the main men in the team can stay fit and healthy, top 6 could be within reach.

 

[Michellis]

Really positive display and enjoyable game. Could do with a bit more firepower up front but the team looked confident on the ball.
Once again Wolves fans outshone a pathetically quiet home crowd.

 

[Tring Wolf]

Will write a full report tomorrow but we were absolutely fantastic. I loved McCarthy's team but we never used to control games in the manner we did tonight.

Some fantastic performances (Doherty, Batth, Stearman, Golbourne and Van La Parra second half) but my Man of the Match was Lee Evans. Outperformed McDonald, controlled the midfield and his range of passing was just superb. If he plays like that, Rowe won't get in the side.

Ikeme 6 (made one save all night)
Doherty 8
Batth 8
Stearman 8
Golbourne 8
McDonald 7
Evans 9
Van La Parra 7 (quiet first half but tore their full-back a new one in the second)
Sako 7
Edwards 7
Dicko 7

We looked a very decent side tonight and I really believe that with a couple of additions, we won't be far away from the play-offs.

As a side note, £11m for Ross McCormack. Wow. He was dreadful.

 

[Ulver]

Thought we were decent tonight. Lots of confidence and wanted it a lot more than Fulham who were crap. (As were their fans).

Just need to be a little more ruthless.

 

[MobNet Wolf]

We are as complete a footballing team as I can remember in my 25 years on this planet.

Not always perfect but the makings of a proper, proper team.

 

[Wagstaffe Was Magic]

Delighted with the performance and style of play, possibly could of made more of the possession we enjoyed but Kenny is definitely developing a style which is very pleasing on the eye, a million miles from where we where before he arrived. 10 out of ten for all and 11 for the fans, tonight was one of the nights that makes following the Wolves so special. My 40th wedding anniversary too, Wolves drew with Liverpool at the Mol on that fateful day!

UTW!!!

Congratulations Mr and Mrs Rhoswolf!!!! Fantastic day all round!

 

[wolfyjoe]

We are as complete a footballing team as I can remember in my 25 years on this planet.

Not always perfect but the makings of a proper, proper team.

But the experts on here will tell you that we need three signings! :vollkommenauf:

Great result! Looking forward to reading some more full verdicts. Love this team!

 

[JOSWolf]

But the experts on here will tell you that we need three signings! :vollkommenauf:

Great result! Looking forward to reading some more full verdicts. Love this team!

I'm no expert but I think we still need another striker.

 

[SingYourHeartsOut]

But the experts on here will tell you that we need three signings! :vollkommenauf:

Great result! Looking forward to reading some more full verdicts. Love this team!

I don't want to put a damper on it, and I'm as happy as anyone who hasn't had the good fortune to go, and this is probably the wrong thread, but the reason we need new signings is because up front there is no cover. Nobody is really doubting the first 11.

 

[morosewolf]

But the experts on here will tell you that we need three signings! :vollkommenauf:

Great result! Looking forward to reading some more full verdicts. Love this team!

In fairness, most people's concerns (apart from the bizarre, harsh, ignorant and grossly unfair Lee Evans thread which I am ignoring) are not with the first 11, but what lies below. I think we need 2 players, a centre half and centre forward, not to start, although if they are better than we have then great, but to be better than what we currently have on the bench.

 

[007wolf]

Lee Evans was class tonight! Even if Rowe is fit for Saturday I personally would play Evans instead.

 

[BigBadWolfie]

Will write a full report tomorrow but we were absolutely fantastic. I loved McCarthy's team but we never used to control games in the manner we did tonight.

Some fantastic performances (Doherty, Batth, Stearman, Golbourne and Van La Parra second half) but my Man of the Match was Lee Evans. Outperformed McDonald, controlled the midfield and his range of passing was just superb. If he plays like that, Rowe won't get in the side.

Ikeme 6 (made one save all night)
Doherty 8
Batth 8
Stearman 8
Golbourne 8
McDonald 7
Evans 9
Van La Parra 7 (quiet first half but tore their full-back a new one in the second)
Sako 7
Edwards 7
Dicko 7

We looked a very decent side tonight and I really believe that with a couple of additions, we won't be far away from the play-offs.

As a side note, £11m for Ross McCormack. Wow. He was dreadful.

Good summation Tring.

I agree Lee Evans was MOTM. Some Premier League quality long range passes tonight. So pleased for him after the unfair stick he got from certain quarters on here after Rotherham. Hope his performance tonight gives him the confidence that he CAN perform at this level at the very least.

