Gary O'Neil - tactics

[wolfslair]

Do you actually support us or what !,,,,

Yes, but I am allowed to have an opinion that we aren’t always amazing and everyone played great when we don’t.

Teams in elite sport don’t get better or do well when you don’t look honestly at things.

Blindly saying we won means we played well sometimes is just disingenuous

 

[Jefe]

Utter rubbish. This Burnley ****ed all over the Champ last season. They ****ed all over Sheffield United at the weekend, who were down there with them. They haven’t gone backwards, this league is tough. This was exactly the kind of game Nuno era Wolves, as good as it was, would have struggled with. The fact we prepared for it properly, and did a job on them, is credit to Gary and the team.

Afraid I can't agree with this Sussex. Last season with established sides like Leicester, Leeds, Saints, ourselves etc struggling down there for long spells, you could argue for the toughness of this league, but there is a marked drop in quality from the promoted sides this time round compared to previous years. That Everton (who were in deep trouble for large spells last year) got a 10 point penalty and could still go out of the relegation zone with a win on Thursday, tells you what you need to know.

Burnley are a big disappointment - I thought they'd be an outside bet for a top half finish this season. Whereas Nuno recognised he needed to adapt our swashbuckling style of play from the Championship into a more pragmatic, shape-first counter attacking style, the relatively green Kompany has had no such an epiphany and sees his side with the second worst goals against column. Them pumping 10 man Sheffield United at home, who will go down as one of the division's worst ever, is not really indicative of anything.

 

[Axle]

I’m going to start playing ‘over coached’ bingo.

Every time l see it l’m going pull another tooth out with pliers whiskey and a length of string.

 

[Sammy Chungs Tracksuit]

Ah ok, so my opinion of our team should be based on bookies who don’t base it on science….. they base it on where the money is.

This is the weakest promoted teams group ever!!! It will be the lowest survival points target ever so I am sorry if I don’t party in the streets and jump for joy that we are clear of them by as many as we are. We have a squad that should be comfortably 12th-14th in this league with the potential to do more with the right game plan.

I am happy we won, but someone was saying that tonight was the gon getting the best out of the group. When I am sorry I don’t think he is.

Why didn’t bellegarde get on sooner? Where was Doyle?

Two subs that could and would have improved our attacking options and chances to score. He delayed the subs so long bueno has pulled up and they started to get a foothold of momentum when they were there to be killed off.

This Burnley team would have been spanked by a Nuno team from the first two seasons, as this Burnley side is crap compared to the disciplined and aggressive Burnley team of dyche.

Doyle was completely anonymous at Arsenal.

 

[Stourport wolf]

Massive difference and leap up in class between the prem and the championship. Also lost a number of their better players as they were loanees even many Burnley fans feel the team is worse than last season so you are speaking total rot mate…..

They are bottom of the league for a reason….. it is because they are a crap team!!!

The three newly promoted teams this season are amongst the three worst teams to ever come up and they came up at the same time.

So justifying your stance because they battered another crap newly promoted team isn’t a great point.

This season is going to be a record low points benchmark for a reason….. because of Burnley, shef United and Luton being so ****

Did you think Wolves were going to be relegated when GON was appointed at the beginning of the season and bearing in mind it isn't even Christmas yet, do you now think we are going to be relegated this season?

 

[wolfslair]

Doyle was completely anonymous at Arsenal.

He really wasn’t…. He repeatedly came looking for the ball and didn’t hide once. For a young lad in his first prem season with so few minutes he had a good game against a top team like arsenal.

 

[wolfslair]

.Did you think Wolves were going to be relegated when GON was appointed at the beginning of the season and bearing in mind it isn't even Christmas yet, do you now think we are going to be relegated this season?

I thought the chance of us going down when he first was appointed and how we played increased.

But he clearly learned something after the Ipswich game as he seems to have turned a corner since then.

But if the newly promoted sides were not so weak, I think this season wouldn’t be as rosey for many teams in an around us.

