This is becoming routine.
Get into the game, fail to convert chances, concede a soft goal, chase the game.
Certainly, Man City, Liverpool, Watford, Newcastle and last night all religiously followed the blueprint, with VAR never far from the action.
It’s incredible just how many times we’ve had to put celebrations in reverse this season after a seemingly straightforward goal was taken away.
It does hit Raul’s hand and those are the rules, but much like West Ham’s goal at Sheffield United the other week it feels harsh given that the ball is cannoned against the attacker’s arm from point-blank range.
To think Neto has now had a goal ruled out at Anfield and Old Trafford despite doing nothing wrong himself is borderline comedy.
Jimenez should have put us ahead anyway after that majestic Cruyff turn killed the entire Utd back four, but the finish that followed was pathetic.
He’s failed to convert a number of clear sighters lately and in a team that doesn’t rack up the chances, we can’t afford such profligacy.
As Nuno pointed out afterwards, the all-round play was decent enough, we just never went in for the kill.
They got through a few times and Ruddy had a very strong game to his credit making several good saves to keep Wolves in it to the very last.
The goal felt soft, with Wolves in a good attacking area of the pitch but for the umpteenth time failing to commit enough bodies forward.
Utd then get a bounce of the ball and suddenly we’re over-run at the back. I’m not sure how that happened?
We didn’t trouble Romero’s goal once in the second half and that’s disappointing.
Having gone for it with the team selection it was surprising to see us chuck in the towel by taking Neto and Traore off.
Maybe that was Nuno making another statement about the lack of options he has at his disposal?
Without wanting to repeat the message ad nauseam, we look stale and tired and the solution is obvious.
It’s one competition less to worry about, but this was a competition we could easily have won with a squad equipped to compete.
What a frustrating night!
Watching on Hesgoal, which spends more time buffering, or telling me my computer has a million viruses, or my Flash Player is out of date, and trying to download stuff from some bizarre website to fix it all, than showing me the game.
Well, it’s a free stream I hear you say. Why not subscribe to BT Sport you bloody skinflint?
Fair point, very well made.
I thought we started off really well last night, and should have been a couple of goals up by half time. After that, United grew stronger and we grew much, much weaker.
And then, the dreaded VAR. Although that wasn’t at fault this time, it was the stupid handball rule. Why should accidental handball in the penalty area be different for attackers and defenders?
Anywhere else on the pitch it would count the same, but over that narrow white line, it suddenly becomes different.
Someone please explain that to me.
I am getting VERY worried about Raul. He’s seemed off the pace for a few weeks now, and last night he looked absolutely shot!
Earlier in the season, he would have buried that early chance that he merely passed back to their ‘keeper.
I’m also worried about Ruben Neves.
What has happened to his shooting?
Used to be that he would shoot from outside the area, the net would bulge and he’d be running away, index finger tapping his forehead in his trademark celebratory style.
Now he hoofs the ball, IT ends up in row Z, and his head ends up in his hands.
Someone please explain that to me.
If we were serious about The FA Cup, why didn’t we play a full strength side at Molineux, when we had our best chance of beating United? Instead of having to replay when we could be resting our lads for the Southampton game.
Someone please explain that to me.
Why not subscribe to BT Sport ??
Steve McManaman is your answer
Another fair point, very well made!
Good point, he is a prize prat as is the commentator who commented when Raul crumpled under a very heavy challenge in the Ist half that ‘Jimenez likes to dish it out too’. I’ve yet to see it. The commentating was some of the most biased I have heard recently. Traore showed outstanding skills at times- never a mention of that!
Wooden wolf spot on McManaman is a prize prat ,could not listen to is biased opinions, must hate the Wolves never says anything any good about our team .
All the good football we play is being spoilt by silly goals given away and trying to walk ball in the net ,the stats don’t lie , happening far to often now ,we all now what we want and need,so let’s do it quickly or else this season will be wasted and fans will ask questions on why we didn’t bring players in after promising to take us to next level.
McManaman is on record as hating Wolves. Caught speaking when he thought mic was off. Followed rude chant about Scousers by Wolves supporters.
Yes I picked up on McManaman’s anti-Wolves sentiment. Although watching in a pub where the sound wasn’t always clear I even thought why have they got an ex-United player commentating? But I quickly realised he’s ex Liverpool! Weird but why was Lindelof’s arm ball not given as a penalty to us? I clearly no longer know the rules of football in it’s post-Var dystopian form.
‘…why was Lindelof’s arm ball not given as a penalty to us?’
