If it wasn’t so utterly predictable then it could have been mistaken for a nightmare.
An Albion team with no strikers, one league win all season and a team full of half-hearted plodders (by their own fans’ admission), deserving a 3-2 win on our own patch with two unfathomable refereeing decisions thrown into the mix for old time’s sake.
Like every time we play West Bromwich Albion in the last 30 years or more – barring one or two rare exceptions – we lose, with each defeat more damaging than the one before. How we could induce more pain than the Molineux Massacre nine years ago is an incredible feat that even I thought was impossible. But achieve it they did and we sleepwalk towards a relegation dogfight with a squad full of puppies.
Quite how this bad dream will all end is yet to transpire, but like the 1-5 embarrassment in 2012, the Jordao winner in 2002 when he should have seen red, the Matt Carbon career ender on George Ndah in 1999, a Kevin Muscat penalty miss, a Keith Curle own goal and most other times we play WBA in between, this feels too seminal.
At worst, this pathetic defeat will spell the beginning of the end of Nuno’s glorious reign as it did for Mick McCarthy in a symmetry too cruel for words. At best, it might just give the players the kick up the backside they need to switch off a collective airplane mode and treat our predicament with some sort of urgency.
As was the case for most of Big Mick’s tenure in the Premier League, we can only look over our shoulders and pray that there’s three worse teams than us in the league, in some sort of pseudo-support for any clubs playing our lowly rivals. In the absence of our own players doing themselves a favour – or the officials or VAR which will never be the case – we can only hope that other clubs will give us the leg-up we need to stumble over the line.
Replays showed that Willy Boly’s challenge on Callum Robinson was outside the box for Albion’s first penalty, in a decision so soft that no fan of a stripy persuasion could have expected after seeing it in real time or on the slow motion afterwards? Commentator Ian Darke sounded flabbergasted! Michael Oliver couldn’t blow his whistle quickly enough though, while VAR turned the other channel when Kieran Gibbs caught the ball with both hands a few minutes later in another incredible decision exclusive only to Wolves in Black County derbies.
But all that being said and done, we deserved what we got for squandering the initiative after half time in a crazy five minutes of non-defending that was only marginally less embarrassing than the last time WBA were in town. Once we gave away two goals – featuring a second penalty with less contact than Albion inflicted on Nelson Semedo outside their box moments before which Michael Oliver ignored – we didn’t have the spirit, backbone or character to turn the tide.
The concession from the long throw was from the school of Sunday morning defending and when looking for leaders for a response, there was none. By the end, the spectacle was a footballing equivalent of Covid, as we looked listless, fuzzy headed and running on empty in a general state of confusion.
And if Nuno honestly thinks that the solutions lie within then we will be lucky to avoid relegation, as Fabio Silva can’t lead the line and misses too many chances, while Patrick Cutrone was hopeless near the end with the goal gaping. Morgan Gibbs White, meanwhile, looks physically incapable of passing to a player in the same coloured shirt in one of the most clueless cameos since Ali Dia. Juxta-posing this with the sales of Diogo Jota and Matt Doherty – and the most braindead replacements in our 144 year history – and we can only wish we’ve been dreaming.
The footballing gods don’t react well to such stupidity, as history keeps telling us. Whether Nuno was responsible or they were thrust upon us by Jorge Mendes matters little now.
Mendes counts his pennies, Nuno counts the cost and until Fosun stops twiddling its fingers, we’ll all count an ever-shrinking points gap between our fledgling failures and the relegation zone.
Them’s the rules, as imposed by the Albion, again. We should know them off by heart now.
Quite often in the history of The Premier League there has been a team that looks comfortable and then, for various reasons, starts to struggle and goes into free fall, ending in relegation.
“They’re much too good to go down” is the mantra trotted out by fans and pundits alike while the tragedy unfolds in front of disbelieving eyes.
Wolves are going through a really sticky patch. Mostly caused by a horrible list of injuries, some of it down to bizarre refereeing and VAR decisions…
…and some of it of our own making.
Changing the way we play has not helped.
Changing from a back five to a back four has CERTAINLY not helped.
Apart from exposing two small and defensively frail full backs, it has nullified Conor Coady as a creative sweeper, firing his long raking balls from central defence to our wingers.
Selling two of our most prolific goal scorers and assisters (I know, get over it) and not replacing them with better players was a big mistake.
Recalling Cutrone and MGW was not what we, or our esteemed coach wanted… or needed.
Nuno looks completely fed up with the hand that he has been dealt by Fosun – and life in general.
It’s a worry but I fully expect that we will get through this bad period without losing Nuno, half our team, or our Premier League status.
After all…
“We’re much too good to go down”.
Worst of all Coady has clearly demonstrated in several recent performances that he is not suited to play in a four at the back system. My take is that if Nuno continues with this new way of playing Coady will not have a place. Shame since his raking passes from the back have been one of our best and most effective features since Nuno arrived
Given our defensive frailties I can`t understand why we persist with Semedo The guy cannot defend. Why continue to ignore Hoever ? The other night he was outstanding at Man Utd.
That terrible phrase, “too good to go down”… that should be burned into the players’ minds from now on. They need to show everyone they are. While it’s frustrating that we have NEVER had the benefit of a contentious referring/VAR decision, at the moment these dodgy decisions are losing us winnable games rather than losing to Liverpool, going behind to City (only to win anyway), or being a mild irritant in an otherwise great season.
I try hard not to tell Nuno what to do (since I’m eminently unqualified to do so!), but when I’ve managed recreational teams in the past, when we hit a bad patch, it’s always time to go back to basics, which in Wolves’ case means 3/5 at the back. We’ve gained great experience with a ‘4 at the back’ plan B (which we always wanted), but we need to stop leaking goals and start winning matches, erm, NOW.
The squad is what it is, but the only silver lining I can remotely envisage from today is that it may shock Fosun into changing their transfer strategy. I don’t want Costa – I’ve said elsewhere I think he has the potential to be the next Roger Johnson, ruining the dressing room and sending us down – but someone like Giroud seems like a win all round. He gets to play and probably make the Euros, we get a proven goal scorer, plus he can leave in the summer when Raul is back! I have a lot of sympathy for the view that it’s not smart to spend a ton of money getting ripped off in January to try and save a season that may not even finish and get into a European competition that may not happen, but today showed us that something HAS to be done – a relegation fight is absolutely on the cards right now… I don’t think we’ll go down but I don’t want to be saying that till May!
Cloud cuckoo land if you think they’d go after Giroud although I agree that he would be excellent for us.
Cant you tell this twat is a shit fan goading us ?
You referring to me?! Might want to read what I actually wrote if so!
If not, my apologies for misunderstanding!
Lets get behind the wolves team and stick by nuno santo to
My thoughts exactly! I was happy to hear the comparisons between Jose and Giroud for that reason
Silva’s goal was impressing though. Nice to see an 18 years 0ld player using his strength to push away the defender and score in such a fashion ;=) His play and movement are very good, and with better shooting skills and stronger physical attributes, he’s gonna rock the world in the future.
Rafa Mir has scored 12 goals in 35 matches for Huesca. One goal every third game in the Spanish league, that’s better than Cutrone’s performance and Fiorentina.
You are being quite harsh on Cutrone.
Raul would have missed that 2 times out of 3.
Agreed – you can’t give him scraps at the end of the game and expect him to be up to speed. Needs to start a good few games to see his true potential
Looking purely at the goals for and goals against, as things stand, only two teams have conceded more, only five teams have scored fewer and that includes Newcastle who have two matches in hand. Multiple problems, too many to sort out, let’s hope the season is abandoned due to Covid-19
I agree mate, we are cursed.
There’s been a lot of attention on our inability to score goals, but the actual problem has been keeping them out.
3 goals at Brighton and 2 today should have been enough to extinguish any fears of relegation, but instead, we’re right in the brown stuff. The two penalties are what they are, but that header for their equaliser was really awful defending. Boly should have come across to mark the lampost and I question Patricio’s positioning.
If it were me, I’d immediately return to a back 3 (which is what I would have done at half-time today incidentally) and make the objective to concede 0s and 1s in the majority of our games. We know we have the personnel to do that. I’d play two of Traore/Neto/Podence up top and try to scrape the necessary wins.
If we persist with a back 4 we just look like we’ll concede for fun and not be able to do enough damage at the other end.
Cannot disagree with any of this .Even I could have told them that having what looked like Traore and Neves trying to stop the first header from the long throw was idiotic .This is as basic as it gets conceding these type of goals .
Nuno seems to have completely lost his way and his mojo which appears to be rubbing off on the players .
He is a very stubborn man .He says he does not look at the table and is not looking over his shoulder .Well he bloody well ought to do so as we are now looking relegation fodder with the defence as it is performing .
I can only hope he can finally see he needs to go back to basics with 3 at the back to try to gain some points .
The only positive I can see is Silva ‘s goal which he took well but I fear our stars like Traore and Neto will think hard about leaving even if we stay up .Frankly I would the way things look now .
Incidentally I see Everton bought experienced players Ducore ,Allan and Rodriguez for £10 million less than Semedo and Silva .So much for smart recruitment .
Feeling a little like being at the wake of an old friend…
For a manager not flustered and always keen to be truthful and never spitting out his dummy..we’ve seen nuno almost the opposite more and more.
As I said earlier, there’s something more than just football that’s not right at the ‘mol’
The Chinese have been invisible and silent,Nuno is visibly unhappy and the team are off down the Pub.
As Doog says ‘were too good to go down ‘ may end up being the phrase most used by wolves fans this season.
Still keeping the faith
UTW
I had a feeling this would happen. Our injury list, VAR and fecking Sam Alladyce. Seriously should we have expected better?
But we were the architect of our own downfall. Nuno refuses to play a target man in a team built round one of the best. Fabio Silva goal aside did little. Hooking Neves and coady (whilst understandable given their performances) left us without either of our best “quarterbacks” to feed traore and Neto. The game showed again just how lacking in depth this squad is, and how a refusal to spend on recruitments now might just cost us our place in the division by may.
That said we had the lions share of possession the better chances and yet somehow contrived to give away 3 goals (admittedly to VAR assisted) you can’t do that against pub teams and expect to win. Nuno needs to find the defensive security that has underpinned the last two seasons successes. We need to go back to basics stop conceding sloppy goals and more importantly take one of the many chances we create.
That may mean players like semedo, and Fabio silva spend a while on the bench whilst more defensive minded players like hoever, kilman and Cutrone get game time.
This one will take a while to get over, tbh the hurt will only stop if we can give them a tonking at their place and it’s those points that sees them return to division below.
None of the goals were VAR assisted. The ref awarded the penalties and how many of us thought that VAR would overturn the decisions? Certainly not me when seeing the replays. Tough as it is to take, both decisions were correct given today’s laws.
The greatest thing that I cling on to is that fosun and the Chinese dna means that they will save face and do something.I married a Chinese for 20 years and I should know.
So prob Mendes will be instructed to rebuild the team and or the manager.
The risk is the opinion that we can stay up this season without tinkering too much.
It’s all about Mendes who also has to save face.
This result was foreseeable as we all feared as a possibility… the team confidence is in tatters the best scenario for me is that the bottom clubs are very crap as apposed to us who are currently just crap.
The big problem is Nuno.. I’d rate Stu Wolf better than him at the moment..he seems clueless..
We have 6 really good players who should pull us through if we can beat Chelsea we can stay up.
(We are )far too good to go down
Over to the manager or to his replacement..
All about Mendes? He’s an agent out to make as much money as he can for himself and his clients. He’s got no real interest in the fortunes of Wolves or any other football clubs so long as his objectives are being met.
I agree inc selling jota and Doherty was for his pocket..
I meant it’s all about Mendes to put this right he’s instructed to do so..
Even Nuno was put in by him ..
Just watch
Lets get behind the wolves team and stick by nuno santo to
It’s all a bit to raw at the moment and other social media outlets have gone into meltdown, but in my heart of hearts I kinda knew it would/could happen.
Big Sam got them motivated and you could see that and they didn’t park the bus.
We can blame the ref, but would we be complaining if the decisions were in our favour? would we?
I said in my other post I can’t fathom how we have gone from an exciting attack minded team to… err dare I say it clueless.
I still maintain we won’t go down… but we need to sort it out and quickly.
I for one, would not be surprised if Nuno just walked away. Fosun are doing what Chinese businesses do, when it gets tough, drawbridge up, stay quiet…. hopefully behind the scenes action is being planned… But don’t bank on it.
Anyway, look on the bright side, Chorley on Friday.
Have we ever seriously had a contentious VAR in our favour. And I mean that. The shit 2nd penalty was about as much a penalty as the ones we were not given at Arsenal. Home to Chelsea.Home to Spurs. Still f**king waiting. That twat Oliver screws us over every time he refs us.
