Leeds verdict

[Royal wolf]

Did anyone honestly think we would win today? Wolves don’t get 4 straight wins.
As I said in the comms thread old habits die hard and sitting back and defending a lead for 70 plus minutes is always gonna end one way.

 

[DasWolf]

A largely awful display, woeful passing, midfield completely overrun, unable to retain the ball.

I'm not going to argue with the result. Play like that and you can't complain if you lose, so to get a point is something.

A dreadful game, and people can't even defend it by saying we got 3 points. If we'd played more positively we would have.

 

[Perton Wolf]

Cowardly display today, the football has been no better than last season apart from the first 3 games. Disappointed in Bruno, whatever happened to this new style of play? We scored a scrappy goal and just tried to defend our penalty box for the rest of the game. Rubbish.

 

[RMNottm]

I hate sitting back and feel like we deserve not to win less down to 10 or 9!

Why could we not clear and hold the ball?

 

[Dingle Chris]

Abject, pathetic call it what you will but as soon as we scored it was dog ****. You can’t hold on to draws in this league like that.

 

[CelebrityWolf]

Disappointing display today. Needed changes at half time. A front three wasn't working and midfield overrun. Traore should have been hooked, added absolutely nothing. three in midfield. Goal was inevitable in the end, you cannot sit back that much and think you deserve anything.

 

[Chris H]

We’ve got points on the board now, I want the performances from the first 3 games back now please Bruno.

 

[Willywolf]

Not at all good, but a point earned. Riding our luck with these poor performances and lack of subs when things obviously need fresh energy.
Some players just look like they are heroes and can’t be hooked early despite not making an ounce of difference to our game.

 

[Aimless Balls]

Bruno is too slow to react. Ego? Insistence?

 

[Hoganstolemywife]

A really poor performance today. It doesn't feel too much like we got the points stolen away: we were so consistently bad that I thought we would lose for the majority of the game. And I think we deserved too. I can imagine the xG for today will be justifiably damning.

We remain on an excellent run and a point away from home is never a bad result, whatever the circumstances.

But performances are really worrying. Like others said when we were losing every week - results always catch up with performances.

 

[WeAreTheWolvesII]

The reality is that we've got results in spite of the manager.

 

[Golden_Wolf]

Use of subs has to improve. Like @Chris H said, performances from 1st 3 games now please.

Fuming at how cheap we gave away possession from that corner before the goal. **** poor from Jiminez & Podence.

 

[Leigh72]

Fantastic point after playing like that, concerns over Bruno mounting i am afraid.
Too many passengers and a negative mindset, top dollar prices to watch that, no thanks

 

[Golden_Wolf]

The reality is that we've got results in spite of the manager.

It's really not the reality. How's that even possible?

 

[bod101]

Garbage.

 

[JOSWolf]

My verdict is sort it out Bruno. You got lucky at Vile last week and we get a lead at a club beset with injuries and low on morale and what do you do? Sit back like we are playing Real Madrid for 80 mins. Where has the positive attacking Bruno ball gone? I hated watching us play today. It was complete and utter crap.

Can we start playing on the front foot again please Bruno and you can stop setting us up like we are facing Real Madrid every game.

Do not set us up like this against Everton please or we will play right into their hands! Actually go out and attack them.

 

[WeAreTheWolvesII]

It's really not the reality. How's that even possible?

Because we've got good players?

The performances have been below par for too long and the one today, against a Leeds U23 side, was a joke.

 

[TheConcourse]

This team gets comfort from familiarity. They love it. They love being in a shape and playing without the ball.

Something has to give here, because for all of the talk of 3 wins on the bounce, performances could have easily equalled none.

It’s been backs to the wall, do-not-lose mentality for 3 seasons going into this year, and absolutely nothing has changed under Bruno. It’s boring, and it has to change. It’s exhausting to watch.

I don’t get it. I don’t get the decisions, I don’t get the obsession with Traore, I don’t get the lack of input from Hwang, I don’t get why our CB’s are stuck on the 6 yard box chipping the ball forward. It’s a ****ing mess.

