Paul Lambert thinks we’re better than this performance.
But despite five consecutive victories, the painful truth is we’re not.
A season of mediocrity (and at times much, much worse) has taught us that this occasional brand of meek surrender is par for the course.
I said last week that the team we fielded against Cardiff had the potential to crack the top six, but with just two changes in personnel our heroes wilted to zeros at Ashton Gate.
Morgan Gibbs-White and Nouha Dicko are players I have a lot of time for. One has shown huge potential and the other has already done enough in old gold to warrant considerable slack on his return from career threatening injury.
But the fluency that Ivan Cavaleiro and to a far greater extent Helder Costa bring to this Wolves team is considerable. We’re not the same without them.
Add to that Andi Weimann’s endless running up top when played in his primary position and these subtle variations on our first choice eleven present very different propositions.
Dicko was again wasteful, spurning the afternoon’s clearest sight of goal to put Wolves ahead and pile the pressure onto vulnerable opposition.
Instead it was they who got ahead and used that lead as a platform to build a convincing home victory with goals at the ideal moments.
You’re always dealing with the finest of margins in the Championship, so wasting the big opportunities is usually the difference between success and failure.
I’m not heaping the blame for this loss on Nouha Dicko – far from it. We could have benefited from stronger defending or better fortune for all three of their goals, but the point is you’ve got to be efficient.
And Wolves are not efficient.
It routinely takes them three or four chances to score a goal and cleansheets are rarer than rocking horse droppings.
Paul Lambert has a summer to turn this talented but far too often flaky squad into something more convincing.
Until then, I don’t think anyone should expect better.
Four positives from this weekend.
1) For the second year running I picked up £250 on the Grand National.
2) Jon Dadi scored a goal. A shame the last one was nearly as long ago as my last National win.
3) My lovely mum had an offer accepted on a lovely flat in Sunny Melksham, so soon she’ll be living just round the corner from me where I can make sure she doesn’t get into any mischief.
4) The weather was gorgeous.
That’s about it.
Other than that, a disappointing couple of days.
I’m getting tired of the discussions of who should be ditched in the Summer and who we should retain. The team have proved that they CAN be good enough to beat most of the sides in this division.
Now they should prove that they ARE good enough on a regular basis.
That’s the hard part.
Doog None football related, I wish that I could convince my mother to just that but she won’t budge, it’s an age thing and it is doing my head in but there is no moving her.
I feel for you mate.
It’s taken a long time for us to get to this stage. (She’s 92 for God’s sake!).
Although she’s still pretty fit my mother suddenly realised that, without the neighbours’ help, she wouldn’t be able to cope on a daily basis.
We’ve managed to get her a self contained two bed flat in a small, warden controlled, complex close by so she has still got her independence but I’m there when she needs help.
I wish you luck.
Thankfully we are no where near the playoffs as promotion for this squad would surely lead to considerable embarrassment and humiliation in the Premiership. Unfortunately the positives associated with the five game winning run are now rendered almost meaningless as any team with credible merit should be able to put away a struggling team like Bristol. A most unsatisfactory trip to Bristol which certainly did not entertain; the fans turned up in their thousands once again, it’s a shame that the team didn’t.
Silly to hand a 17 year old a debut away from home against a relegation rival (we’re still not safe) despite his promise. But I guess we all thought we’d kept winning somehow?!
Despite 5 wins on the bounce, we’re still average and have been worse then that all season. The table doesn’t lie and most of our team aren’t good enough for a promotion challenge.
However, like most championship sides, add 2-3 quality players – mainly a creative midfielder and 20+ striker and it’s a different story.
Over to you Shi, Mendes, Thelwell and Lambert.
Don’t get too high when we win and don’t get too low when we lose.
The team has the potential to beat any team on any given day but if said team plays a different style, they sometimes have trouble handling it.
A few players out and a few players in and we will see what next season brings.
I think you’ve summed it up there with “It routinely takes them three or four chances to score a goal and cleansheets are rarer than rocking horse droppings”. That’s the big thing that needs addressing in the summer if we’re going to move forward. Well done to bodvarsson for getting a goal it’s the only thing that his game lacks which is why he’s been out of the side, I’d like to see more please Jon.
““It routinely takes them three or four chances to score a goal”.