I agree 200% Cheese. I thought the 1st one was out of the box too. My point was if we had won 3-2 due crap decisions we would all be happy chappies.
Agreed mate. But my point is we NEVER get any contentious decisions in our favour. I cant think of one. Happy to be proved wrong – and I am not using the refereeing as an excuse. Just picking up on an observation Ben made in his blog above. The shit are lucky. Always have been. They are the team to stay up in the prem with the LOWEST points total ever. And got automatic promotion on the LOWEST points total ever. Not that I am bitter and twisted but living in Dudley ( a divided city) I am surrounded by the inbred shites!
Hey Cheeseburger. I was born in Dudley, quite close to the old Baths on the hill. But thankfully I escaped at a fairly early age. I can safely say that living in Panama City Beach Florida, as I`ve been able to do for the past seventeen years, is a big step up.
I agree with your comments regarding refereeing inconsistencies. But the fact is that this was not the key issue here today. We lost not because of the ref, but because we were just plain crap, both in attack and in defence. The wheels have come off. We were an absolute disgrace. It`s the same whether you say it in Dudley or Panama City Beach language.
Nuno and Mr Shi better start to do something about it while they still have the chance.
Just after Nuno is fined for comments about a referee Michael Oliver gives 5 bad decisions against us which cost us the match. Cheating bastard.Rar
Living in Charlton Horethorne frightening to think there is a Dingle so close
A Greenwich boy eh?
I’m in erith with 2x wolves fans within 1/4 of a mile
There’s a guy in bexleyheath wears his late dad’s wba shirt in bexleyheath.
No Dusty he is a baggie in exile in Dorset. Been strangely quiet until today though.
Nice of you to post. There a few of us all surrounding the Sherborne area. Funny how you have popped up out of your hole now you’ve actually won a game.
Remember the old adage ‘he who laughs last’
Charlton you are surrounded by us dingles better support than you tosers
Hey Charlton, how did you get on against the Hammers tonight?
Lets forget about west brom they are just lucky and big sam is a judas
I didn’t watch the game on T.V. or listen to it on the radio. I have only just seen the result and watched the highlights. I am now sitting here rather depressed and wondering what is happening to our team this season. I will not make any comment now but wait until I have calmed down a bit.
Highlights? Must have been a very short clip!
Have calmed down but am now speechless…
Lets get behind the wolves team and stick by them and stick by nuno santo to
What I don’t understand is how an adult man cannot come to some kind of détente with one of his players.
He’s supposed to be a Christian but seems to have missed the general teachings of his savior.
Grow up, Nuno. Your stubbornness is not helping the team.
I’d be willing to bet a nickel that he has been instructed to play Cutrone, who it is clear he doesn’t want, and see what he can do and so he is going to play him the least that he thinks he has to because he doesn’t want to be told what to do. After all, all three times he has played for about 11 or 12 minutes.
Still shellsocked, firstly top to bottom of club something is wrong, new players promised, no saying no one. Nuno has he reached his limit, the thing that annoyed me was , when we were losing just sat there like a zombie, get on the touchline, show some passion for God’s sake. Some of these overseas players, I don’t think understood the history off this fixture.Please go back to a back 5, what a joke and embarrassment, kids defending, mgw trying long passes going out, relegation battle, fosen relegation will be more expensive than a new striker, rant over let’s get drunk and have a disco , wolves aie we
Disco? On your tod sloan, I presume?
Going down lol
Yes, you are Dave.
But you don’t need to come on a Wolves blog to tell us.
LOL YERSELF!
I though it was champions league and mouriniho. Will be championship and mad mick
Trouble is, Dave, you’ll only play us twice this season. Enjoy the trip to Cardiff when they allow fans back in.
i would zip it if i were you man city up next and you wont have oliver and var to save you against them !
See you at the Poorthorns in May. I thought Allardyce was taking away your footballing identity. Just like hoofball Sir Megson. And hoofball Pulis. The nearest thing Sandwell get to Europe is when Frank Skinner does a show in Brussels. And if it weren’t for Brentford fucking up at the end of last season you would still be second division shite.
Enjoy your decade in purgatory..
Oh and enjoy your last 3 points Diedre
Lots of love Dusty xxx
Agree with the abject defending, particularly Coady on giving away a penalty and not being physical enough to put the guy off who scored from the DeLapian long throw. Albion got the rub, the handball by Gibbs, I think, was a penalty easy. The ball was going slow and he handled it with his both hands amazing!
Michael Oliver seemingly the best ref in the Country must be Lee Mason’s best mate because he couldn’t wait to get his pea out for the Boly tackle outside the box.
But cumulatively watching this seasons model of Wolves every game on the box, it’s clear we are a team who are massively vulnerable to leak goals, and both here and at Brighton we lost leads, dreadful season thus far we always look like we are going to lose.
As for Relegation it’s in our own hands, we should have enough points to drive on and get at least 18 points to ensure safety. 5 wins immensely doable, but we need changes we need more physicality at the back. Podence coming back will be very useful.
Silva scored a good goal but he didn’t do enough to warrant a first team slot. Hopefully Nuno gets his mojo back and does the business for the rest of the season by picking the best 11 players irrespective of playing a centre forward. 3 at the back, Neto & Traore up top with Podence behind them. The 3 big guys as back three Kilman, Saiss and Boly, Hoever and Ait-Nouri as wing backs. Coady and Samedo benched for now I feel. But Nuno probably knows better. He’s got to change it though because it just isn’t working at the moment and we are playing like a team who will go out the league, we’re too easy to score against.
As Wolves fans we know the signs, we’ve seen it happen many, many times before. The silence from the owners is unnerving and Nuno looks like he’s not enjoying it at all. His smiles gone and it looks like a Nuno lookalike is in the dugout.
Let’s stuff Chorley for a start! Then drive on for a better second half of this shitty season!
Let`s get this defeat into perspective. WBA. Without doubt ,one of the worst teams in the Premiership, themselves further weakened by injuries. Yet deservedly beating us.
Yes, there were refereeing anomalies. But this cannot disguise the fact that our performance was dire. A disgrace. Shameful on all involved, both on and off the field. Can`t defend. Can`t score. Unmotivated and just clueless.
But yet again Nuno talks calmly about correcting our issues on the training ground as if they are minor. He needs to get real. We have serious problems, that have the potential to drag us right into a serious relegation battle if not rapidly corrected.
Our situation is largely the result of an insanely stupid transfer policy in which current obvious, and urgent needs were sacrificed on the back of future planning. To lash out millions on the likes of the inept Silva, whilst having literally no senior back up striker for Raul, cannot be justified by any sane observer.
Then to further complicate matters Nuno chooses to tinker around with a proven defensive system, whilst introducing full backs, notably the hugely over-rated Semedo, who simply have no clue as to how to actually defend. The result ? A defense that seems to have lost all organization, and has become completely porous. This is not a transition. This is suicidal incompetence.
For Nuno to keep insisting that the solution ” lies within ” is just outright self deception. New, experienced talent is urgently required. MGM and Cutrone were sent out on loan because they were considered not good enough. His decision. What we have seen since their respective recalls, simply proves that the decisions to let them go were very much correct. Why Nuno did you consider otherwise ?
For now, surely the only way forward is to return to the playing system that served us so well these last three years. Grind out some results. Pretty is unimportant. Points are the only thing that matters.
Oh and Mr Shi. Time to stop talking in Chinese riddles and step up to the plate. It`s great to take the plaudits in the good times, but it`s far more essential to show leadership when things are not going well. In case you`ve not noticed, that is right now.
very very well said .
Spot on Mike
I agree with all the above. The thing I cannot understand is why the board which is basically “Jeff ” hasn’t given the go ahead for at least a striker.
FOSUN are an investment Company first and foremost so surely they can see the need to invest in players at this time because if they don’t and we get relegated it will be more costly dare I say a disaster there investment thus far willl have been for nothing.
Our Premier League status is were our value lies, surely they can see that so why are they not doing everything they can to protect it.
Everyone knows my views on FOSUN and it gives me no pleasure to say this but it looks like they might be some substance in them things are not right behind the scenes.
Indeed, the silence from above creates a vacuum which fills with gossip and speculation. There is not a single Baggie player who would get in our team so our lads need to buckle down and work harder . In the last three years it has been said many times that our success is due to the unity in the club and the connection with the supporters. There’s something not right off the pitch and that’s translating to performances.
You said nutshell BG.
The club seems to be in disarray.
Fosun have mixed agendas re WWFC and lack of investment over last 18 months (very low NET SPEND) is showing. “Ones for the future” aa disaster.
Nun justifiably dissatisfied with lack of backing and seemingly marginalised, may well walk soon and take the cream of the squad with him.
Shape up or sell up Fosun.
As fed up as I am . And I really am gutted. It’s time to get back to basics. Half the season gone. Back 4 don’t work. Nuno built the whole club on 3 4 3 (or 3 5 2). Deep defending. Sharp counter attacks. My immediate concern is to stay clear of that bottom 3. We need to get a few wins now. No matter how ugly. I recognise there are frustrations and observations being made about wider issues at Wolves but essentially we need to get those points on the board. AND finally. The insufferable Shit fan at work is based over the other side of the office. I will be ensuring strict social distancing measures are in place next week so I don’t have to see his ugly face ( he’s a good bloke actually – but he will waste no time in enforcing the ‘bragging rights ‘). And still FOWB AND FWAW !
I can’t believe that PJB below has come out with … ‘you can’t keep blaming the referee , VAR etc’ ……
We lost today because we were very poor against a team who’d only won once before this season.
There are decisions being made … and NOT made which clearly are bad decisions…. OLIVER take a bow…
The 1st pen was outside the box…
Why isn’t it a penalty when Gibbs handles the ball yet later in the game when it cannons off Silva’s arm it becomes a WB free kick?
Why isn’t it a foul when Neves got pushed in the face during the header which resulted in them scoring……
Why did we not get a penalty when Boly’s shirt was clearly pulled back big time from our corner.. in front of Oliver?… there was a time when shirt pulling by a defender in the area was a penalty…
There’s a sinister inconsistency now in the game courtesy of the officials…. it’s been suggested that it’s recrimination on us for Nuno’s outburst against Lee Mason…
And these are issues raised in our game today…. not to mention the cross game inconsistency and bias of similar occurrences having different refereeing outcomes.
Sorry , but whilst I don’t entirely lay the blame for today’s defeat on the ref… there is absolutely ZERO consistency and we’re never the beneficiary of any of them….
I make no excuses for today… and there are serious flaws in what’s going on ……. let’s not talk the talk….
We need walk the walk leadership…..
Great post Ben…. hope you’re better mate.
Spot on Twix. If we are purely discussing today’s game then you look at the incidents in it. The title of the thread is a pointer. Agree that there may be other issues out there . Mainly wild presumptions. Where was the moaning about Fosun in 2018 /2019. The moaning about Mendes? The moaning about Nuno? There wasn’t any was there. Because it was all f**king rosy in the garden. Always said and I said it on here loads of times. The going gets tough and off they go. Good riddance. Just moan. Whinge. Bleat. Theory here. Theory there. Nuno is mentally ill Chinese communist party. F**k me I need another beer.
Sorry folks. I went off on one above. This game emotionally drains me as you can see. I need to calm down. Mindfulness. That’s it……….aaaaaaaagggggggghhhhhhh
We were absolutely shafted by the officials today. Every goal and the handball were all contentious and they all went against us. Unbelievable. I guess after so few wins the Albion were due some luck, sadly the bandit paid out today. And against us, again. Well fuck ’em. We can still send them down, not us, see you in May you jammy bastards, your luck will run out.
Talking of luck I have very strong suspicions luck actually has nothing to do with it, in fact I’m tempted to join the dark side and say it’s a political conspiracy. But that would be crazy wouldn’t it.
And I can’t believe how you can’t see the wood for the trees.
Try having look at the league table and the goals scored and conceded.
You said it yourself – we lost today because we were very poor and that’s the way it’s been for weeks, even months.
Yes decisions go against us, but please explain why you think every referee is anti Wolves.
Or maybe seek out where the real problems lie’.
And then you’ might see why I came out with what I did.
Or you can carry on burying your head in the sand and blaming third parties for our own inadequacies.
Or are you just seeing what you would like to see.
I have watched this blog from a far for quite a while now.
I have never known a set of fans as bad as ours that continually look to mask the poor performance of players by blaming referees for so called inept decisions. Oliver got most of the big calls correct yesterday, it was our so called superstars that failed to turn up who lost us the game not the referee. Maybe our 10 foreign starters don’t know what the game means to the fans?
We as a side have been miles off it since “project restart” and this has to lie solely at the feet of Nuno and his wish for a small squad leaving us with little room for rotation when someone is having an off patch. Too often we have carried 4, 5 or even 6 players in matches something you simply can’t do at this level. Neves, Coady, Joao, Silva, MGW, Cutrone, Semedo. Ait – Nouri all miles off the pace right now bar the odd 60 mins here and there.
