Some sensible opinions please

[Oliwolf44]

Do you think we’re a good side?

I think we are clear and away one of the best 8 teams in the country. Very well coached and well drilled system, likeable players, together as a team. I'd say thats a good side.

 

[Bill S Preston Esq.]

Do you think we’re a good side?

The stat of having lost just once in 45 games after taking the lead, suggests we are a good side.

Do you disagree?

I suppose you'd rather we didn't sing celebratory songs when winning in case we lose too huh?

 

[JadeWolf]

On the positive watching our goal again it’s a brilliant finish by Hwang. I know we’re all (rightly) excited by Neto coming back but Hwang too can make a big difference to us.

 

[hollo]

Look to the future.It's summer 2022. What do we need to do to move forward?
Extend contracts of neves, kilman, sa, ait nouri, neto, podence.
Bring back on loan players gibbs white, toti gomes, bolla.
Sell traore, dadashov,cutrone, raul.
Let go moutinho, saiss and marcel.
Bring in 2 x strikers
1 x central defender
1 x central midfielder

 

[Wolfy McWolf-Face]

Loss of Semedo made us less solid and that is why we lost.

Not sure Jonny could be considered less solid but then again very rung rusty after his long lay off for sure.

What the Semedo injury did, and Amazon/Lee Dixon picked up on after Brunos interview, was result in less options to manage the game out.

Unlucky really, both us and arsenal are good sides.

 

[Mardenboroughs Shoulder]

Not sure Jonny could be considered less solid but then again very rung rusty after his long lay off for sure.

What the Semedo injury did, and Amazon/Lee Dixon picked up on after Brunos interview, was result in less options to manage the game out.

Unlucky really, both us and arsenal are good sides.

More a case of Semedo having a good game and being part of a well drilled defence for me. Yes Johny is a great replacement to have but not been playing with the team for so long and bound to be rusty. Not the ideal time to give him thirty minutes.

 

[the 15th Wanderer]

And 43 other games where we haven’t lost after taking the lead.

It’s hard to take. They were lucky with their deflected saves and lucky with their deflected goal, and a huge slice of cheating by Ben white and Atkinson .

Exactly we got our nose in front and then played on the counter attack. Obviously the closer it gets to 90 minutes Arsenal throw caution to the winds and it came off this time. We could easily have had more goals on another day. Arsenal are also a very good team which helps. Not so long back not being thrashed by them was a result.

 

[Wagstaffe Was Magic]

The stat of having lost just once in 45 games after taking the lead, suggests we are a good side.

Do you disagree?

I suppose you'd rather we didn't sing celebratory songs when winning in case we lose

The stat of having lost just once in 45 games after taking the lead, suggests we are a good side.

Do you disagree?

I suppose you'd rather we didn't sing celebratory songs when winning in case we lose too huh?

I don’t see really good sides having to resort to clinging on to a one goal lead by what I term rope-a-dope football !!

It suggests either a lack of belief on the part of the players or fairly rudimentary tactics on the part of the management!

 

[Bill S Preston Esq.]

I don’t see really good sides having to resort to clinging on to a one goal lead by what I term rope-a-dope football !!

It suggests either a lack of belief on the part of the players or fairly rudimentary tactics on the part of the management!

To coin a phrase - yawn

 

[Streathamwolf]

I don’t see really good sides having to resort to clinging on to a one goal lead by what I term rope-a-dope football !!

It suggests either a lack of belief on the part of the players or fairly rudimentary tactics on the part of the management!

You mean like Man City did against us? Every team does it occasionally, as we do, occasionally. 7th in the PL says we are a good team. Bruno has been applauded on here and by many pundits for tactical nouse. You just dismiss that because we were unable to break a high press by the form team in the PL.