Yes Ferris, you and Tom are right but at least we are creating chances. If Nouha had put his away it could have been a different story. And yes, good to see JDB score – lets hope it is the start of more to come. A p*ss p**r team performance but maybe a couple of positives.
Conceded two cheap goals. Gibbs showed some glimpse of his potential with the through pass to Dicko. This was a match, which with a bit of luck, could have been won.
To me, the Dicko miss was something of a turning point. As my ole Dad used to say, if we were going to win, that would have gone in. It seemed to lift both their team and their players and we were largely on the back foot thereafter. Second best all over the pitch really and seemingly unable to fashion another clear chance. Brizzle wanted it more.
However, I do agree with Alex that two or three quality players can make a hell of a difference and with the return of our Portuguese pair for Brighton, I expect to see a vast improvement.
Highlight of the day was to catch up with Marin Wolf before the game. By some coincidence, he and his mate were stood behind me in the queue for beer outside the ground. I hope, Marin, that you found the fare on offer at the beer stall more worthy of a 6000mile trip than that offered up on the pitch. Trust me, it does get better than that.
great to meet up Wolfstroker..sorry your magic new scarf ran out of magic
it was indeed a long way to come to see such woeful play..as one Bristol fan told me as we walked out of the stadium..’your team were on the beach’
still can’t believe we think a tactic of pumping long balls up to Dicko ..guarded by a giant centre half..is a legitimate way to create openings…for competent defenders our approach is meat and drink
after our goal we started to play …as in keep the ball on the ground and and down the outside…why wait 80 minutes?
Dicko’s miss was horrible and he can’t be our striker if that’s his skill level
Ah well, I’ll be back next year at some stage and hopefully our team is by then a much different squad because this lot can’t, by any stretch of the imagination, even get us to playoffs
Great to meet you Steve, along with Murray ( also clutching rubbish magic scarf) and Ian(?)
Onwards and upwards…
You’re right of course Brian. My ‘lucky scarf’ had it’s adjective deleted forthwith and is henceforth to be known as plain old ‘scarf’. Many more like that and it’ll be ‘unlucky scarf’. Maybe, with all the other scarfs in our group, it felt usurped and simply downed tools. Maybe I take all this ‘lucky’ business too seriously and I should stop all these little matchday rituals I consciously or sub-consciously carry out to ensure a positive result for my team.
Although, I bet I’m not the only one.
Have a safe and pleasant trip home Brian. Pleasure to meet you.
Oh and Ian says ”actually, it’s Paul”. 🙂
It is what it is and we need to buy players still.DB and the defence shown up again..
It’s staring us all in the face – we are too weak and not strong enough for the top 6 let alone ‘for the top 2’ nxt season.
Costa is becoming so valuable to us it makes me cringe at the thought of loosing him..
Bugger the FP rules..get the cq book out.
One of the favourites nxt year.?. I doubt it..
As I have said before “if it ain’t broke doe try and fix it”
It wasn’t broke 5 wins on the trot said that but PL had to try and fix it. F**k up in my humble opinion.
Yes, and that’s what Lambert seems do for some reason only known to himself, and has done for most of the season.He swaps it around at will, and on this occasion reverts back to the formation and positions that lost us five games on the bounce and abandons the winning formulae.Also, to give a start to a very young, somewhat frail, albeit talented player,in a game like this was lunacy in my opinion.
The game was always going to be a tough mans game, as Bristol are fighting for their lives and we should have recognised that.As soon as the team and positions were announced you could almost sense what was going to happen.No Cav no Costa, positions changed, and the rest is history.
I am hoping for better on Friday but I fear the Bristol game demonstrates just how fragile we are, and in particular the midfield two of Evans and Edwards are woeful.
UTW
I had a feeling this would happen. Now that we are 99% safe (it would take a freakish set of results to see us go down now) it seems like the team all took their feet off the gas while Bristol desperately needed the points. Now so much a case of us playing badly but us not really playing at all. You’ll never win every game but I thought the line up selected was good enough to get something and you could see how annoyed Lambert was after the match.
I also think if anyone is expecting a strong finish to the season they might be disappointed, I think the results now will be very much a mixed bag as the season peters out.
Good write up Thomas.
I’d like to see Saiss start, in at least one more game this season.