My thought’s entirely. The guy moves his arm across his body in the direction of the ball. Its not as though it came at him from centimetres away from an untidy challenge, like Neto’s ‘goal’. The laws are now laughable and history will look back on these changes to the laws and condemn them.
Positives- we finished the game with 3 nineteen year olds who didn’t look out of place, in fact Neto May keep Jota out of the starting 11 the way he is going
We were very unlucky not to go ahead which is an absolute game changer as we could play the game differently from that point on
We will take 3 points off them in a couple of weeks for sure
Finally——- we simply have to benefit from a v- a- r decision soon
Surely
Utw
I agree with all that Marney, particularly about Neto who looks a really good player. I don’t think he’s on Jota’s level yet, but could soon be if Nuno works his magic. And as you say, he’s 19, which is incredible when you consider his physical stature. My dad asked me last night if I thought he was better than Cavaleiro. I think he is only because he’s more direct and continually impacts the game with his running. And he’s 7 years younger so the scope for improvement is massive. Good business in my book to basically swap them with similar fees paid/received (yes, obviously I’d rather have both given the paucity of the squad before anyone jumps on me).
Spot on Thomas, the kids confidence is unbelievable too
I had to laugh when one commentator was admiring the United lad for not backing down in one particular duel….. they were probably the same age ?
Utw
Just one comment f**ck Var!
I am happy. All these extra games was doing my head in. We can concentrtate on European glory and getting into the top 6 now.
It has all been said about VAR but think of young Neto 2 goals ruled out at Anfield and Old Trafford it really does his confidence the world of good.
Nuno and the coaching staff picking them up again with well they are the rule’s lads when they all know it is a load of crap, and they have to motivate themselves and the players for the next game.
Wolves Aye WE.
Frustrating night yes and when I saw them team sheet I thought we would definitely have enough to win the game and that Nuno is taking this cup serious.
Yes we could have put out a weakened team with a few senior first team player’s and a handful of under 23s but we witnessed that from the molineux game that we struggled.
But seeing the outrageous prices of £55 for a ticket was disgusting and gready on man Utd ‘s part.
But I think the reason Nuno put out a strong team was exactly that thinking of the fans who made the trip and paid £55 of there hard earned cash he really wanted a good performance to give back to the fan’s so credit to him.
I don’t want to talk to much about VAR as it is now just toxit and something needs to be done before fan’s turn there back on our wonderful game.
I also watched it on a stream as I can’t stand to listen to STEVE MACMANAM he is a complete ARS! And for some reason hates wolves.
There were 65 thousand at the ground last night but you could only here the wolves until man Utd scored that’s a great support we have got fantastic fan’s and we are always heard full credit to all who attended.
It showed last night that we desperately need new addition’s so PLEASE Foson back Nuno now before our season evaporate ‘s before our eye’s.
Come on you wolves???
There’s been a bit of moaning on social media about us playing a better team in this game than the home game
Something that occurred to me was that both teams made changes in the first game,
Us- I thought we could have won that game with the team we picked
Utd- they were happy not to lose the game
Nuno possibly would have played a second string but was quoted as wanting to give the fans something to cheer about in light of the cost they were being charged for tickets and the numbers we took ( big respect for anyone taking time off work midweek to go to support the lads )
They may look tired in some games lately but unlike other wolves teams iv watched,,,,, this team leave it all on the pitch
That’s surely all we can hope for
Utw
Shouldnt really say this but i along with a few others am not dissapointed with being out of this competition.
It is a simple fact that we do not have the strength in depth to play well in all these extra cup games .
We have no choice but to prioritise.
The players are losing it mentally and physically and nuno is trying to hide it, trying to keep the whole juggling act going and he is starting to lose the battle.
Top quality new signings would make a huge difference but I for one am not holding my breath on those .
The other alternative is less games and that is now the way we re going which should help……a little.
The big problem is getting boly and jota back back and keeping the others injury free.
We may be lucky but also we may not be.
I sense a wiff of relief that the number of games decreasing along with the winter rest period could just go in our favour .
As for big signings…. well I will be surprised as I believe they will come in the summer as long as our owners still have the finances and enthusiasm to carry on that is.
A top 7 finish again and maybe the semis of the Europa would be an improvement on last season and leave us in another very good position for the next campaign .
But sooner or later we will have to spend big to make that quantum leap into the top four.
Great summary of where we are at, Spikey, agree on all counts.
‘…am not disappointed with being out of this competition.’
Me neither, but I am disappointed at the way we went out. VAR has gone too far in my book.
It was nothing to do with VAR. It was the change to the handball law.