If you go down and you aren’t one of the newly promoted teams, then my god you were bloody awful as the newly promoted teams are rank and have allowed for based on current projections the lowest survival points target in prem history!!!

Even with a 10 point deduction, Everton won’t go down!!!! That tells you everything you need to know about the league this year!

 

[Hanbury_Wolf]

Why didn’t bellegarde get on sooner? Where was Doyle?

Two subs that could and would have improved our attacking options and chances to score. He delayed the subs so long bueno has pulled up and they started to get a foothold of momentum when they were there to be killed off.

We were very comfortable at 1-0 and remained in shape and conceded very few chances.

So GON's decisions on subs clearly worked.

We could have made those subs, lost some shape or a key partnership and conceded. There would be no guarantee it panned out how you presume it would. I don't think it's that easy.

Solid win. Not an entertaining performance by any stretch.

 

[wolfslair]

We were very comfortable at 1-0 and remained in shape and conceded very few chances.

So GON's decisions on subs clearly worked.

We could have made those subs, lost some shape or a key partnership and conceded. There would be no guarantee it panned out how you presume it would. I don't think it's that easy.

Solid win. Not an entertaining performance by any stretch.

Well looking at Bueno pulling up lame, I wouldn’t claim it worked well at all……

The lads were getting tired and they started getting back into the game as the lads tired, we needed fresh legs long before the 85th min.

 

[Tired&Emotional]

Seems like some people are unwilling to change their viewpoint based on evidence.

That's never a good sign.

 

[wolfslair]

Missing two players who can do something out of the ordinary in Neto and RAN.

I don’t know how you could fit them all in but I’d love to see a front six of:

Neto, Lemina, Bellegarde, RAN
Cunha, Hwang

Full of running power, pace and flair.

Against the newly promoted sides like we have this season I cannot see why they wouldn’t be able to play in the same team…….

 

[Hanbury_Wolf]

Well looking at Bueno pulling up lame, I wouldn’t claim it worked well at all……

The lads were getting tired and they started getting back into the game as the lads tired, we needed fresh legs long before the 85th min.

Is your opinion.

Gary's was not make any subs

Gary's team won 3 points

Well done Gary

 

[Hot Fuss]

Should play brilliant every game shouldn’t we? Same old posters posting the same old *******s.

They all predicted relegation and ****ing hate how well we’re doing.

Keep it up Gaz, you’re going a great job.

 

[Tired&Emotional]

Should play brilliant every game shouldn’t we? Same old posters posting the same old *******s.

They all predicted relegation and ****ing hate how well we’re doing.

Keep it up Gaz, you’re going a great job.

If you can't beat Burnley 15-0 and be 42 points above the relegation zone then you're a terrible manager.

 

[Hot Fuss]

Did you think Wolves were going to be relegated when GON was appointed at the beginning of the season and bearing in mind it isn't even Christmas yet, do you now think we are going to be relegated this season?

Don’t bother mate, key board ranters who can’t admit they were wrong, crying in their Loppy pyjamas because we’ve won.

 

[Hot Fuss]

If you can't beat Burnley 15-0 and be 42 points above the relegation zone then you're a terrible manager.

pE tEacHeR

 

[Jefe]

Should play brilliant every game shouldn’t we? Same old posters posting the same old *******s. They all predicted relegation and ****ing hate how well we’re doing. Keep it up Gaz, you’re going a great job.

...and the same old hair-trigger overreaction. The argument could be made that we've not played well in four out of the last five. And had Rodriguez put his close-range finish away from Bentley rather than straight down his throat, we arguably could've been facing a fourth defeat in five. O'Neill's doing okay for the most part, but it's fine margins sometimes between pulling away and getting sucked back in.

 

[SingYourHeartsOut]

Was a bit surprised tonight that we actually played a very conventional 343. Thought the WBs both did well, but the front 3 were a bit anonymous mostly. Interesting that he swapped them around positionally at half time, Hwang does look like our best option straight down the middle currently. Cunha barely got a chance to run with the ball though. In general I felt when we had a go at them and pressed high we caused them loads of problems, but we were too passive out of possession and too slow in possession for long periods, especially the first 25 mins, maybe a bit more understandable at 1-0.

