17 Sep 2022 13:07:36
One of the worst games I have seen so far. So disjointed. 60 mins to go and now we have lost collins for 3 games.

1.) 17 Sep 2022
17 Sep 2022 14:02:44
We look a good team when we're going forwards, it's just that we pass sideways and backwards to much to impose ourselves on the opposition.
Root cause is moutinho,nunes looks better and better and guedes starting to find his feet.
Let's hope we can get Costa up and running quick because we need a lift.

2.) 17 Sep 2022
17 Sep 2022 14:39:40
There is a decent team forming in amongst the mess. RAN awful/goid/awful, guedes needs to muscle up, Nunes I'm abit disappointed with maybe expects more from others? Collins the silliest of challenges, can't understand it apart from it was grealish! Don't get the passing across the back or the resistance to keep going up front, wasting corners. Given the circumstances, the quick goal and sending off ten against City for an hour we wernt hammered. a lot wrong I can't deny, but I think we'll come right. B.Adama looks useful from his small debut.

3.) 17 Sep 2022
17 Sep 2022 15:40:00
I couldn't get the game on.
My brother went and told me every man City player were a cut above ours.
Also told me Collins wreckless challenge down to frustration from us conceding the second.

Onto the next game I see you in a fortnight or 2 weeks which ever comes first.?

4.) 17 Sep 2022
17 Sep 2022 16:15:29
I think what concerns me is what I've said before, patience only works is things are improving. After letting in a frankly power puff goal after 55 seconds without a single one of our players getting within five yards of the ball carrier just ain't good enough. Like Jas I never expected us to beat City but I DID expect us to compete and we didn't I'm afraid. And what now, are we REALLY saying that after a summer of spending £100+m on this team that pushing Neves back is our best option for covering cb?! I suspect if Denayers still in contact (unlikely) that his wage demand just went up by £10k! The back room team have worked SO hard to bring in quality, I just wish balance had been as high on the agenda! To let Saiss, Coady and Boly go and ONLY replace them with one cb with actual experience was criminal (and even then let's be honest both Collins and Kilman ain't exactly been playing long)! Sorry gents but I'm starting to worry, yes we have improved the 'quality' from where we finished last season but can anyone tell me there is more balance?! We just seemed to have swapped a central midfielder problem for a central defender problem, is that progress?! I honestly don't know anymore ?

5.) 17 Sep 2022
17 Sep 2022 16:21:46
Never saw that coming. FML

6.) 17 Sep 2022
17 Sep 2022 16:41:06
The last thing anyone wants is to be negative but if this can't score, won't score nonsense carries on for much longer then Fosun will have to react. There's still something lacking as every game seems to follow the same pattern, irrespective of the opposition. Too much passing backwards and sideways, create the odd chance but then fluff it. We've got some great new players now, but nothing has changed.
Yes, City are a good side and yes, we were reduced to 10 men by a stupid challenge but for me those aren't the real issues. Let's hope the introduction of Costa will galvanise and link up our forward play because if it doesn't, I think the smelly stuff will hit the whirry thing.

7.) 17 Sep 2022
17 Sep 2022 17:01:46
As a caveat to my post you do have to wonder what might have been! If Bednarek had just had the sense to go to WHU we would have got Dawson. Don't care what his past is the guys a great cb! I honestly think (with his leadership skills) it was EXACTLY what this team needed especially in the back line. Let's hope we can pull a miracle off and get Denayer because as much as anything else I worry for Totti or Mosquera coming into this team for next few games. Like you say Long let's hope Diego puts a rocket into that dressing room, they all look like they need it! ?

8.) 17 Sep 2022
17 Sep 2022 17:53:13
Considering we were playing by far the best team in the league, I thought we played ok, the last thing we needed though was to concede so early on,
City work so so hard on and off the ball, a lesson we should learn
Thought we had some decent spells in the game, obviously need a number 9 as a target at least
Onwards and upwards

9.) 17 Sep 2022
17 Sep 2022 18:08:37
BB I'm not going to say much about those that have gone and I include Donk in this, Bolt I would have let go the others I would have kept.
Bruno today by not putting Tori or Yerson on the pitch has shown them he has no confidence in them. Then I simply ask why are they there?
Should either of them play in the coming games it doesn't say much for their confidence does it!