The ‘offence’ was only pickd up by VAR – not a single Utd player appealed for handball, just as no Liverpool player appealed for offside against Jonny nor any Leicester player against Boly – I could go on…
Yes, it was picked up by VAR, which is exactly what the technology is for. However, the only reason it resulted in a disallowed goal was because of the change to the handball law, which has nothing to do with the technology. You have to focus on the root cause of the decision and not the means of revealing it. There will be other occasions when bad decisions are rightly corrected through the use of the same technology. Working without the availability of technology to study what happened in play will result in bad decisions remaining uncorrected and leading to unjust results.
There are two aspects to this debate. One is the farcical situation whereby diffferent decisions will be given against players for handball depending on whether they are defenders or attackers. The other is the refusal of the FA to use the ‘clear and obvious’ guideline for offside decisions, even tho’ everybody else using VAR applies it. (e.g. the Bundesliga doesn’t have the problems that the Prem has with VAR).
I cannot agree with your suggestion that ‘…bad decisions are rightly corrected through the use of the same technology’. It has been proven time and again that the technology is inadequate in dealing with the offside law as the precise timing of the pass needs to be correlated with the movements of the attacking and defending players. In respect of handball, the technology is facilitating the application of a bad law, and hence bad decisions.
Time was when we’d go home after a match grumbling about a crap ref. Nowadays we go home grumbling about VAR. It hasn’t solved anything, It is forensically analysing situations where we could live with human error and ‘unjust results’. But in the search for ‘precision’ and it is killing the sport we love and, I would argue, generating ‘unjust results’.
Your comment that VAR is facilitating the application of a bad law is misplaced. All that the technology does is enable the clear observation of whether or not a law has been transgressed or not, given the existing wording of the laws of the game. In this case it had. The ball had struck Raúl’s hand and so, given the current handball law, an offence had been committed. It was the flawed law which was the culprit clearly and to throw out the use of technology completely because, in this instance, it captured a transgression of a bad law is to throw the baby out with the bath water.
Your comments about the offside law are also irrelevant to me. Either a player is in an offside position when a pass is made or he isn’t. Again, the current law is badly written. Instead of stating “ if any part of a player’s body is in an offside position”, it should confine it’s scope to whether or not a player “is standing in an offside position”. I.e. it should focus on the position of the player’s feet only. If either foot is in an offside position then the player in question should adjudged offside. Otherwise not.
The use of technology, if properly applied to correctly written laws, is far more preferable to tolerating rank bad decisions by officials affecting the outcome of a match and as for comments like “I don’t know when to celebrate” or “ it’s ruining the game we love”? Please, get a grip. Rugby fans have no problem waiting for an adjudicated decision and neither should football fans. The only reason they seem unable to is their inherent inability to accommodate change and their emotional reaction when an adjudication goes against their team. Are you seriously telling me that if VAR is abolished and subsequently Wolves are the victims of a bad refereeing decision then those fans will react by saying “oh well, it’s better than having technology reviews”? I don’t think so.
‘Are you seriously telling me that if VAR is abolished and subsequently Wolves are the victims of a bad refereeing decision then those fans will react by saying “oh well, it’s better than having technology reviews”?’
I think I am, yes. None of us has ever gone into a stadium expecting the referee not to make any mistakes. Football has managed to prosper for more than a century with refereeing errors. The Prem claim that pre VAR referees were getting 82% (I think) of ‘key match incident’ decisions correct. With VAR it has apparently gone up to 94% – so still not perfect. But what has VAR taken out of the match-going experience as a result ? Lack of spontaneity and added frustration for both supporters and players is the obvious one. Do we want to take emotional reactions out of football ?
Your comment that ‘Your comments about the offside law are also irrelevant to me’ is astonishing in the light of this debate. As I indicated, many people have clearly identified that the technology is flawed in respect of offside decisions, yet you insist we must respect its findings. Why ?
I am not against the use of technology per se – I think the goal-line technology in use at the moment is superb. Instant decision, no disruption to the game, easily verifiable to the TV viewer (for example). But VAR as it is being applied is a different kettle of fish.
I agree with you that the primary flaw lies in the way that the handball and offside laws are written, but whilst VAR is in operation and the powers that be are prepared to defend it (and lets face it, for some of them their jobs depend on it ) I won’t be holding my breath waiting for them to be re-written.
Fair enough Jack. Thank you for your reply and indeed this entire exchange. You’ve explained your views very articulately and clearly I reckon, it’s just that I disagree with you on the core issue of which is more important – that we get accurate decisions on key incidents or that we don’t bother with technology reviews to enable to do so. Opting for the latter choice means we’ll have to accept that we will put up with incorrect decisions consequently.