 

[Hot Fuss]

And the same old cringe hair-trigger response. The argument could be made that we've only played well once in the last four. And had Rodriguez put his close-range finish away from Bentley rather than straight down his throat, the argument could be made that we'd be facing a third defeat in four matches. O'Neill's doing okay for the most part, but it's fine margins sometimes between pulling away and getting sucked back in.

The argument could be made that we are widely acknowledged to have been the side most poorly treated by officials this season and could, with those “fine margins” going in our favour, be 7th in the league.

To hear folk who were predicting relegation a few months ago grudgingly acknowledge that Gary O’Neil is “doing ok” through gritted teeth is very amusing. He’s doing great with our squad.

 

[brianm]

A real slog of a match, but one the team won. Not going to read too much into a quick turnaround game midweek like this. Very happy to keep a clean sheet.

Same result against Forest and I will be very happy indeed. Hate these congested months. You get through them with a tight group and some breaks going your way.

 

[wolfslair]

The argument could be made that we are widely acknowledged to have been the side most poorly treated by officials this season and could, with those “fine margins” going in our favour, be 7th in the league.

To hear folk who were predicting relegation a few months ago grudgingly acknowledge that Gary O’Neil is “doing ok” through gritted teeth is very amusing. He’s doing great with our squad.

He is doing ok, no gritted teeth from me saying that.

But this team can play better than it is being allowed to and some of the subs like his career obsession with taking a striker off for a holding midfielder at 1:0 or 1:1 in games around 80 mins is still massively negative or his leaving subs till the 80th min when the players are losing momentum and need fresh legs does need some work from him.

Some results have been down to Neto brilliance and very little else as his goals/assists have been the only shot on target with any purpose.

We have had some awful and result affecting decisions, but in some of those games we have also put in woeful performances which don’t and didn’t help us either.

Before JL walked I said this team would finish around 12th with no additions after seeing th me furiousity in attack of the Rennes game, but also the attack from the United game which was set up by JL.

This team has the potential to be a lot more attacking and fluid with movement and GON has said he doesn’t like that and players needed more structure.

They look over coached now and stuck to a rigid structure that has little room for expression and flair or to make a run that hasn’t been shown to them on the paddock as clearly for GON structure and shape is king.

That is great to a point, but in some games against weak teams you can have a go…..

Tonight We played with the handbrake on against the worst team in the league…. We didn’t need to play 5 at the back tonight as they have such a low amount of attacking quality or threat and again like most games under GON our keeper has made the more challenging saves when comparing the two keepers and when playing a crap
Team like Burnley that is a concern as forest are a good counter attacking team who can score a goal.

The team is well clear of relegation and the newly promoted sides are so poor, that 60% of the league is likely safe from relegation by the middle of Jan……

Next season looking at the teams like Leicester to come up will be a much harder test than this one.

 

[Sussex Wolf]

you need to speak to an actual Burnley fan…. As I can tell you the ones I know do not agree with you one bit!

I couldn’t give a flying fig what you think! I was hardly a GON fanboy when he was appointed - read my posts for the first half dozen games. But I’m willing to give credit where it’s due. If we hadn’t been robbed of 7 points by the ****ers in PGMOL, we’d be in the European spots at the moment. Given what happened in the summer, that’s frankly astounding.

 

[bully306]

Pleased with the 343 but way too much passing between the back 3. Didnt even manage to work the horseshoe of doom.

Then there was that dreadful short goal kick. The ironic cheers when bentley finally saw sense were hilarious.

Apart from that, the pressing and interplay for the goal between lemina, sarabia, cunha, hwang was top drawer.

GON clearly lets them try new stuff and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesnt. Its good they try new stuff. Last few managers didnt do this so much and it was boring.

GON finally has us scoring and that is so important for me.

Loppy and his clean sheets might have got us more points but if you cant celebrate a goal whats the point.