 

[lobodelsur]

Over the last 4 seasons we have gone head to head with all of the SKY 6 several times and, (barring the occasional aberration), have always been competitive even if we didn't win.
Now put that into a financial context. These clubs have been dominating, almost exclusively, English representation in the European competitions. They have all, at one time or another, had some success in these competitions and reaped the financial rewards that those successes brought, (which is, incidentally, much more financially than even their domination of the domestic market pays).
We have put behind us almost 2 decades of regular lower-league football and have now established ourselves in the PL. But financially we are way behind them. The SKY 6 have been able to re-invest their earnings into stadia, technology, experts and better quality playing staff. So I refer you back to the opening sentence - we are going head to head and able to compete with clubs operating on a different financial plane from us.
So, YES, we are a good side/club/team.

 

[Mile End Wanderer]

Start of the season many of us wanted survival / mid table we are well overachieving. Let’s get back on track Sunday and support the team!!

 

[Lycaon]

Last night was a huge game in the expectation stakes, unfortunately we didn’t quite measure up for whatever reason.

However, overall we’re a much improved side and still developing, somehow I can’t see us losing our opening 3 games next season which to my mind is definitely a positive regardless of the teams we play.

 

[Mile End Wanderer]

Look to the future.It's summer 2022. What do we need to do to move forward?
Extend contracts of neves, kilman, sa, ait nouri, neto, podence.
Bring back on loan players gibbs white, toti gomes, bolla.
Sell traore, dadashov,cutrone, raul.
Let go moutinho, saiss and marcel.
Bring in 2 x strikers
1 x central defender
1 x central midfielder

Big things will happen. I’m convinced Palhinha is coming now too. Just depends if we can keep Neves or not. Vinagre money too and hopefully we can shift Cutrone. Bolla will be a good player same for Giles. Time to be excited about the future. Looks like Moutinho & Saiss are leaving though. Contract talks would of been sorted by now you would of thought.

 

[reanswolf]

My opinion is that it all comes back to the fact having 3 at the back surrenders a more forward thinking player and it kills us. I much prefer us playing 3-5-2 away in these sort of games, to get the extra man in midfield, however if we went 4 at the back we could have the extra man in midfield and still have 3 forwards.

This then all also comes back to the fact until we sign a new midfielder that offers something different (ala Sanches) we are stuck in this weird position of having a superb defensive record but its not because we have a particularly good defence, we just set up to defend.

Feels like we are so near yet so far at the same time.

Bang on.

Am so grateful and I realise we are shooting above our natural level (in recent decades at least), but it just feels we could so easily be better still, which frustrates in equal measure.

 

[Wagstaffe Was Magic]

You mean like Man City did against us? Every team does it occasionally, as we do, occasionally. 7th in the PL says we are a good team. Bruno has been applauded on here and by many pundits for tactical nouse. You just dismiss that because we were unable to break a high press by the form team in the PL.

No, it’s a regular feature unfortunately. Leicester were comfortably the better side on Sunday yet were without Vardy and Barnes who would surely have buried us. We’re punching well above our weight. We’re far from a top 4 side and our glass ceiling will prove to be around 8th this season.

Nothing wrong with finishing in the top ten in this league but we need a striker badly and a mobile midfielder… a minimum requirement!

 

[Contrarian]

Isn't this the first time ever under Bruno that we've lost after taking the lead?

Only the second time ever in 3 and a half seasons, I think they said. We had never lost under Bruno after taking the lead. My prediction is that we will carry on playing exactly the same way and win more than we lose.

 

[Bill S Preston Esq.]

Only the second time ever in 3 and a half seasons, I think they said. We had never lost under Bruno after taking the lead. My prediction is that we will carry on playing exactly the same way and win more than we lose.

I agree. Some have a very weird grasp on reality and imagine an alternate universe where "we never learn".

 

[drewsie]

Despite what some of the bed wetters on here say or the morons on Twitter…we’re in a good place and a lot of appreciation needs to be shown rather than the negative none sense!

I’m not against folks having opinions but some of the garbage I was reading last night, Jesus!!! it totally went against the grain. One poster used the word “morons” to describe the team. Out of order!

I was on my way to the toilet just before KO against Leicester and on one of the screens SkySports put up a stat saying “most wins at this stage of season in the top league since 70/71 season”.

Something special is happening folks but we’re not there yet. To get there, you’ve gotta have nights like last night.

