Southampton (H)

[Kashmire Hawker]

With PPV officially binned, our next game is on Monday November 23rd, 8pm on Sky.

 

[Bahama Wolf]

Good news in that Conor should be available to play!

 

[Jay Jay de Wolf]

Good news in that Conor should be available to play!

Wolves date change | Southampton FC
Agreed !

 

[JOSWolf]

Could be good in that it also gives Nuno a bit more time on the training ground with the players and more recovery time.

 

[Flea]

Simples..we play with an attitude to win a la Palace,then we should be too much for an overperforming side like Soton.
We play like scared chickens and give away half of the match on a platter a la Leicester..then the overperforming side will have been given enough room to overperform again.

God only knows at this point in time I recon.

 

[Fifty Niner]

Could be good in that it also gives Nuno a bit more time on the training ground with the players and more recovery time.

Dunno...we had a good bit of time before Leicester and were utterly hopeless first half. Better second half but then again the bar had been set very low first half.

 

[Netherton Wolf]

We never do well after an international break

 

[JOSWolf]

We never do well after an international break

We did last time to be fair!

 

[JOSWolf]

Dunno...we had a good bit of time before Leicester and were utterly hopeless first half. Better second half but then again the bar had been set very low first half.

True. Lets hope we come out all guns blazing and have a good go at Southampton.

 

[manchesterwolf17]

Works out conveniently in this instance, but I've actually forgotten what Saturday games are like by this point.

Since we played Southampton at home last season in October 2019, we've had three Saturday home fixtures. One of which was a late kick off against Arsenal.

 

[Fifty Niner]

True. Lets hope we come out all guns blazing and have a good go at Southampton.

Palace revisited. Doubt Southampton will make as easy for us though.

 

[Oh When the Wolves]

Good news.

same side

 

[Scallywolf]

When will we play on a Saturday again?

I just can’t get used to all these different times and days the games are being played now!

 

[waggys left foot]

Arsenal away 715pm Sunday 29Nov on Sky

 

[Alex Rae The Substitute]

Last season we seemed to play best after we’d just played in Europe, and struggled when we had a break.

We had plenty of time between games pre-Leicester and were below par. I don’t think we can be too confident that having a period of time before Southampton will do us any favours.

We’re clearly a team that benefits greatly from momentum.

 

[Flea]

Patricio
Boly-Coady-Kilman
Semedo-Donk-Moutinho-Marcal
ADAMA TRAORE-Raul-Neto

I would like to drop Semedo,who seems very average to me..but we don´t have any backup.
We were wrong in selling Doc.
Our central midfield is what it is.Moutinho is still class in some matches,and Neves just ain´t cutting it no more.
RAN is too unexperienced.Marcal has done okay thus far and deserves to play.

We look like WBA when we attack.Let´s change that by playing Adama Traore and the rest will follow.
Raul will be especially pleased.

 

[reanswolf]

I fancy us to bounce back with a win.

 

[Fifty Niner]

Patricio
Boly-Coady-Kilman
Semedo-Donk-Moutinho-Marcal
ADAMA TRAORE-Raul-Neto

I would like to drop Semedo,who seems very average to me..but we don´t have any backup.
We were wrong in selling Doc.
Our central midfield is what it is.Moutinho is still class in some matches,and Neves just ain´t cutting it no more.
RAN is too unexperienced.Marcal has done okay thus far and deserves to play.

We look like WBA when we attack.Let´s change that by playing Adama Traore and the rest will follow.
Raul will be especially pleased.

Semedo average? ..Traore isn't the answer on his own. Never has been. The problem, methinks, is that the void left by Jota and Doc has exposed just how one dimensional we have become.

 

[WolfInSheep'sClothing]

Semedo average? ..Traore isn't the answer on his own. Never has been. The problem, methinks, is that the void left by Jota and Doc has exposed just how one dimensional we have become.

Jota hasn't left a void. He really didn't create much for anybody else and didn't score enough goals to compensate
Give it a few weeks with proper wing-backs and a chance for everyone to settle in.