Id rather lose 2-1 each week and get relegated than draw 0-0 each week and stay up. Hoddles record 0-0 home streak made me think this way. if you dont get to celebrate goals there is no point going really.

GON has us scoring every week and for that i enjoy going again. So hes alright by me.

Also, not an on field tactic but clapping the fans at the end is so important. Lage and Loppy just didnt get this. I dont care if the players dont want to do it. They should be forced and im glad GON does that.

 

[SoCal_Wolf]

They look over coached now and stuck to a rigid structure that has little room for expression and flair or to make a run that hasn’t been shown to them on the paddock as clearly for GON structure and shape is king.

I call bull**** on them being "over coached." They needed more defensive structure because we were leaking goals due to be over-exuberant in our play and not being in the proper spaces on the pitch. He also wants the players to be able to arrive at the right times/spaces in the box so we have better options--no coincidence that Hwang has nine (9!) goals this season already. The problem the last few games is that we are missing our best attacking player (Neto) and our most creative wingback (RAN) - so yeah, we have less flair right now. But, certainly, Bellegarde and Cunha have license to take the ball and run with it...and the front three was very fluid the last few games. I don't see an overly rigid squad (a la Nuno).

Lastly, I don't begrudge a coach to be a little defensive when you are starting your backup goalie for the first time in the league. It was a dull affair, but for the most part, we were in control and never looked like losing that match. I was also glad that we kept a clean sheet.

 

[brianm]

They look over coached now and stuck to a rigid structure that has little room for expression and flair or to make a run that hasn’t been shown to them on the paddock as clearly for GON structure and shape is king.

What on earth? Most dribbling in the league! Attackers switching flanks regularly! Had a CB (Toti) drop a shoulder and slide in an assist to rescue a draw vs Newcastle! Lemina bombing forward vs Spurs!

I think he is finding a balance, but the idea he leaves no room for flair just isn't true.

 

[wolfslair]

What on earth? Most dribbling in the league! Attackers switching flanks regularly! Had a CB (Toti) drop a shoulder and slide in an assist to rescue a draw vs Newcastle! Lemina bombing forward vs Spurs!

I think he is finding a balance, but the idea he leaves no room for flair just isn't true.

You do know that being told to “drive with the ball” is part of structure…… some of the times we have done this is because the movement and fluidity to move is because players are staying in slots/positions so to advance with ball and get up the pitch the player does this.

Also switching flanks is done by structured and by instruction of the coach and in is the tactics too…… that isn’t done off the cuff……

How many times are people saying the passing looks off or the options to pass to aren’t there? Quite often and is a big sign they are being over coached, look at the drills in the YouTube videos we get, every move and position is very well drilled and coached.

 

[Krispy Kreme]

I thought the chance of us going down when he first was appointed and how we played increased.

But he clearly learned something after the Ipswich game as he seems to have turned a corner since then.

But if the newly promoted sides were not so weak, I think this season wouldn’t be as rosey for many teams in an around us.

If you go down and you aren’t one of the newly promoted teams, then my god you were bloody awful as the newly promoted teams are rank and have allowed for based on current projections the lowest survival points target in prem history!!!

Even with a 10 point deduction, Everton won’t go down!!!! That tells you everything you need to know about the league this year!

Everton have had a ridiculously easy start against said bottom teams though.

This is our first home game against someone who didn't finish top 8.

 

[sedgwolf1980]

I was about as anti GON as you could have got.

He’s done a fantastic job. Last night was poor, but will take it again if it means 3 points the weekend too.

By and large, we are playing better football than we have for years. In spells granted, not consistently enough, but outside the top teams who does.

He clearly works his absolute nuts off, is innovative and forward thinking in terms of tactics, sometimes over thinking them in fairness, has the players playing for him, and, probably goes without saying, is proud to be our manager.

He ain’t perfect but he’s exceeded my expectations ten fold. Fair play.

 

[lets all have a disco]

Can people stop saying this Burnley side walked the championship...