 

[goldeneyed]

Just back. What a joy it is to see a Wolves side playing INTELLIGENTLY. Noone panics when they get the ball any more - they have been brilliantly drilled by KJ and co with everyone knowing their job and keeping the ball in the tightest of situations.There were times watching McDonald in particular when I was reminded of our great 70s side. In the first half in particular we passed Fulham off the park.

Of course its a work in progress but they look hungry, determined and united as a team. Fulham were very poor but we made them look poor as we hunted them down when not in possession and gave them very little time on the ball. Parker was their one shining light and without him our margin of victory would have been much greater. Magath has a big job on his hands and I can see them struggling to make mid table. Apparently there was a £12m striker in there somewhere but you could have fooled me.

All in all very encouraging. However it is clear we need to get a centre forward in to capitalise on some of the great crosses that come into the box. But that is not to say Dicko didn't do a very good job. His pace, strength, determination and skill always give defenders something to worry about but he is often rather isolated and inevitably doesn't win much in the air. On today's evidence I wasn't convinced that Edwards offers enough support to him to automatically justify his place in the team. Jacobs looked more than handy when he got on for the last 10 minutes or so but was played out wide replacing the excellent Van Parra.

A particular word of praise for Evans who has been unfairly criticised by some here. He played very well indeed dovetailing well with McDonald. You can see why DJ prefers him to Price at the moment as he is much more visionary and forward thinking in his passing. Sometimes he is a bit over ambitious but for a (just) 20 year old I thought he was very impressive and Rowe will have to do very well to replace him.

Finding someone good enough up front to make an impact in this team is going to be very difficult if the purse strings are being held tight. KJ really does deserve full support from the two Ms on this and if he doesn't get it then they really are fools. A back up CB is also definitely needed. Stearman looks fine but Batth is not alway totally convincing on the deck although I am sure he will keep improving. Again it has to be a very good player to challenge these two and on a minimal budget this is going to be tough .This team will easily make the top half of the table but we still need that extra 10% if we are going to challenge for the top six. So the club, or rather the two Ms, better decide whether they are serious about promotion or not.They are very lucky that the brilliant KJ has so quickly dug them out of the very big hole they created from sheer incompetence. They owe him one. Make that two.

Ikeme: Didn't have a lot to do but as competent as always 7
Golbourne: Always looks hungry for the ball and tigerish in his tackling as well as being an attacking threat 7.5
Doherty: Played well overall, very solid and enjoys attacking 7
Batth: Loked a little suspect on the deck early on but settled down quickly. Brave in the air and kept things simple on the ground 7
Stearman: Looked very comfortable at this level, reads the game well and complements Batth perfectly: 7.5
Evans: He surprised me. Played very well, some excellent long range passing, good work rate and intelligent interplay with his team mates. He is only just 20 but played with maturity. Good on ya 7.5
McDonald: As we know, sheer class and deserves to get the best possible players to play with as this team develops. I have been crying out for a midfield general for years and now at last we have one. What a difference it makes. Rarely gives the ball away, visionary passing, hard working, very strong on the ball and difficult to dispossess. If he should get injured we have to hope the likes of Price and Rowe could step up to the plate but he would be sorely missed 9
Edwards: Very mixed. Always gives you effort and the occasional nice touch on the ball but today offered minimal support to Dicko which is surely his main reason for being in the team. A great professional with a great attitude but if we are to move on to the next stage I think we need another solution as first choice. Certainly we need to have the option of a taller forward who can in some games give Dicko the support he deserves - but at the same time 4231 works well for us. It seems Jackett is not convinced by Clarke and McAlinden lacks for the moment the physical presence and toughness that is needed in the Championship. 6.5
Van La Parra: Impressed. He has great pace and good skill. Still feeling his way and his final ball could be better. But a very good signing based on this evidence who should get better and better as he settles in.7.5
Sako; The usual mixed bag. Looked very useful in the first half and got a good goal. Went off the boil in the second half and looked a bit whacked in the final quarter of the game and wasn't calling for the ball or creating much. The missed penalty rather reflected this failing although it was a very good save to be fair. But he is a threat and defensively has very much improved. 6.75
Dicko: Played well but was rather isolated up front. Holds the ball up well with his strength, battles for everything and has great acceleration when needed. Could do with a goal or two in the next few games to give his confidence a big boost. But I like him and think he could thrive working in tandem with a tall partner up front.7

Sub: Jacobs: looked very lively on the wing when he came on but would prefer him in the middle where his dribbling skills and sure touch can cause havoc.7

KJ: Spot on. You have made such a difference on and off the field and the passing style you have encouraged is a delight. Well done. 9.5

Only question now is can we find the two/three quality players we need to edge us into the top six mix this season? And will we find the money? I think its getting very late in the day and injuries to key players could do severe damage to us. But tonight was heartening and I feel for the first time in a long time that this is a team worth watching and encouraging.