We are ‘frail’ as a team.
For me a commanding centre half & creative midfielder are vital this summer.
Plus keeping or better players!
Glad the Bod got a goal – A striker with potential….
‘I’d like to see Saiss start, in at least one more game this season.’
His continued absence suggests that PL doesn’t rate Saiss…tho’ goodness knows why.
I’m with you on this one Robin. I would like Siasse to be given a half decent run to bring out his undoubted talent. It took Costa and Caveleiro a while to come up with the goods. I do believe he’s a better option than Evans.
Give him a go PL.
The U23’s are playing Norwich at Telford tonight 7pm, so anyone wanting to see a set of real footballers pop along.
Jordan Graham,
Michael Zyro.
Niall Ennis
Donovan Wilson
Silvio
Duckens Nazon
If they give all the returning crocks a run out It should be some game. STH’s free anyone else £2.
And you get to sit with Conor Ronan and PL.
Its only our first defeat in 7, no need to panic as long as we dont go back into a losing slump. Need to raise our game a lot against Brighton tho. Lambert was probably experimenting with Morgan Gibbs White, and also the performance displayed how toothless we are without Costa and Cav.
Hey ho, here we go. Al the doom and gloom coming out when we lose. Wooppie feking do.
This season is over. Let’s face it. NEXT season is the one that counts, the one with all the new players we will buy in the Summer. The team with a new No 5 for Steve S and a new Striker for moi, and, and , and …
And …… we will kick arse, and be Champions, and be promoted to the Prem, and buy even better players, and (a lot of ands now) compete for the Champions league and …………………………..
Season is not over until we are mathematically safe…
My feeling is a lot of this squad would never want to get promoted as it would mean them having to find new clubs in championship or League 1 teams…. They know it too…
Great review Thom – I agree wholeheartedly with all your points. This defeat may prove useful in the long run as it’s served as a timely reminder that despite our recent upturn in form we’re still some way off the standard that’s required to get promoted from this division. With the amount of money that is trickling into the league thanks to parachute payments and extravagant foreign owners that standard will only improve next season, meaning improvement and investment are both paramount over the summer.
Assuming Costa goes (and Jeff Shi’s recent comments suggest that he will) then we need to reinvest what will be a significant transfer fee back into the team. I wonder if Chelsea could be persuaded to part with Tammy Abraham? As well as a striker, reinforcements in defence and midfield are sorely needed.
The jury is out on Lambert as far as I’m concerned but we’re in desperate need of stability after an uncharacteristically wild season on the manager front. Hopefully he can use a pre-season to get his ideas across more clearly and build a team in the same vein as the excellent Norwich side he assembled not so long ago.
UTW.
To cheer myself up after the defeat – and because I am something of a sad git – I sat down with a piece of paper, looked at our entire 36 man squad (that’s what I made it anyway) and played a game of Snog, Marry, Avoid. Now I am told that Snog, Marry, Avoid is quite a popular programme on the television amongst younger people of a certain disposition and, shall we say, intellect. Put it this way it’s not particularly challenging or stimulating fare from what I gather. Applying the same principles to Wolves however is much more fun!
So anyway in this scenario ‘Snog’ means a very good player that I’d definitely want us to keep and build our team around next season. Example Costa. ‘Marry’ is a good player who I’d also want us to keep. Example Marshall. Together the ‘Snogs’ and ‘Marrys’ would form the nucleus of our squad next season who with a few key additions (maybe 4) would see us not just challenging for the play-offs or even automatic promotion but winning the title. The ‘Avoids’ would be players I would let go. Example Gladon. The ‘avoid’ category was the most difficult in truth and lumped together in there are those who I think are pretty hopeless and I’d get rid of in a shot as well as some who I actually like and only very reluctantly class them as ‘Avoids’ due to the fact that I can’t see where they would fit in to ‘my’ squad next season.
I should say as well that my aim was to get a 24 man squad together. Like I say a squad capable of winning the Championship next season. It is important to bear that in mind as I have dispensed with players where I think we are merely making do, or those that are okay etc as I wanted a balanced squad of very good players.
Obviously no-one will agree with all of my choices and some might raise more eyebrows and protests than others either because I want to snog or marry them or because I want to avoid them.