10.) 17 Sep 2022
17 Sep 2022 18:28:39
Ok.so my opinion on the game.and it may not be popular, is that once Sa receives the ball.be it in a pass back or from a goal kick.and if you watch this game back you will see it happened continuously throughout the match (as well as many previous matches), that the full backs drop back and he passes to one of them, who is already under pressure from an opposition striker.they pass back to Sa, who then spreads it to the full back on the other side. By that time the opposition striker on that side has figured the move and closed him down. This results in either the second full back playing a sloppy, rushed pass, ending up in giving the ball away, or playing the ball to someone around the 20-25 yard mark who is already being put under pressure due to the opposition team reading the play and ending up giving the ball away.

It is a continuous pattern of play that we continue to try to employ and loses the ball for us in probably upwards of 75% of all attempts. Predictable, fully readable and puts ourselves continually under pressure.not from oppositions good play but by our own carelessness.

{Ed077's Note - you mean to say the opposition team pressed really well. And you guys didn't adapt quick enough?

11.) 17 Sep 2022
17 Sep 2022 18:36:05
Not being funny Ken but if Toti or Mosquera had been put on which other outfield player should have been taken off?

12.) 17 Sep 2022
17 Sep 2022 18:54:21
It’s opinions that makes the game so bloody brilliant
Everyone has there say
We should all see where we are after 12 league games I think let our new players adapt to this high energy bloody quick game of the premier league
Lage will get it right

13.) 17 Sep 2022
17 Sep 2022 19:10:39
I think that's a valid observation Ogw, it's an obsession with trying to play the ball out from the back irrespective of what the circumstances of the game dictate and as you say inviting pressure. Exactly how not to play teams like City, just look back a couple of seasons to see how it should be done.

14.) 17 Sep 2022
17 Sep 2022 19:12:03
Arddunby I would probably have taken one the three up front off rather than having Neves dropping back. Just my opinion obviously I'd prefer him further forward.

15.) 17 Sep 2022
17 Sep 2022 20:36:22
My big fear was switching to a back four this season, all of our success was based off playing a three, being hard to beat, sitting back soaking up the pressure and then hitting on the break. We packed out the box in defence and played cagey but effective football. Now we play like any other team in the league, good technically don’t get me wrong, but ineffective. The attack play as individuals, you can’t see any real cohesion, we give the ball to Neto and Guedes and say “do something good” “skin your man” when they are 30/40 yards from goal on the touch line and isolated, so they go backwards. I’ve just watched spurs, they were going through the middle, out wide, trying to run in behind loads of movement and all at speed so the defence gets stretched and can’t really set. I don’t know what they are working on attaching wise on the training ground but it isn’t working. Must be said also non of our forwards are or were ever that prolific, Sasa was the only one and he’s maybe done for good. Let’s hope Diego can roll back the years

