Thoughts of Crystal Palace at home invariably bring on the cold sweats if you’re a football fan of my vintage.
If it wasn’t Chris Armstrong wedging one in the stanchion, it’d be Bruce Dyer taking the pegs out the North Bank net. If Iain Dowie wasn’t bicycle-kicking my FA Cup dreams into obliteration, then Darren Pitcher would be pile-driving from 30-yards to make his own manager guffaw in disbelief.
For those not present for our latest Eagle-assault, this one was arguably the worst of the lot, because unlike those indelible, individual moments above, this was a collective shellacking from one-to-eleven (barring the magnificent Sa), with every Palace player superior to a Wolves one in speed, strength, aggression and acumen. For every individual battle, we came off a sobering second-best.
Such was the gulf between the sides that it shifted our own aspirations from top-six swingers to top-half imposters within the space of 90 minutes.
If Vieira’s bigger, stronger boys weren’t giving our deferential lads twisted blood on the pitch, they were giving us nightmares in the stands as the old memories of Neves and Moutinho being overrun in midfield – the like of which we thought we’d airbrushed – came flooding back.
We’d also forgotten the name ‘Sven Botman’ because we’d convinced ourselves that playing a back 4 wasn’t necessary anyway (despite it being integral in Bruno’s preferred formation), thanks to the form of Coady, Saiss and Kilman.
And up front, we’d come around to a new way of thinking that didn’t involve signing a striker of any repute because, well, goalscorers were overrated anyway and Fabio Silva was coming of age.
All those misgivings came flooding back in a ruthless dismantling of a Bruno-constructed façade that was so convincing for a time that some fans actually argued that investment wasn’t necessary. This ‘bald da’ knew better though, as usual.
If this mismatch wasn’t the most sobering sight since we returned to the Premier League in 2018, only *that* Huddersfield Town horror show in our first season trumps it, as it not only served to dent our own remote hopes of Europe but smash the barometer we’d been gazing into all season, leaving us with an empty space to cross-reference any success or failure with in future.
The optimists will point to an eighth place in the table and time to stem the tide. The realists will look at the seven point gap between us and Crystal Palace and wonder how the hell it’s there, when they’ve been so superior in every facet of the game for 180 collective minutes.
As another sporting saying goes, styles make fights, and the nagging suspicion was that Palace were all wrong for us from the moment the teamsheets were handed in, not least after bullying us all over Selhurst Park with similar set-ups in November.
Any fears were justified, as they boxed us into submission from the get-go, with an extra man in midfield making us look like the insipid side many of us feared we were turning into.
Our wing backs weren’t dynamic, our midfield suffocated into surrender and our front three so meek and deferential that if it was an actual boxing match, the referee would have stopped them after 10 minutes. And the back three – our bedrock for so much of this season – are crumbling under the strain of it all.
The end result was one of chickens-coming-home-to-roost proportions after it was deemed Bruno could work with a weaker squad than the paper-thin one he was begging to be strengthened back in August, because it was too weak before he even joined.
Seven-successive windows of inactivity and it took an upwardly mobile Palace side to finally shatter the glass we were looking through. It was a Bruno-inspired miracle that we held out until March.
But it could be a whole lot worse. It could have been 4 like it was in ’95 for a start.
We’re safe on 40pts, we could have been watching Chris Armstrong rearrange the woodwork and it is, after all, only a game.
We reap what we sew. My hope at the start of the season was we might make mid table.my fear was we would be in a relegation battle. With very limited resources Bruno, his staff and the team have in my opinion out performed to be flirting with Europe up until the last few games but now I expect a slow descent back to mid table maybe 13th or 14th by end of the season. We have done comparatively little by way of investment over a number of windows. To be where we were in January and not invest was frustrating. To actually weaken the squad by letting Traore go out on loan was nothing short of negligent and tells you everything about where Fosun’s priorities now lie. Love him or loathe him, Traore was an option that often helped the team provide a different solution to a problem and today we had absolutely nothing different on the bench. You could sense Lage’s frustration post match and imagine how committed players like coady, Saiss,neves, moutinho etc feel sat in that dressing room right now. Having worked so hard to get to touching distance only to have that bit of extra help from a quality new signing once again not delivered to the squad. My fear now is that we have seen the peak of what Lage and this team will achieve. I’m braced for further lack of investment in the summer, and that is best case scenario. I actually expect the sale of Neves and possibly other talent around which we should really be building a team. In the same way Nuno’s great work wolves ran its course, Fosun now need to put up or shut up. A massive summer ahead for our club.
