Villa verdict

[SmiffyWolf]

What will the line be next window when GON if he hasn't jumped ship say I thought I was getting a striker .

I presume will say oh he was above his station like JLOP . Can these managers all be wrong ..... I suppose for some they can be

 

[JOSWolf]

Still no sign of Noha Lemina either. I wonder whether we will be signing him this summer as surely he must get some minutes soon with us having no attack to speak of.

 

[JOSWolf]

Two of them are injury prone. Stevie Wonder could have seen what would happen.

Exactly. It is clear Neto and Hwang are injury prone but the powers that be knew better of course. Out of the FA Cup and the loss today are not on Gary or the players but I know who I blame.

 

[WickedWolfie]

Have to say I cant see anything but a defeat against Burnley as well as we have no attack left due to having no squad depth. It is massively frustrating after what quite a few of us were warning about in January but in some cases got belittled for daring to criticise.

If we can't beat this Burnley team we will never beat any Burnley team. Having said that l fear that you may well be right. I just hope that there isn't pressure to bring back Cunha before he is fully ready....

 

[Perton Wolf]

Still no sign of Noha Lemina either. I wonder whether we will be signing him this summer as surely he must get some minutes soon with us having no attack to speak of.

He was never meant to play, or be in the squad really, the fact he is says it all.

 

[yateleywolf]

We more than matched them until their lucky second and the game drifted away.
Gomes gets better while Semedo looked lively.
Chiwome has more upside than Fraser and has a bright future.
Pleased Traore was given a run out .GON doesnt seem to like him.

The January transfer window and injuries after have just ruined our season , hindsight and all that, but it's abit embarrassing how it's all ended up. Who do you blame for that ? I see it as a collective failure within the club they have to learn from it.
If it happened in my job it would trigger a review for lessons learnt.

 

[Wolf79]

Exactly. It is clear Neto and Hwang are injury prone but the powers that be knew better of course. Out of the FA Cup and the loss today are not on Gary or the players but I know who I blame.

Well it’s not really to blame is it? Fosun walking a fine line re sustainably (see Everton & Forest). Season will probably petter out now, at least until we get 2 out of 3 forwards back but a great try given the circumstances & hopefully a platform to challenge for a top 6-8th next season

 

[WorcesterWanderer]

Re: the match itself I didn't have much hope of getting a win but it stings because Villa weren't really at the races today I think. Two thoughts from me which I think many others share but anyway...

• If we cannot/do not beat Burnely I genuinely do not know what to say
• Fosun HAVE to back GON in the summer

 

[TheWolfFromWolverhampton]

Not an embarrassing performance by any stretch of the imagination. We were okay until the final third. Then disjointed, didn't take our chances. Some defensive mistakes. Confused and tired looks on the faces, lack of communication. No real drive in the final third. I think despite our injuries, it was still a poor performance, and think that we weren't at the races. We have to turn this around. I don't want it to be like it was last season. On the beach, loss, loss, draw, loss, draw, win. The fans want to see results, so communication has to improve. For me. It wasn't a good performance whatsoever. Wasn't shockingly bad. Yet wasn't good, despite the narrow score line.

 

[lostwolf]

Agree on how far we have come but will those people agree that Villa have overtaken us and the likes of Newcastle and West Ham who were below us a few seasons ago.

So what gone wrong is my question and that answer for me is our owners lack of ideas on how to move us forward. The strategy for seasons is wrong but Gou keeps Shi in charge when he is like a toddler in the deep end without armbands .

To not sign a striker in 3 windows is a ****ing disgrace

Agree with all that but...

Villa, West Ham and Villa all pull >40k in +45k stadiums. It's not just about recruitment, they're all in a better position off the park too. I don't necessarily blame Fosun for that, you can look at the reasons for each of those clubs flourishing, but it's not just about a centre forward or two... we're miles behind. Just look at the Steve Bull stand vs each of those stadiums and their average attendances.

 

[Mile End Wanderer]

So, how's Bulgaria?

Hot! Was 26 yesterday. Very cheap here to be fair. Would recommend

Shame we couldn’t get much from the game but it is what it is. Season is over for us.