So here we go;
SNOG (9)
Ikeme, Hause, Saiss, Oniangue, Ronan, Costa, Cavaleiro, Graham, Dicko
MARRY (11)
Burgoyne, Flatt, Iorfa, Coady, Williamson, Doherty, Gibbs-White, Marshall, Enobakhare, Bodvarsson, Zyro
AVOID (16)
Lonergan, Batth, Stearman, Borthwick-Jackson, Silvio, Ebanks-Landell, Deslandes, Price, Evans, Edwards, Saville, Henry, Wallace, Mason, Weimann, Gladon
My new additions would consist of a centre back (someone like Scott Dann from Palace), a left back (someone like Andy Robertson from Hull), a creative playmaker/number 10 (Will Hughes from Derby would be perfect) and a striker (Tammy Abraham from Chelski).
Imagine a starting line-up like this for next season:
Ikeme
Iorfa Dann Hause, Robertson
Saiss Ronan
Costa Hughes Cavaleiro
Abraham
Subs: Burgoyne, Doherty, Oniangue, Marshall, Graham, Bodvarsson & Dicko.
Only a bit of fun of course as after all what do I know about anything? Kept me amused for a while anyway. Maybe try it yourself – you might be surprised how hard it is (oo-er missus) to whittle down the numbers AND make room for the new additions that we clearly need.
OODCL
Would be interesting to see the players, those that read this blog, play the same game with us bloggers!
I’m in no danger of making the squad!!
I’m definitely snoggable!
p.s. that’s not an invitation by the way.
Would love to see Will Hughes at Molineux, would pay good money to watch him any day.
I’d definitely keep Weimann.
Neither Ikeme or Dicko I find ‘snoggable’.
Nor would I marry Williamson.
And I’d certainly avoid Savile….
Robin – Weimann was one of the ‘avoids’ that I thought long and hard about and which gave me a great deal of anguish as I like him and rate him. The only reason I ultimately put him in the latter category was that with a top notch new striker banging in 25+ goals (Tammy Abraham please!) plus Dicko, Bodvarsson and Zyro in reserve I couldn’t see him playing as a striker, Equally with Costa (hopefully), Marshall. Cavaleiro and Graham out wide I couldn’t see him playing out there either hence my ‘avoid’. I know what you mean about Ikeme and Dicko but with Ikeme look at how he performed at Stoke in the Cup, he was magnificent and with Dicko I am judging him not on this season, as he didn’t get a pre-season, but on past glories I guess. Williamson? In truth I said ‘marry’ but I might cheat on him and push for a quickie divorce! Saville, ’nuff said!
Good point Bedford…
However Weimann has a long association with Lambert.
He is a ‘team player’ who works hard, vital for the championship.
I’m cynical about players who have had bad injuries.
Most never return the same.
Kightly is a good example.
Brilliant before being injured, half a yard slower afterwards.
Zyro & Graham I put, potentially, in that category.
My thoughts are that Lambert took the job, on promises for the summer, if we stay up.
The German league puts huge emphasis on ‘pre-season bonding’ and already Lambert has casually remarked about Dicko needing a ‘pre-season’.
In fact, if you think about it, most of ‘our now’ team, did not have a pre-season together.
Am pretty certain we will stay up and look forward to what that ‘pre-season’ brings…
I would take 4 from the snog and 1 from the marry… the rest aren’t good enough and that is Fosuns challenge
Which 4 and 1? Thing is if we only hang on to 5 that would mean signing 19 or so new players which will never happen.
The one definite on your Snogg list must be Dicko but alas it needs to be a farewell snogg. As great a servant as he has been in the past it is becoming clear that he will never reach the same heights again.
What is it with Wolves and teams they are expected to beat? It’s been the story of the season. Maybe those of you who witness every week can give this part-timer a reason why a team capable of beating Liverpool can be “less than mediocre” against the likes of Burton, Wigan and Bristol City.
That’s easily answered Cotswold – its because we are Wolves. That says all you need to know. Defies any logic and all rationale.
I know I’m repeating in part what I wrote in the last thread, but I do strongly believe that this has been a hugely significant factor and problem going all the way back to the post Dave Jones years… leadership: we, quite simply, have none.
With the exception of 4-5 players, we have a very average squad, the spine of which has chronically lacked leadership for a number of seasons now; leaders that can take games by the scruff of the necks when those around them are wilting and drag others along with them.