16.) 18 Sep 2022
17 Sep 2022 22:16:22
BB - I have only seen two games this year and watched 40 mins of the city game on TV so don't want to be too defintive or harsh but it appears that as usual you are correct. The squad is too small and unbalanced. (Might have heard that before?)
I though have different concerns to you.
I accept that we had a good transfer window (certainly spent a lot!) but only relative to the abject rubbish of the previous 4. Sadly I fear it may have been too little too late.
Yes I am worried about the lack of depth at the back where we lost 3 CBs (or 4 if you count Dendonker as a CB) and only bought one, the now suspended Collins. {PS- I am reading on other sites that many of the players that were let go were let go not just because they had got old and past their best but because they were the players that were oppossed to Lage's "tactics". [Indeed a question has to be asked if even without those players he has lost the dressing room with rumours hinting at the unhappiness of Otto, Jimenez and presumably "fast" Traore at the very least] as much as anything else. I guess it might just have been self interest if you are Coady}
But where I am far more worried is up front where today we don't have a single fit forward.
Just where do we think the goals are going to come from?
We have lost most of the goals from the pre Seville era - Jota and Doherty sold, Jimenez and Neto injured (terminally?) and Traore mismanaged.
Who have we bought since Seville that was capable, the day they arrived, of scoring a significant number of goals in a premier league season? Fabio - laughable as he was manifestly unready and indeed may - despite what seems like is going to be a good season in Belgium - never be! {If we go down he will never play for us again anyway as we will have to sell him and indeed many of the squad as we won't be able to afford his wages}
The lad Sasa looked to have a good record apart from his injuries but no one else wanted him and we got him cheap. Was it just incredibly good luck or did they know something we didn't. I don't think his injury could be a consequence of his previous ones but it is amazingly bad luck?
Guedes? As I said I haven't seen much/enough to be certain but nothing I have seen so far gives me any confidence. Indeed he must score today - he had time to take a touch and a cup of tea before scoring and miskicked a first time effort.
So at the moment after 5 windows all I have to put my faith in is Diego who hasn't been a serious footballer for several years now.
That isn't a good place to be!
So whilst in the short term I think we have to say goodbye to Lage and find a manager who can get more out of what is still a very very talented - but hopelessly unbalanced - team/squad, for me, as it has for last two years now, the real blame lies with Shi who has watched us sleep walk into what is now a major battle for our future as a Premier League team!

17.) 18 Sep 2022
18 Sep 2022 02:11:38
Future- it always feels like a mutual appreciation post when I respond to you buddy cause as usual I can't argue with most of what you've said there! I've been banging this drum since the end of last season, when every team that scored less than us got relegated!
Having said that this is a tricky one (for me), because of course your right we need more goals! However, as I've said on the rumours page (on that particular front) I think the club are doing their honest best. I'm not saying it's worked yet but not sure what else they can do?! The jury will always be out on if we should have been worried on the Sasa deal cause with the harsh luck involved in something like an ACL the truth is no one will never know. On paper he looked like a (hopeful) 10 goal (in the first season) striker and if he'd done that for £15m it would have looked like great business!
Luck can be cruel and we've now lost him for the seaon but within 48 hours of that happening we signed Costa! Now like you I have my reservations with signing him at this stage in his career (it feels a little desperate if nothing else) will he be a 20 goal a season signing or a 200 pints a season signing?! Who knows, but I do believe he was the best option under the (somewhat brutal) circumstances!
Then there's Guedes who is probs the only part of your judgements that I don't agree with. Now I agree that he could/should have hit the target by now but its worth noting that he scored 12 league goals last year! That's why we've signed him because we need more goals from all over the pitch!
Overall though fella (as usual) I agree), I think without a drastic turn around in form then Lage will pay the price. You are also right that this is a cumulative problem rather than just a Lage problem. Still though I've backed Lage to the hilt but if honest I'm STILL not sure how we are supposed to be playing these days?! We play some lovely football all over the pitch until we get to the final third where we suddenly look entirely lost?! Then he comes out and says what a brave/confident performance today was and I wonder which team he was watching?! We ONLY played well once the game was lost (after we were 2 goals and a man down); well sorry Bruno but that's not brave its a reactionary, token gesture!
Like I`ve said, I don't mind losing to City, I do mind not laying a glove un um!
I fear its worrying times a head, already the Forest game feels like a must win! I have to say Future that your final summation is (as per) bang on the money for me, what we have is 'a very very talented-but hopelessly unbalanced squad/team'! Good luck Bruno, I know we'd both love ya to prove us wrong! COYW ??

18.) 18 Sep 2022
18 Sep 2022 18:21:12
BB - v happy to be wrong on Guedes. As I have acknowledged I have not seen much of Wolves this year (for various reasons, holidays, cricket, family matters and sadly just a slight falling out of love - my posts on here have also been far fewer this year - due to the frustration at how our club has beeen let down by Jeff over this last 2 years) and did in an earlier post ask for others views on him.
He seems lightweight, (Not Trincao light but light) and something of a luxury buy as I rate Podence, Neto, (injuries allowing) and Traore, (management allowing!) highly but believe we desperately needed a front line CF and should have spent the money there rather than on another "nice" winger/number 10.