It's not the same side, they had to rebuild in the summer as the promoted team was all loan players.....

Bar 2 or 3 it completely different...

 

[Hot Fuss]

He is doing ok, no gritted teeth from me saying that.

But this team can play better than it is being allowed to and some of the subs like his career obsession with taking a striker off for a holding midfielder at 1:0 or 1:1 in games around 80 mins is still massively negative or his leaving subs till the 80th min when the players are losing momentum and need fresh legs does need some work from him.

Some results have been down to Neto brilliance and very little else as his goals/assists have been the only shot on target with any purpose.

We have had some awful and result affecting decisions, but in some of those games we have also put in woeful performances which don’t and didn’t help us either.

Before JL walked I said this team would finish around 12th with no additions after seeing th me furiousity in attack of the Rennes game, but also the attack from the United game which was set up by JL.

This team has the potential to be a lot more attacking and fluid with movement and GON has said he doesn’t like that and players needed more structure.

They look over coached now and stuck to a rigid structure that has little room for expression and flair or to make a run that hasn’t been shown to them on the paddock as clearly for GON structure and shape is king.

That is great to a point, but in some games against weak teams you can have a go…..

Tonight We played with the handbrake on against the worst team in the league…. We didn’t need to play 5 at the back tonight as they have such a low amount of attacking quality or threat and again like most games under GON our keeper has made the more challenging saves when comparing the two keepers and when playing a crap
Team like Burnley that is a concern as forest are a good counter attacking team who can score a goal.

The team is well clear of relegation and the newly promoted sides are so poor, that 60% of the league is likely safe from relegation by the middle of Jan……

Next season looking at the teams like Leicester to come up will be a much harder test than this one.

To be honest it baffles me that you judge the capabilities of this squad on a pre season kick about against a French side and a trip to Old Trafford against a side who were wide open. Worth remembering that Nunes has a great game at OT and he’s not here anymore.

Anyone with eyes can see the quality and also the limitations of this squad. No centre forward as usual, no Neto or RAN last night. A lack of any real pace going forward.

GON is doing very well with this squad. Absolutely ****ing delighted with him.

 

[wolvesaywe]

Not the greatest game but a win is a win and I enjoy GON's varying his tactics game by game

We were very comfortable last night aside from a Gomes brainfart setting them up

The points tally is way beyond what most thought it would be at this stage and unarguably should be considerably higher. He's doing a great job and what has surprised me the most is I really like the fella

 

[QB Wolf]

One thing that struck me last night was the technical quality of Burnley last night, all of them had a great first touch, passing was good, big, strong, for one of the worst teams in the division they're a good side, well coached and managed by Kompany and fresh off hammering the Blades, albeit them not being great.

There are no easy games or poor sides in this league, so I do get ****ed off by people criticising us for our performance, especially coming off the back of 2 defeats for us, without key players and playing 3 games in 8 days.

 

[Jd132]

One thing I will never quite get about all our managers of the last three years, is why don't they value the work that a genuine option up top in the middle could do?

We could have a target man who occupies defenders, provides a wall pass and an option to go long.

We could have a false 9 with the vision and technique to drop deep and slide balls through to other attackers

We could have a front man who runs the channels, holds the ball up and draws centre backs out of position.

We could have a poacher who plays right on the shoulder of the last defender pushing their defence back and buzzing around.

Other teams have players who do 1, 2 maybe 3 even 4 of those roles in one. Yet we have been forced to endure 3 or 4 years of our front men not even being able to do a single one of them.

Cunha is unable to hold the ball up, he doesn't have the vision for cute passes, he lacks the movement to run the channels and he's always on his heels as balls come in.

It also makes me question GON's use of Sasa as, although he can't run the channels or play off the shoulder, he could occupy a centre back, play a wall pass and be a genuine option for long balls. Surely that would be better for the attacking structure of the team than what Cunha is offering.

It has been said time and again, but bringing in a proper striker who genuinely provides whichever of those options GON wants for his system, would make all the difference.

