We actually did it.
We benefitted from VAR.
It was the correct call too with Jota unequivocally denied a clear goalscoring opportunity.
Still, it’s a shame he didn’t get his shot away as Watford’s goal was rarely threatened from that point onwards with the extra man doing little to aid our efforts.
If anything, they were a tougher nut to crack with 10 men, abandoning any attacking adventure in favour of sitting deep and closing the gaps. It worked very well.
The lesson is, don’t be two goals down in the first place.
Dendoncker’s loose pass cancelled out some encouraging moments in a closely contested first half, gifting the ball to Deulofeu in the exact area of the pitch he likes it – great finish in fairness.
Jimenez was similarly wasteful in the build-up to their second, but even so, it felt too easy for Doucoure to engineer the shooting angle.
Little to no surprise that once Dendoncker was restored to the back three and Neves introduced in midfield, we dictated the remainder of the game.
I’m pleased for Neto as he was again lively and direct throughout. He deserved the luck that helped him open his Premier League account for the second game running.
I wouldn’t have given him the hook either as I felt he had more to offer in the remaining minutes. Jimenez – who didn’t have a great game – could have gone off with Jota deployed down the middle perhaps?
Either way, Neto is the major positive to come out of these back-to-back defeats. He’s proven himself a very capable option in attack.
On the other end of the scale, it’s unfair to single out Ryan Bennett, who did little to directly damage our prospects, but it’s undeniable to me that we’re infinitely weaker when we don’t have three good ball-playing center halves.
That’s one area I expect to be addressed in the coming weeks.
For now, we just file this one away as disappointing, learn from the mistakes and move on.
And if you need a pick me up, just remember we lost the first game of 2019 too and things didn’t turn out too badly in the end.
Happy New Year!
That was pretty dismal.
We didn’t do enough to warrant a point, particularly after Watford went down to ten men.
What really annoyed me at the end was the look on Troy Deeney’s face as he wasted the last five minutes down by our corner flag.
But fair play to Watford, they wanted it more and deserved to win.
Let’s hope the rest of 2020 proves rather more successful.
One question that baffles me:- Why is Moutinho taking our free kicks when they are within scoring range?
Surely Ruben Neves has proved over the years that he ‘s the more likely scorer.
Agree with you on the free kicks, Doog. Moutinho must be red hot in training practice.
Jimmy had a poor game. Didn’t hold the ball up enough and a fair few loose passes.
We looked so much stronger when Neves came on, he grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck and drove wolves forwards. As did vinagre.
Very sloppy lacklustre first half, very much improved second half after their goal but overall, we didn’t really deserve anything.
Completely different team when Neves and Moutinho are on the field together.
So we had a var in our favor.
Whoop de do.
They managed to waste more time arguing about it, and we got, once again, no advantage from the situation.
The var decision we should have got, a clear penalty, was bottled, once again, by the same faceless twat who disallowed our goal at anfield.
That would have changed the game entirely, and we would have won comfortably, since they would have had to come out and chase the game, leaving us oceans to exploit.
But no, fuckin’ foster and co started their blatent time wasting non football tactics, using up at least 15 minutes with their wipe the ball at every throw in, clean my boots for every goal kick delaying tricks.
And shrek, who was completely anonymous as usual for 87 minutes pops his ugly mug up in the corner to kick and push and trip a few more wasted minutes away.
I really am glad we have a principled manager, who urges competitive football and the will to win constantly, instead of the insidious nefarious tactics of managers with has beens, journeymen and never will bes, who are in the Prem to make up the numbers
Yes Donk gave them the first goal, but for me they were there for the taking and we didn’t quite put them to the sword ruthlessly enough.
Thank dog I support a team thats going somewhere positive, not a bunch of donkeys from watford gap services.
Roll on our next league match.
I will be there to ensure a victory!!
FOwb
And a Happy Texas New Year to y’all!!
Happy New Year to you as well. Safe travels.
Well, we certainly got what we deserved today.
I will be there on Saturday to have a word or two pre match. Twixo ….. see you in Park View Cafè or by Billy Wright Statue?
I don’t suppose I am the only one to have noticed but two things:
– I thought players being substituted had to leave the pitch at the nearest point. Not so the Watford player who came off after playing his part in their marvellous injury time contribution to the beautiful game played out by the corner flag.
– And some clubs seem to have legitimised their ball boys performing the “Reverse Mourinho” tactic. Whilst I have no objection to what the little Spurs fella did recently surely the reverse needs to be stamped on before it gets out of hand.