It’s such a shame that Williamson can’t stay fit, as he is the kind of experienced leader we crave at the back. We then require a (two, if possible) more creative and commanding presence in central midfield, along with goal-scoring no 10 and striker.
I’d be ecstatic if PL went out and comprehensively addressed this situation over the summer; however, I can’t see this happening.
Typical wolves didn’t turn up again, mistakes all over the pitch again.
A lower placed team beats us again.
We must have a clear out in the closed season get rid of the dross and build a team around the likes of Costa & Cav.
Still not 100% sure if PL is the coach to take us to the premier league,come the end of the season I’m sure Jeff will reasses PLs record of achievement to where we finish and act appropriately, if Fosun wants success they must dig deep and get at least 4 quality players in,WE know where we need to strengthen,I hope they do?
We’ve had so many false dawn’s over the years time to make it a reality. Sorry about the paste.
Another one worth a read by you bloggers on here.
Wolves finances in really good shape for a good trip into the transfer market in July, come into next season with Lamberts choices then judge him at Christmas.
We are mediocre at the mpment, but it is what it is. Let’s get over the wire and they off we go on a real push.
Heard a whisper, Price off down the road to a team playing in blue. We shall see.
http://www.footballeconomy.com/content/tough-finances-championship
Just to further the point that Steve Fowler has made:-
I’ve just read an excellent article in the Telegraph Sports section, reviewing a new book called ‘The Captain Class’ which propounds the theory that the single most important piece of the jigsaw when it comes to sporting success was…
‘not a genius in the dugout, financial firepower off the pitch or even a player of historically exceptional quality. It was instead the unerring presence of a dressing room leader of substantial – if not always wholly appealing – substance.’
It illustrates the point by listing Tony Adams, Patrick Viera, Puyol (Barcelona), Steve Waugh, Richie McCaw etc. as being at the heart of the most successful teams that have been left weaker since they have retired.
We could add such names as Billy Wright and Mike Bailey to the list.
It is a point well made and we should make it a priority to get one in the Molineux dressing room ASAP!!!
DOOGooder – it’s ridiculous if you think about it but, while he was certainly no world-beater, who have we had at centre-half with the leadership qualities (on and off the pitch) that Paul Butler offered?
Similarly, who have we had in centre mid with leadership qualities of even a similar level to that of Paul Ince and Alex Rae?
Given the amount of turgid football and the number of capitulations we’ve had to put up with over the years, it’s utterly bonkers that the succession of managers we’ve had since Dave Jones have failed to address this blatant deficiency.
The vast majority of successful teams have strong spines with leadership qualities… I know a lot is made of the Man Utd team of ’95, when the likes of Scholes (the best English player I have seen in 20yrs, by the way), Butt, Beckham, the Nevilles etc broke into the first team – but look at the experienced leadership they had around them.
I wasn’t overly disappointed by Saturday’s result because, as has already been mentioned, the opposition wanted it more. Also, I totally agree that we are desperately in need of leaders on the pitch to drive the team on.
These are the games that PL needs to think on when planning for next season’s squad. It is ok to have tryers but would do you do when they stop trying? Going forward, a commanding CB is a must plus a creative midfielder and two strikers who score regularly. A left back wouldn’t go amiss.
Neither was I disappointed by Saturdays result I was bloody furious!, I along with all the other fans that travelled to Bristol deserve better than the garbage served up yet again by eleven insipid players, not one of them earned a penny of their grossly inflated wages
Here Here how anyone can say they are not disappointed with the result is beyond me..
After spending the money to go and support the team it was a bloody disgrace..
Groundhog Day comes to mind !!
A dreadful performance; a fair result; a timely, much needed reminder as to just where we are. My conclusions:
** without Costa and Cav we have zero inspiration up front. There is no flair; no penetration
** its time for Mr Lambert to stop making excuses for Dicko. He may have missed pre- season , but he has been training and playing for some 6 months. How much longer does he need ? Endless missed opportunities all season that should be taken, which have, and continue to cost us dearly. It just goes on and on. We urgently need to spend decent money in the summer on a striker who can be relied upon to convert a reasonable proportion of opportunities that come his way. For now, why not give young players, such as Wilson a chance ?