 

[Smithy]

The support today was brilliant I thought the floor of the stand was going to collapse. Love the way the team celebrated at the end.

Ikeme: 7 - didn't have much to do but made one great save and distribution was good.

Doherty: 7 - did well defensively and his movement linking up with VLP was great especially second half, although maybe should have hit the target with his headed chance.

Stearman: 8 - very solid and composed, should have had a shot when he came charging down the pitch in the second half! Tried to pass and thumped it out of play instead

Batth: 9 - best I've seen him play... Won nearly all his headers apart from one dodgy one where it bounced over him and the attacker ran away with it but he recovered well. Some great tackles and blocks, and his passing is improving a lot. Outstanding.

Golbourne: 8 - made some great runs, great tackles and links well with sako

RVLP: 8 - I would like to see him use his pace a bit more often sometimes when he is one on one and go really direct but his passing is actually very good. Their left back was shot by the end of the game. He has a great work ethic and tracks back well, closes people down and chases loose balls all of the time. His link up play with Doherty second half was great.

McDonald: 7 - he played well and as normal his passing was generally very good and always made himself available, however at times I thought he was a bit lazy looking when they were breaking, and lost the ball a couple of times as well.

Evans: 8 - some beautiful 'Hollywood' passes which all found their man, looked really comfortable and alert on the ball. Made some good tackles, and one brilliant tackle in the first half which stopped a very dangerous looking break. Has some issues but they are the kind that game time will iron out for instance a couple of times he looked a bit to eager to go into tackle a man and was sidestepped. But overall a great game for him.

Sako: 7.5 - took a very un Sako-like penalty which annoyed me and overhit a few crosses and shots (although one nearly went in anyway) but was a constant problem for their defence and created dangerous moments. Oh yeah and he scored. Gets the extra .5 literally for the moment in the second half when someone overhit a cross, the crowd and players went to prepare for a goal kick and he sprinted to keep the ball in.. Loved that.

Edwards: 6 - nothing wrong with the performance but felt he was a bit anonymous at times and didnt influence the game greatly. It wasn't a game filled with shots on goal but he didn't have one I don't think and as the attacking midfielder I felt he should maybe get himself on the ball around the box more to get a chance of one. Passing and work rate was good though.

Dicko: 7 - chased and hassled all game long, brilliant energy, was perhaps unlucky tonight just didn't get that little bit of luck when bearing down on goal with the way the ball was heading and stuff... But great for him to win the penalty as he deserved an end result to his performance tonight. Needs to stop getting offside though, and like VLP would like to see him sometimes be a bit more direct and just try to skin his man, such as when he won the penalty.

Overall a great performance, so enjoyable to watch us play like this. I would like to see some of the over the top through balls we regularly play maybe turn into along the ground through balls as due to his stature Dicko just ain't gonna win a fair few of them. Also needs more body's around the 6 yard box on occasion to meet some great VLP crosses. At times we also looked slightly lazy around when Fulham had it in the middle of the pitch between the centre circle and the box... They had to much time on the ball sometimes. Dead happy tonight though.

 

[justanotherwolf]

Will write a full report tomorrow but we were absolutely fantastic. I loved McCarthy's team but we never used to control games in the manner we did tonight.

Some fantastic performances (Doherty, Batth, Stearman, Golbourne and Van La Parra second half) but my Man of the Match was Lee Evans. Outperformed McDonald, controlled the midfield and his range of passing was just superb. If he plays like that, Rowe won't get in the side.

Ikeme 6 (made one save all night)
Doherty 8
Batth 8
Stearman 8
Golbourne 8
McDonald 7
Evans 9
Van La Parra 7 (quiet first half but tore their full-back a new one in the second)
Sako 7
Edwards 7
Dicko 7

We looked a very decent side tonight and I really believe that with a couple of additions, we won't be far away from the play-offs.