 

[Eastern Wolf]

We were totally toothless up front. We tried three kids but they proved useless. Some may be hoping but they are no generational talents and really had nothing about them. Fabio at the same age had more about him.
To play at this level, they have to show more movement and find space. None of them did this. Chiwombe, Fraser, Chirewa..... Don't show blistering speed nor great body strength, nor any football nous. They were merely bodies. Harsh but it's what I saw.
We would have been better if Ait Nori played left wing with Buenos at wing back. Lemina as left forward didn't work. Traore would have offered more of a physical threat than any of the kids.
Maybe even Doherty would have done better.
I get that the kids need blooding but they were very underwhelming.

 

[Mugwump]

You cant blame the coaching team and the manager for a lack of options, but i think GON is getting is badly wrong playing Lemina out of position. When we have viable options for left back to push RAN forward, its stupidity to keep playing Lemina where he is.

The worry for me is the season will fizzle out and we will lose all the momentum and confidence we have built up. Said it before, losing is as big a habit as winning, and we dont want to get caught in a situation where we arent winning games.

 

[Woolywolf]

I wonder how GON really feels about how the club has handled things. Has he been aligned to the strategy and sees things long term ….or does he feel personally let down. Either way he will expect full support this summer or he will be exploring his array of options

 

[SA Wolf]

Just looked at the stats from yesterday, which shows we shaded possession and goal attempts. We were slightly behind Villa on shots on target and corners. This just shows to me, that such stats mean very little as it appeared that other than the first 20 mins, Villa was in complete control and (as someone else said), coasted to a victory.
I guess these stats don't show momentum, which shifted from us completely dominant in the first 20 mins to Villa wresting control from then. We needed to score when in control (how many times have we said that!) and RAN's miss, eventually proved crucial.
One of the commentators on the feed I watched, said that Wolves' best wins had come from less than 40% possession. I guess he was referring to Chelsea, Spuds and Citeh. I think these were from counter-attacks when we had pace in the side, which clearly we don't currently have!
The last two matches (Cov and Villa) have been particularly disappointing, but not surprising with injuries and particularly squad depth. All teams have injuries and suspensions, but our depth is pathetic and hopefully will be remedied in the summer.
As for our current predicament; perhaps we need to revert back to a Nunoesque counter-attacking side, as us having the ball means very little. Of course, this assumes that we get pace back. We had it under Nuno with Traore, Jota, Jimenez etc... and we'd have it now if Pedro and Cunha were fit. Might not be pretty, but possibly more-effective!

 

[wolfgar]

Its been a really great season thus far, and the players are clearly still giving 100%, but its hard to escape the feeling that its all going to peter out rather disappointingly, and that to some degree we will have inflicted it on ourselves. I can’t think of any other club in the division who wouldn’t have brought in at least one forward player in Jan had they been in our position. Especially with having let two forwards go.

I really hope we can get some players back and firing, and avoid a repeat of Lages first season where we dropped off a cliff last 10 games, because it feels possible at this moment sadly?

 

[QB Wolf]

What might a full strength Wolves have done to them?

Maybe won?

 

[Mugwump]

I wonder how GON really feels about how the club has handled things. Has he been aligned to the strategy and sees things long term ….or does he feel personally let down. Either way he will expect full support this summer or he will be exploring his array of options

I think will be comfortable with it because when he signed his 3 year deal with us he knew the score when he took the job. Its not like the Lopetegui situation where he was clearly promised way more than we could deliver, it was pretty clear we were struggling to have enough funds to recruit.

As it stands, i dont really see what he has to complain about, unless we pull funds on him that he's been told are coming his way. I guess we will find out.

 

[Perton Wolf]

Agree with all that but...

Villa, West Ham and Villa all pull >40k in +45k stadiums. It's not just about recruitment, they're all in a better position off the park too. I don't necessarily blame Fosun for that, you can look at the reasons for each of those clubs flourishing, but it's not just about a centre forward or two... we're miles behind. Just look at the Steve Bull stand vs each of those stadiums and their average attendances.