You cannot fail to see why Fosun aren’t backing Nuno in this window as players we do sign rarely get a chance to shine immediately anyway. I also feel Nuno is vastly under achieving with the money he has squandered, both he and his master, Mr Mendes appear to be using Wolves as a stepping stone to greatness, well I am sorry Nuno and Jorge but that plan is failing spectacularly and never mind a job at Arsenal, you’d be lucky to get a job managing Arsenal under 8s at the moment.
Fosun won’t be the first or the second or maybe even third Chinese owners of a midlands club that have promised the Earth and delivered very little, in my opinion wolves was always a gamble on making a quick buck, why would they have any interest in turning us into a global footballing juggernaut? I personally feel it has been 1 step forward and at least 2 back in the last 18 months and am starting to crave a return to crowds of 14,000 proper fans, championship football and English ownership. Someone like the Coates family 40 miles up the road, they support their club, back their managers and commit to the city as a whole, surely there is a consortium of wealthy English Wolves fans that could wrestle power back from this lot that seem to only be interested in how much richer the club can make them……
Not with the wealth of Bet 365! And no-one is blaming the ref solely, it’s just an observation that those penalty decisions were in favour of the Baggies & not us.
Problem is there ay enough rich wolves fans to buy the club. The clay heads have been lucky with the stability bet 365 gives them and I’d swap our owners for there’s like a shot. I just wonder what the end game is for fosuns and mendez. I think it’s all going to come crumbling down
Something not right at our football club and I don’t mean the obvious – we only need to look at results and the league table for that.
It’s now become patently obvious that Nuno is totally pi$$ed off. And who can blame him. He isn’t getting the backing he needs from his bosses. 2 years ago after the Jiminez assault they would have dug deep to find a replacement, Now they send for Cuitrone. He has operated with a small squad so in the event of a crisis like this he needs immediate help. He isn’t getting it.
Does he really believe in just buying “ones for the future”? I doubt it.
Did he really want to sell Jota & Doc? I doubt it?
He seems to have been marginalised in the recruitment process.
No use keep blaming refs, VAR etc.
We are in a mess created by the ill judged strategies dreamed up by Shi and Mendes which have either been created or endorsed by Fosun and now that they have failed our owners don’t want to know. I suspect they have either lost their appetite for “the project” or maybe even worse were only after a quick kill in the first place and may now be waiting for a profitable moment to bail.
I can’t substantiate any of this but have been around long enough to have seen it many times before and all the signs are there.
So I for one wouldn’t blame Nuno if he walks. He is displaying all the characteristics of a very discontented man
You are within your rights to criticise referees when useless decisions are made which have a massive effect on a game. So I have. Just because the defeat fits in with your agenda.its fine.
Of course.
Just trying to fathom out the bigger picture.
You can’t view today in isolation.
I don;t have an agenda other than wanting to see my football club going forwards not backwards.
Some people do wear gold and black blinkers though and, to be honest, the regular criticism of VAR and the officials after each defeat smacks of very sour grapes. Let’s face it, we just can’t defend as a unit. That’s why we are doing badly (apart from having a generally ineffective attack) and not the men in black.
Today was out of all normal bounds. At least 4 key decisions.
He is displaying all of the signs of someone who when the going gets tough, leaves.
Or displaying all the signs of somebody who is ill .
Bless him.
Fosun and mendes are not the only architects of the mess we find ourselves in, Nuno is equally culpable. If he disagreed with the transfer strategy, any of the signings, the wafer thin squad, he could have walked. He didn’t. He signed a 3 year contract extension. Unfortunately Nuno is in Mendes’s pocket. If this game was a watershed moment on Nuno’s time at wolves, the next two weeks are a watershed on the fosun tenure. Bringing a quality loan striker and we will know that they are determined to keep their promise of doing whatever it takes to realise the 10 year plan. If no signing is forthcoming, it may be the most telling sign yet, that the long standing accusations that they are using wolves as a vehicle for purely generating revenue through a transfer strategy of buying young and selling on at a profit, holds true.
A policy (based on strong knowledge of the market and extensive networks) of only buying players with potential for profit on sale is probably a fair reflection on the current and future transfer strategy.
Will it always work to the benefit of the club? Possibly not.
Had it worked for the benefit of the club? Jota, Neves, Neto, Traore, Dendonker, Podence, Hoever. Yes I think so.
Have they spent money on players already at, or near their market value and therefore unlikely to be sold for profit? Rui, Raul, Jonny, Semedo, Joâo Boly.
There have been mistakes made, particularly not getting a capable understudy for the ever present Raul. But let’s not pretend that Fosun & Mendes are on an asset stripping trip or that they haven’t provided us with a squad more talented than most of us could only dream of four years ago.
Exactly the mid point of the season, 22 points from 19 games. So what would be the half term report?
First ten games or so, doing okay. Inconsistent yes, but on the back of no pre season, new young players, adapting the playing style etc I was fairly comfortable with how it was going.
Then Jimenez gets injured and the wheels come off. Not just in the goal scoring department but our defensive strength and organisation. I’ve said it before but when I see the starting line up with a back four I expect to lose, we simply cannot play that way.
For the first time this season I am concerned that if 1) we don’t recruit a striker and 2) Nuno sticks to this formation, then the second half of the season will be very uncomfortable.
Hardly an objective view point, but not surprising. The wba penalty, the first one was an extremely close call. The wolves penalty claim should have been a foul to wba as it is quite clear that the wolves forward deliberately nudged the wba keeper who spilled the ball.
…. one more thing. If we extrapolate our form of the last 9 games ( 5 points) over the remainder of the season we will get 33 points. Do not be deceived by the current league table, we are in a relegation battle. The dynamic has to change and soon, we all collectively wait with bated breath to see what that change will be, but it has to happen sooner rather than later.
And one more thing about Oliver. He was the bloke who booked Adama for diving at Arsenal when replays showed a clear penalty. And yet the f**king twat couldn’t wait to give the Shit 2 penalties today. Second one even less of a penalty than the one he booked Adama for diving. We are discussing the match today. So I think it is legitimate to highlight some of the things that went on. Including the Ref.
Agree with you 100% cheesey…..
Oliver’s made his decisions faster than lightening … he was dreadful today.
Take your gold spectacles off ???
Take yourself off chummy…..
Totally agree- the best Refs take their time to consider key, game changing decisions. I watch a lot of rugby and the Ref is in constant contact with his TMO, to ask his confirmation of what he feels that he has seen. Conversations are audible to supporters and football can learn a lot from this transparency which improves consistency. For such important decisions, the added time delay is justified. The system does not seem to slow rugby games appreciably.
Absolute twaddle. Stop blaming the officials. You are becoming a joke!
He’s always been a shite ref.
Agree with you about Oliver but we can’t blame him for our defending or non performance at the start of the second half. I’m trying to stay sanguine but struggling. A number of things are making me nervous starting with Fosun. Throwing money around in the current environment was always unlikely but if the worst should happen the value of their asset will be trashed. Fosun have a stake in Mendes agency who broked the Doherty/Semedo deals. We need much better results and value. Let’s hope they support Nuno and are asking Mendes some hard questions. Jeff Shi is making me nervous. He appears to have taken over the mantle of Moxey as CEO and effectively Director of football rolled into one. Does too much power sit with one individual? Finally Nuno is making me nervous. Long term injuries to key players and enforced changes are no ones fault but constant tinkering with the system or personnel suggests to me he’s not convinced that what he’s got right now is good enough and he can’t find the answers. He needs to regain the magic touch and find the right formula and fast. Let’s hope for the best.
I don’t think anyone is just blaming the ref! But shit decisions are part of the small margins that decide games and moreover affect players confidence. It’s not my Gold spectacles that know that if a Wolves player goes down in the penalty area no penalty, if a Wolves player handles in the penalty area penalty. Kilman v Leicester, Adama v the Villa I think. Doherty v Burnley end of last season. Gibb’s handball in an old gold shirt it would have been given. Or I would have expected it to be. Football fair? Not likely!
Yes we are woeful since Raul’s injury, he was so much more than just a goal scorer, he combined being our top scorer by defending set pieces with aplomb and aggression & in his spare time filled in in midfield. Watch Wolves throw ins, Raul was 90% of the time the recipient of the throw. We miss his goals but also he was 1 and a half players & helped the others out so much we are seeing the shambles left without him.
As for behind the scenes we can only speculate, the disadvantages of FFP for teams like Wolves is an issue. The Mendes/Nuno connection also. Plus there’s the fact of having Chinese owners, the Government’s of the West love their money but human rights issues are coming to the fore at the moment, and who knows what the long term effects of COVID will lead to. Big second half of the season for Wolves and Nuno, we have the quality to do a run up the league and avoid a relegation battle. But anything can happen really. Nuno needs to compliment a few refs! VAR is a joke but that’s enough!
Good balanced views Allen…..
You should join up with our Zoomers …. let’s have a contact if you’re ok with that..
Cheers mate. It was a tough defeat to take to be honest! But then defeats seem to be 10 a penny at present. I’ll pass on Zoom but thanks for the nod. I like to be able to moan at the TV unobserved!
The zoom invite was not quite what you probably perceived.
There is a great core of bloggers on here.. not always agreeing with each other, but having the integrity not to fall out about it… who have become friends, indeed close friends.
You’d fit the bill perfectly Allen.
It’s clear to me, not by any agreement of what you write, but the balanced thoughts and logic that you convey….
We’re truly a great group and I’m sure there’d be a lot of common ground.
The zoom thing we had for instance drew bloggers from… Houston, California and Perth (Australia… and UK.
We’re not geekes… well maybe Clive. Lol. and most are professional and very knowledgeable folk…. but don’t be in awe of that…
we’re all good for a
laugh….
I have read all of the above, agree with most if it, disagree with a very small percentage of it.
Many bloggers on here are older than me, a few younger, but were all feeling the same tonight or tomorrow in the case of those in the far flung corners we spoke with on the Zoom link, (thanks again Matt and Elaine)
In no stretch of the imagination can you say we deserved anything from that inept, lack lustre, stroll up the pitch performance.
I am stunned, confused and bewildered with ALL of Nuno’s bonkers substitutions.
(I have just deleted oodles of text because I’m sick and tired of the rant I ended up writing)
So l will just say, “not good enough, we are inconsistent, we were piss poor today and I fear for my team”.
“A Chorley win anyone”
I was going to post that I am hurting as much as anyone on here but given that I don’t come from the area, maybe not. I won’t have to face any Baggies fans in person anytime soon.
But I do know that in the 50 years that I have supported Wolves , Fosun, Mendes & Nuno have given me more “entertainment” in 4 years than I enjoyed consistently in the previous 56.
We maybe losing but we still play with class but just not for 90 minutes.
That said, I would like Nuno to find a place for Hoever somewhere in the starting 11. He is class !
Can but agree with the above posts- we allowed a limited Albion side to outmuscle us for key periods of the game and this, coupled with Referee howlers was too much for our fragile confidence. VAR a disgrace today. We are a real enigma with some positive performances on display today- Traore, Neto, Boly, Semedo and Ait. However, as if we needed further evidence, Coady is clearly not physical, commanding or quick enough in a back four. There is no hiding place there and he depends upon two big guys either side of him. Physical CFs find it easy to bully him. He needs time out of the side, Kilman, Saiss and Boly are our best 3 atm. Last seasons success with a back 5 ( which many are calling for now) requires WBs who are good defenders ie Jonny and the Doc. Ait and Semedo are not natural defenders and if we are to regain our watertight defence then we need to employ Marcal, Hoever or Jonny in these roles. Dendoncker has clearly lost all confidence in front of goal, he has shown excellent technical skills when scoring last season, but now often stalls a promising attack coupled with poor finishing. I would play Semedo in his place. Good holdup play and passing from Fabio today, very well taken goal also, but he is not what we want in Rauls absence. In short, back to basics and as relegation must be avoided then Jeff has to redouble his efforts to sign Nunos targets. As for recalling MGW and Cutrone- smacks of desperation and not players who can lead you out of a crisis. Sorry to say I can’t see where the next point is coming from atm.
Don’t think I’d play Samedo further forward, he needs bench time. Podence when fit should be a massive plus for us, and is far better than Samedo in a forward role. But agree with your back three Coady is not physical enough to be a centre half in a four.
As I commented on previous posts about could be in a relegation fight but for some poor teams in the division, well after playing one of them today realalise we have become one of them. Failure to convert decent chances and schoolboy defending all adds up to one thing a relegation scrap. Can’t see where the next point is coming from.
