Watford Verdict

[Gold Wolf]

Thought we did well yesterday and I think a sign that in the last week we are turning a corner. Tactically we looked far more assured defensively and whilst going forward was perhaps lacking at times, I would much rather we got the defensive organisation and confidence back for now. Thought Saiss was excellent, and hope with a settled run in the league that the new back 3 keep up the good work of yesterday. Still work to be done but we will improve.

Doherty showed what we have missed in his absence at RWB and thought him and Adama combined well up the right. Well taken goal. Adama is improving all the time now and the more they play together the more dangerous we will become on the attack.

With the ability to switch formation more and personnel is going to make us more unpredictable now. Also going forward teams are going to have to decide whether to pressure the midfield two or our right hand side where I feel currently our attack is strongest.

Neto was superb and great assist for the goal. Midfield was functional, Moutinho classy as ever. Dendoncker was ok, far better tackling today but creativity wise not always there, but we have no real option other than Neves there in a 3 4 3 with Saiss at LCB. Would still like a trial in a league cup game perhaps of Dendoncker at RCB with Saiss and Neves in front with Moutinho or Neves swapping as the advanced midfielder.

Anyway, good to win and feel confidence is growing again and can build on it.

 

[WinchWolf]

Just to add, I thought the interplay between Doc and Traore yesterday was the best we've seen from them. Easily. Because last season, when Traore was in that forward role in the 3-4-3, there was virtually zero between them. It shows how much Adama has improved as a footballer, that he is now making much better decisions on when to run and when to pass e.g. his excellent pass that led to our second. No way would he have done that last season. His positioning has improved a bit, too, although when are defending corners, I would rather him be the upfield player as the outlet, rather than back in our own area. Seems a no brainer to me, but then I'm not the manager.

There's still room for improvement, however I much prefer him as a wide forward with Doc behind than as a wing back. Even though he has also improved a lot in that position, I see Traore as basically an emergency wing back rather than as his future being there.

I thought it was interesting to see how often they switched positions during the match.

 

[Deleted member 4152]

Thought we did well yesterday and I think a sign that in the last week we are turning a corner. Tactically we looked far more assured defensively and whilst going forward was perhaps lacking at times, I would much rather we got the defensive organisation and confidence back for now. Thought Saiss was excellent, and hope with a settled run in the league that the new back 3 keep up the good work of yesterday. Still work to be done but we will improve.

Doherty showed what we have missed in his absence at RWB and thought him and Adama combined well up the right. Well taken goal. Adama is improving all the time now and the more they play together the more dangerous we will become on the attack.

With the ability to switch formation more and personnel is going to make us more unpredictable now. Also going forward teams are going to have to decide whether to pressure the midfield two or our right hand side where I feel currently our attack is strongest.

Neto was superb and great assist for the goal. Midfield was functional, Moutinho classy as ever. Dendoncker was ok, far better tackling today but creativity wise not always there, but we have no real option other than Neves there in a 3 4 3 with Saiss at LCB. Would still like a trial in a league cup game perhaps of Dendoncker at RCB with Saiss and Neves in front with Moutinho or Neves swapping as the advanced midfielder.

Anyway, good to win and feel confidence is growing again and can build on it.

Sorry but there is no room on this forum for posts like this.

Far too sensible

 

[North West Wanderer]

Thankyou. Was the same at Palace last week.

For everyone else commenting, I thought Moutinho was good first half but he and Dendoncker were pretty ineffective second half when our only real constant threat came from Doherty and Traore. So for me Traore gets motm and I marked Moutinho down, just my view.

Moutinho ran the game, dictated the tempo and limited Watford.
Doc did well and I’d have rated him higher than Traore for sure.

 

[North West Wanderer]

I thought it was interesting to see how often they switched positions during the match.

Interesting point. I noticed a few times that Doc went forward into Traore’s position and Traore adopter Doc’s particularly second half. I feel that interplay lead to the second goal being created.

 

[luiandlui]

Did the PL start giving goals for possession and I missed it ? Why are people getting so hung up on it. We smashed the Championship and quite often had less than 50% possession. This is the way we set up and it's worked pretty well up to now.

 

[Oldgold Wolfcub]

Did the PL start giving goals for possession and I missed it ? Why are people getting so hung up on it. We smashed the Championship and quite often had less than 50% possession. This is the way we set up and it's worked pretty well up to now.

And tere have been many times when our percentage of possesion has been high because we have just been passing the ball around where it is not going to hurt the opposition. On its own it means jack squat.
A 2-0 victory and we are still not at our best yest. A statistic and then an analysis.