Yep, Super T and Aubamyang seem to have rescued Barcas season. Sad to see the Carrots get battered. 1 lv.
Bruno’s BIG ‘attack – more goals’ talk at interview was just that talk !
He is no better than anybody else at team management and improving the players to make a better ‘team’.
He could be and I think is worse!
After his post match public comments his days are numbered.
Roger -the-idiot moss has spoken?
Thank you marney for your kind words.
Are you the same Marney the Halfwit to all who have met you?
Your welcome
Yep, tis me
Thanks Ben you captured the whole game in your post so well. But then again you always do.
I had a headache that started when I drove into town later than I hoped. Apologies to Witley and London for not getting to the Lych Gate. Apologies to Dougie, Barbara, Tricia, Mark, Sue Mike and Lilian for leaving early after the match. Headache worsened and started to ease when I got onto the A1(M). Now back home and am glad I am not going down for the Watford game. Today was quite crazy.
Steve, Dougie is in possession. Hope it is better than today. Enjoy the Steve Bull Upper.
Just been told this is great if mixed with Raul Neto.
I’m not so sure I agree with you on our lack of recruitment Ben, particularly on today’s performance.
IMO today was a combination of very poor team selection, a game plan that failed spectacularly and individuals combing back from long term injuries and carrying an expectation to be on their game..
It was unfair to expect Neto to carry the frontline burden… he simply isn’t match ‘sharp’.
Playing Podence against 6’ 6”” athletic defenders and Hwang not really at the races either.
Couple that with a back 5 marking 1 front Palace man and the maths alone spell … totally over-run in midfield.
Our insistence on taking on the Palace press hardly got us into the final third after playing 25 minutes of crab like football.
Bruno harps on about solutions but picking a starting line up without a target man (Jimenez) equates to problems from the outset in my book.
Bruno himself looked shell shocked and confused following an inept start and the team looked equally lost in possession and without a plan.
Our wingbacks hardly provided any forward wing pressure which made me question why Ait Nouri was omitted.
Other than Sa .. no-one could be satisfied with that performance and I include Lage in that too….
This was a very bad day at the office … we go again Thursday and I just pray that the attitude and organisation is a polar opposite to today…
They say Ait-Nouri had a virus, and only trained 2 days.
The last two performances illustrate how poor the squad is over all. We are an average Premier League club. We have a average budget which means we go for average players and this comes not from Bruno but the board.
May be this is Brunos way of trying to tell them but they are not listening just like they didn’t listen to Nuno.
Bruno is not blameless the last to team selections I can only conclude he is trying to make a point to Jeff or my other theory is Bruno has been told not to qualify for Europe………..He is starting to look a frustrated figure the last two post match press conferences only he and Jeff know the clubs true ambitions , if they have any at all above Premier League survival season on season.
I agree with Ben – apart from Sa a collective shambles. I had hoped that with the return of Neto and Jonny we would have enough mileage in this paper thin squad to see us through till May but never really believed that the top 6 was a realistic ambition.
Alas it looks pretty clear that Bruno’s over achievers have run out of steam 2 months before we hoped they might.
It’s really time now that Fosun decided what they want to do with OUR FOOTBALL CLUB. They have turned a purchase of £30-40 million into an asset of around £300 million. They now need to decide for everyone’s benefit,’ including their own, whether they want to stick (ie in practice regress) or twist and try seriously to fulfill the early bold and grandiose promises made regarding their long term ambitions for WWFC to compete at the very highest levels.
