Southampton verdict

[Bossworld]

Terrible first half performance from ourselves, I can’t help but feel it was somewhat caused by Southampton doubling and tripling up, which proved to be unsustainable energy-wise.

Second half a different team and to the players’ credit I would argue we did push for a third even if a clear cut chance never came. Shows the difference when we’re able to attack, and was great to see Traore not doing the walk > sprint past his man routine that’s proved fruitless recently.

Patricio played well, even if the follow up shot on the double save was offside, credit to him for picking himself up again.

Also delighted to see Jonny come through unscathed again (ice pack precaution aside).

Onwards and upwards.

 

[Kashmire Hawker]

Life Is A Rollercoaster: You've Just Gotta Ride It!

Don't care how they come - that is A MASSIVE win and means 8 points out of the last 15 in the League and only 1 defeat in our last 5 PL outings!

The Saints wore Red
Pedro is a weight in Gold
The 2nd half was a beauty
It was the Wolves of the Old!

I know that was bad, but who cares!

 

[TheConcourse]

That reaction from Nuno broke my heart. Bleeds gold.

 

[thommo1984]

A little bit of heart goes a long way.

Happy valentines day.

 

[Berrylands]

Only 10 point gap to Liverpool. There for the taking!

 

[Ginger Chimp]

@WickedWolfie

Down to me, that.

 

[Chris H]

Switching Neto and Traore was a master stroke. They were being outnumbered out wide so switching and bringing them narrower suddenly opened the game up for us. Midfield 2 noticeably improved with that too.

Good tactics by Nuno. He’s had plenty of pelters and deservedly so, let’s hope he gets the credit he deserves for this.

 

[TheTwoPigeons]

Massive win, huge for us.

Nuno realised the problems at half time thank god and made the right tactical changes.

Wish we hadn't sat back and held on for the win the end but right now I'll take it if it grinds out some wins for us.

 

[WonderWolf]

Job done.

MOTM: Neto.....the individual moment did it for us.

 

[Narfolk Wolf]

Great second half. Hope we continue to give Neto and Traore the freedom to roam.

 

[North Bank]

At half time I was sat thinking this season has been so frustrating as we know how good this team can actually play.

Simple thing of switching Traore and Neto over made such a difference. Freed up Semedo when going forward, him and Adama make too many similar movements, and Neto is just his brilliant self.

Have to say though that Patricio was superb. It will get overlooked by most because of the attacking changes and the 2 class goals in the game but he kept us in it at 1-0. He made a few crucial saves at 2-1 and claimed a couple crosses with great confidence.

 

[SanFranWolf]

Unwatchabley bad in the first half but played much better second half.

Got a bit of luck with the penalty but a moment of pure class from the best player we have in the side at the minute won the game.

Chuffed with the 3 points, didn't look like we'd get anything from that.

 

[Stee]

No point in glossing over the first half, we were as bad as we have ever been and it still desperately needs addressing.

But, second half Nuno had a tactical tinker, we showed some passion and some tempo and we scored two goals. Very proud of the team and lovely reaction from Nuno at the end.

UTW!

 

[WWFC_Melbourne]

The worst first half of football I have seen in an incredibly long time and there have been a few to choose from.

A somewhat fortunate penalty and the game changed completely - a quite surreal amount really.

Credit to the tactics change and Traore/Neto switch, allowing both players to cut inside.

Strange game

 

[SellyWolf]

Excellent second half. I think the fact that they pressed us hard and were largely unchanged from Thursday and that was always likely to take its toll.
We stepped it up a couple of gears and moved the ball quickly in addition to having Neto and Traore playing as inside forwards as opposed to ‘wide men’ and that was that.

It almost looks like a coherent plan which began on Thursday evening...

 

[Deleted member 9202LYK]

At half time I was ready to give up watching games this season. That first half was truly pathetic.

a luck break with the penalty - but as soon as we got that we had a vintage second half with everyone passing to everyone else - smiling when things didn’t quite come off.

adama, samedo and Neto were absolutely brilliant.

but don’t forget Neves was absolutely everywhere - must have won the ball back 15 times and Rui had kept us in the match with another towering performance.

 

[Brixton Wanderer]

Shocking first half, the second half however was a different story.

Nuno switching Traore and Neto allowing then to cut in and play more centrally worked. We need to see this more often. Traore through the middle pulls sides out of their shape. Our response showed fight and character and a side that plays for it’s manager.

Neto and Rui was excellent today. Adama and Neves also had great games. Really good to have Marcal back.

Seven points from out last three. Closer to Europe than the bottom. Onwards and upwards.

 

[VancouverWolf]

A damm good win and the lads will love it. They came back from 1-0 down and bossed the second half. It will give them a good lift.
Not to mention us fans.
Adama....great second half......was a catalyst for the team.

 

[jrpb-3]

Happy Valentines Day
First of delighted with the win and 3 pts
Definitely a game of 2 halves.
First half summed by by different team from cup but same performance, same result
No attacking intent, Southampton closed down and gave us no time on the ball particularly first 20 mins, we sat off and defended the space rather than press the ball or players.
Good cross and volley for their goal, but Dendonker doesn't do enough to stop the cross coming in and Ings loses his man (Mouts?) and Redmond blocks Coady from possibly being able to make a last ditch tackle.
Second half we showed a bit more intensity and and actually some attacking intent. Penalty a little harsh but the right decision. A good pen from Neves.
Much more positive from Neto , Traore and Semedo and great run and finish from Neto for the Winner (MOTM).
As the game sent on it became a bit more even and at times we still gave them too much time on the ball in dangerous areas, but Southampton unable to punish us for it, though on balance as the game went on another goal for either didn't look that likely, but if pushed Southampton had slightly better chances to get equalizer than we did of getting a third

 

[KBWWFC]

Credit to nuno for finally changing it up and tweaking the formation at half time.