Right folks. I am signing off. As usual great contributions from all bloggers. Sorry if I got a bit emotional. I hate this fixture. I always dread it. We should have been there today. I wonder how lack of fans can influence fierce games like ours today. Also take on board all the other stuff about Fosun. Lack of a striker. Small squad. Failure to replace Jota. Nuno demeanour etc. Any way. See you all tomorrow on here when I am sober. FWAW !
I’ll join you cheesy its been a shitty day
Ben I think you should have slept on that blog before posting.
Other than the obvious – we’re not putting away our chances, we weren’t pulling up trees but didn’t play badly.
If this had been against Fulham and not West Brom we would just be banging on about the injustices of some utterly crap refereeing.
I’m gutted but the Baggies are going down and we’re not.
I’m with you on this one, Prawny.
We probably all need to sleep on it.
We were nailed on to lose this and quite likely Chorley too but that does not make us a bad team. Just a team in transition…
I’ve calmed down now my question to the owners get 2 loan signings in will be cheaper than losing millions in relegation also any bloggers from pensnett i spent 20 years there great times time to get more drunk oh wolves why o why wolves aie we
Beginning to calm down after another lacklustre performance but still unbelievably frustrated.
For the very first time I’ m beginning to question Nuno’s ability to move us forward. We have some very talented footballers on our books but continue to play square pegs in round holes and our least effective players continue to get the first team nod.
As an example if we look at the left back position, we have
– Johnny (injured and probable first choice)
– Vinagre
– Ryan Giles
– Ait Nouri
– Marcal’s Ghost
– My 88 year old granny
Okay Ait Nouri would probably get the nod over Gran but surely Vinagre and Giles would provide better defensive cover at a time when points are crucial.
Looking at Nuno on TV today, I got the distinct impression that he would much rather be with his family in Portugal than spending the rest of the day in a hotel room in Tettenhall.
We’re in for a bumpy and uncertain few months.
Likewise I should retire and will probably regret this in the morning, but I need to get it off my chest.
I have no doubt that we have the technical ability to finish mid table, my concern is whether we have the mental strength. I am a massive believer in the benefits of an unbeaten run – even if that includes draws.
But similarly I am concerned with the damage that defeats (even closely fought ones) have on a team’s psychology. It can implant a seed of expectation that defeat will occur when the chips are down.
When we were relegated from the prem last time we had players well capable technically of halting the fall and gathering efforts for a prem return. But we had got used to losing and went into freefall.
Today Sam and Nuno were faced with the same challenge of halting a losing run and changing mindsets. In one key area though Sam had an advantage – expectations. As one fan had written it was a free hit, just like their draws at Anfield and Citeh.
The tactical change of three at the back is easy. We could re-introduce Kilman and use the Saiss bite in midfield. Neto is absolutely definitely up for it but the challenge for the team overall is the mindset . To that end I will spout the bleeding obvious – we have to keep clean sheets. Every goal conceded oozes out our self-belief.
Come on Nuno you can do this. Focus the minds and get them believing again.
Today would have been one of those days when the stewards in the Stan Cullis would have asked me to leave; it’s happened many times before as I have sat there at the end of a game, staring at the pitch, oblivious to the empty stand around me and somehow trying to make sense of what I’ve just witnessed.
Though I live in a rural hamlet in Herefordshire, I have the misfortune to have neighbours who are ‘baggies’ so it’s going to be a difficult week ahead. As to the predicament that we find ourselves in, I feel all that can be said has been highlighted above, I just hope those who have responsibilities at the club, take note, step up and act.
It’s been ten months since I’ve been to Wolverhampton, the longest gap in my adult life but I certainly didn’t miss that long drive home in silence.
Great day today chatting to loads of bloggers on zoom. Thanks Elaine and Matt. A great day that was ruined by the poor performance of our boys today. No need to comment it has all been said.
Success at Chorley on Friday……… surely.
The highlight of the game was the Zoom Bloggers Ball.
Great to catch up and see the usual suspects, including Brompton in a borrowed house, and a huge thanks to Elaine and Matt for setting it up.
I didn’t realize how much I’d missed your ugly mugs!
I feel there are several of our team who, for various reasons, are undropable, and they play like it.
Coady, Patricio, Semedo and Silva are my main concerns.
Is there a directive from on high somewhere that they have to start?
We don’t know, but they all need to be dropped, as well as Traore, and others given a chance.
Usually a journeyman team is made up of relatively unskilled players, who somehow form a good team, becoming better than expected. We have managed the opposite, talented individuals who cannot come together as a team.
The Pack had disbanded, the passion is gone, the cameraderie seems to have dissipated and there is no bottle, no pride wearing the shirt, as there used to be.
Why?
Bad vibes from above, in the dressing room?
Dissent in the ranks?
Recalled players not wanted?
We will probably never know, but the malaise is there for all to see, body language of our messiah especially.
We all feel the same pain, losing to a very poor side.
Yes the ref was crap as usual, but with our skillful and talented players, that should not have been a factor.
Once again, we managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
I don’t care what anyone says to the contrary, not one of our players can hold his head up and say they played well.
Some have said we were crap. I don’t think we were that good.
The guys at Chorley must be licking their chops in anticipation of Friday’s clash.
At least we will be underdogs there.
Having said all the above, I have the utmost sympathy for poor old Nuno and his life at the moment.
Stuck in a hotel, unable to cuddle his family, no one to share his frustrations with, he must be at his wit’s end.
Let’s all get behind him.
He is not perfect, none of us are, and yes he has made mistakes in team selection and tactics sometimes, but now is the time to get behind him, show the support and love we have for what he’s done for our beloved club and show how good we are as supporters, not fickle fair weather “fans”
There have been some crazy results all over the league this season, there’s no reason to think we won’t get our fair share of them in the second half…………if the season is not abandoned.
Just think, if it is, today’s result will be void.
Keep the faith, boys and girls, yes we were shit today, but how would we feel being the shit forever, like them lot?
I am over it, tomorrow is another day.
Fowb
Well said Clive, especially re:Nuno.
Was my first time meeting fellow bloggers on zoom, so thanks for having me, even if my exuberant language got the better of me in my frustration!
To all those calling for Nuno’s head – you are pointing your finger at the wrong g person.
In response to a grossly inappropriate article on BBC Sport I have just posted the following
comment –
______________________________________________
Headed “Why Nuno is Facing Tough Questions at Wolves” by Simon Stone.
“Most Wolves supporters with integrity and any real knowledge of the club are not asking questions of Nuno but the club’s Chinese owners.
The so called journalist Mr. Stone is clearly lacking the abm qualities by creating headlines such as “Why Nuno is facing tough questions at Wolves”.
Irresponsible journalism and mischief making should have no place on the BBC.”
________________________________________________
Nuno is not perfect, but to turn on the man who has put heart and soul,into our club with huge success for the last 4 years is premature in the extreme. Criticism of Shi, JG in Porto and the club’s principals in Shanghai / Hong Kong would be much more appropriate.
Don’t join a destructive. unjustified witch hunt.
Brilliantly written pjb !
Wolves fans from decades back would always keep their heads.
Unfortunately we are in an era where journalism is a cheap point scoring excersise with a ‘build em up then knock em down!’
I’ve avoided the bbc for a while for this reason.
You can almost see the tumbleweed blowing across the road at the mol….
Nuno is being made to shoulder everything by them..almost as if they have set this up to happen?
You are right PJB. Nuno deserves better than this.
Yes, we must show some patience. We know the main problem is the injury situation. They’ve brought back Cutrone and there are 14 days left of the transfer window. I’m sure they’ll manage to bring in one or two players (bought or loaned). It will be interesting to follow Cutrone’s development. I personally think I rather would have brought back Rafa Mir who is faster and stronger than Cutrone, and which has scored 6 goals in 19 matches for Huesca.
Correction: Mir has scored a total of 12 goals in 35 matches.
Time to go back to the tried and tested formula of 5 at the back. The imperative now is not to try and transition this team into a different playing style but to get the 5-6 wins needed for survival. Defensive solidity eases some of the pressure on our inadequacies up front, however, we have to assume no return of Jimenez and make a quality loan signing of a striker. If we kid ourselves that we can get by or have solutions within the squad we are taking a very high risk in terms of our PL survival. We can regroup in the summer and hopefully plan for a normal 21/22 season with fans back in grounds. I agree with Jackomac, confidence is a very fragile thing. Nuno looks deflated, Coady will be gutted to have been subbed and some of our best players will be starting to question whether the fosun plan is hitting the buffers. We cannot afford to dither, intervene early and hard and get us back on an even keel.
I completely agree with all you say in this post SC Wolf. Premier survival has to be the priority and signing a quality striker either on loan or permanently would give us the best chance of achieving this. None of us is privy to the club’s up to date accounts position but I’m in little doubt someone would have to be sold to finance a permanent signing which would probably give us more options. I would just hope FFP requirements can be met by selling in the Summer when our negotiating position would almost certainly be stronger, rather than selling in the current window.
The big question, of course, is who do they sign ? They have to be careful and try to buy someone who really contributes and finding such a player isn’t easy. Fingers crossed , otherwise people will be complaining again.
I have a lot of thoughts regarding the bigger picture but I feel I should remain positive and optimistic. To be otherwise does more harm than good in my opinion. I will say one thing , however, I am increasingly of the view that Nuno doesn’t have a veto on player sales and purchases. I am now inclined to think they happen if two out of three of JS, JM and NES say so. This is in line with your thoughts of some time ago.
Hi Bioko, we are consistently told of an extensive scouting network and lists of targets that are assessed continually. The question is whether wolves want to sign anyone rather than who do we sign. A long term solution can be sort in the summer. Unfortunately through very poor planning we have lost all our leverage in negotiations. Any club/ agent with half a brain cell will be looking at wolves struggles right now and will be waiting, waiting, waiting, to maximise the offer because they know that we are increasingly in need of a striker. You should always boost the squad from a position of strength not weakness. Bob Paisley and Alex Ferguson were the masters of that approach
Good points Sergeant. Deciding on a regular recruit is one thing. Persuading him to come to Wolves is much more difficult. He needs to be available and for our purposes very good which seems an unlikely combination. And he needs to be persuaded Wolverhampton is where he wants to be. Quite possibly Mendes has already told Jeff this is unlikely.
Remember we persuaded a CL player, neves to join us in the championship and persuaded top internationals in moutinho and patricio to join us. It can be done, the question is whether Fosun want to. The FFP argument is a valid one so if we have to sell some of our talent then so be it. Better to do that and stay in The PL than do a fire sale in the championship
I’m still absolutely livid after that shambolic performance. No fight, commitment or desire against one of worst Albion teams in Premier League history. F*ck Nuno, f*ck the players (especially that c**t Boly for smiling/joking with Allardyce at the end of the game), f*ck Fosun, f*ck Mendes and f*ck Wolverhampton Wanderers!
Day release?
See you in a decade …bless x
What’s with the weird photo?
its not weird.its an ‘albion scored a goal cake ‘
Its very rare
Only made 3
It’s a Shit fan on here with a sense of ‘humour’.
I love being a Wolves fan – most of the time.
It gives me perspective yo just dodger from being a supporter is one of the so called “Big Six” who’s supporters are on the whole self entitled and look down their noses at any team that have finished lower than themselves since the formation of the Premier league (when the world began)
Trouble is I read this blog and as a long time supporter I know we can be as bad – probably worse than said big six. There’s definitely something in the Wolverhampton water that sends the mid from euphoria to black dog in the kick of a ball.
In 36 months we started to believe we were world-beaters and now in 3 short months with no more evidence than Trumps election win Fosun don’t care and Nuno is a shite manager.
Come on guys, take the rough with the smooth. Act like grown ups and not Big Sixers.
Agh! I really should spell check.
It’s meant to read perspective compared to being…
You are shameful there are ladies and younger fans who follow this blog for Wolves fans.
Hope you are proud of yourself.
Eat shit!
You’re not Rob.
I know who you are and I know what you want.
And I know you are pissed off at getting the sack from Apoel in Cyprus but I don’t care what you say…
…You’re not getting your old job back Mick.
Could not have summed it up better Ben.
Me and Border Wolf had an expletive deleted text conversation for most of the match, her poor dog went and hid as far away as he could get, she was cursing so much.
Absolute bloody disgrace and shambles from start to finish. Even without the Sunday league refs we had to put up with we were an absolute disgrace. We are certainties for relegation unless Fosun splash some cash and Nuno swallows his pride and goers back to the tried and trusted.
Why call MGW back from Swansea? What does he give us that we don’t already have?
Why bring Cutrone back (or was he sent back as some reports suggest) if you don’t give him a start?
I could rant on but I am too pissed off to be bothered. Now I have to go and face my Leeds supporting newsagent and some Villa and Shit fans. To quote Captain Oaks I may be some time.
Looking forward to getting beaten again by the mighty Chorley on Friday.