Spot on analysis PJB. Bute the reality is that this decision may well not lie with Fosun.
In this political climate, where the Chinese have chosen to side with the evil Putin, it might well be that the freedom of Chinese companies to make commercial decisions will be taken away from them. Stormy waters ahead methinks
Mike
I’m not sure that Fosun and the CCP hadn’t already cooled on the whole Wolves Project before the Ukraine invasion but I totally agree that it can only have further negative connotations.. If you prove to be correct then it’s time to move on a la Chelsea as soon as it’s a realistic option.
Great, wonderful, exciting news from Texas!
I didn’t get to see the game!
Aren’t y’all who went or watched green with envy that I don’t have to moan about a wasted two hours?
Oh the joy of missing when I saw the result!
Happy Days are here again!
Instead, Mrs CFH bost my tractor, and I bost my truck, so an expensive afternoon, or morning over here.
That’s it.
No comments on the game one way or the other.
Bring on the Gappers this Thursday.
Sounds like Marla’s car crash made you miss Wolves’.
The best bit of today was the multi-national evening’s entertainment at Dougie and Barbara’s West Park mansion.
Wolverhampton and Welsh hospitality, Chinese food, Spanish wine and French Brandy.
Football match?….. What football match?
So…………
A car crash ensures that you missed a car crash.
Should have towed the wolves at half time.
Think its time we started to use the towel as in boxing ? ?
This goes down as one of the most feeble and clueless efforts I’ve witnessed at Molineux since the dark days of Nuno’s final few matches.
Playing two thirds of the match without a recognised striker certainly didn’t help.
Out thought
Out played
Out fought
Out sung
Out scored
In the end we were quite fortunate to get nil.
I have to say that tonight I`m very disappointed in Bruno.
After today`s game he lambasted Hoever, seemingly on the basis of his poor attitude in training. In my considerable experience it`s totally wrong — and self defeating –for a manager in any business to criticize an individual employee publicly. The time for showing such anger must surely be behind the scenes. Precisely what did Bruno expect to gain from this ridiculous outburst ?
Then, the question must be asked why, if Bruno was so concerned at Hoever`s lack of professionalism in training, now claiming that he was not ready, did he select him to play ?
There is then the growing concern at Bruno`s increasingly haphazard team selection. Why have we abandoned the need for solidity in the middle of the park, leaving Nevez and Moutinho to face an unwinnable battle ? Young Cundle did not even make the bench !! Then who exactly did he expect to score the goals. ? The tiny Podens in the middle against seasoned sizable well proven defenders ? Where exactly is the logic in that ?
Our deplorable record in the recent transfer windows has left us with one proven central striker in Raoul. Why was he again left on the bench ? Who was supposed to hold the ball up to bring others into play ? Then ,when Raul was finally introduced, why was he played out wide where he could not be effective ?
I can accept, Bruno, that you could not have anticipated the deplorable performance from Kilman, but tonight is surely time for you to step up and admit that this unacceptable performance from your team was largely due to your diabolical team selection. Time, I think, for you to quit your fancy experimental team selections, — begun last week at West Ham –and go back to the proven formula. Then perhaps, we can again get back to winning ways.
Hoever outburst a very basic error in man management as you say.
Kilman’s mind is clearly consumed by family events in the Ukraine and should not be playing.
And as you stated our “strike force” yesterday was non existent with the diminutive Podence and not match fit Hwang and Neto. But in defence of Bruno the whole striker situation has been a farce since the (Imo) premature and undervalued sale of Diogo Jota and the acquisitions of Cuitrone and at least so far misfiring Silva who to be fair has yet to be given a proper chance to show what he can do. As far as I’m aware a situation mainly brought about by Mssrs. Shi and Mendes for whatever reasons only they know but for sure it’s a scenario that has proved to be an abject failure.
Disappointed! Get over yourself mike.
Bruno has been brilliant this season,
If he has seen a lack of something in hoever during training, or in attitude, then call it, I for one am happy with that .
