09 Apr 2023 19:16:32
So yet again I was unable to watch or listen to the game thanks to prior arrangements. Still something I've been mulling over for a few weeks now is life after Neves, our latest Wolves legend.
As vbwolf and Abbey touched on, did we play 'better' in the midfield without him? If we did that does not surprise me in the slightest. When I say better I mean faster and stronger as other talented midfielders, i.e, Nunes and Gomes were freed to express themselves without the ball being slowed down by Neves and Mouts.
Will this become an elephant in the room for the rest of the season or will JL leave Neves on the bench more, as he organises the team in preparation for life without him? Personally, I think we'll be fine but like Traore, I hope if he does go, it'll be abroad.
09 Apr 2023 22:59:17
The Neves predicament is clear. Neves controls the game but to do thus, he has to play a deeper role. Personally, I'd play 442 with Lemina sitting in front of the CB's, Neves and Gomes in CM and Nunes in a free role behind Cuhna and Jimenez/Sarabia/Neto et al.
We looked so much better playing 442 and Nunes was excellent. We need to capitalise on this now. Brentford next week will be a hard game as they are well organised but we have the players to cope.
09 Apr 2023 23:28:50
What needs to be remembered is that it was a one-off game and, yes, Nunes did play well but his sometimes dire previous performances have nothing to do with Neves. It was apparent that both he and Podence cut out the errors they regularly make so perhaps Lopetegui has had strong words.Also, for the first time, Nunes seemed up for the physical challenge. Neves has been consistently head and shoulders above everyone else this season but I think yesterday showed what a player Gomes will become in a year or so.
10 Apr 2023 07:29:09
The result is massive.but the performance was terrific to watch!
Well done to Lopetiqui for persevering and getting a serious result out of these players.
The addition of players by Lopetequi and Hobbs has changed the squad dynamics.
Credit to Hobbs for Dawson and Gomes and Lopetequi for Lemina in particular.
10 Apr 2023 08:11:45
There's another aspect to the neves presence/absence question in my books. If he's on the team sheet how do th opposition approach their game? Did his absence perhaps 'open' things abit in midfield because Chelsea wernt anticipating us to be able to play without him successfully, the 442 seemed to take a lot by surprise, Brentford no doubt will be playing the game over and working on nunes now, looking at lamina/gomes with a view to shutting down tighter and with more speed and that's where a sensible head of neves can hold up and find the pass. It'll be an interesting if not more stop start v Brentford I feel. If we can genuinely handle life without neves I think we'll see it against Brentford.
10 Apr 2023 08:29:53
Only my opinion,but don't change a winning team,as said 4-4-2,worked well,when I was captain of my bowls team,one of my better players dropped out for the next game,the reserve I introduced,won his match.,the team also won,so I kept the winning side,the better player was reserve for a couple of games,
When he came back in,he rarely lost a game,sometimes a change does the team good,and we are a team,
And team must come first,
Coyw
10 Apr 2023 11:18:33
Nunes was playing on the right of midfield where he hasn't been playing.
It was highlighted on MOTD with the post match analysis.
Maybe when neves is available lopetegui keeps Nunes on the right of midfield drops j gomes,
Or not as Greyleg suggests either way if Nunes continues as he did agaisnt Chelsea on the right of midfield then all good for us.
It's good that our manager has the quality options.
We haven't had any consistency in results all season what a time to start now.
10 Apr 2023 11:56:44
Some good points gents but does it simply prove that we have other midfielders who given the opportunity can deliver? As Abbey suggests the Brentford game will tell us more.
Given Nunes's goal celebration it's fair to say he enjoyed that, probably because he got a monkey off his back, on one hand and scored what will probably be Goal of the Month, on the other. Hopefully, this opens his 'gate' both in terms of his performances and goal scoring potential.
So, yes as Old Wulf reminds us it's just one game and Chelsea aren't the side they were, so we probably need further evidence to answer my initial question, I think.
10 Apr 2023 12:43:25
Looking through the recent lineups it seems that the midfield and forward positions have had continual change for one reason or another so its no real surprise that the results have been inconsistent. It does look as though JLo by trial and error combined with injury and suspension has been trying to get the best combination out of the 4 midfield players he's got available at the moment. Hopefully he found the answer on Saturday, at least in the short term if nothing else!
10 Apr 2023 13:02:45
The short answer about the Neves quandary will be revealed against Brentford, I can't see J-Lo changing anything after Saturday's performance and result.