08 Dec 2020 10:06:14
Anyone else concerned about the decline of Form in Neves. He has not developed into the star midfielder we all hoped for. It does seem to be an issue this season.
08 Dec 2020 10:32:55
Yes it's very noticeable he's a shadow of the player this season and last he needs to be further up the pitch but seems to be just in front of our back line it dosen't work with him and moutinho together either there to similar the way they play I do think Vitinha deserves a start looks lively and more attacking mind just my thoughts though🧡🖤ðŸº.
08 Dec 2020 10:37:04
Hi Wimbornewolf The Midfield has been a problem for a long while hence the lack goals and supply to forwards, Re Neves perhaps he is being told stay back, one thing is certain he is not the player he was.
Hate to say it but compared to Villa's and Leed's midfield attacking style we are lacking.
WE need a creative midfield player, Neves and Moutinho together does not work, the Portugal manager never plays them together.
IT is a problem, be interesting on Sat against Vills.
08 Dec 2020 11:48:56
Yeĺlowstone. Are you really comparing the Leeds and Villa teams to ours bearing in mind that both teams are below us in the league.
08 Dec 2020 13:27:50
Hi Jas, I was only comparing there midfield movement,
And the answer to your question yes Villa are 2 points below having only played 9 games re Wolves 11 games.
Saturday against Villa will tell us more.
Jas I only want to see Wolves playing well, I don't expect to win every game just some consistent performances not 45 mins games.
08 Dec 2020 14:50:16
The problem is that we play with wing backs and wide forwards so in effect just 2 recognised midfielders. Marcal is not as good as Jonny going forward and Semedo is not as good as Doherty going forward, however they are better defenders so Jonny and Doherty were additions to Neves and Moutinho in midfield when moving forward. So the issue is how Nuno gets the best out of Semedo and Marcal so that they become interchangeable in midfield. Other teams such as Liverpool, Spurs, Leeds and Villa all play with at least 3 recognised midfielders. When we play 3 in midfield, we look better in the middle of the park but lose a bit of attacking flair.
08 Dec 2020 16:00:32
Jas as usual an interesting post and spot on re the tactics - although 3 in mid didn't help against Liverpool but that is hardly a standard game so shouldn't be used as a stick to beat us with too much.
Being picky though whilst I rate Marcal highly, (best buy of summer) is he as good as Otto in either direction, not sure, but there isn't much in it.
However I was surprised that you state the Semedo is not a good as Doherty going forwards but is better defensively?
Whilst I accept the point made by BB II below that you must have something for Barcelona and Portugal to consistently pick you above all the other choices they have I think it would be fair to say that defensively to date for Wolves he has been fairly ordinary. Conversely though going forwards as discussed extensively elsewhere he is actually ok - maybe not as good as Doherty or perhaps just different.
Doherty's shortcomings as a defender were a lack of pace and getting caught up field - he was a RWB after all - but he was v good in the air and strong in the tackle.
If he hadn't gone forwards but had played as an out and out RB he would have been ok- i. e. a lot better than Semedo?
Consequently whilst Taff may have been a little colourful in his comparison the Doherty of the last 2 years at Wolves ( not the one from Div 1) is a far superior player to the Semedo of the last two months ( albeit a bit of a short period to give a conclusive judgement? ) .
Consequently whilst I am still hopeful that Semedo will settle down and be a strong player for us going forwards as RWB I m not sure Jas that he will ever be good going backwards
Odd?
08 Dec 2020 16:04:47
Have to agree Neves has been average at best for a while now. Hasn't scored for over 12 months and just doesn't seem to find those clever passes anymore. He was played further forward against Liverpool but had probably his worst game for us. The problem is he just doesn't have any pace at all so he struggles to get any time on the ball to have any affect on the game. It is disappointing to see how he's gone. I've loved having him at our club and he's been massive for us but he has found the premier league really tough. Maybe, like jota, he would thrive with better players around him but I feel his future may well lie outside of the premier. And yes, Vithina looks promising.
08 Dec 2020 16:17:51
Thefutureisoldgold. I've no doubt that Semedo will prove to be better than Doherty but at the moment he is still adjusting to Nunos tactics. He does look good going forward but he does not seem to have that telepathic relationship that Doherty had with the forwards last season. This, I'm convinced will come with more training and game time.
08 Dec 2020 17:20:55
Well Jas, with respect, Semedo does not look good going forward to me, he seems afraid to go past his man, and nearly always passes back.
He is a 26yr old experienced international not an 18/ 20yr old so I would expect the guy to know how to defend well and use his experience to attack at times.
You know football really is a simple game not rocket science they try and make it far to technical.