 

[reanswolf]

Jota hasn't left a void. He really didn't create much for anybody else and didn't score enough goals to compensate
Give it a few weeks with proper wing-backs and a chance for everyone to settle in.

I personally don't think its as straightforward as that. Ok he had barren spells, but his presence in itself is being missed, as a terrier like forward who can run at defences. He would also run into space and draw defenders away from Raul. Qualities that are not measured by assist stats.

Thats not to imply any criticism of Neto or Podence who are different but equally good players, but i do think Raul especially is missing Jota, and the effect of now being very heavily marked.

 

[WolfInSheep'sClothing]

I personally don't think its as straightforward as that. Ok he had barren spells, but his presence in itself is being missed, as a terrier like forward who can run at defences. He would also run into space and draw defenders away from Raul. Qualities that are not measured by assist stats.

Thats not to imply any criticism of Neto or Podence who are different but equally good players, but i do think Raul especially is missing Jota, and the effect of now being very heavily marked.

See i disagree. I think Raul will have more goals by the end of the season as a result of having 2 more creative players next to him. I think whilst we may lack his aggression and movement off the ball, I think neto and podence are both better at taking people on and at the final pass.
Jota has done well at Liverpool so far, but his main contribution has been as an impact sub and a poacher.

 

[wwbug]

This is a good marker for us. Southampton are playing well and top.But they are not blessed with the advantages of a top six side. They have not had 30 years of premium revenues from Europe , or from massive worldwide fan bases.
We are well into Nuno‘s reign - we should be able to impose ourselves and get a result. That’s what a top side does.

 

[WolfInSheep'sClothing]

I fancy us to win. I can't see Southampton sitting back against us which is usually when we struggle.

 

[Baboon]

This will be the second of a couple of stiff tests for us. We came up just short against Leicester and we need to do better against Southampton if we are to sustain our hopes of challenging for a top six finish. Defensively we've been doing fine but the "goals for" column suggests that's been at the expense of creating chances. It seems that we have yet to find quite the right balance. Podence was a bit off colour against Leicester and giving Traore a start might freshen things up. I suspect RAN's introduction to the Premier League might need to be gradual and for this game I'd be inclined towards Marcal's greater experience.

 

[OoohRobbieRobbie]

Rui
Boly Coady Killman
Semedo Neves Moutinho Ait-Nouri
Traore
Raul Podence​

 

[wwbug]

Rui
Boly Coady Killman
Semedo Neves Moutinho Ait-Nouri
Traore
Raul Podence​

What no Neto ?

 

[OoohRobbieRobbie]

What no Neto ?

Just a shake up. He doesn't deserve to be dropped (neither does Podence). But I'm sick of seeing Adama come on and predictably sprint down the right wing. I want to see him collect the ball and run at players from different angles and put the fear of God into them. Let Semedo and Ait-Nouri occupy the wings. This would cause havoc for them as we'd have phases of attack from different parts of the field.

 

[Deleted member 11332]

See i disagree. I think Raul will have more goals by the end of the season as a result of having 2 more creative players next to him. I think whilst we may lack his aggression and movement off the ball, I think neto and podence are both better at taking people on and at the final pass.
Jota has done well at Liverpool so far, but his main contribution has been as an impact sub and a poacher.

I agree with this entirely. Great post.

 

[wwbug]

Just a shake up. He doesn't deserve to be dropped (neither does Podence). But I'm sick of seeing Adama come on and predictably sprint down the right wing. I want to see him collect the ball and run at players from different angles and put the fear of God into them. Let Semedo and Ait-Nouri occupy the wings. This would cause havoc for them as we'd have phases of attack from different parts of the field.

I have been watching Adam’s closely and he is very static when not on the ball .
Also won’t he just run ahead of the front men . And does he have a sophisticated passing ability.
Better Podence replaces Adama and Neto replaces Podence in your proposed lineup ?

 

[lobodelsur]

I'm just not sure that Semedo and Traore can play together as they appear to try and occupy the same space. Like many other I'd love to see Adama move off he right wing and attack defenders from different angles and positions.