I’ve tried to make my position clear and I’m still left wondering why Rugby Union can do it and Football can’t, particularly since Rugby is a sport which quite deliberately involves physical contact and borderline decisions, much more so than football does.
I wonder how many Wolves fans would sympathise with opposition supporters if and when they’re the victims of a VAR ruling? I wonder how many of those Wolves fans would then be saying “what a shame for them, they don’t know when to celebrate”? Equally I wonder how may of those same Wolves fans, if we didn’t have technology reviews, would be sanguine enough to accept a blatant error by an official which went against them?
Cheers anyway.
Fair enough PeteRobbo. Sometimes we just have to agree to disagree. Nice exchange though and thank you for keeping it polite.
Echoing everyone on this site. Players are clearly tired. Even Traore seemed less than his usual self. But he kept making his runs,unfortunately no one had the energy to get to him. Doc not there to partner him either.
Just hope they all recover in time for Saturday.
Agree about Traore. I thought he had a poor game. He seemed to think that every time he received the ball he had to run with it. In fact there were many occasions when he could have simply moved the ball on with a 1-touch pass which would have been far more effective. Nobody, not even Adama, can run faster with the ball than it can travel alone when passed.
I was there last night…Old Trafford…that is . In the 1968 executive suit surrounded by Utd supporters . Think we were the only four Wolves lads in the room . (Not allowed to wear club colours we were told . Yet the girl sitting on the next table had here Utd top on…ffs).
Anyway we are shown to our seats . Upper north west terrace…right next to the Streford end .
Neto scores. We all go up ! Ever had that feeling you are being watched ? Fookin VAR rules the goal out much to the delight of the UTD fans all around us . From then on in the UTD fans behind us are giving it large. Made for an uncomfortable first half .
At half time we decided to sit in the many empty seats that were available…away from the Utd fans
You all know the rest . I have to say but I think one of our central defenders was to blame for their goal…without naming names . The last ten minutes we look tired.
Please DR Nuno and Fosun…we need signings desperately . Three or four will do.
PS. On pulling out of the car park we saw MCManaman being chauffer driven away from the ground…tosser !
I could only listen to the commentary yesterday, and haven’t been able to watch the game, but from what I heard I kind of felt at half time that we would lose it after the missed chances and disallowed goal in the first half. It had that typical feeling of rueing missed chances, and lo and behold …
However, if there was ever a time for perspective, this is it, and Villa gave us that last weekend when they got spanked for 6 by the team we beat not just once, but THRICE! this year: the reigning English champions, no less. I say this not just to propagate the “look how far we’ve come” sentiment, but to reinforce the belief of “how good a team we have” on a good and rested day. Not many teams are capable of holding City even to a narrow loss, never mind beating them 3 times in a row. This is no coincidence. We are (or at least can be) that good.
So what’s going on? What’s happened since then? It’s probably not just one thing but a combination of several factors including fatigue (mental and physical), Jota’s injury (don’t underestimate what he brings to the team and how easily he could have swayed any of the last few results), Cutrone leaving at the worst possible time (I admit not having been a fan of his, but I’d have preferred him to stay until the end of the season for squad purposes), perfectly good goals (ordinarily) being disallowed for reasons of minutia (again, don’t underestimate the psychological impact this can have on the team – you go from euphoria to desperation in an instant!), etc.
Our squad is thread bare as many (if not all) of us acknowledge, for reasons I don’t fully understand. Vallejo and Cutrone didn’t work out as expected, and not sure I will ever understand why we sold Cav so early until we build a larger squad. But as always there is more to all this than we get to know, so what’s done is done and if players want to move on, good luck to them. But now that the squad is tread bare, the last thing we needed (honestly) is a cup run. Never mind that we could have beaten Utd, or that we should have played the better team at Molineux, or that we should never have let ourselves get into this situation with such a small squad. The point is that for whatever reasons, we are, and so we cannot handle another competition at the moment and need to focus on league position and Europa league. That’s plenty to work on for now.
Amidst all this I remain very positive despite the obvious recent frustrations and disappointments. And here’s why: all our problems are solvable. A small squad can be enlarged, better players can be found, and tired legs can be rested. We have the most important ingredient: attitude. The attitude of Fosun, management and players is to win and advance, and they have the financial commitment to make that happen. So let’s not get too disheartened when our journey takes a few wrong turns. It’s bound to happen, in sports, just like in life ;-). The destination remains the same. We are bound and destined for EPL and European success, and we will get there so long as we have the continued commitment to get there by the club, and I believe we do.