** We need an experienced constructive midfield player who can provide a quality service to those up front. We may have energy and commitment in abundance, but these qualities alone can only get you so far.
** At the back we remain very weak. A left full back and a solid central defender must be essential additions in the summer. Doherty may be reasonable at getting forward but he simply cannot defend. His positional play is seriously lacking, and his tackling is generally clumsy. He continues to regress while Coady consolidates. DB is hugely inconsistent, has limited natural ability, and does not command. Hause may well have the potential to become one of the best central defenders in the country, but at this stage he urgently needs an experienced defender alongside him. That man is not DB.
Grouse over. All this may well be fairly easy to assess, but rectification will be much harder to achieve. Fosun`s real intent will surely be put to the test very shortly. Interesting times ahead.
Your thoughts on what we need mirror my own. Perhaps Messrs Lambert and Thelwell can see it too – you never know.
Just watched Wolves U23’s play out a really entertaining match against a strong Norwich team and control the game tnroughout. The good news is Graham, Zyro, Silvio and Ennis all played at least 45 minutes, all performed well and we won 3-1 with two great goals from Donovan Wilson.
I have a question Lambert, why when we’re looking for a scorer, are you not playing Wilson who is scoring most games and ran the forward line tonight, he is taking his chances, fighting for the ball and he’s a good team player having come back to help in defence on numerous occassions tonight. His overhead scissors kick was a treat, not seen one of them for years from a Wolves player.
Jordan Graham is looking very Portuguese, dancing and twisting on the ball, but he never stretched himself, he was put through with a cracking ball from Duckens Nazon but chose to canter rather than opening up for what would have been a certain goal. He was sensibly holding back in his rehab, but what a treat to see his skill on the ball.
Michael Zyro, now he was different class, worked hard at full pace, taking balls from the air with ease, dribbling all around the Norwich defence and putting in some lovely balls to the other forwards. Feel really good about him, he’s looking really sharp.
Silvio, looked off the pace to start with, played 90 minutes but started to produce Matt Doherty type runs along the right wing, his Portuguese style and talent shone through towards the end of the game and he has to be really chuffed with his game tonight.
Niall Ennis was excellent coming on for the scorer of the first goal Dan Armstrong who got hacked down. Ennis is twice the kid he was this time last year, he has baulked up and is very muscular and full of running, he got into a right old spat when dribbling circles round three Norwich players who then hacked at him and one rabbit punching the back of his neck with no card or serious bollicking.
Lambert has now got some talent returning just in time for his “pre-season”, maybe we don’t need too many more players to make us a plausible challenge next year. I heard talk of Anderson Talisca being sought after in various quarters, if true, let’s bite the bullet and go for him again. He’s worth it by the sounds of it.
Better game by all accounts from the drivel served up by the first team boys.
Thanks for the report Stu. These lads will be so important for us next season as the skill and flair they bring seem, on Saturday’s showing at least, to be sadly lacking at the moment. At least they’ll bring competition for places and encourage the current incumbents to at least give of their best.
thanks for the report on the U23s. It’s good to know they played well. According to the Bristol City match report several of our players were looking leggy, were tired after Tuesday’s match. We should have tried a few changes to freshen things up. Certainly if Dicko had scored there could well have been a different outcome. And why is Williamson not playing -is he still not fit ?
And is Costa really injured, or is he being kept under wraps for selling on ?
Still, we usually show great improvement playing atop club after a disappointing loss, so here’s hoping, but Brighton are seriously good and I fear another loss without Costa.
Brilliant to see graham and zyro back last night hopefully they keep fit ready for next season
Does anyone know costas injury and will.he be fit for Friday?
I disagree, this squad is not good enough the result against Bristol City and our struggle to avoid relegation proves this.
Take away Cost and Cav and there are no other creative midfielders apart from may be sais certainly not Edwards, Evans, Savile, Price, Wallace this list is endless.
As I’ve said before all the above have been here now a good while Edwards the longest and have proved at best they are average Championship plodder and nothing is going to change that.is it them or the way they are being coach well either way results and performances prove as does our league position these players are not going to get us out of this Division that goes for Batth STEARMAN
Three mangers have tried to get the best out of that bunch, Jackett, Walt and now Lambert and we are still in the same league but in a worse position.