As a side note, £11m for Ross McCormack. Wow. He was dreadful.

Too tired to write a proper report now, will tomorrow but good summation Tring! Agree Evans was probably MOTM with honourable mentions to Batth and Stearman.

Wanted to share a quote gem from the Evening Standard by one of their defenders:

"We're a big club in this league, anyone getting points at Craven Cottage is a big scalp. It will be a big event for wolves."


Keep that attitude and performances like tonight and they'll be in league 1 next year...

 

[Clifton Wolf]

I've been one of Evans' biggest critics but tonight I thought he was superb. His range of passing was absolute first class as was one one of the tackle's he made. Keep it up lad, desperately want him to do well.

 

[Oh When the Wolves]

Good Atmo IMO.

Played well but again subs need to be made sooner imo

 

[RosehillWolf]

Just walked in the front door. Great performance tonight. We created loads of chances and we still need to be converting a higher percentage. Stearman and Van La parra were my joint MOTM with Lee Evans putting in a superb performance. Great turn out tonight from the faithful and what a great afternoon on the boat !! Let's hope we provide a hat trick of ex prem scalps on Saturday

 

[Perton Wolf]

Still can't believe we scored off a corner, unheard of.

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk

 

[RJs Tankard]

Who the $$$$ are Goldbourne and Ba'ath?

Thank god David "Davies" Davis left.

46 games a season we play. Names on backs of shirts. Names plastered all over programmes, etc - yet people still can't get names of our players right.

Great result against one of the leagues strongest teams and it's great to see that we're now close to being a really good proper team again just five days after we were doomed according to many on here - and Lee Evans was man of the match just five days after being dismissed as a lower League One player who didn't deserve a place in the team by the MolMix experts

</meldrew mode off>

 

[Barnet Wolves]

Sako scores the winner again and he still gets low marks, wonder why that is.

The Ba'ath are back I see. $$$$$$$s.

 

[RJs Tankard]

Sako scores the winner again and he still gets low marks, wonder why that is.

It's cos he's not local and his name is too easy to spell. Personally, I think Back'ary Sa'cko deserved at least an ei'ght.

 

[wanderer24]

Just back. What a joy it is to see a Wolves side playing INTELLIGENTLY. Noone panics when they get the ball any more - they have been brilliantly drilled by KJ and co with everyone knowing their job and keeping the ball in the tightest of situations.There were times watching McDonald in particular when I was reminded of our great 70s side. In the first half in particular we passed Fulham off the park.

Of course its a work in progress but they look hungry, determined and united as a team. Fulham were very poor but we made them look poor as we hunted them down when not in possession and gave them very little time on the ball. Parker was their one shining light and without him our margin of victory would have been much greater. Magath has a big job on his hands and I can see them struggling to make mid table. Apparently there was a £12m striker in there somewhere but you could have fooled me.

All in all very encouraging. However it is clear we need to get a centre forward in to capitalise on some of the great crosses that come into the box. But that is not to say Dicko didn't do a very good job. His pace, strength, determination and skill always give defenders something to worry about but he is often rather isolated and inevitably doesn't win much in the air. On today's evidence I wasn't convinced that Edwards offers enough support to him to automatically justify his place in the team. Jacobs looked more than handy when he got on for the last 10 minutes or so but was played out wide replacing the excellent Van Parra.

A particular word of praise for Evans who has been unfairly criticised by some here. He played very well indeed dovetailing well with McDonald. You can see why DJ prefers him to Price at the moment as he is much more visionary and forward thinking in his passing. Sometimes he is a bit over ambitious but for a (just) 20 year old I thought he was very impressive and Rowe will have to do very well to replace him.

Finding someone good enough up front to make an impact in this team is going to be very difficult if the purse strings are being held tight. KJ really does deserve full support from the two Ms on this and if he doesn't get it then they really are fools. A back up CB is also definitely needed. Stearman looks fine but Batth is not alway totally convincing on the deck although I am sure he will keep improving. Again it has to be a very good player to challenge these two and on a minimal budget this is going to be tough .This team will easily make the top half of the table but we still need that extra 10% if we are going to challenge for the top six. So the club, or rather the two Ms, better decide whether they are serious about promotion or not.They are very lucky that the brilliant KJ has so quickly dug them out of the very big hole they created from sheer incompetence. They owe him one. Make that two.