Sa - 8
Semedo - 6
Kilman - 7
Coady - 6
Saiss - 6
RAN - 7
Moutinho - 5
Donk - 3
Traore - 3
Raul - 6
Hwang - 3

It’s just ****.

 

[reanswolf]

Cowardly display today, the football has been no better than last season apart from the first 3 games. Disappointed in Bruno, whatever happened to this new style of play? We scored a scrappy goal and just tried to defend our penalty box for the rest of the game. Rubbish.

To be fair, we are very restricted by having the least mobile midfield in the history of the Premiership. They are individually good players, but there is no mobility whatsoever.
I feel a bit sorry for Bruno, he must realise our severe limitations.

 

[Royal wolf]

Has RAN ever finished a full 90 mins? He must have the body of a 40 year old

 

[Tring Wolf]

Such a weird, weird season. Despite those three defeats at the start, I was really encouraged by the nature and attacking intent of our performances.

Since then, our points return has been pretty good but performance levels have fallen dramatically. Really don’t know what to think of us as a side under Bruno at the moment.

Leeds were very average today and absolutely there for the taking if we had shown any semblance of attacking quality. Instead, we gave the ball away incredibly cheaply and showed an increasing unwillingness to even try and get forward as the game progressed.

Thought Sa and Kilman were very good (again) and Dendoncker did an admirable job with Joao having one of those games where he looked as if Father Time was catching up with him.

Raul did ok considering the lack of support he had. Thought Adama was pretty poor but again, as soon as he goes off, our ability to transition up the field reduces and it invites the opposition forward knowing they don’t have to worry his pace on the break.

Thought the penalty was harsh but Gerhardt (who along with Raphinha, looked very good) shouldn’t have been allowed to run as far as he did. Poor decision but we didn’t deserve to win for such a negative second half display.

Sa 7
Kilman 7
Coady 6
Saiss 6
Semedo 6
Dendoncker 7
Moutinho 5
RAN 6
Traore 5
Raul 6
Hwang 6

Podence 6
Hoever 5
Neves N/A

I would have snapped your hand off for 4 points from the last 2 games. But today feels like such a missed opportunity, and bizarrely, I feel more concerned about where we’re heading as a side than I did after those first three games. We currently look very similar to that spell we had last year where we won games against Leeds, Fulham and Sheffield United through moments of individual brilliance rather than any sustained quality in attack.

Probably an over-reaction, particularly given results over the last 6 games, but I’d like to see us go back to that swashbuckling approach we saw at the start of the season.

 

[Royal wolf]

This team gets comfort from familiarity. They love it. They love being in a shape and playing without the ball.

Something has to give here, because for all of the talk of 3 wins on the bounce, performances could have easily equalled none.

It’s been backs to the wall, do-not-lose mentality for 3 seasons going into this year, and absolutely nothing has changed under Bruno. It’s boring, and it has to change. It’s exhausting to watch.

I don’t get it. I don’t get the decisions, I don’t get the obsession with Traore, I don’t get the lack of input from Hwang, I don’t get why our CB’s are stuck on the 6 yard box chipping the ball forward. It’s a ****ing mess.

Sa - 8
Semedo - 6
Kilman - 7
Coady - 6
Saiss - 6
RAN - 7
Moutinho - 5
Donk - 3
Traore - 3
Raul - 6
Hwang - 3

It’s just ****.

Like I said. Old habits die hard, these players have played the same way for 3 years, we need to either replace them with better quality or trust in Bruno to break the mentality

 

[Matt]

Performances simply have to improve. We are consistently playing rubbish but fortunately luck has been on our side (obviously it was against us for a while at the start of the season, too).

We have to be playing better football and we have to be making changes earlier when the tide is turning against us. Bruno is way too slow to react.

 

[Perton Wolf]

The reality is that we've got results in spite of the manager.

Bang on the money.

 

[Poztin]

What’s with all the hitting the deck so easy all of a sudden? Cut that **** out now.

 

[rincewind]

Defensively we did well. But that's the only positive other than not losing. Never got a foothold in midfield so the forwards rarely threatened. Having said which, for all their possession and threatening positions Leeds had very few clear chances.
We were outworked, outhussled and seemed physically weaker. Leeds players will sleep well tonight.
Kilman probably my MoM for us.