Yeah…..let’s VAR check those incidents too, I say !
Given the number of games Wolves have played this season and arguably the hardest of the hard schedules over the festive season it was no surprise we struggled.
And Watford played, given their position, the perfect game. Tackles early on that amounted to assaults (with a referee who seemed to have left his yellow cards at home), and Delefeu taking immediate advantage of Wolves errors, they established a 2-0 advantage. Then they used every device known to professional football to maintain their lead.
Wolves meanwhile huffed and puffed without ever giving me the belief we could pull it back. Traore was neutralised, Moutinho seems to have lost the knack from set-pieces and in general Wolves were off their game. Which, as I said, given the pressure under which, with great success, they have performed is to be expected.
So despite the odd blip, we are enjoying a great season, so heads up and looking forward to Man U in the cup.
Our expectations are so high now after our heroics against the top sides , it’s disappointing to be losing against a relegation candidate, although I have always thought Watford would come through. We are still in “best of the rest” territory and if a push for the top four is our target then the board need to put funds in Nuno’s hands. It doesn’t look like a big signing is imminent but we have to wait and see.
Man U are 3-0 down to Arsenal, so no harm done today whatsoever . We performed bad and lost, so did everyone around us.
Lots of games, tired players underwhelming performances.
Normal service resumed on Saturday and in the league against the Toon.
What an opportunity missed though with all those around us competing for 4th place failing. Watford were there for the taking and weren’t taken because of our sloppy play. Bet Nuno was fuming.
I’ve said this on Twitter, Nuno’s decision to play Donk in MF lost us the game.
Unfortunately Donk is nowhere near good enough on the ball in MF and positioning is poor.
Watford had their purple patch after Doc/Raul missed chances. The game was there to be won at that point and I feel Neves would have helped Moutinho to keep us on the front foot. Moutinho was left with too much to do on his own, Donk went missing for a few minutes and that meant Watford played through us and got at our defence too often. A quality alternative to Neves and Moutinho a must.
Ironically, as ponderous as Donk was in MF, we missed his ball-playing ability at the back. Like Thomas says, Bennett didn’t do an awful lot wrong defensively, but we need all three of our CBs to bring the ball out from the back. Bennett can either play an easy pass backwards or lump it forwards.
Frustrated, as Nuno had an off day setting the team up. We could have been three points off Chelsea if we just went with our Gun XI.
UTW!
For me the team selection cost us the game.
Bennett at the back instead of Dendoncker means we don’t have a ball player on the right of our defence to get things moving quickly down our usually productive right flank.
Dendoncker in midfield instead of Neves reduces our attacking play and creativity.
Neto, despite his goal, is not at the same level as Jota.
Had we played our strongest team from the off I believe we would have beaten a very average and tactically limited Watford side.
OODCL
Agree with everything you say except the Neto/Jota comment. Neto is improving significantly and Jota is not and needs to do more if he’s to remain a regular.
Looked like a penalty in the box against Neto. Instead he gets a card. Crazy.
Nuno would rather have a tired Raul than a well rested Patrick. Says it all.
I don’t think Diogo did much when he came on. But better him than Patrick, apparently.
Apparently, Raul came in contact with the ball boy today, too. I wonder if some new rules have to be made regarding when ball boys pick up the ball and when they leave it for the other team’s player to pick it up.
I really don’t understand why teams start wasting time when they are only up by a goal and there is 45 minutes left in the game. They may regret it later in the game if the other team scores a goal or two.
Also, last game, Adama became more effective when he moved closer to the centre of the pitch. I wonder why he didn’t try that more this game.
Its one game. We played badly. We got what we deserved. Nothing.
What I believe is of more significance than this one result is the fact that it showed again the danger of operating with such a small squad. Given the fixture list intensity, we need to be able to ‘rest ‘ key players against more moderate opposition, but the reality is that we cannot. Our back up squad players are simply not good enough. Some may have much promise — eg Neto — but if we are to achieve our lofty ambisions, promise is not enough.
Raul is, in my opinion world class, but is looking like he is knackered. Hardly surprising given the number of games he is requried to play. But we have no one to bring in to allow him the rest that he clearly so urgently needs.
To get over the problem by resorting to playing guys out of position cannot be the answer. The Donk has performed excellently as a central defender, but today he was expected to play a pivotal role in midfield. Perhaps unsurprisingly, he played poorly. This change weakened both defence and attack, leaving us with a side which looked very unbalanced. How different we looked when Nevez and Moutinho combined in mid field.
