Sporting Lisbon vs Wolves

[Joshwolf218]

Good test that! Really enjoyable watch, can't see any of the starting eleven today playing at all tomorrow morning.

It's a good 90 in the legs for most players

 

[Ian C]

Dull as ****. Where’s the goals coming from? Nowhere, that’s where.

Podence got some skills but he’s too lightweight for the PL. Hwang is pointless. Neto will be fine, hopefully MGW can step up.

 

[sillytuna]

One last attack and what does Hwang do..... plays it back to Bueno

He really had nothing else. Neves overhit the pass and we had one player anywhere near vs a lot of defenders.

 

[Hoganstolemywife]

Thought we looked good for 70 mins, with that 'something' still missing.

Wonder what's next for Conor

The lack of players in the opposing box later in the game irked me.

Sporting are a very good team tbf

 

[Dan G WWFC]

The ref might as well have been wearing green.

Some nice football but, hardly any chances. Need a striker.

 

[Oh When the Wolves]

Fair result. Decent performance.

Simply have to sign a CM though.

Failure to do so will result in us reverting back to a 5 in no time. Whether that's simply through a lack of numbers or because we're still failing to create chances.

Agreed

So frustrating . Simply due to no back up forwards or midfielders .

Absolute joke . Sort it out jeff

 

[Oh When the Wolves]

Thought we looked good for 70 mins, with that 'something' still missing.

Wonder what's next for Conor

He’ll get chances throughout the season to prove himself

 

[Wednesbury Wolf]

Dendonker is the most anonymous footballer I've ever seen, he's just nothing at all, If he was food he'd be a mouldy lettuce.

 

[Contrarian]

One last attack and what does Hwang do..... plays it back to Bueno

The curling shot from 30 yards out on the left touchline was so easy, too. Or he could have gone on a mazy run past the 5 Sporting defenders in the penalty area. The one thing he could't do was pass to any of our players in the box , because there were none there.

It's already beyond absurd how utterly and obsessed beyond reason some are with Hwang. He played 15 minutes of the match, yet still, every other comment since he came on is about him. It's not healthy, I tell you!

 

[sillytuna]

The ref might as well have been wearing green.

Some nice football but, hardly any chances. Need a striker.

And a midfielder to be involved more. Sorry but Moutinho was just not at the races today. We have too little creativity or attacking intent in that midfield. They're all one paced.

Still, we know all of this and the new formation gives us a chance to play around a bit with midfield options. Well, if we had any lol. I'd really like to see one of the young lads play with two seniors.

 

[Dan G WWFC]

This half isn’t filling me with confidence for Leeds.

Sporting in the premier league would be a top 10 team. Playing without a striker too

 

[Starsky]

Fosun will be the biggest 'what if' owners in our history.

Core of a great side,shame they can't be bothered anymore.

 

[Halesowen wwfc]

Overrun in midfield by 35 mins onwards. Then stick with trying the counter attack, exactly the same as last 2 years. When will the board realise we need someone quicker in central midfield. Lets hope we wake up to good news in the morning about nunes

 

[Dan G WWFC]

And a midfielder to be involved more. Sorry but Moutinho was just not at the races today. We have too little creativity or attacking intent in that midfield. They're all one paced.

Still, we know all of this and the new formation gives us a chance to play around a bit with midfield options. Well, if we had any lol. I'd really like to see one of the young lads play with two seniors.

That Nunes will do, just get him on our coach

 

[Ned]

Sporting in the premier league would be a top 10 team. Playing without a striker too

I absolutely agree but it’s the bad habits that we revert to, playing it safe creating minimal chances and also the lack of options on the bench.

 

[Rhoswolf]

Must be drunk, quite enjoyed the game and saw many positives.

 

[92WWFC]

I don't think Nunes did anything to make me that impressed, I don't get the adoration. Trincao anonymous. Goncalves didn't do much either. Overall wasn't impressed by Sporting but I suppose decent preparation for dirty Leeds.

I thought we played well, Ait- Nouri plus the forwards playing some lovely football. We looked solid defensively too. Sa looking very sharp for a guy who hasn't played for a long while.

 

[Supadavewolf]

IMV on today's performance, if we play a 4 2 3 1, the two for me would be Neves and Donk. Just my opinion.

 

[JOSWolf]

Another sub, yet we keep playing the same 3 in midfield. Tells us everything we need to know about what Lage think about Hodge and Cundle...

Totally agree.

 

[sillytuna]

Also, anyone think we should have signed trincao from that performance?

 

[Tring Wolf]

Fair result and an ok performance.

Positives: Sa looking fully fit and sharp off his line. Kilman very good. Neto nearly back to full throttle. Neves still oozing class. Ait-Nouri the best player on the pitch and destined for great things.

Moutinho a little off the pace but he’s been excellent in the other pre-season games. Clearly lacking a focal point up front.

Nunes looks like he’d be ideal for us. Decent technically, drives with the ball and surprisingly physical (and occasionally cynical). Think he’d fit really well into either a 4-2-3-1 next to Neves or a 4-3-3.

Would love to see something like:

Sa
Semedo, Collins, Kilman, Ait-Nouri
Nunes, Neves
MGW, Podence, Neto
Raul

Sarkic, Jonny, Boly, Coady, Dendoncker, Moutinho, Adama, New Striker, Hwang/Campbell

 

[Joshwolf218]

Totally agree.

Or the midfield where earmarked to play 90 mins to get it in the legs

Remember Ronan, Cundle and Hodge can all play tomorrow

 

[Krispy Kreme]

That shouldnt effect whether he plays wide or up front....