Selection wouldn’t have been easy @ right back with semedo injured.
A few weeks ago we were all over happy, this is the premiere league, nothing is easy, maybe palace were just too good for us today?
3 points on Thursday won’t make us champions league contenders, but it will get us off the canvas and get us fighting again.
Come on you wolves
Sorry, Marney, but I disagree very strongly.
It`s just plain bad man management to publicly lambast one of you`re employees whatever business you`re in. There can be no positives, only demotivation for the employee, whilst the manager does nothing but make himself appear weak and incapable of running his operation in a disciplined manner.
I`ve always been, and still remain, a big fan of Bruno as a Coach. He has overw-achieved consistently, despite receiving minimal support from Mr, Shi. But that doesn`t mean he`s beyond criticism, and I stand by my expressed opinion that in the last two games, defeats have had much to do with Bruno`s abject team selections and tactics.
Don’t be sorry mike, it’s just opinions at the end of the day.
I believe our coaching staff pay particularly attention to ‘the red zone’, which highlights players approaching injuries before they happen, this would make sense after the arsenal game .
With suddenly having a full squad, maybe they thought it was a good opportunity to rest a few.
If we had beaten either arsenal or west ham things would have looked much differently before the palace game imo but unfortunately, I think that last ditch goal at arsenal has knocked the stuffing out of us.
Man management is not my strong point, I don’t care about protecting the a player if his attitude is wrong, I don’t see anything wrong with giving him a kick up the arse, it may not work, but, it may get him to man up too? Who knows, he might be man of the match v Watford.
Utw
Well, that’s it then. Done. We’ve lost 3 games on the bounce. Bruno is inept, our defence was flattering to deceive all season and have now be found out. We have no recognisable strength in attack, Jimenez, Neto, Podence and Hwang being toothless has beens, and as someone pointed out, we’re an average team. Neves and Moutinho can’t cut it at this level.
And don’t get me started on the owners and their lack of ambition. What a shambles. Been saying it for years.
We may as well call it a day, return our Season Tickets and start watching rugby or cricket, or take up golf.
For goodness sake, let’s not throw the baby out with the bath water. We’re on a bad run. It happens. 10 short days ago everything was rosy. Things don’t just fall apart so badly they can never be fixed in 10 days.
In life things are rarely as good, or as bad, as they seem. We were due a blip. Well, here it is. We’ve had blips before, and here we still are.
Anyone thinking of throwing themselves under a bus, it’s competitive football. Get a grip and we go again and try to win the next game. That is all.
UTW
some folks have very short mamories
Some folks have very big mamories
Nowt wrong with mid table…..
Nowt wrong with tank tops and bell bottoms…
Stopping now
Brilliant muttleigh
Utw
Really think Bruno should keep is comments about individual players behind closed doors. This should have been sorted on the training ground. Suggests he concentrates more on solutions for our poor goal scoring record. In 27 games failed to score in 13. We can’t keep relying on our defenders & goalkeeper to keep clean sheets. Team selection and performance for last 2 games poor, we need a positive response Thursday Night.
Sorry, Bang outta Bruno biscuits.
That cup game against Stoke sharpened them up, and even the Potties scored one. a FA crumb of comfort in these days of war. Any how as well documented by Thomas, and I feel personally responsible, they ripped us to shreds.
And made off with the sick cub of hope to dismember it in their eerie, presided over by the football headed voodoo priest Viera and his duppy, Zaha. It was like France in the world cup final. I hear the Addicts had got hold of some 3rd division crack on their travels and the Crystals were freebasing it on the bus up. Its just not a family game. Think of the children. Just tell them we’ve got 40 points. And we voted to get outta Europe.
Southgate turning up put everyone on edge. Kilman had his moment.
Without Sa? At least they only scored 2. ‘In form’ Saints got battered. Even the Baggies won. A ‘mare of a weekend. I wasn’t praying hard enough.