Bollocks and thrice bollocks.
They were brought back to bolster the bench which was getting overrun with 9 year olds!
My 10 year old grandson would be an improvement on MGW
Patricio – not dominant with crosses looked like a midget on the penalties
Boly – redeemed himself
Coady – out of form
Saiss – ok
Kilman – done nothing wrong but not playing in 4 at back system
Semedo – definatly not rb may be rwb
Ait Nouri – learning lwb only not defensively
Neves – needs to play further forward vanished yesterday
Moutinho – past his best sadly
Dendonker – no end product need his height in mid though
Mgw – why he was bought back only Jeff and Nuno no
Traore – good
Neto – good
Cutrone – time will tell
Silva – needs extra 6” and strength
Something is wrong between Shi,(how many jobs is he doing now ?) Nuno and Mendes and Fosun have definitely stopped any investment as the last disastrous transfer window was virtually a zero spend which is disappointing because we were close to the top 4 we all crave
One final thing about Oliver then I promise I wont mention it again. Southampton away last season. When Jonny is taken out by TWO Southampton defenders. Oliver gave a corner. And the only time VAR has ever given us anything intervened and gave a penalty. Oliver also gave that injury time penalty to Watford in the FA cup semi final. Summat don’t seem right with him. Just a point.
You are quite right to keep mentioning it, do you keep a little black book? I am in a minority of one but much prefer Mike Dean, granted he dishes out yellows but is usually justified to stop the so called professional fouls which irritate us all so much. He caned Villa for their soiling tactics.
I have a long memory of referees. I always used to hate Kevin Lynch who used to screw us over against Bolton. Every time..
Blimey that was a rollercoaster said nobody. It really wasn’t. It was a trip stumble and fall to the bottom, damp squib of poor football from both teams with poor officiating on and off the pitch. And sadly it was predictable. I bet a ton I would be happy to lose and made a grand. It softens the blow a little but after 9 years I would have loved to see us wipe the floor with them. Unfortunately, as we approached this game, nothing about Wolves this season suggested anything other than a defeat. That includes poor/biased refereeing (don’t get me started on Mike Dean) that appears to now be vindictive and bordering on corruption following Nuno’s words on Lee Mason. No question we got what we deserved yesterday but we shouldn’t turn a blind eye to the penalty situation in both boxes this season, which has been a bad joke repeatedly re-told. With everything conspiring against us we need the players we’ve got left to actually turn up but they’re all feeling sorry for themselves and so is Nuno. They need to focus on what they can control. Unfortunately, as fate would have it in a way that typifies this season, the desperate need to stop tinkering and revert to 3-4-3 coincides with a trip to Chorley. We’ll play for a clean sheet and lose on penalties (or an injury time penalty that turns out to have been a dive or not a handball or outside the box or all of the above). Buckle up and put your tenners on. I’m afraid it’s going to get worse before it gets better but changing the manager at this point will send us into another free fall and I haven’t got enough years left to go through that again. We expect people to learn from their mistakes and we should learn from ours.
Iv’e slept on it and this sums me up pretty well today.
Many bloggers are coming back with don’t blame the ref blame the players/Nuno/fosun.
I’m sorry but though I think our performance was far from perfect, it was good enough, creatively and defensively, to get the win against a poor Albion team. The dodgy decisions cost us, simple as that.
It’s done now and I accept it. Constructive criticism is welcome but don’t come with your Nuno, Mendes, Fosun out – they have given us the best team for 30 years. I want them to stay and complete the long term project, don’t steal the dream with your reactionary bullshit.
Well said slider….
This is the best situation we’ve ever, ever been in….
And you can see the wood from the trees…
We just shouldn’t be moaning about Fosun or Nuno…..
They’ve done so much for this club….
There are just a few that respect the money invested…
Villa fans all over the World this morning.
Before you all start complaining.
We’ve got to be able to take it if we dish it out.
Great banter with our near neighbours, I have no problem with this, many have been giving large for the last year or two from our side. What goes around come around, we are on a temporary down cycle but the quality of Nunos younger players gives me confidence that we will rise again. Reading the posts anyone would think we were in Sheffield United position. If folks think we were utter crap yesterday, they must have very short memories. Keep the faith, trust Nuno and support whoever pulls on that old gold shirt. As Rocky Balboa might have said’ it ain’t how hard you get hit but how you keep getting back up and fighting on. Don’t blame everybody under the sun, suck it up and get on with it’
I have (against my better judgement ) had a good look at other media sites and it has become blindingly obvious that Jeff Shi needs to get his arse from behind his desk and come up with a bloody good calming everyone down statement of Churchillian proportions .
losing to that lot has always had a de stabilising effect on all wolves fans for as long as I can remember… me included…but this time it seems to be of a different magnitude ( or is it really ).
The striped lot and the vile lot are laughing their nuts off at the catastrophic meltdown we are all having…. thank Boris the pubs aren’t open or it would result in a west midland war !
Its not half way through the season yet and because we lost to THEM we have had it! NO WE HAVENT ! there’s plenty of time to put this right.
A statement from our extremely quiet owners would pour oil on troubled waters even if its a pack of lies it would be better than the deafening silence we are experiencing from them at the moment.
They simply have to put an end to the crazy speculation coming from almost every mad conspiracy theory you could possibly think of in your wildest dreams.
JEFF SHI WILL YOU PLEASE BLOODY WELL SAY SOMETHING ! ANYTHING ! AND SOON !!!!!!!!
First and foremost Michael Oliver delivered the most inept refereeing performance I have ever seen. Penalty number one was clearly outside the box, penalty number two was clearly not a foul, in fact the only genuine penalty was the Kieron Gibbs juggling act in the first half. If anyone needs confirmation that VAR is not fit for purpose then yesterday proved the point perfectly. But having said all of that four at the back is a complete disaster and the points return using it prove so beyond any doubt. For three seasons five at the back has provided the bedrock on which we have built two seventh place finishes, an F.A. Cup semi-final, a Europa League quarter-final and a Championship winning season. This enabled us to be strong at the back and control games through midfield. That control has gone with the introduction of our new formation and with it our positive results, in fact at present we seem incapable of managing a game and the consequence is that we are unable to defend a lead, even against a side as poor as Albion. The solution is simple, we need a decent quality centre forward who can run the line as a sole striker and take chances when they occur. This would enable us to go back to our original format and start to win games again. We clearly do not have the “solutions” within the club and with that in mind we have two weeks to go out and get them. If we do not then I dread to think how this will all end.
There is a Chinese proverb that says if you sit by a river long enough the body of your enemy will float past. Well, I’ve sat on the riverbank ever since THAT day and what came past on Saturday was a motor launch, filled to the gunnels, with people sipping boat drinks and having a jolly good time.
What we’re lacking – apart from a decent defence, and someone who can lead the forward line – is confidence. If we can string a couple of games together and get some points on the board it will return, starting on Friday. I mean it’s not as if we’re playing a team of plucky underdogs who beat us in 1986 is it? Blimey, what’s that coming down the river…
Having calmed down (a little) this morning I have to say things could be worse. At least Nuno hasn’t been sacked this morning and replaced by Clipboard!
We were utter crap but Nuno has to find a way to get us out of this. Going back to basics (3 at the back) has to be the 1st thing I think. Also if we have Cutrone then at least give the lad time on the pitch. If he doesn’t get the time then we won’t know if he’s good enough or not. I still think we need another striker regardless, what happens if Cutrone and/Silva are out? We’ve needed a decent back up striker for the last couple of seasons & now it’s showing.
On the positive side Podence should hopefully be back soon, also Jonny in the next few weeks with luck.
Negatives too many to list. My dogs nerves won’t take more matches like that, he’ll leave home.
I’ve faith the lads will turn it around and right now in 42 years of supporting Wolves I’ve been through worse.
We’ll get there.
I know Vinagre isn’t the long term answer but would it have been a good idea to bring him back for the last half-season, instead of sending him off to Famalicão?
If Marcal looks to be injury-prone, why not have him for back-up?
6 reasons Tim. Wages, squad size, Marcal, Ait Nouri, Saiss & not good enough.
Is Ait-Nouri better at this point in time? Is Marcal available at this point in time?
I’d say Ait is better. Better going forward but equally fairly poor at defending. Has more potential though in my view.
It’s easy to support your team when they are winning the championship , finishing top 7 in the toughest league in the world and playing great football.
It’s much harder to do so when things are going wrong, people pointing fingers, blaming everyone and everything and losing your nerve.
What the wind up merchants and rubbish media writers fail to understand is that they are poking the wrong bear , we are wolves, no other club in my lifetime has had as much shit to deal with as we have and we always come back .
We all have our opinions regarding players and systems ( personally I’d go five at the back until we get 40 points) but get behind nuno and the players until the season is finished, then and only then we should judge the team and the owners.
This season is a train wreck for loads of teams anyway.
Stay in the pack – they need us
Come on you wolves
Well said Marney. It’s not the worst we’ve been, many on here will recall many years in the wilderness.
Point of order Marney.
I support my team when it is are winning the championship , finishing top 7 in the toughest league in the world and playing great football.
I support my team when things are going wrong, people pointing fingers, blaming everyone and everything.
Don’t confuse lack of support and dissatisfaction. I am critical of many things about the club but it’s easy to support my team, it’s my religion.
Hi wishfart,
I’m not confusing anything with anything btw
Utw
Media burnout….I’ve had enough I’m going on the piss !
I don’t blame Nuno or Jeff or even Michael Oliver! I blame David Luis, our serious downturn can be dated to his potentially life threatening assault on Raul. I don’t believe it was an accident.
You’re right -I really don’t like it when commentators say that Raul fractured his skull. He did not fracture his skull, David Luiz did.
You could practice doing that 100 times and not get it right. Come off it, HW.
Luiz has been playing football for decades, including at the top level. Whilst I don’t believe he intended to at least some him down, certainly to affect his performance. He knows how to do this. He’s not unique or even rare. I’m sure we can all name a number of players who had such a reputation they were given suitable nicknames. Chopper Harris, “Break your legs” Hunter and so on. Roy Keane has said he set out to break the leg of an unfortunate Norwegian who had upset him months before, and succeeded.
Agreed but it’s one thing scything someone with a tackle in the middle of the park and another trying to put someone out with your head particularly when you are just as likely to injure yourself.
Am struggling after yesterday. Think Nuno looks haunted.Not sure whose pulling the strings to be honest. Is it nuno, fosuns or Mendez. Missing Raul and I’m not sure we will ever see him in a yellow shirt again. We need a replacement fast as silva, whilst showing glimpses, isn’t a £35m player. I’d try a cheeky bid for Campbell off stoke. £50 to £60m should do the trick. Just think we are in danger of getting sucked in
Wolves ay we
Bin strangely quiet for 3 years ay ya?
Yellow shirt!?
It’s a Tesco ay it.
This didn’t take long.
Hope you ripped it off and burnt it!!
Kept the scarf and burnt the Wolf. 🙁
Every cloud has a silver lining Flum, Burly and the Blades all lost.
Fully believe we will steer clear of a bottom 3 scrap.
We may not be top half this year, but will be safe.
Final post…. Let’s move on.
That ay enough though ay it ar kid. Do we want to stay safe or challenge for major honours like we think we should.
Another bad smell. Another Sandwell cave dweller with 6 fingers.
Ay our kid that ay nice. COYMP
On another , less important issue, as I watch Liverpool v Manure, does anyone know how Bruno Fernandez finds time to train, play and play the part of the Detective Inspector in the TV series of Death in Paradise?
Kendal.
And doubling up for Luis Suarez of “the bite”
Someone some of us know responded to my post on facebook to say that Nuno is the problem.
I quote: “Poor manager Stve ..even took our captain off ..reason ? ‘Options’…. Speaks like an
Idiot too..”
I have difficulty in understanding those beliefs. Nuno may not be managing the team in the same way as he has previously, but none of us know what is actually happening within the club. We know of injuries and we see what we see on the field and we notice that things are not right, but at whose feet does the blame actually lie.
To state that Nuno is poor and idiotic is beyond me.
Looking at our stats of our average possession, total shots, shots on target, goals and goals per shot on target you will see one glaring issue, which is our failure to score.
We need a striker, someone who scores for fun, as it is our lack of goals that is our failing. It is not Nuno that is refusing to bring in a Striker, it may not be Nuno that decided to bring back Cutrone and MGW. Surely you can also forget about Mendes involvement in anything too. My belief is it is Fosun, Jeff Shi himself that is failing to deliver.
OK, Nuno has changed the way we play with 4 at the back, but I believe he truly felt that our opponents started to understand how we played and decided to change things around, Hopefully he will see by now that that is not necessarily working and revert back to our 5/3 at the back. If he does not, then to me that is his only failing
I have followed Wolves since 1969 and in my lifetime I have not seen any better manager. Nuno is the only one that has got us to the top flight and achieved 7th twice and mid table now. With our injured players returning I see no reason at all for any relegation fears whatsoever, I mean, apart from a goalscorer, look at the stats and you will see we are playing okay.