No but your point that he should of took Dendonckers place, who started, Hwang couldnt start...

 

[Mark Rankines Lovechild]

So…did the four at the back cure all our goal scoring / goal chance problems?

 

[Scallywolf]

Dendonker is the most anonymous footballer I've ever seen, he's just nothing at all, If he was food he'd be a mouldy lettuce.

Not a bad result playing with10 men then was it!

 

[tonto]

Must be drunk, quite enjoyed the game and saw many positives.

That’s the way to do it

 

[Dan G WWFC]

I absolutely agree but it’s the bad habits that we revert to, playing it safe creating minimal chances and also the lack of options on the bench.

I think it's having nobody that wants to score, they just want to be the guy making the pass. Just all lining up outside the box.

 

[Supadavewolf]

Also, anyone think we should have signed trincao from that performance?

Errr, let me think..

 

[Krispy Kreme]

So…did the four at the back cure all our goal scoring / goal chance problems?

Nobody ever said 4 at the back with no striker...

 

[JonahWolf]

Well the skill, style, pace, intent, entertainment have all been significantly inferior to the 80 mins of Charity Shield game I watched earlier

Wow, shocker. So you're saying we don't measure up to the 2 best teams in the division (and arguably in Europe) by a country mile?
That's truly astounding. Better get that scoop on Reuters.

 

[moseleyite]

FT: 1-1. MOTM for me: RAN... for his interplay, his ridiculous skills and for somehow not punching that forward

Food for thought going into the first match of the season this time next week. As a team, we look more unified and our general interplay is at time exceptional. I thought we looked... okay... defensively against a decentish side but I'll be interested to see how we fare against a full-intensity match at Elland Road (to be fair, this was fairly intense).

We still don't create a great number of shots on goal and that's the biggest worry for most fans (not that I mean to speak on their behalf) coming out of last season: our paucity in attack. I would say, however, that we got in better positions with this formation and it was noticeable that with an attacker who, for my money, is a player who's best in the centre (Hwang) making runs in behind, we showed what we might be able to do. Sure, he didn't take those chances but it perhaps highlights the need for an on-the-shoulder type forward (we used to call them strikers I think ).

The concern is that we're only seeing this with a week to go. It's all very well me saying that with a specialist central attacker we look more threatening but ... do we have one? I mean, do we have one other than Raul who's up to the level?

Damn, I started this out meaning to be really positive and... I kind of am! There were green shoots and the sort of neat interplay that the fans have been crying out for but the spectre of last season's poor goal scoring record still haunts us a little bit. We're most definitely not the finished article... over to you Chairman Guo... please??

As an aside, I kept half an eye on Porto's number 8 who I'm hearing we're quite interested in? He only played around the first hour or so but what I saw (not seen him play before) was impressive. What really catches the eye is how he receives the ball and quickly accelerates away from his markers/opposition midfielders. Not dribbling so much as just "stepping out" with the ball to make space and deliver a pass. I don't think it's something we really have in the midfield three at the moment. We can't be his only suitors so I'm unsure we could get him but if he could replicate what I saw tonight for us then I'd be happy with him as a signing... as I say, first time I've ever seen him touch a football so it's not exactly an in-depth look at him!

 

[sillytuna]

Another sub, yet we keep playing the same 3 in midfield. Tells us everything we need to know about what Lage think about Hodge and Cundle...

In fairness, that was probably ensuring they all got 90 minutes today and the other 3 mids get 90 minutes (or so) tomorrow.

Last chance before Leeds I think.

 

[JOSWolf]

To me our midfield is in desperate need of additions. Obvious Bruno doesnt trust the likes of Cundle or the other young lads to come on for a decent amount of time and second half our midfield needed fresh ideas.

We still dont create many good chances either.

The striker situation explains itself. Play like we did second half tonight and it wont be great at Leeds, in my opinion. The lack of options off the bench is very worrying and Shi and Sellars need to sort this pronto.

 

[Mark Rankines Lovechild]

I think it's having nobody that wants to score, they just want to be the guy making the pass. Just all lining up outside the box.

Didn't notice too many killer passes

 

[Bryce]

Agreed

So frustrating . Simply due to no back up forwards or midfielders .

Absolute joke . Sort it out jeff

Five subs is going to shaft us royally at this rate

 

[Bryce]

To me our midfield is in desperate need of additions. Obvious Bruno doesnt trust the likes of Cundle or the other young lads to come on for a decent amount of time and second half our midfield needed fresh ideas.

We still dont create many good chances either.

The striker situation explains itself. Play like we did second half tonight and it wont be great at Leeds, in my opinion. The lack of options off the bench is very worrying and Shi and Sellars need to sort this pronto.

It’s a championship bench at best in reality

 

[Contrarian]

Not a bad result playing with10 men then was it!

Lisbon had Trincao, though, so it was 10 v 10 after 30 minutes, once he'd burnt out after his "run".

 

[Mark Rankines Lovechild]

Nobody ever said 4 at the back with no striker...

Thought the extra attacker was going to make all the difference?
Im not against it but dont think its the solution many think it will be - if we still have only one striker in the box and no one breaking forward to support its pointless

 

[sillytuna]

To me our midfield is in desperate need of additions. Obvious Bruno doesnt trust the likes of Cundle or the other young lads to come on for a decent amount of time and second half our midfield needed fresh ideas.

Agreed about midfield but not coming on was about them all playing tomorrow. It's clear who his starters are though.

 

[Lawley Wolf]

Neto needs to get his head up, I’d think that could be why MGW was ****ed off

I know we don’t have a striker but I didn’t notice we had an extra attacker compared to playing 5 at the back