I recall the last time they did us over we went on a decent run. Guarenteed 15 points coming up. If Bruno gets the biscuit supply sorted out. He has sumwot lost the crowd since we went 1-0 up at the Arse.
1 lv & COYW.
Sorry Ben, had got used to writing Thomas. 1 lv.
I am an optimist! Well when it comes down to the Wolves I am!
I don’t know how Bruno, having been turned over once already by Palace, could have gone into this contest with what was a flyweight team against a Super Heavy weight. It was agony watching them win every battle.
We should be good enough, and professional enough to match them up. We didn’t need three at the back today. With Marcal at left back and Hoever at right we get little attacking thrust from the wing backs. So having three at the back didn’t work, I think I’m right but nearly all of the other teams in the Prem change their systems to counter the opposition, those that don’t get bloody noses.
So I find Bruno’s team selection totally baffling. Dendoncker should have played in this one, or move Saiss to midfield to counter Conor Gallagher who was having a field day with so much space open to him.
It must’ve been a relatively easy afternoon for Palace. Teams have now worked us out, and know exactly how to play us.
We just have to be more flexible. That we were the home side here was never apparent, it was Palace in dominant mode from the get go. One bright spot was Jonny, he was very good, albeit one or two passes went astray. Neto looked way off his best, Kilman needs to hope Southgate doesn’t come to any more Wolves games so he can get back to his imperious best.
As for not having one of or two of Raul and Silva on from the start, that’s frankly just bizzare.
So put in an extra midfielder please Bruno. You can’t go into this quality and competitive Prem arena with the handicap your choices gave us today.
A drunken Palace fan on the way back to the Rail Station tried to sing how are you seventh? I heard another Palace fan saying that before the game he expected to lose this one. They should have, with the right selection and tactics we should be up to mauling teams like Palace.
It’s looking like Nuno’s last dull performances last season. So v Watford let’s turn it around.
I don’t want to have sit through the likes of this game again. Front foot, and win those battles. A couple of goals would be good as well.
Wow – what a fantastic write up. You’ve got it spot on mate and articulated it far more coherently than my angry frustrations in the timid north bank upper (apologies to nearby sufferers)! Team, squad and consequently the atmosphere have gone stale after several poor windows and unexciting football, though I’m thankful results have generally been good. However we lack strength, height, agility and cutting edge – and variations on these themes and others – and won’t make any step without targeted investment in several positions. Lage has done a great job evolving the team but can only do so much hamstrung by players and their suited formation, and I’m not surprised to hear him become vocal on the deficiencies of his squad. We have a fantastic base from which to build; I just hope the owners agree.
On a side note…
Was Brunos public lambasting of Hoever a sin of the behind the scenes frustration of a manager who is unhappy?
To me he was out of order saying it. Well in public anyway, behind the scenes is fine. He should, as I believe Klopp does at Liverpool, put his arms around the player and support him, after all Hoever although raw at the moment could become an asset to us.
At this moment in time the tough guy image is not a good look!
Very disappointed with the performance, out- muscled in a terrible first 45 mins Have to question Bruno’s selection over the last 2 matches.. Having reached 40pts is he now experimenting?
The attack against W.Ham? Really??
3 minnows yesterday against 6 footers. Unless injured/ over-tired Raul has to start with 2 from 3 of Neto/ Podence/ Hwang .
Hoever can go straight back to Scouseville he isn’t premiership class, likewise Trincao back to Barca, and I still have doubts over Marcal.
Bruno clearly needs quality replacements in the summer.
Max had a poor game and with family connections in the Ukraine he probably needs to take a rest.
Concerned now about the rest of this season after the dreams of a place in Europe.
Well after that I have booked my holiday and am buggering off to Jamaica to get some sun …im looking pale.
From Bruno’s team selections more than a lack of the vitamin D.
My obsession with Wolverhampton wanderers has for many years bewildered my wife but me being born and bred just up from heath town opposite the Cleveland arms and football at the Molineux being the only escape along with a bit of speedway its stuck in my blood .