 

[Fifty Niner]

Jota hasn't left a void. He really didn't create much for anybody else and didn't score enough goals to compensate
Give it a few weeks with proper wing-backs and a chance for everyone to settle in.

Jota and Doc were the main contributors in goals and assists, was my understanding. Traore chipped in with a spell last season. Without Jota and Doc and with Traore not at his best, the tally of just 8 goals shows how fragile our attacking options were.

 

[Deleted member 4152]

Patricio
Boly-Coady-Kilman
Semedo-Donk-Moutinho-Marcal
ADAMA TRAORE-Raul-Neto

I would like to drop Semedo,who seems very average to me..but we don´t have any backup.
We were wrong in selling Doc.
Our central midfield is what it is.Moutinho is still class in some matches,and Neves just ain´t cutting it no more.
RAN is too unexperienced.Marcal has done okay thus far and deserves to play.

We look like WBA when we attack.Let´s change that by playing Adama Traore and the rest will follow.
Raul will be especially pleased.

Lol

 

[Wolves Heathen]

A very difficult game to predict but one thing is for sure, we cant afford to give free kicks away in and around the penalty area. I have to be honest i dont have the faintest idea how we solve our goalscoring problem with the current squad and system, what i do know is that we need to have different options.

 

[Wolf316]

Just a shake up. He doesn't deserve to be dropped (neither does Podence). But I'm sick of seeing Adama come on and predictably sprint down the right wing. I want to see him collect the ball and run at players from different angles and put the fear of God into them. Let Semedo and Ait-Nouri occupy the wings. This would cause havoc for them as we'd have phases of attack from different parts of the field.

I’d like to see that line up but I’d swap Neto for Podence.

 

[goldeneyed]

Just as well they don't have Ings playing and there are some doubts on Ward-Prowse's fitness. Probably their two best players. I still feel our attack is not at the races yet and our midfield desperately lacks that creative, attacking midfielder we all know we need. If Dendoncker is injured and Moutinho comes in we will have even less forward thrust from midfield. So I am going for a 1-1.

 

[kennyB]

Jota and Doc were the main contributors in goals and assists, was my understanding. Traore chipped in with a spell last season. Without Jota and Doc and with Traore not at his best, the tally of just 8 goals shows how fragile our attacking options were.

Who would you say is responsible for our recent below average performances? Does Nuno get any criticism? After all he was manager of the month for November. Just my view but he is far too negative and needs to step things up. On recent form we will do well to finish top half. Hopefully we will improve shortly and show our true worth but Adama isn't the one to be blamed for our ineptitude if he barely plays.

 

[Boss Hogg]

Coady won’t have trained with the squad at all and will Kilman be in the right frame of mind, can’t blame him if he isn’t, so there might be changes in defence.

 

[jeb01]

For some reason we have sometimes (a bit too often) come a cropper at home to Southampton.
We are still very much a “work in progress” at present, but I believe we will play a lot better as the season progresses and finish top six.
However, at this stage I wouldn’t be surprised to see a draw on Monday evening, but hopefully we will scrape home by the odd goal.

 

[92WWFC]

Just as well they don't have Ings playing and there are some doubts on Ward-Prowse's fitness. Probably their two best players. I still feel our attack is not at the races yet and our midfield desperately lacks that creative, attacking midfielder we all know we need. If Dendoncker is injured and Moutinho comes in we will have even less forward thrust from midfield. So I am going for a 1-1.

Donck is starting for Belgium so he should be fine .. barring anything happening tonight of course.

 

[Fifty Niner]

Who would you say is responsible for our recent below average performances? Does Nuno get any criticism? After all he was manager of the month for November. Just my view but he is far too negative and needs to step things up. On recent form we will do well to finish top half. Hopefully we will improve shortly and show our true worth but Adama isn't the one to be blamed for our ineptitude if he barely plays.

I think Roy Keane stated the same pre Leicester: we are too negative and defensive to go to the next level. Nuno pretty much admitted our style had taken us as far as it could, post Seville. More goals, better ball retention, more options from other areas etc.

Time will tell as to whether Nuno can change styles but assuming he can, and will, it’s going to take time to see the benefits on the pitch.