The answer must surely be to add to our squad in the January — quality and proven, who can make a difference now. Young and promising will not do.
VAR finally played a decent game. I was singing his name when that kid got sent off. Unfortunately with justice done the 10 men of Watford stood firm as we toiled but ultimately failed to breach their lines. Many are putting this down to ‘being a bit tired’ but I’m sure there is tactically more to it. I will be honest and say I don’t have a firkin clue what Doctor Nuno should have prescribed but clearly we were lacking something extra to unlock the door.
It’s going to be an interesting fortnight now till the next League match. Time to experiment a little in the cup and recuperate where required. Time also perhaps to see some transfer traffic. I feel this window will probably be eventful and perhaps even pivotal to our top 6 aspirations. So good are our current besties I don’t think that is beyond them but any team with our schedule is going to need strong reinforcement. We should also be pragmatic and realise that naturally, as with any squad, we may not be able to retain all our besties in the summer. I hope therefore we can get in early and find the replacements but without tipping over the apple cart. I don’t want much do I!
Happy New Year all. It’s a wonderful time to be a wolf.
Would have preferred the first VAR be overturned in our favour when Neto was fouled in the box. Yellow card was just adding insult to the incident.
He dived, Ash, plain and simple hence the yellow card and no penalty.
Don’t agree. Why is he required to fall in a specific way when tripped?
Not often I disagree with you SP, but here I do.
Look at the photo above and bear in mind that Neto is moving at speed across the box. When ex-Baggie Dawson steps across his line there is only one possible outcome – Neto goes down. This isn’t a shoulder-to-shoulder challenge or simple obstruction, its taking a man out.
All I can say is that in real time I thought it was a penalty but when I saw the replays I was pretty sure he dived. The rule I use is what would I have thought if a penalty had been given against us for that and I would have been outraged. There was the slightest of touches and that’s it in my opinion.
Is that as bad as when Donk trod on the foot of the Citeh attacker, who then went down like he had been hit by an exocet missile?
Despite Raul looking completely knackered and out of sorts there was no sign of Cutrone. Says it all really.
Some reporter should have the balls to ask Nuno about it and not accept that he needs to improve first. Raul could get injured from playing fatigued.
Best news of the day, Otasowie signs new contract, definitely a star for the future.
Would be very pleased to see new players joining, but don’t underestimate the quality needed to blend into this team and how few of them there are around. Spurs Arsenal Man Utd etc would all love to have our track record on signings and they are watching us like hawks.
Add onto that the six months intensive coaching apprenticeship before earning regular playing time. This is what you get when your manager is a master craftsman.
Nuno is still young in management terms and hopefully will have learnt from his serious error in having such a ludicrously small squad .I love him of course but even I could have told this was stupid with a PL and Europa League campaign ahead .This will cost us a lot this season especially as being realistic getting g top players in in January never happens .
After two losses on the bounce we need a win on Saturday to boost the boys but as was said earlier why on earth is Neves not taking the free kicks outside the area .
Three games in six days, two away. I would have gratefully taken 3 draws beforehand but would end up elated at the Citeh win, peed off at losing at Liverpool and simply disappointed that Watford had too much for us. Physically, mentally and tactically tired at the end of a tremendous week. No really poor teams in the PL this season and it shows we have to be at our very best to win games – and when we are, we can and do outplay the big hitters. 10% improvement at the back and we will crack the top 4. Our success in the next two windows will dictate whether we can make the next major jump forward or stay as one of a number of very decent PL teams.
Breaking news on Sky:-
Wolves are in talks to sign Striker Leonardo Campana from Ecuadorean club Barcelona sc
That’s maybe why Jimenez was a bit off yesterday.
Just saying!
Theres almost little point in the players stretching their physical and emotional abilities to the max and beating Man City in a heroic performance, then losing at Watford with nothing left in the tank for that game. Smallest squad in the prem and by far the most matches played. No wonder now Nuno wants reinforcements.
Leicester have gone up a level since their centre half was sold to Man Utd for £85m was it? For wwfc to go to the next level, can`t do that with a championship back three in the first half, do we sell somebody or do Fosun put their hand in the till again. Either way Nuno must be pissed, as he said we have basically the same team as last season. Cant keep producing miracles everytime the lads run on the pitch or can we??