I like a lot of you have suffered so much and had so much joy from being a wolves nut but as the years bring more wisdom I look at things from a position of the egg timer having more sand in the bottom than the top and as my beloved wife points out I shouldn’t get so het up about a football team who it sometimes feels doesn’t give a shit about me or my feelings.
“how can they play so well and in the space of three games completely fall apart its the managers fault” she so wisely points out ” now get that holiday booked they don’t deserve you”.
We all want success A LA man city but alas I am coming to the fearful conclusion we wont see that with Fosun at the helm of our great club.
They started off so well and it was a joy but world politics it seems has had more of an effect than us mere underlings realise or understand.
The world is about to see a serious major swing in attitudes towards totalitarian regimes it may well be Chinas turn next and I feel the winds of change were blowing before Putin’s madness came along which will only exacerbate things.
What’s that got to do with football? you may well ask and the answer is nothing really unless you are owned by a major company that is part of a totalitarian regime.
To state the obvious look at Chelsea. Abramovich has jumped before he was pushed.
That is how quickly these events can occur.
Now I’m not saying that will happen with wolves just yet but the owners have definitely pulled up the draw bridge on the major investment they promised that is plain to see and it will only take a move by china in the wrong direction and we could be looking at something similar happening with Chinese owned assets is that why the investment has taken a downturn ?
Is a lack of major investment what is wrong ? after all they have spent a fair few bob although not perhaps in the areas it should have been spent in or of the magnitude we were probably expecting or as muttliegh rightly says are we just going through a bad patch?
Personally I think we ve been found out tactically and its down to Bruno to wise up and sort it out fast. yes we are lacking in impact subs but the main problem is the flooding and overrunning of midfield so he has to change tactics or we can expect more of what we have witnessed these last couple of weeks.
Still plenty of time to put this right if Bruno gets his finger out and doesn’t stick his head in the fire bucket.
Heres to not bumping in to any Russians in Jamaica.
up the wolves
Spikester
Thus speaks a very wise fan of the wolves.
My thoughts exactly.
Just enjoy (sometimes) the entertainment and remember nothing lasts forever alas
We’ll .. first off… I’m dead jealous of your Jamaican (woodbine) excursion… YES I AM MAN …
Most on here echo what you say Spikeyboy… we’re Wolves through and through…
You must get along to a BLOGGERS BALL…. or a Bloggers’s meet… or even Dougies on a match day.. you’ll have a blast … and even a few clues on the next.. “which blogger quiz “ …. lol
Sorry Bruno but there’s no way you should have singled out Hoever for that lambasting and it’s difficult to see a way back for him after this episode.
Ultimately, you survive and flourish on the back of your recruitment policy. The initial influx of Portuguese players help make us into a quite formidable team. However, the loss of some £80m talent in Jota and Traore has not been accompanied by adequate replacements and even more gutting is the fact that because of the ways the two transfers have been negotiated, we have bugger all to show on the credit side of the bank account. Barcelona haven’t got the means to stump up £30m for Traore, so we’re left with the prospect of either Trincao or Puig coming to broker a deal. Would either make more of a contribution than Traore?
Traore is actually turning heads at Barce so you would think there would be other suitors if they can’t afford him at the season end and we don’t fancy a player exchange.
Even at this stage of the season you can see an end of year report with the headlines ” Just about satisfactory – but didn’t score enough goals and lost too many games.”
Finally, on the subject of goals, I think we all realise that Raul, after sustaining a life threatening injury, will never play with the intensity and physicality he once had. I think that Bruno realises this and I’m sure that Raul himself knows that he is struggling to maintain a consistent level of performance that he would demand of himself.
If I were a betting man, I might have a few quid on him opting for the calmer waters of the MLS in the near future.
I fully support your summation on yesterday’s match Ben.
Much of what you have said echoes what many a wolves fan thinks but can’t quite put it as good as you.
On reflection yesterday’s performance was always going to be difficult with the team selection Bruno put out because Palace have always been a physical side to play against.