You're right but that's also a reason as to why we at least need new investors if not fresh ownership altogether. FOSUN have taken us as far as they can, their inability to expand Molineux in their time here has been a huge disappointment when the demand is clearly there via the waiting list.

 

[Mutchy]

Maybe won?

Yes, very likely. But there appears to be satisfaction in wumming with worst case scenarios unfortunately.

 

[QB Wolf]

Most has already been written, we did OK we competed, would have preferred Lemina in the middle, thought Doyle, Gomes and Semedo played well. Can’t rely on one chance so hard to blame RAN and yes we were as expected hopeless up top.

Was it a free kick for the first goal? seen no replays but it looked soft to me. The ref seemed to give them a lot, was keen to book our players and not theirs, he wasn’t terrible just slightly off it I thought.

 

[clivewolves]

Pretty much as I expected really. We started off okay for twenty minutes or so. Ait-Nouri had a great chance. Overall Villa were the better team. We didn't discover anything we didn't already know.

It was good to see Chiwome get his first start. He gave it his best. He was making runs, pointing where he wanted the ball but the ball never came. A tough ask up against two big Villa defenders and no pace up there with him

No obvious Man of the Match. Doyle did okay. I'll go for Semedo.

 

[SmiffyWolf]

Agree with all that but...

Villa, West Ham and Villa all pull >40k in +45k stadiums. It's not just about recruitment, they're all in a better position off the park too. I don't necessarily blame Fosun for that, you can look at the reasons for each of those clubs flourishing, but it's not just about a centre forward or two... we're miles behind. Just look at the Steve Bull stand vs each of those stadiums and their average attendances.

I agree with you there but we will just be making the numbers up then until someone improves the stadium and wants to move us to the next level.

If not then we are just a selling club . Gomes for instance won't be here in 2 seasons as will be sold . Would Watkins for Villa though be sold . I don't think he would , they would flip say luiz and still build their team . I just don't see a strategy at Wolves at the moment.

 

[Norway Wolves]

Will we win another game? Beach towels out

Thats really unfair. Surely you can see that the actual senior pros we have are giving everything, but we have no forwards.

 

[loppers86]

Squad fit for the Prem ? , you make it sound like we are pushing for promotion from the Chump rather that a team well established in the Prem and close to a European spot --christ sake what else ?

I mean our squad as a whole isn’t strong enough for PL. If you require ‘proof’, i give you chiwome, fraser and chirewa.

Please don’t take the Lord’s name in vain.

 

[Hsvwolf]

Hindsight is wonderful.....but the decision to let all Podence , Guedes, Chiquina, Silva , Kaladezic (about £95 million worth of signings) all go out on loan now looks madness. Maybe we were restricted in making new signings , but the irony is we already had players who would now have made a difference in situations we find ourselves in with virtually no attacking players & having to throw in 'kids' , and maybe if GON had the chance to work with some of them we wouldn't be wondering where the next goal is coming from until players return from injury

 

[Oliwolf44]

Hindsight is wonderful.....but the decision to let all Podence , Guedes, Chiquina, Silva , Kaladezic (about £95 million worth of signings) all go out on loan now looks madness. Maybe we were restricted in making new signings , but the irony is we already had players who would now have made a difference in situations we find ourselves in with virtually no attacking players & having to throw in 'kids' , and maybe if GON had the chance to work with some of them we wouldn't be wondering where the next goal is coming from until players return from injury

Agree with everything apart from saying it was hindsight. People have been rightly on about the need for a striker leading up to January, during January and since January. At best it was boneheaded decision making and worst complete negligence. The 11 players we have just have to go to the well every game and it's not fair. Cost us the cup match and will cost us a few million in league positions.

 

[Mutchy]

Will we win another game? Beach towels out

Yes, I think we will struggle, but there was no indication yesterday that any player had their beach towel out.
That kind of remark after genuine effort yesterday - and some good periods of play - does the team a disservice.

 

[A3wolf]

Not sure why Chirewa was considered a better option to replace Doyle than Traore. Am a broken record on this but wish GON would give Traore more of a chance.