 

[Golden_Wolf]

Because we've got good players?

The performances have been below par for too long and the one today, against a Leeds U23 side, was a joke.

Weird statement to make in my opinion. Managers set them up that way.

Why we have set up this way now, after the 1st 3 games, is the bigger issue (as well as the use of subs).

 

[mace1967]

Anti football at its worst. Everyone watching, except the manager could see we needed to change it.
I would have taken a point at the start but it feels more like a defeat.

 

[Sussex Wolf]

In response to some of those posts on this thread already, the reality is we have some **** posters who love it when we drop points so they can post their crap.

Did we play well? No. Did we deserve a point? Yes. Do we have a weak squad in certain positions? Yes. When was the last time we won four in the top league? Early 1970’s.

 

[MotorWoden]

We have become quite timid again, afraid to get up the pitch in case we get caught out and it seems to be getting progessively worse. Sending the players out with instructions not to lose is only going to have a negative affect on their confidence and enjoyment of the game and personally I have stopped looking forward to games again, much like last season. I am genuinley afraid that eventually results will catch up with performances. I know we needeed fresh blood in the close season and its not been easy with such a small squad but I think we have better players than the way we are playing right now and we showed that in the first few games. We have lost the courage to stick to those principles and I think that will be difficult to restore now.

 

[Howler]

Tactics a little wrong, second half we were being too cute on the ball in our own half instead of just pumping it down their end and fighting for scraps - goal would have never happened if we weren't caught dawdling on the ball deep in own half. At the end of the day if offered a point before kick-off most would have taken it so not a bad point in that aspect, feels like two points dropped based on how and when we conceded.

 

[WeAreTheWolvesII]

Weird statement to make in my opinion. Managers set them up that way.

Why we have set up this way now, after the 1st 3 games, is the bigger issue (as well as the use of subs).

Weird how? We're getting results because we have good players.

We lost three games against three good teams. If that's enough to abandon your philosophy over then you don't believe in it properly.

We just got outplayed by a Leeds United side that is missing it's five best players.

 

[Michellis]

Painful to watch.
Lucky to get a point.

 

[SA Wolf]

Can't remember watching a Wolves' side show such little ambition as we did during that second half, even last season. A draw was much more than we deserved and my eyes will bleed until Tuesday.

 

[Wolf in Kenilworth]

Verdict - Painful.

 

[djmikeydickens]

It wasn't good but I would of taken a point before the game. It's still clear we haven't got the midfield to control matches at this level. I'll reserve judgment on Bruno until he gets the players he wants to play his way but the in game changes or lack of them is becoming a bit concerning.

 

[Super NES]

A disappointing result in the end but on the balance of play a point was the most we deserved.

Our ball retention when put under any form of pressure is so bad. We needed Moutinho and Donk to put their foot on the ball and try to dictate the tempo, but instead we got dragged into their frantic style of play which we simply can't do.

Bruno needs to find a way to adapt our style in these kind of games where we are under the cosh. Sitting back, riding it out and not utilising our subs to influence the game won't work (appreciate our subs worked last week but think it was a bit of a perfect storm with the changes villa made) - we did the same versus Newcastle and got away with it because they were poor. But against most teams it won't work.

Overall our points haul from the last few games have been great - the regression in our playing style however makes me questions how long it will last.

 

[SingYourHeartsOut]

Defended well, but they ran us into the ground. Have to say they well deserved their point and we barely deserved ours. The oddest thing was the thought of bringing Trincao on! Says a lot that we're gutted with a draw and they celebrated like they'd won the league.

 

[Timberwolf]

Only saw the last 15 minutes. I’m guessing I didn’t miss much but the bit I did see was unadulterated garbage.

 

[thommo1984]

Use of subs has to improve. Like @Chris H said, performances from 1st 3 games now please.

Fuming at how cheap we gave away possession from that corner before the goal. **** poor from Jiminez & Podence.

Summed up the whole performance. Completely idiotic.