Obvious this is just my opinion. In Nuno I trust. Come on Fosun, support the man please.
Just in case some of you can’t be arsed looking the stats up, here are some figures of the last 8 league games that we have not won (so doesn’t include the Chelsea game).
Average possession: 53%
Total shots (us – opp): 108 – 79
Shots on target (us – opp): 37 – 30
Goals (us – opp): 8 – 17
Goals per shots on target (us – opp): 22% – 57%
Looking at the bigger picture, we are currently 10th for shots on target but 15th for goals scored. The bottom 3 have an average of 3.8, 2.7 and 2.9 shots on target per game respectively. Compare that to our 4.6 in the last 8 games that we haven’t won. I know which stats I’d rather have.
So, once again Fosun, please support our Nuno and get him a quality striker. And, Nuno, please go back to 5/3 at the back, it works better than what you are doing with 4.
I’m still not too worried about relegation but I am concerned about all the criticism.
Tim Spiers seems to blaming the whole shitshow on Neves for God’s sake.
These are extraordinary times.
The government have closed all traffic to and from Portugal where they are suffering almost as much as we are with covid. The whole team, management and players, must be concerned for their famiies, just as we are.
Isn’t now the time to get behind ALL our players and management?
Wolves ay we??????
So funny…..
Yo ay. We am.
Just watching ‘Marooned’ with Ed Stafford. Reminds me of the Baggies.
Bottom 4 current PPG projected to 38 games
Sheff utd will finish on 10 POINTS
Sandwell will finish on 23 POINTS
Fulham will finish on 27 POINTS
Burnley will finish on 36 POINTS
Which sort of highlights how bad the bottom 3 are currently.
Your calculations a bit simple marrow. COYMP
Not really. Use a calculator. Work it out. I take it they have schools in Smethwick?
Naill Ennis looking to sign for Plymouth Argyll on 18month contract.
He was another they were calling one for the future?
Jeff Shi stepping back a little? Scott Sellars promoted to Team development, (whatever that means).
I’ve said it before Stew I’ll say it again Jeff is a man of all trades master of none………certainly true when it come to football matters.
Sorry my mistake, Scott Sellars Technical Director.
Wolves can confirm that Scott Sellars has been appointed to the position of technical director.
Former head of Academy Sellars has been at Wolves since 2014 in a number of different roles, and most recently became general manager of football technical in the summer of 2020.
Executive chairman Jeff Shi said: “Scott has been at Wolves for many years, in many different and integral roles, and has a deep understanding of the club, our values and ambitions.
“Scott’s job is to support me, and to support Nuno, together with Matt Wild, whilst managing the technical aspects of our football departments, as well as retaining overall responsibility for our Academy.
“The change in title will not mean any changes to the way we work, the process of decision making, or the roles of his colleagues, as Scott has already been working as part of the core leadership team for some time. Nuno, Matt and I all know Scott well and already have a good working relationship among us.
“I think it’s a proper reward for his long-term contribution to Wolves and I look forward to more to come from him in the future.
“At Wolves it’s always about team work – building a stronger management team with chemistry is one of my key jobs.”
Why is everyone giving a like to that twat above. Cant you see it’s a Baggie on the wind up. I give up.
Cheesy we am wolves ay we all together. COYMP
Enjoy next season back in the second division.Nice having a bit of banter . Stay safe…..
I ay a twat mate, honest.
Got it wrong then . Soz. I’m on a Baggie alert . !!!!
Me? A Baggy??
I grew up in Willenhall.
I watched Wolves play from the enclosure with my Grandad from about 1961. I stood on the North Bank from about 1966 watching from behind the goal. Moved towards the back of the stand from about 1969 when I was tall enough to see, to stamp on the wooden floor, until they condemned the place when I shed a tear.
Wolves are deep in my heart . . . . I often wish they weren’t (but not for long).
A twat I might very well be. But never, ever a Baggy!!
So the Baggies fans have come to pay us a visit. Fair play. I wouldn’t expect anything else. I live in Gornal and there are a few Baggies who I know. And they are sound. . Well done on your win yesterday. We move on. Second half of the season will determine how it all unfolds. FOWB . FWAW.
There is a massive twitter episode going on re Chorley FA cup tie. Basically they are revelling in the West Brom win. Wolves fans are urged NOT to buy a virtual ticket. I wasn’t gonna buy one anyway because of 1986. Make your own minds up.
Your’e not hurting the club Cheesy, it’s the kind of Banter you’d expect from fans. We’d certainly have done it to them had we beaten the Shite.
Got mine and I know others got there’s.
The way we’re playing, I wish them well.
Now the dust has settled, it’s not nuno but the owners who have said no more signings , I have a good source , however nuno also did not want mgw cutrone back but was forced too, also moutino great servant but legs have gone, on stats we are the most dribbled midfield, we kneed a midfield with legs, we won’t go down but will finish near bottom, good night god bless.
Let’s take a step back.
Before Jota left, I heard a lot of chatter that he wasn’t a first team player because Neto had developed and Podence was better. In other words, we already had a replacement. I didn’t agree…but, it does go to show that our fans are very reactionary.
Personally, I don’t think Semedo or Ait should be playing in a back four. But, I do think Semedo brings more to the table overall than Doc (I think tales of Semedo’s defensive woes are greatly exaggerated). Regardless….that’s just an opinion.
But, in the past week or two, I’ve heard every armchair argument possible.
– place Ruddy instead of Rui (there’s not a coach or scout that would consider Ruddy in the same planet as Rui)
– Coady is crap bc he can’t play a back four
– Semedo ….just a lot of crap. Even though he clearly has a directive to get forward and is hugely trusted since three quarters of our build-up play comes from the right.
– Fabio – I hear wolves “fans” say he’s garbage. Waste of money. Not even one for the future. Meanwhile, soccer experts and publications break down his play and say how instinctive he is and how good his movement is….in case anyone missed MOTD..
– meanwhile, based in 15 minutes of play, OO and Hoever should replace the much more experienced players ahead of them.
I could go on. But, this is a very reactionary crew.
This is a team with a lot of new faces, a lot of injuries, a lot of very young people and trying a new system. Combine all of that with no preseason and I don’t think we should be overly panicking.
The team isn’t playing like a relegation candidate. They mostly play well. But, they are the youngest squad in the EPL by quite a bit (six u21s have started for Wolves- twice the next highest. the hardest things for young teams to achieve is consistency and situational football. A team of veterans wouldn’t have squandered our lead at halftime on Saturday.
They’ll come out of this.
8 Goals 10 assists by Doc last season…..how many has Semendo produced. The stats don’t lie.
‘The stats don’t lie.’
You never heard the phrase, ‘there are lies, damned lies and statistics…’ ?
The statistics don’t lie. It’s the slant put on them by people who have a particular agenda.
Well it’s a good job I don’t have any tendency to depressive illness
Reading this blog would otherwise have me balancing on the railing of my local Golden Gate Bridge
It was a total bummer.. especially for the first Zoomwolfathon
But we aren’t crap
We have lost a lot of games due to late goals or penalties or both
Our squad has a Lot of talent and more than enough experience as does Nuno and his staff
It’s a bad patch but most of us have seen much worse during our agonized decades of support
Our job is to suffer and then radiate happiness when life improves… as it will
I still believe we will have an excellent run in
Keep calm and carry on
OODCL
All the emotional reaction , whilst understandable and forgivable, doesn’t help. We need to consider things in a calm and balanced manner and never lose sight of the bigger picture.
All things considered Fosun, Nuno and his team have all done a fantastic job since they arrived. As I have said before, the value of the squad has been increased from £20 million to the ninth most valuable in the Premier under Fosun’s tenure. Nuno is an exceptionally good manager. These are facts, not opinions. It is also a fact that everyone makes mistakes, there’s nobody on the planet who hasn’t. So, instead of adding fuel to the fire we should all try to be positive, encouraging, understanding and generally supportive.
On the specific issue of a striker back up for Raul etc I suggest we try to put ourselves in Wolves’ management’s position and look for the thread of logic in what has been done overall.
Fundamentally, there was a choice to be made between a larger more mediocre squad and a smaller squad of higher quality players with injuries having a greater impact. (I’m not the first to mention this.) The latter is the route which was chosen. The choice was to be ambitious, the other route would likely have resulted in permanent mid table; safe but not exciting. I think the vast majority of us would agree that this was the right decision and subsequent success confirmed it. Another big question they would have asked was, is it reasonable to be so dependant on Raul Jimenez ? What is the balance of risk ? The chances of an injury putting a player out for the whole season are extremely low so the argument would have been that even if Raul were to miss 25% of matches it could be coped with, it wasn’t going to lead to relegation. Nevertheless, the decision was taken to try to find a back up for him so they bought Cutrone. Inevitably, while Raul was showing the great form we all wanted , Cutrone wasn’t going to get much playing time. Unfortunately, he didn’t like this so they were left no other sensible choice and moved him on. This presented a dilemma. Let’s learn from our mistakes they would have said. What we need is a back up for Raul who won’t mind not getting much playing time. So what we’ll do is sign a very promising youngster who we can develop and who can do some sort of job filling in for Raul very occasionally if required.Raul has a good injury record so this youngster won’t be called on very much. The decision was taken to sign Fabio Silva. The rest is history. The very unexpected happened.
In summary I would argue that Wolves’ management in general have done an excellent job overall and are victims of circumstances which they couldn’t have done any more to anticipate. To plan in advance for everything which is extremely unlikely is impossible. They deserve our full support. I rest my case.
Well said mate. Bang on imo.
Yes Bilko, spot on, there is always a bigger picture and with a pandemic going on, the picture is way bigger than anyone of us could ever imagine.
We have good players, experienced international players, some of the best players who have ever worn the shirt and a top manager. They will turn this slump around.
I just wish that Jeff Shi would say something to lift the mood, keeping quiet just makes people make stuff up.
great post but what we do now not what we did yesterday is what counts. I back Nuno to the hilt. The idea he is making and do mending makes me sick. Back him Fosun, back him now, restore the balance..
Good post as always bilko
When I saw the team sheet I couldn’t resist this – easy money
Cheers dingles
Your welcome Bags hope the money helps towards your penis enlarger tablets.
Well done Big Sam.
Hope the reporters don’t sting you again.
Shhhhhhhhh
Last of the big spenders. Have a man’s bet next time!
Why don’t we all just ignore the trolls?
Pity them for the sad, empty lives they endure?
We’re the ones who will be smiling at the end of the season.
And, Cheesebuger, I wish you well – genuinely!!
Girls diary: when I got back from shopping today he seemed a bit distant – maybe even angry. I left him alone with his thoughts and hoped he would calm down but it didn’t happen. We had dinner but he hardly spoke and when he did he was snappy. When we went to bed I held him for a while and then we made love but it just wasn’t the same. I think that I am losing him – maybe he has met someone else!
Blokes diary: lost 3-2 at home to the shit today – absolutely gutted.
Had a shag though!!
I love that!
Repeated in many a Wolves supporters’ household I would think.
Yep …… less the shag though.
Great- can you make this a weekly, post-game diary CW?
I have 2 questions which I am sure some bloggers may be able to answer.
In a “back”3 + 2 wingbacks” presumable the back 3 are mainly defenders and wingbacks go up and down the line. That is fine. However in a Back 4 situation, should there be 4 defenders, or 2 defenders plus 2 wingbacks. ??
The reason I ask is quite simple. If there should be 4 defenders in a back 4, then why is Nuno not using Boly, Coady, Saiss and Kilman (all recognised defenders). If on the other hand back 4 includes 2 wingbacks, then 2 defenders are clearly not enough to cope with an oppositions counter attack, where our WB’s are well forward. This is how we are getting undone.
The other question would be – does Nuno select a formation then fits players in that formation, or would he choose the best players available and fit them in the most appropriate formation to the choice of players available?? Just curious.
As I understand it, with a back 4 you want full-backs who can get forward and contribute (e.g Aurer at Spurs, Digne at Everton) tho’ you don’t necessarily want them being as adventurous or fixed to the line as a typical wing-back (Semedo, RAN). BUT, to allow the FBs to get forward you need a strong holding midfielder (see Busquets at Barca or, dare I say it, Pahlinha at Sporting Lisbon). This gives you the extra protection you need. Neves doesn’t really fulfil this role, being (for me anyway) more of a deep-lying playmaker.
I can’t bring myself to read all the comments above as it’s just too depressing, but I’ve read enough to be on the edge of topping myself so I’ll write this before I do.