08 Dec 2020 17:52:49
Let's just agree to disagree. Semedo has played for and won things for Barcelona who only sold him because they are facing financial ruin and has 9 assists in the last 2 years. He is a year younger than Doherty and quicker. If he's good enough for Nuno, then he's good enough for me.
08 Dec 2020 18:13:05
OK Jas, that's good.
08 Dec 2020 18:39:44
Jas - I agree that he is still adjusting to the new team and that he is undoubtedly a quality player ( Barcelona and all that) so as stated I'm sure he will do fine for us.
Not so confident though he will ever be as effective - due to Doherty's amazing synchronicity with the system and the players around him - as Doherty.
{But I accept that I m biased he was a fav of mine - having been with us through thick and thin - mainly thin! and was genuinely one of our own not a paid gun for hire}
sorry an old man who can't let go of the past!
09 Dec 2020 08:04:46
Liverpool’s fourth goal is lauded for the number of touches involved but it highlights our problem at present. Most of the passes are in their own half with us ‘pressing’, for want of a better word the man on the ball. (Hardly a full press) . We force the ball to be played back to their keeper, who plays a good ball between two of our encroaching forwards. Curtis Jones receives the ball in space and on the half turn. As two of our players move toward him, he drops a shoulder injects a little bit of pace and is past them. A simple but progressive pass to Salah in space wide on the right and they are in on our back four, who are on the turn and running back toward our own goal. Coady always looks uncomfortable when doing this. In a back 3/ 5 he would be free and facing play. A really good pass from Salah between our retreating defenders and the goalkeeper, takes all our players out. Semedo running toward his own goal with two Liverpool forwards for company bundles the ball in for an OG.
PROBLEMS: the ease with which a small injection of pace took out our midfield and the alarming uncomfortable nature of our defending when our defenders are turned. We don’t create in the same way because our midfield never drop a shoulder and burst forward. Our goals require players to be beaten in the final third where there is less space and usually more defenders than attackers. Our inability to alarm defences by forcing them to react to a midfielder breaking through the lines, means all our goals are really hard earned by outstanding play by our forwards.
We can be an uncomfortable watch sometimes but never more so than when our defenders are turned and having to face the opposition running at them.
Fair play to Liverpool it was a brilliantly crafted goal. Patient build up, incisive pass from keeper which broke through the line, injection of pace and then a pass to a player in space, controlled pass between defence and goalkeeper.
It’s a simple game really!
09 Dec 2020 12:41:50
Dear TheFutureisoldgold That makes us two old men who can't let go of the past, but we do talk some sense at times, its just our frustration at watching them when we can see what's wrong.
09 Dec 2020 13:43:12
Yellowstone (Where does the name come from - the US national park - if so why? )
Well whilst I would never be so arrogant/ ignorant as to presume to tell people who really know what they doing, like Nuno etc, what they were getting wrong I, like everyone else, do have an opinion. Even if most of us lack a background in the game and I have none having played Rugby from the age of 11 and not football, I don't think we should be afraid to use it - after all this is a forum for views/ chat and it wouldn't be much fun if we all sat in silence with no views of our own.
Its great therefore hearing all the different views and chatting about stuff Wolves and (in Phil's and my case) often non Wolves.
I'm also going to use this post to say what a good post Ecosse has posted above re the midfield conundrum.
Lack of pace, defend too deep ( probably due to lack of pace and fear of being caught upfield), lack of incisive passing ( bizarre as two of the three are/ were fantastic passers) etc etc.
Clearly the balance and the form of the midfield isn't great in either direction at the moment.
It is hard to understand how it has fallen away so badly this year even if Moutinho's aging was hardly a surprise.
Jas's comments on the impact of the change in the WBs is insightful but even so I' m surprised how much the slight change to the system/ playing staff has rippled though the team and mostly as yet negatively - Neto and Podence are the exception and both are much improved and showing real promise - if only the were natural goal scorers not old fashioned inside forwards/ wingers.
Dendonker is a good player, ( you don't play for Belgium without being one) - good athlete and puts in a shift but for a top top player his touch and vision aren't good enough and his finishing is terrible particularly in the air.
Neves as discussed above has seemingly gone backwards this year sharply - he doesn't pass as well, has lost all of his goal scoring threat and the game just seems to fast for him to keep up despite sitting v deep. Worrying?
Moutinho after a sluggish start to the season appears to be getting back up to speed - albeit it isn't the speed he once had!
A new midfielder or a run for Vitor in the New Year might be required but at the moment dare you move away from the tried and tested with these difficult fixtures this month?
We need to get through the month with respectability, {7 POINTS FROM THE 5 GAMES? Views? ] - beating Burnley and Villa and getting a point from 1 of the 3 top 6 games?