 

[Rubberball]

GoN set us up wrong.

As others have said Lemina is not a left winger. The obvious decision was to put RAN at LW/ RW and Bueno at LWB.

I don't understand the Doyle love, he was tidy in possession but then Villa let him have the ball as they knew he wasn't really going to hurt them. Doyle was nothing sorry of anonymous without the ball. Gomes was literally doing the job of two men as Doyle was so poor defensively. Doyle is as luxury as luxury players get without having the end product to go with it.

This gets solved with Lemina in the middle or dropping Kilman and going 4 at the back and 3 in midfield with Lemina, Gomes and luxury Doyle (not as a DM).

Kilman is so out of form right now it's embarrassing and it seems there is no way he's coming back to any form. He should be dropped for Burnley.

João Gomes continues to be world class and Semedo had a good game. Sarabia's attitude towards younger players bothers me.

 

[Golden Arrow]

Pretty much as I expected really. We started off okay for twenty minutes or so. Ait-Nouri had a great chance. Overall Villa were the better team. We didn't discover anything we didn't already know.

It was good to see Chiwome get his first start. He gave it his best. He was making runs, pointing where he wanted the ball but the ball never came. A tough ask up against two big Villa defenders and no pace up there with him

No obvious Man of the Match. Doyle did okay. I'll go for Semedo.

I agree re Semedo.
He's had his detractors along the way but fair play to the bloke he's knuckled down and certainly can't be accused of not putting a "Mick shift in".
I went to the game low on expectancy, then when the boys came out I was hoping by some fluke it would be our day. Travelling home on the train I'd quickly returned to that "well what did you expect feeling".

So it's dust yourself down time, enjoy the Easter eggs and get ready for Turf Moor in a couple of days time.
"Happy Easter" all.

 

[Minimalist]

Not sure why Chirewa was considered a better option to replace Doyle than Traore. Am a broken record on this but wish GON would give Traore more of a chance.

I thought it very odd too.
Hard to quite tell on tv but the only thing I wondered was if the idea was for Lemina to drop back and Chirewa to play where Lemina had been?

 

[Mile End Wanderer]

Thats really unfair. Surely you can see that the actual senior pros we have are giving everything, but we have no forwards.

We need forwards back without that we won’t score many / win many

 

[Mile End Wanderer]

Yes, I think we will struggle, but there was no indication yesterday that any player had their beach towel out.
That kind of remark after genuine effort yesterday - and some good periods of play - does the team a disservice.

I agree we need forwards back to score and win more games though

It’s not exactly the brighton performance under jules

 

[WolfInSheep'sClothing]

Will we win another game? Beach towels out

We'll win loads when Cunha and Hwang are back. Decent performance except for the forward line really.

 

[Sutton Wolf]

Didnt think there was much in it till last 20 minutes or so when they were comfortable and we had the youth side on
A worldie and a fluke won them the game but overall they deserved it we move on

Bear in mind that that worldie was teed up by our own player so both of their goals had an element of luck.

 

[QB Wolf]

Most has already been written, we did OK we competed, would have preferred Lemina in the middle, thought Doyle, Gomes and Semedo played well. Can’t rely on one chance so hard to blame RAN and yes we were as expected hopeless up top.

Was it a free kick for the first goal? seen no replays but it looked soft to me. The ref seemed to give them a lot, was keen to book our players and not theirs, he wasn’t terrible just slightly off it I thought.

Just rewatched it never a free kick!

 

[Stingray II]

It reminded me of our cup game against WBA with roles reversed.. We were never going to win it. They probably had another gear in them if it became needed.

 

[Jay Jay de Wolf]

We need forwards back without that we won’t score many / win many

Yes indeed last 2 games full backs / wing backs only scored or had chances at goal RAN and Hugo Bueno against Coventry

Similarly at Villa the nearest we got to scoring RAN & Doc tells us of our none existent fire power up front. Did the kids get a shot on goal?

 

[Minimalist]

It’s been a common theme over the years. We can have a long sustained period of utter dominance (20-30 mins) but we don’t score during this time and then we fade away.