We bought our players in to play three at the back and achieved much success doing so. Semedo and Ait Nouri are not full backs in a ‘back four’ sense and having them bombing forward (which is what they’re good at), leaves our defence horribly exposed, especially with Coads in there who is not really a good defender in a four.
The theory was that we may give away more goals but we also would score more. The loss of Raul, and latterly Poddy has shot that down in flames so, even if only in the short term, a rethink is desperately needed. And we need to act fast before the confidence of our players is irreparably damaged and their commitment to the cause is shredded.
Return to a back five. Immediately. We tried a four but, because of injuries mainly, it hasn’t worked. It doesn’t mean it will never work. Just not now, in these circumstances.
Hopefully, we are at the bottom of the curve. Surely, the only way is up from here.
Fosun have been the best of employers. Keeping the club’s staff on at full pay when income must have been severely dented by the fan ban. If there has to be a squeeze on the player budget to keep the income of the shop staff, tea girls et al in place then I for one am happy to pay that price.
WhereTF is Hind Sight when we need him eh.?
Amazing what a good nights sleep can do for some folk.
I’m here, Stu. What is it you’d like to know?
Just commenting on all these posts after the Lords Mayors parade, stating the obvious, (In Hind Sight)
I’m on the, get back to five at the back side too wolfstroker.
Well until we have around 40 points at least, maybe nuno sees this season as one to assess the players that he has and how well they can play other systems so that he can prepare for next season.
Maybe try four at the back with a full preseason, it does seem to be the preferred system of the big teams in Europe.
Funny thing is though, we have scored 5 goals in the last two games!
Who’d be a manager?
Utw
Oops , forgot Everton
So 6 in 3 games.
And Fabio now has 2 in 6 as well!
Nuno will be aware that a back four made up of a wing-back and two midfielders doesn’t cut it. Needs addressing and will be (back to three)
Next on the list is the need to cut down the attacking adventures of our midfield, in particular Donck and Neves. Back to maintaining shape and protecting the defence. We may get frustrated just as we did when we went into our shell against Olympiakos and Seville. But tough, suck it up and see what the summer brings.
We can and will tough out the season on 1 – 0’s and draws.
Then think of next season with Raul returned, Fabio with a season’s experience, Dani boy back Neto and Adama. And with a propper pre-season.
Worth taking a look at Liverpool and considering what the exertions of last season has done to them in terms of injuries and form.
Haven’t given up on a cup run though. Good cup sides are predominantly strong defensively, that can be us again.
Sincerely hope yr right JM, we know this formula works and have excellent, pacey attackers who can spring counter attack’s. The next 4 games are critical imo, they will show our intentions and it is imperative we get out of the losing mindset. Happy to see them scrap for points and maintain the gap between us and the bottom 3. Relegation is unthinkable- our best players would be churned by Mendes to another clubs’s ‘ project’, Fosun would re-evaluate the club as an investment and we could be left stagnating in the Championship again.
Pity poor Patrick. The last time he was here he couldn’t get much game time because Raul was firing on all cylinders and Diogo knew the system and even when he wasn’t scoring, was doing everything else the way Nuno wanted.
Now he comes back and is back up to an 18-year-old.
Nuno says Patrick is in a difficult position because he is staying in a hotel and his partner and family aren’t here yet. If he was showing signs of unhappiness, it was probably because he realized that he was going to get spotty game time again.
Nuno says as long as a player is at Wolves, he will help develop them and they never give up on players but he seems to have given up on Patrick. Someone should ask him about that in the pre-game press conference. As a matter of fact, someone should ask him what exactly are Patrick’s perceived weaknesses so we all know. Is it his first touch? Is it his positional understanding?
Wouldn’t a rested Patrick, perceived warts and all be better than a flagging Fabio during the last half of the game?
End of Rant (Or is it?)
Hurts. Not Saturday’s defeat, but I can’t get that tune by Emeli Sande out of my head. It’s a bouncy little number.
That match? It took a while to get over it, but I am. I think.
I have little to add to what’s already been said but, for me, the post mortems should be done with now. We move on, and get behind Nuno and the team. They need us as much as we need them.
What’s that mantra? Together we are stronger
I had a Mantra once.
Minty Opel if memory serves.
Made to make your mouth water.
I believe the jingle went ;
Opal Fruits, made to make your mouth water .OOOOOh.
Happy birthday mate.
Cheers Steve.
Crowd funding being set up as we speak…..
Not!
Just been reading this. Last season we were top (or joint top) of the league for being shafted by VAR. This season we are top of the league for the number of penalties given against. Not that I am bitter or twisted or hate referees or anything. Not making excuses but the facts are facts.
Maybe the stupid challenges have got something to do with it though. The last two should be extremely fresh in our minds.
Well they say things even out. 8 penalties given against. 2 given for. We have been given 2 by referees only for VAR to intervene and have them overturned. Then there are at least another 2 I can think of where replays showed contact but nothing given. Where was VAR. The point in general is that we are usually on the wrong end of anything contenscious . May be it’s just me.
What I didn’t know, regarding penalty given against Boly, it’s not where your feet are it’s where your body is in relation to the line. So if your feet are outside the line but your body is hanging over it you are judged to be in the penalty area.
What I don’t remember is when the rule changed. Can anyone enlighten?
But if your left toe is offside your offside.
In a card school i would play like a fool for a while so they thought i was a mug .
When my funds were suitably depleted and they were suitably confident i would start to play.
Most times i would clean up .
My money is on a Wolves turnaround in the second half of the season .
They all think we are mugs and they are all suitably confident.
More fools them .
And another thing. 4 bookings for ‘diving’ . 3 of them to Wolves players. Two of which were actually penalties.
The Traore one yes. Refresh my memory on the other.
Didn’t Fabio get a similar fate v Spurs at home. Replays showed contact but nothing given? Pretty sure he got booked for diving. In any case it was wasn’t much different to Tesco 2nd penalty that was given.
Cheesy,
I owe you an apology buddy, Iv’e just read the story on the Chorley virtual ticket appeal.
I thought it was the fans giving us a ragging, it appears it came from the club appealing to the Shite to buy tickets in return for their lads shouting Boing Boing at our players.
Needless to say, well disgusted at their behaviour.
Even though they have had to issue an apology and take the tweet down, I have just asked them to refund my money and told them I am disappointed with their tactics.
Bloody idiots.
No need Stu. I read it all yesterday evening when I had been having a few cans of lager and when I saw the like of ‘super Bob Taylor’ joining in the mocking it just ended a shite weekend on a very bad note.Apparently loads of Wolves fans have asked for a refund. Hope we stuff them . I ay forgotten 1986. Our darkest day.
Going to try to get mine back too Stu. Poor reaction from Chorley supporters. Not proper fans.
Nobody knows for sure what is going on as far as Jeff seemingly decided not to fund new transfers in but when you think of it, maybe he is questioning the signings we have made before at the suggestion of Mendes and the approval of Nuno (presumably).
For instance, look at the attacking mid-fielder position. We had Gibbs-White and brought in Pedro Goncalves, Jordao, Shabani and Vitinha. And now Nuno is using Gibbs-White.
For striker, we brought in Mir, Cutrone and Silva (at least) and now apparently Nuno wants another.
Jeff must be questioning Mendes and his scouts and Nuno’s ability to incorporate these highly-rated youngsters.
Again, just another way to look at things.
Shite fans now encouraging Chorley to appeal to WBA fans to buy the virtual tickets instead. God. I hate the twats. If there was a God we would send them down at the Hawthorns in early May.
.. and if we live under the cloud of Satan they will relegate us and save themselves. Surely life could never be so cruel to serve us this fate for a second time.
Problem is Baggie fans Adeline a cross between Wood lice and the Viet Cong . When they are on the up the come crawling out the woodwork boing boinging or playing in style the Mowbray way. Then when it goes to cr@9 like it always does they melt back into the woodwork like they were never there and presenting no target for ridicule.
In a way I don’t blame them for begrudging and ridiculing us. In Sir Jack and Fosun we have had (twice) something they have never had benefactors. All of their achievements have been made on a shoestring with awful football – but they’ve spent more time in the Pram than us.
Right now we are looking at a team of top quality players sitting on the back of top 7 finishes and Europa quarter finals. Currently in a bit of a rut but just a few adjustments to sort out. Yet we are wailing and gnashing of teeth (or was that just me?) after just falling short in a one-off freak show.
That’s what they are laughing at – our reaction.
So stuff it, good luck to ’em they’ve had their day we’ve had four years and more to come.
Can’t deny it’s taken a couple of days to get my head straight but I do believe this is the best way to maintain sanity and it’s the right way. Hope Nuno had a skinful on Saturday and a Black Country fry-up Sunday morning.. Now we go again.
It just gets me that after 3 years of great times we go on a slump in the 2 months leading up to playing them. The worst run under Nuno. Then they get smashed 5-0 and 4-0 by Leeds and Arsenal. Then they get a 2 week break. Gives Allardyce loads of time to work on things. You just knew what was coming. And throw in Oliver and the usual anti Wolves VAR and there you go.
Feel exactly the same Cheesey. The combination of penalty decisions just adds a load more salt, but in the end the only thing that matters is the result. And the more that we bash our heads against the wall the bigger the headache but we don’t each rent the plaster.
Chorley is coming up fast and some key selection decisions. Get that sorted and things look a bit more interesting.
*even dent the plaster
This is what happens when the spellchecker goes to VAR
As I said Sunday I have been watching from afar for a while now.
Can’t quite believe what I’m reading from a bunch of grown men. Your woe is me attitude is nothing short of laughable, always hard done by, robbed here, not fair there blah blah, an attitude that I often realise seems to be ingrained into the mindsets of people from the Black Country.
Wake up, life isn’t fair pal but you dust yourself down and crack on. That’s the difference between success and failures. Some of us can take the knock backs get back up and keep fighting, others like you seem to like to sit wallowing in self pity. Something Nuno doesn’t seem to have grasped either with his chips are down demeanour that can’t be inspiring the lads.
Whilst I’m at it, do you think wolves players wake up and think about you every morning? The answer is – no they don’t, so perhaps instead of spending so much time filling yourself with negativity which must completely sap you all your energy let’s try a positive approach that will energise you and make you see the world as a far different place.
We are in this together so let’s all try and put a positive spin on things, life is tough enough as it is without moaning and bitching about penalties and the like.
But what about VAR its messing with my head !!!!
Have to take you up on your comment above about grown men.
Most of them on here of around my age are still kids at heart.
Let’s face it, who wants to be growed up, grown ups am boring!
And, there are a lot of bloggers of the female variety, as well as Amanda.
I also find it interesting that you know what Wolves players think about when they wake up.
Are you dog almighty, all seeing, all knowing?
If so, please let us know the score from the Chorley match, so we can put a few quid on.
I would imagine marra that most wolves players wake up with the thought of where’s Medez number as I need another signing on fee.
Does silva really look like £35m well spent???
COYMP
Oh ok. Life now seems so much better and I’m happy. Just watched West Ham beat Tesco Town by 2 goals to 1. Thanks for the pep talk.
So cheesy, are you a Mac Donald’s cheeseburger or a wimpy quarter pounder with cheese.
You can’t beat a wimpey
Not many about now though at there
Hi Dave Wimpy the correct spelling are still around in small numbers but still active huge presence in South Africa used to be great one in Queen Street Wolverhampton very profitable too.
Well Dave. If I am swimming across the Serengeti river and large crocodile appears I am most definitely wimpy and immediately get to the bank and run off. Similarly if I’m in West Bromwich High Street and see a family coming towards me I find that scary too and run off . So definitely a bit of a wimp I’m afraid. And as I type this BREAKING news West Ham 1 WBA 0. Have a nice evening old chap.
West Ham 2 WBA 1. Enjoy the game Dave ?
I have been asked to put this on.
Don’t get all holier than thou with me about the language.
Take it in the spirit it is meant because it really is the best version Iv’e seen and funny as funk.
https://www.facebook.com/626140558/posts/10160175083375559/?d=w
Bloody hillarious ! I could write the script for another three hours, but it would have to include references to VAR accidental Basketball, penalties needing to be in the box, a free pie and a pint, championship play-offs, throwing away ten point leads, Matt Carbon, Paul Robinson, Super Bob Taylor and Chorley being near Blackpool.
So nothing too sensitive.
I don’t know why we get so worked up over one game?
Great antidote to a wet Tuesday! Just a thought- with the money ‘invested’ in Fabio and Nelson ( bearing in mind Hoever looks very good and Jonny’s imminent return) we could have activated Erling Haarlands release clause. Now that would have been a statement of intent.
But why would he swap Champions league for playing the Albion?
Looks like we made it into the Squires cartoon in the Guardian.
I’ll be cheering on West Ham tonight…… hopefully they’ll bring the Baggies down to earth .
Yeah get in West Ham 2 West Brom 1 . Normality restored.