 

[WickedWolfie]

Do you think we’re a good side?

The league would suggest so.

 

[Wagstaffe Was Magic]

The league would suggest so.

Sheffield United were in our position two years ago………… look at them now!

 

[hollo]

Bolla cost 1.8 million and hoever 10 million. I think the grasshoppers project is the way forward. Look good against zurich and young boys and you can begin to gauge the level of a player.
Fosun need to buy a club like estoril in portugal or bordeaux in france to expand the project.

 

[Contrarian]

I agree. Some have a very weird grasp on reality and imagine an alternate universe where "we never learn".

Isn't it "you're only as good as your last match"? Vividly remember the home match with Norwich in the Championship season. This is over 4 years ago now. 1-0 up , sat back. 2-0, sat back even more. 2-1, carried on sitting back. Norwich were nothing special at the time, mid-table, but we spent the whole game sat back trying to counter them. It was the one where they equalised in injury time after a 40 yard shot and Ruddy fumble to finish 2-2. Cue the meltdown and comments "why do we sit back when in the lead, it never works and we are going to throw promotion away if we carry on doing it".

Even Nuno's first match - Boro at home. Scored early to go 1-0 up (after defensive error, also a pattern that we prey on those) then just sat back, stayed organised and cancelled the match out..though Boro had 2 or 3 chances to equalise at the end. Maybe its' the core of Coady/Neves/Saiss as they are the ones who have been around since then and (Coady and Neves especially) dictate how we play. The thing is, we played that way most weeks since and the points just kept rolling in. It's a strategy that has brought us our best results for 40 years, with players that have cost far less than the typical top 8 contenders. It won't change without significant new influx.

 

[Bill S Preston Esq.]

Sheffield United were in our position two years ago………… look at them now!

No. Sheffield United had that first season bounce. We're well on our way to 3 out of 4 top half finishes since promotion. Without serious long term injuries to multiple key players it may well have been 4 out of 4, we'll never know...

What we do know is Sheffield United were a fluke, as demonstrated by their subsequent relegation. Doing it consistently as we have is no fluke.

Come on, try and give the club, the hierarchy, the managers and players some credit. Who knows, you may enjoy the positivity, you might feel a glow and crack a smile. Give it a go.

 

[Contrarian]

No, it’s a regular feature unfortunately. Leicester were comfortably the better side on Sunday yet were without Vardy and Barnes who would surely have buried us. We’re punching well above our weight. We’re far from a top 4 side and our glass ceiling will prove to be around 8th this season.

Nothing wrong with finishing in the top ten in this league but we need a striker badly and a mobile midfielder… a minimum requirement!

Yet when we are the better side and don't win "only the result matters".

 

[WickedWolfie]

No. Sheffield United had that first season bounce. We're well on our way to 3 out of 4 top half finishes since promotion. Without serious long term injuries to multiple key players it may well have been 4 out of 4, we'll never know...

What we do know is Sheffield United were a fluke, as demonstrated by their subsequent relegation. Doing it consistently as we have is no fluke.

Come on, try and give the club, the hierarchy, the managers and players some credit. Who knows, you may enjoy the positivity, you might feel a glow and crack a smile. Give it a go.

DLS thought that they were going to be the new us. They look more like the new Blades.

 

[WeAreTheWolvesII]

Yet when we are the better side and don't win "only the result matters".

We haven’t been the better side and not got what we deserved since August, maybe with the exception of Burnley at home if we’re generous. Six months!

So you’re saying something that’s not really true there to suit your narrative.

On the other hand, there will be many games in that period that work the other way.

 

[groundhogwolf]

Isn't it "you're only as good as your last match"? Vividly remember the home match with Norwich in the Championship season. This is over 4 years ago now. 1-0 up , sat back. 2-0, sat back even more. 2-1, carried on sitting back. Norwich were nothing special at the time, mid-table, but we spent the whole game sat back trying to counter them. It was the one where they equalised in injury time after a 40 yard shot and Ruddy fumble to finish 2-2. Cue the meltdown and comments "why do we sit back when in the lead, it never works and we are going to throw promotion away if we carry on doing it".