Let’s stay with the team. Keep the faith. We’ll get there!
Come on Wanderers! Go Wolves!
Very balance account there Go Wolves.
Exit from the FA Cup could be a blessing in disguise.
Last night`s performance really summed up where we are. In short, a very small squad which has, as a unit played too many games. Many of our players — and notably Raul — seem to be well and truly knackered. The absence of quality back-ups within the squad is embarrassing and will, if not rapidly addressed, begin to hurt us big time.
The substitution of MGW says it all. Many say that he is a future major talent. I have yet to see it. But, be that as it may, as of now he is nowhere near the standard required for the Premiership. Surely, if only in fairness to him, he should be allowed to develop his trade by getting regular games at a lower level. For us to continue to regard MGW as a viable member of a squad with ambitions to break into the top four is delusional.
Mr Shoo, the ball`s sqarely in your court.
Agree completely about MGW, Mike. At present, Neto looks much the more talented 19 year old but he is very much a work in progress
Played ok first half. Sat deep second. We are still on track for 55 points come the end of the season. Based on current points per game. What a shame for Neto. Scored in front of the Kop. The Stretford End. Both good finishes. Ruled out by the wretched VAR which continues to take away and give us nothing. The latest VAR table shows us right at the bottom for decisions. Even after we scored last night I just knew they would take it away.. Killing football. Killing Wolves. The players must wonder what is going on. Agree with comments above. Reinforcements needed. But I am not gonna panicked. We are still a bloody good side. Just need a bit of help with new faces. On to Saints. And fuck VAR.
Well I mek it VAR 6 Wolves 1 at the half way point.
They should move the whole shebang outa Stockley Park and I’ve found the perfect plot in Bilston Cemetery
I agree with all the comments re our threadbare squad but we need to keep ffp in mind. January is a notoriously bad time to buy and if we overpay for a mediocre player now we might regret it in the summer.
I’ve heard rumblings in the media of Fosun losing interest. I don’t think that could be farther from the truth. There’s a forced necessity to make every million count.
We need players for us to grow and compete with the best so Fosun invest and get your cheque book out and keep your promises to the Fans & Nuno, back him or else he’ll go.
Wolves Ay we.
As willing as Fosun might be to get their cheque book out if we end up with a transfer embargo or even a points deduction because of it, it will do us no good at all.
People seem to forget how much we’ve spent including wages and other add-ons and what the laws of the game dictate.
We might not like them but they’re the realities.
At last I’m finding it easier to cope with the new situation in which I find myself. At the start of the season, the pain of our team scoring only to later have it chalked off for very little and occasionally nothing, was too much to bear. So I hated VAR.
But I’m better now. I’ve learned to live with it. When we score now I remain impassive, waiting patiently for the shadowy vultures behind the monitors to pick over the bones, desperately searching for a scrap of meat they can feast on and seemingly gleefully scrub off our effort.
In affairs of the heart, they say, it’s better to have loved and lost than not to have loved at all. But now, for me, in affairs of the VAR, I’ve had my heart broken too many times.
I refuse to get all excited until those vultures have had their fill.
Of course, by then, it’s too late.
See y’all at Southampton.
I’ve had it up to here with that Scouse git commentating. What a biased prat.
Some positives.A good display by Ruddy. Neto took his ‘goal’ well. Same as against Liverpool. Same old, same old VAR. Poor from Jimenez and Neves, but at least nobody’s coming in to sign them based on recent form!
The cup exit might be a blessing in disguise. In my view both the players and Nuno are knackered. Smallest squad in the PL and we have played the most matches. We can now prioritise the PL and Europa League. This time last year we had the PL and FA Cup. Even stevens. We don’t need more.
My hunch on VAR is that it will be seriously looked at if the total number of goals scored in the PL this season is well down on the previous season.
I’d revert to a 352 formation with Liverpool coming up next week. Saiss, Coady, Bennett with Adama and Johnny occupying the wing back roles, Moutinho, Dendonker and Neves in the middle with Raul and Neto up top. Doc needs a rest but so do several others so maybe MGW could come in with Neves maybe rested. Expecting Jota and Boly to be on bench within next few weeks so with them back and hopefully a couple of new additions incoming then we can start to rotate and freshen the squad up a bit going into the final 3rd of the season.
We need a win desperately with 2 tough games coming up so tomorrow on paper is our best chance to get 3 points.
Saints 0
Wolves 2