Had we won the game in normal time, which we should have done, the predictable misery of the shootout would have been avoided.
That’s one positive to extract from another painful evening of cup football at least.
Wolves were the better side and showed a lot more quality in the game, even if, as we’ve seen so many times this season, we didn’t convert that superiority into a result.
Henderson was the hero, saving from Raul and Hwang in the first half and then keeping out two, albeit soft, spot kicks to take Forest into the last four.
They didn’t do a lot from open play, other than force a corner in and benefit from the mother of deflections for the shot that came back off the post in the second half.
But then again, for all our possession, we failed to really convert those give and goes into meaningful output, other than the fine goal that was finished off by Raul for the equaliser.
I felt Wolves should have pushed harder to get the win in the regulation 90 because the game was there for them with the right decision making in the final third.
Lopetegui was ringing the changes throughout and it’s hard to know if they benefitted the team or hindered progress.
Traore was erratic and poor overall but by contrast, Cunha did a lot of good things, including the cross for Raul’s goal and scoring his penalty in the shootout.
I like the look of our new forward and was surprised he wasn’t handed a start in this game. The manager has a big call to make on Saturday.
With Nunes starting to find his feet and plenty of others enhancing their reputations in the last week there are options everywhere for Julen to consider.
The performances are coming under his leadership, but we’ve got to start collecting results.
Disappointing result, as I hoped we’d come good in the end. But it’s the same old story… goals win games.
We will have to concentrate on keeping our place in the Premier league now.
Things are slowly looking better with J Lo at the helm, but we still need goals and plenty of them.
COYW
I appreciate with fixtures coming thick and fast we have to rotate but really questioned the opening formation with Johnny at cb (who was really poor to begin with), and whilst he grew into the game I believe we should’ve gone strong and killed the tie as when we played our full team we were by far superior.
I’ve never been a believer in giving the initiative to the opposition but I believe that’s exactly what we did…
A missed opportunity!!
Whilst I can’t fully comment on the Matheus losing his boot event towards the end without a replay of it (thanks again VAR), we did enough to win..
I feel for hodge, but I was wondering who our 5th pen taker was.
Time now to focus on the massive 6 pointer at the weekend, before the nonsensical VARpool replay and the tough run against M.City and that same said opposition..
In closing what I will say is that I hope that these last two games have at least instilled a genuine determination and, dare I say it, pack mentally withing the group..
Here’s hoping ?
Not sure why you are thanking VAR because it wasn’t in operation but,if it was, surely there is no way that a penalty couldn’t have been given. There again, maybe we know differently…….
Not quite sure how a boot can get ripped off and the ref didn’t see and the linesman didn’t see it either.
Technology failed us on Saturday and now human error tonight.
We just can win…..literally.
*can’t ?
Having seen footage of the Nunes penalty shout, one can only think the football authorities are determined to ensure our Chinese owners are denied the pleasure of winning anything. A clearer penalty has never been and it’s pointless bemoaning not having VAR as they wouldn’t have given it to us either.
Bloody disgraceful.
Totally agree gobsmacked having seen the replay on Twitter. What are the referees doing? Cheated again.
Cunha looks the business — his cross for the Jiminez goal was sublime. He surely needs to start at the weekend.
But I thought a big plus was the return to better form of Raul. Yes he should have converted his first half chance, but was perfectly placed to receive the cross from Cunha and took the chance well.
Just a thought. Why not play Raul and Cunha as a front two. Raul has suffered these past couple of seasons in that he has never had a strike partner since the departure of Jota. But with Cunha alongside he could very well regain his past scoring form. The two of them could easily become a decent partnership.
Certainly a far better option that Guedes up front, who quite frankly offers very little. He is beginning to look like a serious waste of cash
I agree, Mike’s, that Raul was more like his pre injury self but my nan could have scored that one and she’d now be almost 130!
Thanks Thomas. Just put ‘Cheated’ at the top of every post.
We can wave goodbye to the domestic triple then.
BOOTGATE – just evidence gathering.
Mind fk 2 legs against Rashford at the moment’
Enjoyed the Brazil 70 goal, and some of the flickity flack is coming off.
2nd yellow for J-Lo. keep up the good work. Don’t start a game without Neves. Forest must’ve laughed when they saw him on the bench. Sets the wrong tone. Take him off at half time if he needs a rest.
Oh and our own Big Willy gets in the way to score the first goal. Priceless. Or MGW looked £25mill according to the current Wolves player value scale.
Should’ve been Wolves v Addicks in the semi, then The Sinners in the final. A stroll in the proverbial. First Silver since Long John drank a Banks’s shandy out of the Sherpa Van Trophy in 1988. Bostin.
Aggrieved of Wolves Blog. In Xhooole’n we now trust. Hope I pronounced that correctly Debs.
To cap it off King Kenny’s been in touch from the Refs Monitoring Station.
‘FFFRRUUUUUUUUKKKKINNNNGGGGGGGBBBBbbbastaerrrtdssss.’
It turns out Deano’s only gone and spilt cherryade outta his ‘Tranmere IS in Liverpool’ mug, all over the camera feed.
The FA Cup and Europe are still there for us. We just have to win some games.
1 lv & COYW
Don’t be hard on Guedes he’s still can do a job at wolves ie serving hotdogs at half time, uncle Jorge must be laughing all the way to the bank ,which he probably bought with wolves dosh
At the risk of repeating myself.
First two mistakes of JL’s reign.
Taking Raul off just minutes before a possible penalty shoot out.
Giving the 5th penalty to a 20 year old novice.
Having said that, if the state of Matheus’ boot is anything to go by, it should never have gone to a shoot out.