Anybody know if the Sh@te continued on their winning run tonight against the Hammers?
Oh, it seems not.
Losing 2_1
So. Chelsea given a penalty tonight almost identical circumstances to the Boly incident on Saturday. VAR check both. The Chelsea one is ruled out as being outside the box. (Well it is VAR Leicester). No penalty. Ours is ruled inside the box despite being outside the box and penalty. I’m genuinely baffled.
The only difference I can see is that Boly was coming out from within the penalty area. Contact looks outside on both occasions….. but would you know it, VAR is inconsistent yet again. The most annoying thing is that they will not be prompted to explain the difference and provide clarity on it. I honestly thought I wouldn’t see a penalty situation like that again this season. Typical.
Took the words right out of my mouth.
Still pissed off !!
Got nothing to add on the weekend’s game, apart from Nuno needs some love. He’s got to be going through a really tough time at the moment, on and off the pitch, so the last thing he needs is his ‘own’ to turn on him when things get a bit sticky. We owe him, and the team, for the last three years.
Be strong, remain calm, and stay with team.
Oh ok. Thanks.
Don’t mention it.
I won’t.
You did.
I couldn’t agree with you more TMA. There’s no doubt in my mind why Nuno looks unhappy.It’s because he cares about people ; family and friends he can’t see ,fans and players, all of whom are going through difficult times at present. He’ s almost unique among football managers in this respect and particularly those in the Premier many of whom, unlike Nuno , have little or no integrity , are only too ready to teach players how to cheat and think only of money and themselves. One of the first things Nuno did at the end of the Spurs game was put his arm around Matt Doherty’s shoulders. I found that admirable and impressive. It spoke volumes for the man. He’s one of the best.
Wonderful post Bilko he is the best thing to happen to Wolves since Steve Bull and Sir Jack.
Deeply respected in our Wolves family.
Keep safe.
Agree, MA. When the going gets tough, the tough get going… We are Wolves…
A very bad day at the office Ben, but the world hasn’t ended. Albion wanted a result more, and we suffered (again) from VAR. It;’s up to Nuno to inspire the squad but he seems to look on emotionless, regardless of the action on the pitch. Albion aren’t that shabby and are probably in a false position. They did well against West Ham last night and were unlucky not to get a point.
As I’ve constantly said, Silva is not yet ready to be our main CF.. He was never meant to be at this stage, it’s only the injury to Raul that promoted Silva to the starting line up He’s actually done well enough, took a nice goal in open play and ran his heart out.
Regarding Boly and Coady, I can’t for the life of me understand why we are risking penalties when the danger is not immediately goal-threatening! But, a penalty is…
Too good to go down? Yes. My outside ling shot for relegation is Newcastle.
Looks like Nuno throwing his dummy out of the pram worked.
Willian Jose. Can’t say that he’s one for the future.
On paper, it looks like he could be a good fit. A tall guy is always good to have in both boxes. Jimenez was excellent as a defender of crosses until Luiz assaulted him
A seasoned pro who has a decent record in La Ligue- It’s as good as we could have hoped in the January window. Well done Wolves if they get him in. It’s brightened my mood as Fulham have taken an early lead.
Spot on…
On paper, it looks like he could be a good fit. A tall guy is always good to have in both boxes. Jimenez was excellent as a defender of crosses .
He’s playing tonight and has scored, albeit against Cordoba, a lower league team, in the cup. The fact that he’s playing might suggest that a deal isn’t that close.
Been watching William on youtube looking decent in the air gets is the six yard box abit of a poacher but scores from outside the box as well.
He’s athlectic in build so should’nt be knocked off the ball easly has a few tricks as well in fact he looking very simular to our injured Mexician stricker .
He’s not prolific but then again with Neto Pedonce and Adama supplying him he Could be.
agreed
Blimey BBC news/ sport bigging up Chorley, people who don’t like football supporting the ‘minnows’ Nuno saying the pitch won’t be an excuse, sounding like he is getting his excuses in early!
We really need to show up tonight and get a hatfull….. I dread the headlines if we don’t.
Have to be on our game on set pieces, high balls into the box, in some ways having Ruddy in goal, as, in my opinion, he does command his box well, could be a factor.
35 years and revenge will be sweet.
So, a new striker signed ( almost, it seems) who will sit and watch us play Chorley in the cup.
Sound familiar?
Frankly, I’d take another Chorley defeat if Senor Jose scores as many for us as the other striker you mention Clive.
I cannot say I was one of the 1,000 or so at Boltons ground the secound reply but I was at Molinuex for the secound reply such a miserable night it was ever to play a game of football.
Raining that fine rain that seems to get you really wet misty could just about make out the John Ireland stand from a pity fully empty South Bank . I’ve always stood on the South Bank apart from the od game here and there had great times there like when Wolves played Forrest a few weeks after we beat them at Wembley and we beat them again 3.1 or 3.0 the South bank was packed that night couldn’t move what a difference it was that cold and wet November night there couldn’t have been more then 1500 on the home side of the South Bank that night overall attendance was just over 3,000.
Sorry the Molinuex game was the first reply not the secound that was at Bolton.
I went to the first game at the old burnden park but didn’t get to either of the replays. They were really desperate times. Thankfully, we have come a long long way since. Lots of lows and several highs later we play them again. I was 19 at the time of the original game, how life and football flashes before your eyes.
Can anyone give the wolves team that fateful night?
I known Mutch and Ally Robinson were playing Vince Bartam in goal that’s about all I can remember I think there was still players left over from the 3 consecutive relegation, like Danny Craine may be even John Purdie but not sure.
Google……
Bartram, Stoutt, Barnes, Forman, Zelem, Robertson, Lockhart (Ryan 72), Holmes, Mutch, Neil Edwards (Clarke 60), Purdie.
Would still like to sign Diego Costa and play him up front alongside other new signing (our fan) Mike Tyson for cameo roles in selected matches.
These would include: Burnley, Arsenal (league and possible cup game) Baggies away. With sufficient games in-between suspensions would be played out and necessary points gained.
Requests accepted for any other players of similar ilk and any other teams/players to be added to hit-list.
Baggies could be harsh. Maybe just sufficient to win that game.
Well not looking forward to this game at all. Will be watching from behind the couch. There seems to bit a bit of needle in the build up to this game Wolves or Nuno have apparently been moaning about the pitch plus the bad blood regarding Chorley offering virtual tickets to Albion fans which has back fired on them massively.
We should be playing this one down don’t need to gee them up anymore than nessasarry low key we don’t need to give the team talk for them.
Let’s do our talking on the pitch. I hope Nuno ditches the four at the back for a five we just need to get through this game no matter what whatever it takes let’s bury the ghost of 86 for good.
There type of game is the sort we have struggled to break down with the new system and the old we need to be patient and stay alert keep our concentration and cool.
We need to take this tie seriously so expect Nuno to go strong we have a great chance to progress to the next round and a home tie from there anything could happen.
Come on me ” BABIES “
Looks like your’e getting your wish Paul.
Should be a walk in the park.
1-4 Wolves.
Just hope there are no injuries
Your tempting fate Timmy boy…..there’s no such thing as a walk in the park in these sort of games.
Rumour has it…….
RUDDY
BOLY COADY KILMAN
HOEVER DENDONKER MOUTINHO AIT NOURI
VITININHO
SILVA CUTRONE
I will eat my ice cream treats all at one sitting if Cutrone starts.
Ye of little faith, start licking.
More important, no Saiss or MGW.
Conspiracy theories can begin immediately.
Is Gibbs-White being punished again?
Gibbs-White may have COVID.
Promise kept.
There is no such thing as a walk in the park with this sort of game if we think we are going to stroll this one your are in for a shock they are well and truly up for this make no mistake.
Well it was a win. Great strike from Vitinha but another performance lacking in intensity and any real ambition to take the game by the scruff of the neck. Hard at times to tell which was the PL team and which was in the sixth tier in the second half.
Well done Chorley. Wolves were embarrasing.
Not sure why people are disliking the truth!
Nor me
What a absolute mess, error strewn performance and second best to Chorley.
Make no mistake we are in trouble with confidence shot. Play Ruddy ,currently our
best keeper ! Players did want to be there !
Could not care less how we played we won……and that’s all that matters great strike we were never going to steam roller them this was there Cup Final and credit to them it has to be said…….but we are through and that’s all that matter got home tie next round a new striker coming in we have had a shit week but nothing ever lasts forever including the bad times.
I blogged before Albion game performances are not important from now on lets get to 40 points then we can look at performances.
We have a great opertunity now to have a bit of distraction and who knows what might happen.
Well done me “BABIES “
Well said Paul we won and did not concede got to help with confidence .
Yes we’re in the fifth round but performance wise that was so poor. I’ve been kind to the younger players so far but honestly, give me the Chorley centre forward all day long. Fabio was just shockingly bad , lacking any semblance of a centre forward whereas his opposite number was a physical presence and a b~~~~y nuisance throughout. Hoever and Ait Nourri looked like boys against men . Clearly not ready for regular Premier League football. We made very hard work of beating a team of part timers who have achieved a moral victory and will deservedly take all the headlines. A great goal by Vitinha but ultimately an embarrassing victory.
Spot on Paul- clean sheet, young team, poor pitch, committed opposition. Banana skin avoided. Let’s move on and scrap those 40 points.
Spot on Paul mate. In round 5. Let’s dig out some more dull 1-0 wins and get this season over and done with. And if the bottom 3 dont pick up in the second half of the season its likely to be the lowest points ever to stay up.
Well, that gives food for thought.
Say it any which way you might, but to be hanging on against a 6th tier team and hoping, in the last minute, that Traore heads for the corner flag is a million miles from being good enough.
So many performances were worse than poor but thank goodness Ruddy was excellent. And 18 he might be but if Silva ever makes a half decent player I’ll eat all the hats in Luton!
Nobody will remember chorley when Conor lifts up the trophy in a few months time
Utw
Anyone remember Burnley (premier league) 0 Lincoln City (non league) 1. Back in 2017. Burnley still in the premier league. Were in round 5. Move on.
We won, I’m with Paul… Be a few pats on the back and media headlines, but who cares about the losing side. Yes, not pretty, but it was never going to be. Only 2 shots on target. But, hey 1 of em was a bosta and was the winning one.
Move on, 35 years buried, Chelsea then….
Spot on BG. As for Silva give me a break from this : he’s young and learning bull, he’s the
worst signing in the clubs history ,cannot believe what the scouts saw in him , hopeless !
But most pundits who actually played the game , shearer, Wright Sutton etc all seem to think his movement is great, is improving rapidly and may well become a top player so,,,,
His finishing will improve, I could barely finish my kebab after a bunch of beers when I was 18 !
Utw
Super easy. Barely an inconvenience.
A no win game, which we won.
No time for all the knockers, if we win all our remaining games this season 1-0 I will be happy.
I thought we looked much more composed with a back three, Kilman solid as ever and Hoever had a good game.
Don’t like all the Henry crabwards passing but as pointed out above, this was their cup final, not ours.
There are millions of hard luck and what if stories in the history of the cup, and Chorley have just added another.
But tough shit, we are in the fifth round and they ain’t.
So bollocks to all you naysayers, once again, I for one will never give up on my lads.
Me neither mate .
UTW
I must have been watching a different game !
Watching BT Sport, the highlight of the evening for me (the goal excepted) was Robbie Savage’s perfect impression of Old Man Steptoe.
‘Clothes by Oxfam’.
This was a game we could never “win”. It was an accident waiting to happen. 10-0 or 1-0, it was always going to be Chorley’s night.
Having said that, they certainly turned up for it and always seemed to have more players on the pitch than us.
When he came on, Traore was well contained. Chorley doing what many a Premier League side has failed to do.
Some of their tackling, while fair, was a little ‘industrial’ and I’m pleased all our players survived without injury.
I don’t think the performance gives any insights into what’s wrong with the team but, I agree with Clive, we do seem to resort to going sideways or backwards far too often. I sometimes wonder if we know which way we’re playing.
Overall, just pleased it’s over and we’re through . . . . onwards and upwards!
But probably sidewards.
Jose has been announced by Wolves, so work permit is all we’re waiting for.
Three midgets are arguing over who is the smallest.
The first one says, “well I definitely have the smallest hands ever.”
The second one says, “yeah, but my feet are even tinier.”
The third one says, “maybe so, but I have the littlest dick in the world. I’m hung like a light switch. Let’s head down to the guiness book of world records and settle this once and for all.”
When they arrive at Guinness HQ the first one goes in, and after a few minutes, walks out and says, “that’s it. I’m in the book. Smallest hands in the world!”
The second one goes in, walks out and proudly announces, “check me out! Smallest feet ever!”
The third one goes in, walks out of the office and asks, “Who ‘s this Clive from Houston?!”
????