Bruno must take some of the blame again, he fielded 5 changes against West Ham when they were there for the taking and that backfired, then what does he do keep 2 of worse players from that game back in the team,? When I saw the team I knew what was going to happen.
Like most supporters who witnessed that rubbish performance have already said our squad is far to thin to make any inroads to the top 6, and to think about getting us into Europe would imo be foolhardy with this squad, we are not as good a team from when Nuno got us there.
Another thing I have to mention is we are a much easier side to play against since Traore’s departure to Barca, we have lost 4 out of 5 games without him,whoever made that decision to let him go wants to have a word with himself…
Hope Bruno plays his strongest side possible come Thursday or we could be seeing the same result I fear because they are fighting for survival.
I hope we can put these bad performances behind us and get back to winning ways.
God bless Ukraine ??
Bruno was very angry at the performance during the first half, and probably had issues previously with Hoever. Having been brought in to sub for Semedo (how much did we miss him ?) , Hoever sustaining a similar injury must have been maddening. Bruno seems to be saying that fringe players don’t keep up the sort of levels of fitness that will avoid such injuries.
Certainly that was a lightweight attack – I assume he thought those three could outwit the giants – nipping between their legs perhaps. We often lose out when playing physical teams. Come back Paul Butler. For all his height even Boly is not really a tough guy.
However, Neto will soon be back on song, and with Jiminez will turn things round – starting with those pesky Hornets. As I recall it was a tactical mistake that lost us the FA Cup semi final.
Paul Butler? Can I have some of what you are drinking?
Gutted hesgoal.com has stopped streaming Prem League games. Can’t watch Wolves slap Watford on Thu now.
soccerstreams on reddit is back, a zillion ads to go through but a better stream than hesgoal when you eventually get there
Thanks mate. I will have a look.
Also give Releasesky.com a try Brompton, not many ad’s and there is mostly always a good link.
Thanks . I shall try that too if reddit fails. It was good last night when I watched Spurs take Everton apart.
Only found the net in 5 of 14 home games (inc Norwich cup). Nine times NIL. Already dreading the next borefest v Watford Thursday when Woy has everyone behind the ball. You just know it will be 0-0 at half time. Just hope 1. Its not freezing cold 2. It’s not pissing down with rain.
Worrying.
Bruno seems to have forgotten what his best team is. And forgotten that we had a mauling from a heavyweight Palace earlier in the season.
So why field a lightweight team and and then appear reluctant to change things and try to get something out of the game. We don’t have to stay 3 at the back if it’s not working.
If Hoever really didn’t prepare himself for the game, why play him? Why even have him in the squad?
At this stage of the season we should be going after results, not trying to contain.
We’ve put in some great performances this season, so we’re well capable of turning over teams.
A desperate need now to motor on and finish on something of a high.
My target now is 1. Finish with more points than last season (45). 2. Finish higher than last season (13th). 3. Hopefully finish top 8 which would be entirely acceptable. In to next season five consecutive seasons top flight. Not achieved since the 1970’s. It’s not ALL BAD !
If we get less than five points from the last 11 games then we really have got problems!
Think i will be looking at least 15 points really.
My target is to get more points and a higher position than Nuno did in his first season in the Prem. If not then I will feel Bruno has failed. After all we got rid of Nuno for Bruno so I expect him to achieve more.
You can rely on Ben for brilliant writing even when the subject matter is dire – and he speaks many truths.
Wrote a note to myself after the game. It just said ‘Bugger’
Whats happened is, People started talking about us!
No, Jokes – Seems like Large is in freefall and panicking and looking for a solution inthe wrong areas.
He has gone crazy.