Where’s VAR when you want it?…
…Did I just say that?
Did anyone else notice that Raul didn’t celebrate his goal until he was sure the linesman wasn’t going to flag it offside?
VAR and late decisions are sucking the joy out of football!
I took a different view and thought it was a class way of celebrating; something like, ‘I’m on the way back ‘.
Glenn Murray on ITV cup highlights last night said we played well. Were the better team. Were unlucky and a penalty should have been given. They discussed J Lo and what he must think of English football. Booked twice. And should now be sitting in round 4 FA cup and thd league cup semi finals . All thanks to our brilliant referees .
Yes, COD, I watched the show as well and really what else could they say. The shot of MN lying on the ground in the penalty area a couple of yards away from his boot and shin pad was eloquence itself – as was the look of incredulity on Ruben’s face as he showed the evidence to the ref. There was a lot of comment about the way it kicked off after the game which I would imagine started because some of the Forest players couldn’t resist making comments which, in the context of what I would put down as the worst refereeing decision I’ve seen in nearly seventy years watching the game, brought a response that was almost inevitable.
It’s interesting that the highlights online on sky –
https://www.skysports.com/watch/video/12784686/nottingham-forest-1-1-wolves-4-3-pens-carabao-cup-highlights
– didn’t include this incident at all, but went straight from the rebound from our post to the penalty shootout.
Showed it in nz and if that wasn’t a penalty my dicks a bloater
Here’s a little anecdote. Colleague at work and her husband (both Wolves fans) are big Northern Soul fans and go off to Northern Soul discos all over the place. She said Mike Dean is a well know fan of the music and has attended some of them with members of his family group sometimes wearing the Liverpool shirt.
Told ya
Also l think Cunha is going to be a special part of this new Wolves chapter eh ? !
He’s a fine player , and with the fans – he gets it !
Brilliant signing
Yes he looks the full ticket
Ah hindsight!
With its benefit JL I’m sure would never have taken Raul off but fair play he went for the win rather than playing the game out for penalties.
A disappointing result made easier by another improved performance – even though it took a while to show through.
JL has in his short time at the club been able to assess most of the squad in competitive matches. Personally I’m surprised at the tune he’s getting from some of what I’d considered dead wood.
Only green shoots but being positive I can see good things around the corner.
We’re you calling,Prawny? It wasn’t that far from end and I doubt that I was the only one thinking of an imminent shoot out and beingconcerned that ‘there goes our number one penalty taker”.
Well apparently another decent performance, but unfortunately the outcome was the same – defeat, albeit in a shoot out. And what a gutless show for senior professionals to leave Hodge to take the fifth penalty; Semedo, Kilman, Jonny and Adama Traore were all available.
JL is getting a better tune out of the team, but as long as we struggle to score we’re probably not going to get out of this mess.
There is too much mediocrity in this squad and JL clearly knows it it or he wouldn’t be asking for half a dozen incomers – a tall order in the Jan. window, Looks as if Lemina is coming and Cunha looks an excellent signing. But he has to have a partner and I don’t see Costa, Jiminez, Guedes or any of the other lightweights we have tried up front doing a job.
So, still desperate at least for a CB and free scoring striker (whatever the cost), our survival probably depends on it.
While we wait surely, surely it would be worth a recall for the much maligned Fabio who seems to have learnt where the Belgian goalposts are placed. What harm could it do?
ps. I read that we managed to get Howard Webb to Compton for a 90 minute ear bending this morning. At last the whiff of corruption may be being picked up.
HUGE match Sat. COYW
Come on PJB !! We`ve got to be absolutely desperate to recall the boy wonder.
He`s playing in a very modest league, and even there he`s not turning up any trees. The guy is not Premier League standard.
We`ve got enough problems on our hands without needing to try to reintroduce another proven failure. Surely its time to move on and no look back
Mike
Definitely time to move on agreed, but not with what we already. The scoring issue has to be resolved somehow or we’re dead in the water and can’t see Cunhah doing it on his own.
Would agree Fabio represents desperation (£35 million worth! ) so yes we have to go and make an inspired buy or break the bank again. Over to you Jeff and your “recruitment” team.
I agree PJB. Additional firepower is essential.
But unfortunately if your read the gossip columns, it appears that we are concentrating elsewhere — full back, central defender, and midfielder. All necessary for sure, but surely the priority now must be to get in someone who is capable of putting the ball in the net on a regular basis.
We don`t need fancy. Just a basic poacher . A guy who gets into the box and somehow finds a way to stick it away — toe pokes and scuffs gratefully accepted. But for now let`s at least play with two guys up front, and concentrate on getting the ball into the box. I believe that Cunha and Raoul together are the best option.
What is it with referees (Graham Scott) on this occasion to not give such a blatantly obvious penalty… what…
Their player not only removed Nunes’ boot, there was no contact with the ball, Nunes was ahead of the defender when the ‘clip’ occurred.. and the ball don’t deviate…
If that doesn’t equate to a foul and penalty… I’m bemused.
I’ve never ever rated that ref … even less so now.
If it looks like corrupt
And it sounds like corrupt
What do you think it might be?
I see Fulham have joined the big 6 after tonight. Chelsea and Liverpool currently displaced. So. Fulham need to get ready for : offsides against (with VA clowns spending 7 minutes drawing lines- but only if they have a camera available- otherwise just get the flag up) , spurious sendings off, handballs against when defenders are shielding their face, no penalty award despite the Fulham attacker having his knee sawn off with his boot attached and their midfielders having their leg broken by a studs up challenge but the referee didn’t see it and VAR suffered a power cut at the time. So. Good luck Fulham but they will need to get Liverpool and Chelsea up there for the TV money.