 

[Deleted member 4099]

There's less possession and there's less possession! Yesterday they had 61% possession which in my view is a joke. It's always going to be a struggle if you let the opposition have that much of the ball. We can't allow that again against virtually any other side in this league. A better side yesterday would have scored at least 1, possibly 2 goals.

We’re all about shape performance happy with or without when we’re playing well. It’s irrelevant possession of don’t do anything with it.

 

[Deleted member 4152]

The Sako Scores are as follows

Patricio - 7 - Dodnt have a lot to do really but made a very good save from I think Welbeck that he usually gets beat from so well done him

Boly - 6 - Played a nice through ball but still looks weirdly shaky for him

Coady - 7 - Back to being his usual regular self, never spectacular but clean and tidy

Saiss - 7 - Not a lot came down his side and seemed to cope so much better this week

Doherty - 8 - We’ve really missed him

Moutinho - 6 - Would’ve been higher but he seems to have a blind spot to his right that means he doesn’t seem to pass to Traore it’s really weird

Dendoncker - 6 - Ran around a bit I guess can’t really remember him doing much with the ball

Jonny - 7 - Was as much out of form as any of them but looking much better

Traore - 9 - Our most effective and threatening player this season

Jimenez - 6 - Can we please give him a rest he looks knackered

Neto - 6 - Did ok but decision making has a lot to improve

6 for jao and boly?
Were you at the correct ground?

 

[Bankswolf The Third]

Views from the Watford end- AKA my mate from work
Awful game of football you lot didnt really get out of second gear but we (watford) were terrible and look like we are going down.
Moutinho MOTM, really like the look of your front three

 

[SakosRightFoot]

6 for jao and boly?
Were you at the correct ground?

Yep, at least I hope so.

Honestly people get so pent up if someone dares to not lavish praise on Moutinho. He did alright, first 25 especially he was good but in my view he was better last week, second half v Watford he disappeared for large periods

Surprised no one dares criticise Boly either. He was awful at Everton and cost us the game when he didn’t jump against Richarlison, it was his fault for the goal at Palace and Watford’s best chances came down his side. He wasn’t awful Saturday but I don’t see how he did anything to deserve an average 6

 

[Corporate Wolf]

The Sako Scores are as follows

Patricio - 7 - Dodnt have a lot to do really but made a very good save from I think Welbeck that he usually gets beat from so well done him

Boly - 6 - Played a nice through ball but still looks weirdly shaky for him

Coady - 7 - Back to being his usual regular self, never spectacular but clean and tidy

Saiss - 7 - Not a lot came down his side and seemed to cope so much better this week

Doherty - 8 - We’ve really missed him

Moutinho - 6 - Would’ve been higher but he seems to have a blind spot to his right that means he doesn’t seem to pass to Traore it’s really weird

Dendoncker - 6 - Ran around a bit I guess can’t really remember him doing much with the ball

Jonny - 7 - Was as much out of form as any of them but looking much better

Traore - 9 - Our most effective and threatening player this season

Jimenez - 6 - Can we please give him a rest he looks knackered

Neto - 6 - Did ok but decision making has a lot to improve

I think I must have been watching the game from a different angle as you Sako...

 

[Irish_Wolf]

I felt sorry for Raul when everybody started singing that stupid Cutrone song as he left the pitch, he looked crest-fallen; at least they righted the wrong by singing his song next, but it should have been the other way round and gave the wrong message in my opinion.

He needs to man up if this is the case.

 

[Jonzy54]

Did the PL start giving goals for possession and I missed it ? Why are people getting so hung up on it. We smashed the Championship and quite often had less than 50% possession. This is the way we set up and it's worked pretty well up to now.

I remember we played Reading quite early into our Promotion year .I can’t remember the exact stats but at HT we had about 26% possession and overall about 30% at FT.
Staam had them going left to right and back again along the back 4 and they went precisely nowhere .
Possession is great if you actually get somewhere or use it as game management but eventually be it after 1 pass or 30 meaningless ones you have to do something with it.
I also remember McGhee’s first game against Port Vale and we kept passing and went precisely nowhere .

 

[Wigan Wolf]

I remember we played Reading quite early into our Promotion year .I can’t remember the exact stats but at HT we had about 26% possession and overall about 30% at FT.
Staam had them going left to right and back again along the back 4 and they went precisely nowhere .
Possession is great if you actually get somewhere or use it as game management but eventually be it after 1 pass or 30 meaningless ones you have to do something with it.
I also remember McGhee’s first game against Port Vale and we kept passing and went precisely nowhere .