Even Nuno's first match - Boro at home. Scored early to go 1-0 up (after defensive error, also a pattern that we prey on those) then just sat back, stayed organised and cancelled the match out..though Boro had 2 or 3 chances to equalise at the end. Maybe its' the core of Coady/Neves/Saiss as they are the ones who have been around since then and (Coady and Neves especially) dictate how we play. The thing is, we played that way most weeks since and the points just kept rolling in. It's a strategy that has brought us our best results for 40 years, with players that have cost far less than the typical top 8 contenders. It won't change without significant new influx.

We had 2-3 decent chances when winning 1-0, we are where we are because of the tactics, I guess we could try the Bielsa plan.

 

[fleck1]

Think you have to take the emotion out of the result, it's the worst way to lose (especially having to walk through them outside the ground) . If we'd been beat 4 or 5 nil you hold your hands up, we didn't show up on to West Ham Sunday. But standing back and looking at it as a fan base, as a club we expect to have performed better, to have gone there and got something that's where we are at now. The players, coaches, fans aren't happy we have lost by a single goal away at one of the so called big 6, a team that has had 30 years of the Premier league riches, competing at the top table and in Europe for most of that time. Their celebrations home and away show us exactly how we are viewed, we aren't the plucky underdog anymore. Disappointment and striving to be better on and off the field is a good thing and will help us continue to grow. Sometimes it's good to take a deep breath and let the emotion pass, before jumping on a forum...

 

[KnowNuttin]

On the positive watching our goal again it’s a brilliant finish by Hwang. I know we’re all (rightly) excited by Neto coming back but Hwang too can make a big difference to us.

Hwang's goal was absolutely top class. The touch and balance to take it past the keeper so close to the byline whilst still giving himself an angle to score was top top quality. I'm not sure he's getting enough credit for a magnificent goal. Hats off to him.

 

[clivewolves]

I had a quick look at the remaining fixtures for the teams challenging for Europe and it's still all to play for in my opinion. Even top four. The way it's shaping up there could be 6 or 7 teams in the relegation battle and they'll be fighting to stay in the league, plus the teams at the top of the table will take points off each other.

We have Liverpool on the final day which is arguably as tough as it gets.

 

[Contrarian]

We had 2-3 decent chances when winning 1-0, we are where we are because of the tactics, I guess we could try the Bielsa plan.

I think that's the smaller club mentality. "2-3 decent chances" is not that much, really , over a 90 minute match. It's what you the League 2 teams say when they lose to a Premier League club after valiantly hanging on. "Oh if only we'd taken our 2 chances and the other team had missed all of their 20 chances". Even when top meets bottom, it's rare a team doesn't have one chance.

Apologies if I'm misunderstanding, I'm an agreement with what you say about we are where we are, because if we tried the Bielsa plan we would drop to where they are! My opinion is we have a good squad, though it's a fair way short of the quality of a Sky 6 squad. Though it's kind of irrelevant as we don't have the players to play the Bielsa way, anyway. A team can't switch tactics that easily - and be succesful at it, any more than than a heavy metal band can decide they want to become a reggae band. They could try, but the results won't be harmonious....

We've very rarely played in a way that creates loads of chances - and the occasions that spring to mind, we hardly scored any. That Burnley 1-0 in the first season back, for example, when we had 30+ shots. The first 3 matches of this season. Several times in "all out attack" mode this season and have scored nothing. Good contrast being how we played in the final 30 minutes while one down in the home match v Arsenal, to how Arsenal played in the away match in exactly the same situation. Even against 10 men, we created next to nothing, where Arsenal had a gear to go into that we just don't seem to have. It's not a choice. Our best moves start in our own half - often a quick turnover after the opponent is in possession. We aren't good at sustained pressure.

Thankfully, we don't need that "overdrive" gear very often!

 

[JonahWolf]

Do you think we’re a good side?