Ikeme: Didn't have a lot to do but as competent as always 7
Golbourne: Always looks hungry for the ball and tigerish in his tackling as well as being an attacking threat 7.5
Doherty: Played well overall, very solid and enjoys attacking 7
Batth: Loked a little suspect on the deck early on but settled down quickly. Brave in the air and kept things simple on the ground 7
Stearman: Looked very comfortable at this level, reads the game well and complements Batth perfectly: 7.5
Evans: He surprised me. Played very well, some excellent long range passing, good work rate and intelligent interplay with his team mates. He is only just 20 but played with maturity. Good on ya 7.5
McDonald: As we know, sheer class and deserves to get the best possible players to play with as this team develops. I have been crying out for a midfield general for years and now at last we have one. What a difference it makes. Rarely gives the ball away, visionary passing, hard working, very strong on the ball and difficult to dispossess. If he should get injured we have to hope the likes of Price and Rowe could step up to the plate but he would be sorely missed 9
Edwards: Very mixed. Always gives you effort and the occasional nice touch on the ball but today offered minimal support to Dicko which is surely his main reason for being in the team. A great professional with a great attitude but if we are to move on to the next stage I think we need another solution as first choice. Certainly we need to have the option of a taller forward who can in some games give Dicko the support he deserves - but at the same time 4231 works well for us. It seems Jackett is not convinced by Clarke and McAlinden lacks for the moment the physical presence and toughness that is needed in the Championship. 6.5
Van La Parra: Impressed. He has great pace and good skill. Still feeling his way and his final ball could be better. But a very good signing based on this evidence who should get better and better as he settles in.7.5
Sako; The usual mixed bag. Looked very useful in the first half and got a good goal. Went off the boil in the second half and looked a bit whacked in the final quarter of the game and wasn't calling for the ball or creating much. The missed penalty rather reflected this failing although it was a very good save to be fair. But he is a threat and defensively has very much improved. 6.75
Dicko: Played well but was rather isolated up front. Holds the ball up well with his strength, battles for everything and has great acceleration when needed. Could do with a goal or two in the next few games to give his confidence a big boost. But I like him and think he could thrive working in tandem with a tall partner up front.7

Sub: Jacobs: looked very lively on the wing when he came on but would prefer him in the middle where his dribbling skills and sure touch can cause havoc.7

KJ: Spot on. You have made such a difference on and off the field and the passing style you have encouraged is a delight. Well done. 9.5

Only question now is can we find the two/three quality players we need to edge us into the top six mix this season? And will we find the money? I think its getting very late in the day and injuries to key players could do severe damage to us. But tonight was heartening and I feel for the first time in a long time that this is a team worth watching and encouraging.

Thank you, can always rely on you for a balanced evaluation.

 

[Edgmond Wolf]

Thank you Goldeneye and Smithy for two great reports!

Absolutely made up with this result

Fantastic three points

 

[The_Blade]

Good to get that game out of the way. They will get rid of that crazy manager. Can see Sherwood going there.

 

[reanswolf]

Very assured performance. Would like Jacobs or Rowe to replace Edwards, who for me is still better as an impact sub. Evans played much better. Well done !

 

[North West Wanderer]

Great stuff. Great result.

 

[Henry Palfrey]

http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/28767650

A decent summation from the bbc.

 

[Burton Wolf]

Great result, looking forward to Saturday.

 

[johnybig32]

Mick was interested in Fotheringham.

KJ signed Macca.

That sums up the difference and the direction the team is going in.

 

[North West Wanderer]

Mick had him on trial, thats a bit different?

 

[Big Saft Kid]

Listened to it on 5Live. Even the idiot Claridge had good things to say about us. We sounded very lively, and Lee Evans long passes drew a lot of compliments from the comms. Macca seemed to be at the centre of everything, and lots of plaudits for Van la Parra -- is the next Dave Wagstaffe?!

 

[johnybig32]

Mick had him on trial, thats a bit different?

On trial shows an interest does it not?

Anyway, it was praise for the progress as a football team we have made.

 

[North West Wanderer]

On trial shows an interest does it not?

Anyway, it was praise for the progress as a football team we have made.

Did he sign him? Or try to?

Nope.

 

[johnybig32]

Did he sign him? Or try to?

Nope.

Surely if the trial had been successful?

You wouldn't have someone on trial if you weren't interested.

Anyway, that's not important.