The first half performance was unforgiveable. There are zero excuses for that.

The second half performance has shown that we can turn on the style, we can play good, positive, aggressive football.
Why can't we play like that from the beginning?

 

[Bossworld]

All this controversy over the ‘new’ handball rules - I think it’s changed a couple of times hasn’t it and I’m sure we’ve lost out to a point blank impact at least twice.

Part of me wonders whether it had got to the stage that attackers with no realistic shot on goal were aiming at a defender’s arm for an ‘easy’ pen - probably a cynical view and an unlikely manoeuvre to achieve, but without freeze framing Bertrand ten times, it sure looked a pen today

 

[SellyWolf]

I think if we are all honest - we’d be furious about the penalty award too.

 

[Fifty Niner]

A view from the opposing camp....'Losing to such a poor team is so infuriating. Screwed once again by the officiating'.

We were very very rubbish first half. The handball rule is a farce. Gutted for them.

 

[QB Wolf]

Loved it, which is quite apt for today.

A stroke of luck with the pen but we deserved it.

The forwards were awful first half, then Neto and Adama really improved which changed the game.
Confidence is king!

 

[SingYourHeartsOut]

Well I though we started OK but went rapidly downhill first half. No end product from a well controlled Neto, Jose anonymous and Adama frankly embarrassing.

Second half a different team, positive and aggressive. Maybe got a bit lucky with modern rules, but definite pen in today's world. Neto's goal just sublime. Then mostly in control.

Pressure off Nuno, who although many will disagree, at least justified his FA Cup decision to some extent.

Adama and Jose still fairly anonymous though, so bit getting over excited yet.

 

[The Wolf In The North]

Legend has it that Ferguson would have been sacked at Man Utd but for a battling win against Forest, and he went on from there.

We'll never know for sure, but I have a suspicion Pedro Neto may have just saved Nuno's job. May things go on from strength to strength from here.

The lesson must be heeded. Attack, fight, and we can win. Passive and slow, we fall.

Well done Wolves, well done Nuno, well done Neto. Gorgeous goal.

 

[Autistic Kangaroo]

Brilliant turn around.
Well done to the team.
Well done to Nuno

 

[Deleted member yltz11841]

I’m one of the doomongers but happy to be proved wrong and take any abuse given.
Il still have a bit of a rant though, first half was abysmal, second half was like night and day we played so much better, pressed attacked with intent moved the ball quicker, that’s all I want to see win or lose, which makes the first half and how we have been playing lately **** me off even more as that’s how we can play.

Get a new contact infront of Neto ASAP

3 points and I can chill for the rest of the weekend, rather than be ****ed off.
(I don’t think it was a penalty btw same as I didn’t think Kilmans was against Leicester)

 

[Jonzy54]

Abject relief

 

[Wonder Boyo]

Our fitness levels looked far better in the second half. Southampton looked leggy and ran out of energy. Can't imagine why.

 

[Oh When the Wolves]

That reaction from Nuno broke my heart. Bleeds gold.

What reaction? Turned it off at full time

 

[Perton Wolf]

For all those people who were slagging off the players and calling them lazy during the 1st half, that 2nd half showed they aren't the problem. That's what we're capable of when we actually look to play on the front foot and be positive on the ball.

Just a shame we don't lineup with that intent more often.

 

[Jamwolf]

Amazing turnaround. Nuno must have gone ape at half time.
Neto the MOM, but Traore was also great second half.

 

[Brixton Wanderer]

I think if we are all honest - we’d be furious about the penalty award too.

Without a doubt. We’ve had enough shockers against us so from a Wolves point of view I couldn’t care less.

 

[portugamerifinn]

I thought the fan and media reaction at halftime was a bit overblown, but the second half was much better in every way.

Not sure what Nuno was supposed to do about the first half lowlights like Traore dribbling out of play, Neves passing it out of play, or Donk's "challenge" of the cross.

Hopefully folks around here stop hyping up an imaginary relegation battle after each poor half now that Wolves have twice as many points as the 18th-place club on pace for 26 points and...let me check...18th place.

 

[Tring Wolf]

Answered some massive questions at half-time, mainly that they were still playing for the shirt and the Manager.

Awful first half performance, devoid of any fight, heart or quality. Second half, much more intent and tempo. Traore (who played much more centrally) and Neto both fantastic.

Patricio 7
Dendoncker 6
Coady 6
Saiss 6
Semedo 6
Neves 6
Moutinho 6
Jonny 6
Traore 7
Jose 6
Neto 8

Marcal 7

Great to see Nuno’s reaction at full-time. Doesn’t quite take away the bitter taste that Thursday left but full credit to him and the boys for that fightback today.

 

[Oh When the Wolves]

So much more desire second half

Nuno was clearly livid

Can’t believe we turned it round . Very fortunate with the decisions - but overdue some

 

[Andywolf74]

Nuno understandably emotional at the end. One thing we can never accuse him of is not giving 100% to his job. My dad is seriously ill in hospital at the moment and thank you Wolves for making me smile. 30 points feels like a big milestone and should now cast aside any fears of the dreaded drop...

 

[Incognito]

The old cliche, a game of two halves, definitely applies today. Wolves the footballing equivalent of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde today. There's no excusing that **** show of a first half, and Nuno needs to sort that out, but no complaints whatsoever with that second half performance. That goal from Neto was as sexy a goal you'll see on Valentine's Day!

 

[Stafford]

By sports are gutted. The 2 penalty decisions are completely different. First is harsh, but there is no comparison