 

[Clifton Wolf]

On course currently for 45/46 points. Having sold most of our big names in the summer and lost our manager days before the season started, the job that GON has been impressive. How anyone can have expected more is beyond me!

If we can sign a couple of players in the summer to strengthen our first 11 then we can push on for a top 10 finish next year.

No complaints from me at all and I’ll admit I was wrong in my assessment of GON when he arrived with us back in August. Enjoying this season and I haven’t said that for 2 or 3 years!

 

[DanishWolf]

Don't get the idea that they're overcoached or held back by a rigid coach
Tonight wasn't pretty but overall I'd say we've seen players more confident, and more willing to take players on and make things happen than last season.
It's obvious that GON wants them to keep certain shapes when defending and pressing, but it's also obvious he encourages them to trust their individual ability with the ball. Neto is the best example of this. Playing with a new found freedom and belief before his injury.

 

[WISAW]

We were overly cautious in our setup/approach last night, most likely GON wary of us having collected more points v the top 10 teams as opposed to thd bottom 10. But still, we're at home against a terrible Burnley side so I expected a more expansive attacking performance.

 

[Wonder Boyo]

Last season after 15 games we had 10 points and had scored just 8 goals. Over the same amount of games we have 20 goals. We had 2.5 years when we never created any proper chances in games nevermind score goals. At least now we look like scoring and we actually do score every game. That's made such a big difference to the entertainment value for me. Our strikers actually score goals. They never used to.

 

[wolfslair]

To be honest it baffles me that you judge the capabilities of this squad on a pre season kick about against a French side and a trip to Old Trafford against a side who were wide open. Worth remembering that Nunes has a great game at OT and he’s not here anymore.

Anyone with eyes can see the quality and also the limitations of this squad. No centre forward as usual, no Neto or RAN last night. A lack of any real pace going forward.

GON is doing very well with this squad. Absolutely ****ing delighted with him.

We had bellegarde on the bench who should have played longer and is more attack minded and Doyle has a great eye for a pass and his quality and range of passing would have added an extra threat off the bench and given them a new fresh challenge with tired legs on the pitch.

We do have a CF….. he is sat on the bench and hardly playing in Sasa, who has goals off the bench and is good with the ball at his feet and his intervention led to the winner against Bournemouth.

Hwang and cunha have pace…. They are not slow in the slightest to say we had no pace is an absolute falsehood

 

[optimuswolf]

Don't get the idea that they're overcoached or held back by a rigid coach
Tonight wasn't pretty but overall I'd say we've seen players more confident, and more willing to take players on and make things happen than last season.
It's obvious that GON wants them to keep certain shapes when defending and pressing, but it's also obvious he encourages them to trust their individual ability with the ball. Neto is the best example of this. Playing with a new found freedom and belief before his injury.

Yes. If anything tonight's game was a demonstration of two teams who at times were both were trying to play flowing football but lacked the quality. Hence the misplaced passes.

We, more than burnley, mixed it up with periods where we were more controlled/boring, and those periods were important once we got a lead.

 

[Jefe]

The argument could be made that we are widely acknowledged to have been the side most poorly treated by officials this season and could, with those “fine margins” going in our favour, be 7th in the league. To hear folk who were predicting relegation a few months ago grudgingly acknowledge that Gary O’Neil is “doing ok” through gritted teeth is very amusing. He’s doing great with our squad.

Which of course is cobblers. Unless you're going to tot up every point robbed from every side in the league by poor decisions (and a crystal ball that allows you to peer into this alternate reality), you cannot say we'd be 7th with any measure of accuracy. I've been as critical as referees and VAR as anyone, but you can't just bolt X number of points onto the table; it is a sophomoric narrative that unfortunately has been cheerled in recent weeks by our coach as much as anyone else.

As awful as the officiating was at Bramall Lane and Craven Cottage, we can't really complain that we left those two venues with nothing. The Spurs game aside, which was a very strong performance, we've not played well since losing Neto. The criticism that we are a one-man team has not really been answered yet.