We played them in November, and Cav scored that fantastic goal.

 

[The Wolf In The North]

Possession stats became a big thing during Pep's Barca reign where they dominated, that flood of pressing to regain the ball whenever it was lost and then pass, pass, pass. But they didn't win games because of the possession itself, they won games with Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets and Eto'o. The possession was a by-product.

The only important stat, really, outside of goals scored and conceded, is chances created. Barca created dozens per game, and so won a lot of them. If we can keep creating chances by being on the front foot and 15 yards further forward we will start winning again, regardless of possession.

 

[Jonzy54]

We played them in November, and Cav scored that fantastic goal.

Yes .I thought it was earlier.Just looked it up and we had 39% possession.

 

[SakosRightFoot]

Possession stats became a big thing during Pep's Barca reign where they dominated, that flood of pressing to regain the ball whenever it was lost and then pass, pass, pass. But they didn't win games because of the possession itself, they won games with Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets and Eto'o. The possession was a by-product.

The only important stat, really, outside of goals scored and conceded, is chances created. Barca created dozens per game, and so won a lot of them. If we can keep creating chances by being on the front foot and 15 yards further forward we will start winning again, regardless of possession.

For me the only real issue with possession stuff is we seemed to concede it and territory far too easily on Saturday after we went in front. I understand Nuno wants to suck them in and hit on the counter but for periods to take the sting out of the opposition it would have been nice to keep it for longer periods and tire them out having to chase after us, make the ball do the work

 

[sc91]

Views from the Watford end- AKA my mate from work
Awful game of football you lot didnt really get out of second gear but we (watford) were terrible and look like we are going down.
Moutinho MOTM, really like the look of your front three

Amazingly, my Watford supporting boss has yet to leave his office. Didnt reply to texts either, suffice to say I think his view on his club might well mirror your mates.

 

[sc91]

We played them in November, and Cav scored that fantastic goal.

It was ****ing down with rain, Reading played in front of us and we just made ourselves hard to break down. Doc scored a lovely goal, away end went ballistic, ended up ripping my jeans on the seat in front when the bloke to the side of me jumped on me when the 2nd went in.

Great day, **** to get home, soaked and my jeans had a huge bloodstain where I'd cut my leg on the seat.

 

[GoldenHorseshoe]

He needs to man up if this is the case.

Of it wasn't the case, "crestfallen"?
Some people projecting their own feelings onto a player.

 

[GoldenHorseshoe]

It was ****ing down with rain, Reading played in front of us and we just made ourselves hard to break down. Doc scored a lovely goal, away end went ballistic, ended up ripping my jeans on the seat in front when the bloke to the side of me jumped on me when the 2nd went in.

Great day, **** to get home, soaked and my jeans had a huge bloodstain where I'd cut my leg on the seat.

Which leg?

 

[Deleted member 4152]

Yep, at least I hope so.

Honestly people get so pent up if someone dares to not lavish praise on Moutinho. He did alright, first 25 especially he was good but in my view he was better last week, second half v Watford he disappeared for large periods

Surprised no one dares criticise Boly either. He was awful at Everton and cost us the game when he didn’t jump against Richarlison, it was his fault for the goal at Palace and Watford’s best chances came down his side. He wasn’t awful Saturday but I don’t see how he did anything to deserve an average 6

Wolves on Twitter

 

[GoldenHorseshoe]

Wolves on Twitter

Yeah but that was in the first 25 minutes, he did **** all after that

 

[sc91]

Which leg?

 

[luiandlui]

Which leg?

The middle one.

 

[SakosRightFoot]

Yeah but that was in the first 25 minutes, he did **** all after that

Sorry for having an opinion different to yours I’ll try harder next time

 

[GoldenHorseshoe]

Sorry for having an opinion different to yours I’ll try harder next time

And make sure you do!!

 

[SakosRightFoot]

And make sure you do!!

Might be easier if I just call you before posting, can you put your phone number on here please

 

[Tojo the grass]

Of it wasn't the case, "crestfallen"?
Some people projecting their own feelings onto a player.

Ok it’s a fair cop, he looked a bit disappointed but that was probably because he was being subbed; I just thought it was a bit disrespectful.