Losing the game in such a lame fashion is one thing but hearing Bruno deflecting blame in his post match comments by singling out Hoever was massively disappointing and totally unproffessional. If Hoever’s preparation was insufficient then what’s he even doing in the squad. The blame for that lies squarely at the managers door, Hoever’s selection at all was questionable to say the least after his piss poor showing at West Ham esp as we have Jonny fit and available. The only player to come out of the West Ham game with any plaudits was Silva and he was back on the bench and we played without a recognised target man upfront, Marcal had a terrible WH game too and still retained his place over Ait Nouri, even though he played well the second half i still fail to see how he gets the nod over RAN. I don’t believe for a second that Bruno is experimenting cos we are safe or trying to make a point to the board, football managers do not have that kind of slack these days. He will be trying to do as best as he can as that is what will keep him in a job. Kilman has had three poor games in a row now, with everything on his mind surely it must be time to give Boly a chance. Our inconsistenty is why we are comfortably mid table. Could be a lot worse.
It’s pretty clear Bruno does n’t know what his best eleven is and that is worrying. Managers who are not clear who their starting eleven is start to panic and Bruno’s last couple of selections seem to confirm that.
I’m sorry but Hoever on current form won’t make it and Kilman has to borrow a golf expression a case of the yips. Maybe because of events in Eastern Europe or perhaps he misses the presence of Semedo.
Like many of us I hope Jeff and his advisors have a shopping lis ready for summer.
He doesn’t have a “best 11”. He will change them according to the style of play the other team uses and the style of play he and his coaches decide to play for any particular game.
Some further reflections now that the dust has settled after the CP debacle.
Definitely the worst performance this season including Brentford at home. What’s gone wrong?
My own view is that yet again we are suffering from not having a big enough pool of senior players with fatigue setting in compounded by some eccentric selections by Bruno.
The lack of firepower up front is now becoming frightening and I’m afraid the elephant in the room is Raul who sadly looks a shadow of the player he was pre David Luiz. Add a misfiring Hwang and a far from match fit Neto and we have a crisis on our hands with virtually NO GOALS being scored. Surely, surely it’s time to give Fabio a make or break extended run as a starter – he’s been here nearly 2 years and cost £35 million. The real worry is that Fosun are showing a complete lack of any inclination to address these issues with serious investment.
Defensively, and ironically after all the stick he has taken from some quarters, we clearly miss Nelson Semedo and Hoever currently looks well short; thank goodness for the return of Jonny. And understandably I think Max Kilman’s mind is in Eastern Europe and he should probably be rested. Bring back big Willy if he’s really fit and also where is Ait-Nouri?
And for heaven’s sake Bruno when it gets physical put 3 in midfield and give the grand old maestro Moutinho some support.
No complaints in the goalkeeping dept. though.
But I feel instinctively the big question hanging figuratively over Molineux is what is the future for Fosun’s stewardship of Wolverhampton Wanderers. They have done us proud for the last 6 years but I don’t think I’m the only one who feels, for a whole variety of reasons, that a parting of the ways my be on the horizon.
Must do better against Watford and beyond even if only our pride is at stake, but sixth spot is still not beyond reach if we really put our minds to it, though I suspect 57 points is probably a realistic maximum which probably wouldn’t be enough.
To quote Bob Dylan I have a feeling that “the times they are a changin’ “.
Very good analysis PJB. Completely agree with your assessment.
Most competitive players want to play every game. With Jonny and Pedro coming in, and Boly and Mosquera, I think we will be fine.
Never get too high with a couple of wins in a row and never get too low with a couple of losses in a row.
Not so much the defeats that bother me John as the chronic lack of goals for nearly 2 years.
Great away game for Newcastle this Thursday….
Southampton away …..
I’ll never complain again….
I struggle to get an away ticket, which helps when Wolves play Southampton as I would be considering going lol. I would probably stay overnight at Wolverhampton the night before and after though.
All looking too similar to when Steve Showcase and I had a debate or too about strikeforce v defenders quite some time back. We often “discussed ” our lack of goals having an impact on our defensive strength. And here we are once again faced with the same issue.
Hopefully we can address this concern before it causes a major problem.
Android sideloaded apps are where it’s at for good quality streams nowadays. I use potato streams but there’s loads out there. It was in a different language tonight but the stream was HD and solid. Google is your friend.
Our most complete performance tonight from start to finish well happy with that ?