But on current form that won't be easy - we even lost at Turf Moor last year didn't we?
09 Dec 2020 17:53:10
Dear Thefurtureisoldgold
Firstly Yellowstone name I use from the excellent tv series of same name starring Kevin Costner in the US national park.
You probably grew up when we 2 inside forwards, 2 wingers,
2 fullbacks, 2 halfbacks 1 centre half 1 centre forward.
Think the great Alf Ramsey started the change not having wingers, now we have wingbacks, centre backs, midfielders, strikers.
I remember as a 7yr old seeing a superb 17yr old lad called Duncan Edwards play for England and of course the Busby babes, what a player he would have been. For me Pelewas still the best of all time.
09 Dec 2020 18:27:53
Hi Yellowstone was Duncan Edward's from Dudley?
My dad (sadly passed a long time ago) told me all the stories of the 50's 60's 70's but been that long I'm not sure if I have remembered right.
You elder generation on here I love reading your posts on football before my time.
Thefutureisoldgold I have got some good ideas of what I want to do next year I will share them with you in due course.
Like nuno says we are a pack and are stronger together.
FWAW.
09 Dec 2020 20:13:42
Yes Phil Duncan was born in Dudley, there is a statue of him in the town, he two footed, powerful 6ft+ amazing player for his age.
09 Dec 2020 21:15:26
Cheers mateðŸ‘
Sam Allardyce born in Dudley too I know that one.
It must of been great seeing all these great players.
Theres a lot of posters on here I have seen post about the 60's and 70's teams like the doog John Richard's hibbit and so on.
I had a connection with Norman Deeley when I was a kid. He took some training sessions with the football team I was playing for.
I felt so good as it was my dad who told me who he was scoring twice in our last fa cup final victory in 1960 against Blackburn.
I felt honoured to be coached by him.
10 Dec 2020 08:43:29
Hi Phil, Norman Deeleys nickname was the penguin he use run with his hands held out like flippers.
Once sat next to Billy Wright and his landlady watching a cowboy film at Old Odeon cinema.
10 Dec 2020 09:43:28
Fantastic Yellowstone😃
My brother has a photo of himself with Steve Bull and Andy Mutch from a meet and greet night at the Cleveland pub.
I'm envious a bit but proud as it's my brother, the photo is class.
I worshipped Bully and Bully will always be my favourite wolves player ever. just my generation we never saw a lot of wolves in the top flight.
10 Dec 2020 09:53:31
Yes Phil, Bully was something special, old fashioned striker, he always new where the goal posts were, could do with him at present.
10 Dec 2020 13:28:37
I agree that Neves looks a shadow of the player he once was. When scoring opportunities come his way, he balloons over the bar or similar. It may be a confidence thing or he has been sussed out, but either way we need him fully up to speed again. A goal would help.
10 Dec 2020 16:31:46
Agree. But is it a confidence thing or a change in tactics. I only ask because I've noticed that Moutinho is taking free kicks in and around the area trying to float the ball in when in the past, Neves would have taken a direct free kick.
11 Dec 2020 12:55:56
Felt certain I had responded to your post Yellowstone but somehow it doesn't seem to have made it onto the board.
So sorry for seemingly ignoring you.
Yes 2,3,5 was the formation of choice - indeed the only 1 I think when I was growing up. Given many teams now line up 5,4,1 a massive change to the philosophy.
Haven't seen the TV series or been to the National Park but we did go to Yosemite another of the US's National Parks. This one is on the border of Nevada and California. We went there as part of a West coast trip in the 80s. An amazing place with huge mountains, waterfalls and Redwood Forests.
My name comes from an advert for the old telco company Orange - now EE that had the tag line "The future is bright the future is Orange".
At the time - in the 90s - I was hoping it was prophetic but apart from a few false dawns and subsequent relegations it has not been too accurate and I was beginning to think I would not live to see another successful Wolves side.
Hence so delighted at the ride with Nuno. He has brought back pride in the team and even grudging respect from fans of other teams - even my son acknowledges we are ok - for the first time in his life. He used to just laugh at my pathetic team indeed he is so worried by our success and my gloating that he has even threatened to move out - as if - if we win a trophy!
Sadly though a little success makes you greedy and grumpy/ intolerant when it doesn't go perfectly as now "I want it all and I want it now"!
Consequently I apologise to all the other posters for my negativity and moaning!
Phil the only plans we have in place for the summer next ( post virus please! ) year are a return to Exmoor for a few days.
Culture, walking and cider!
Love the SW and was going to ask Wimborne if that is Minster as we had a great hols based around there a few years ago. Kingstone Lacey, Corfe, Swanage, Stourhead, Shaftsbury etc.