 

[Leominster_Wolf]

There's less possession and there's less possession! Yesterday they had 61% possession which in my view is a joke. It's always going to be a struggle if you let the opposition have that much of the ball. We can't allow that again against virtually any other side in this league. A better side yesterday would have scored at least 1, possibly 2 goals.

Last time I looked at the league table there wasn’t a column under possession??

 

[merseawolf]

Last time I looked at the league table there wasn’t a column under possession??

I would hate it if our current players started tapping it around our own penalty area. Great if they are all comfortable on the ball but let’s be honest they are not. It’s a joke that some teams try to copy Barca and City when they don’t have the players to do it. Stick to the strengths of your players at your disposal. Aladyce said this morning there will be twice as many goals conceded by teams trying to play out from the back and making mistakes as opposed to goals scored as a result of passing your way through a team from your own area.

 

[SakosRightFoot]

I would hate it if our current players started tapping it around our own penalty area. Great if they are all comfortable on the ball but let’s be honest they are not. It’s a joke that some teams try to copy Barca and City when they don’t have the players to do it. Stick to the strengths of your players at your disposal. Aladyce said this morning there will be twice as many goals conceded by teams trying to play out from the back and making mistakes as opposed to goals scored as a result of passing your way through a team from your own area.

That’s Sam Allardyce who in 25 years as a manager won 2 play off finals and the old 3rd division. Blokes a dinosaur whose style of play was pretty much universally hated because it was enough to stay in the division but nothing else

 

[merseawolf]

That’s Sam Allardyce who in 25 years as a manager won 2 play off finals and the old 3rd division. Blokes a dinosaur whose style of play was pretty much universally hated because it was enough to stay in the division but nothing else

Agree but he is right on this one

 

[Leominster_Wolf]

That’s Sam Allardyce who in 25 years as a manager won 2 play off finals and the old 3rd division. Blokes a dinosaur whose style of play was pretty much universally hated because it was enough to stay in the division but nothing else

Agreed but possession counts for nothing if a) it’s ineffective and tapped around at the back and in the middle and b) if you do nothing with it.
Heat map from Saturday shows where Watford’s possession was
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-0 Watford - Premier League 2019/2020 Live

Having had a look, average possession last season 47.4%, average this season 45.0%.
Not much difference and no real complaints last year, odd how perceptions change when results don’t go our way.

and yes I know I’ll be accused of being a moronic happy clapper again

 

[NottsWolves]

Ok it’s a fair cop, he looked a bit disappointed but that was probably because he was being subbed; I just thought it was a bit disrespectful.

Around me in the south bank people were singing his song as he went off. Could argue that’s disrespectful to Cutrone

 

[Tojo the grass]

Around me in the south bank people were singing his song as he went off. Could argue that’s disrespectful to Cutrone

Surely you applaud the player off the pitch then applaud the other player as he enters the pitch; cheering because you have seen the substitute is about to come on implies dissatisfaction with the original player, and given their respective contributions to the cause so far seemed a bit **** about tit to me.
Or maybe I am a bit old fashioned.

 

[Coshamwolves]

Did the PL start giving goals for possession and I missed it ? Why are people getting so hung up on it. We smashed the Championship and quite often had less than 50% possession. This is the way we set up and it's worked pretty well up to now.

Many are just thick

 

[Royal wolf]

The Sako Scores are as follows

Patricio - 7 - Dodnt have a lot to do really but made a very good save from I think Welbeck that he usually gets beat from so well done him

Boly - 6 - Played a nice through ball but still looks weirdly shaky for him

Coady - 7 - Back to being his usual regular self, never spectacular but clean and tidy

Saiss - 7 - Not a lot came down his side and seemed to cope so much better this week

Doherty - 8 - We’ve really missed him

Moutinho - 6 - Would’ve been higher but he seems to have a blind spot to his right that means he doesn’t seem to pass to Traore it’s really weird

Dendoncker - 6 - Ran around a bit I guess can’t really remember him doing much with the ball

Jonny - 7 - Was as much out of form as any of them but looking much better

Traore - 9 - Our most effective and threatening player this season

Jimenez - 6 - Can we please give him a rest he looks knackered

Neto - 6 - Did ok but decision making has a lot to improve

Regarding your point on Moutinho I have noticed it to on several occasions too, it seems like he doesn’t trust Adama

 

[Pagey]

Around me in the south bank people were singing his song as he went off. Could argue that’s disrespectful to Cutrone

Noticed in the cup game, s2 were singing Rauls song, when he Wasnt even on the bench.

There a Weird lot in the south bank, I'd stay clear if i was you.