Yes. Reasonable overall, but (usually) excellent in holding onto a lead. 2 big chances missed, another one stolen by a disgraceful bit of refereeing stopped us from making the game safe.
Arsenal aren’t mugs, it was the 2 form teams in the division going at it. Losing Semedo, the aforementioned missed chances, them piling on the pressure and a slice of luck with the winner combined to make it the first loss from a lead on over a season’s worth of games.

If you’re sitting well into the top half of the table with 2/3 the season gone then I think that has to qualify as a ‘good’ side. Define ‘good’? There are 2 outstanding sides, another 1 better than the rest, and the rest of the pack we’re in that are ‘good’ sides for me.

 

[sedgwolf1980]

Sensible opinion… if we were to somehow win tmrw, it would not only make this an actual decent week after all, but would also make the months point return as much as anyone could realistically have hoped.

Come on boys, we can do this.

 

[VancouverWolf]

I think that's the smaller club mentality. "2-3 decent chances" is not that much, really , over a 90 minute match. It's what you the League 2 teams say when they lose to a Premier League club after valiantly hanging on. "Oh if only we'd taken our 2 chances and the other team had missed all of their 20 chances". Even when top meets bottom, it's rare a team doesn't have one chance.

Apologies if I'm misunderstanding, I'm an agreement with what you say about we are where we are, because if we tried the Bielsa plan we would drop to where they are! My opinion is we have a good squad, though it's a fair way short of the quality of a Sky 6 squad. Though it's kind of irrelevant as we don't have the players to play the Bielsa way, anyway. A team can't switch tactics that easily - and be succesful at it, any more than than a heavy metal band can decide they want to become a reggae band. They could try, but the results won't be harmonious....

We've very rarely played in a way that creates loads of chances - and the occasions that spring to mind, we hardly scored any. That Burnley 1-0 in the first season back, for example, when we had 30+ shots. The first 3 matches of this season. Several times in "all out attack" mode this season and have scored nothing. Good contrast being how we played in the final 30 minutes while one down in the home match v Arsenal, to how Arsenal played in the away match in exactly the same situation. Even against 10 men, we created next to nothing, where Arsenal had a gear to go into that we just don't seem to have. It's not a choice. Our best moves start in our own half - often a quick turnover after the opponent is in possession. We aren't good at sustained pressure.

Thankfully, we don't need that "overdrive" gear very often!

Clubs would find it hard to sustain pressure if we could improve our possession skills.

 

[Tring Wolf]

Sensible opinion… if we were to somehow win tmrw, it would not only make this an actual decent week after all, but would also make the months point return as much as anyone could realistically have hoped.

Come on boys, we can do this.

Absolutely. Even a draw tomorrow and that would make it 7 points from a run of 5 very hard games which would be a very decent return.

I’ve never thought we could finish in the Top 4 but even if we lose tomorrow, I still think we have a realistic shot of 6th or 7th.

 

[SuperGran]

Sensible opinion… if we were to somehow win tmrw, it would not only make this an actual decent week after all, but would also make the months point return as much as anyone could realistically have hoped.

Come on boys, we can do this.

Most people accepted 5 points for this run of February fixtures we’ve got 6 and a still a chance of 7 or 9 so pretty decent really.

 

[Contrarian]

Clubs would find it hard to sustain pressure if we could improve our possession skills.

Yes, that's been a problem - especially when opponents have the energy to press us high. Arsenal and Leicester did, ending with giving the ball away lots as we were hurried. Spurs , not so much. Actually, we did give the ball away too much , but Spurs gave it straight back!

It's been a feature in our recent matches , where we've been more open and scored a few more (but also conceded more chances in defence) that our retaining of possession has not been that good. Saiss seems to have started to give the ball away a lot more since returning from the AFCON. And we seem to get harried into our corners and just float a hopeful ball out many times. Arsenal were picking these off 9 times out of 10.

It's the way to beat us - pressure our back line and Neves, give them no time. If you let them dictate, then all of them can stroll up to half way and "quarter back" , which seems to be how we like to play.

Bruno is talking about changing things gradually, though. Recently, a couple of times Neves has surged upfield with the ball upfield. Positively "surged"! When we were actually winning! Never saw that until this season.