I was proud of the dignified way the Club conducted itself in an ultimately fruitless attempt to have tonight’s game postponed.
But let’s get this right. Football is insignificant in these unprecedented times. The moment Olympiacos Owner Evangelos Marinakis tested positive for the Coronavirus, UEFA should have postponed the fixture, like the Premier League did with Manchester City v Arsenal.
It’s farcical that UEFA let any of tonight’s Europa League games go ahead despite a meeting set for Tuesday to discuss what happens next. How does UEFA deem it acceptable to force players to put theirs and their families’ health at risk?
Well, Lewis Hamilton hit the nail on the head in the build-up to the doomed Australian Grand Prix: “Cash is king.”
But, the show did go on in Greece tonight, so some words should be dedicated to the actual football in a bizarre and sad behind closed doors setting.
It’s a minor miracle Wolves came away with a positive result and hold the advantage thanks to an away goal, which is the most important thing to take away from Greece.
It didn’t make for pretty viewing from a Wolves perspective though. Nuno will argue that we were organised and saw off Olympiacos’ early threat, but our inability to keep hold of the ball set the tone for a rather lacklustre performance. As good as our defensive shape is, we tend to let teams on to us too much, and it’s hard to get anything flowing in attack.
Even Rúben Semedo’s red card failed to spark Wolves into life, and I was struggling to see a way back for Nuno’s men after Youssef El-Arabi’s opener.
Thank heavens for Neto’s deflected free-kick, because we didn’t look like scoring otherwise.
The service into Jota, Jimenez and Traore wasn’t brilliant but the times when they did get on the ball in the final third, their end product wasn’t good enough.
There’s a mixture of frustration at not putting a 10-man Olympiacos to bed, but relief that we take a slight advantage into the second leg at Molineux – when and if that encounter is played.
Well I watched from the 65th minute on, having spent an hour doing physical therapy, and rushing home to see us on a Spanish channel, about to take a free kick.
After Pedro scored, my honest impression was there was only one team on the pitch, with even Wily marauding up the right side a time or two.
Wont comment on the first half as I couldnt be arsed to rewind, but to me the best team got the away goal.
If the powers that be come to their senses, there will not be a second leg, all European football will be cancelled, and we will be undefeated!
Think that the negativity on having to play the match got through to the players
Poor display
Move on
It’s hard to see how this , and other, competitions are going to be concluded this year, given the current situation. Such a shame that after so long away, our first season back in Europe should be marred by such an unusual circumstance but, the health of all concerned and all those around them has to take priority.
I can’t see at the moment how qualification for next years european competitions will be decided either, as this could go on for several months.
Whatever the football authorities decide, I do feel that games behind closed doors, like last night, are a completely pointless exercise and with players now succumbing to Covid19, we may well have seen our last game of Wolves’s season.
I think the Euros should be postponed until next year and the domestic and European seasons conclude if at all possible with an extended season in to June .Otherwise I do not see how the season can be dealt with – who gets promoted or relegated ,who wins titles ,who qualifies for Europe next year ?
Those questions may still exist with an extended season but the easiest decision at this point is postpone the Euros .
My thoughts entirely…
Covid 19 Wolves 1 is the real score here.
A lot of people talk about the away goal advantage but I struggle to understand that. If the 2nd leg takes place we can win if it is 0-0. But, if they score then it is even and we have to score to win. The only advantage for us is if the match ends 0-0 and we don’t play the 0-0 game.
Anyway, watching the match last night I also was frustrated with our lacklustre performance, but am happy that we did not get beat. I believe we can overcome them at Molineux, if the game goes ahead.
Hope Stu and the gang get back safely too.
If they scored and we didn’t Brompton then they would lead 2-1 and so would win. If we both scored at Molineux then the scores would be level.
Anyway, the match is not going to be played for a while anyway, if ever.
I’m still trying to work out how ian empty stadium cheered when they scored and was even playing a trumpet at one point.
OODCL
We looked like a team that didn’t want to be there, risking their health, in front of a very small ‘Rent a crowd’ of Greek supporters.
How did they get in?
We were pretty ordinary and, the one thing worth watching – Neto’s goal – was the moment when Hesgoal’s stream decided to freeze, so I missed it.
Olympiacos are a good team, they were taking it seriously while we seemed in training ground mode. If the return goes ahead next week, and it’s a BIG if, we will have to perform a lot better to get through.
This tie is not over!
Or maybe it is, along with the rest of the season.
The disappointing thing about last night was, that they allowed 100 corporate guests into boxes.
We spent money to get here for them to call it off two days before we flew out.
Then UEFA allow 100 “privileged” fans to get in and Try to spur the team on.
Money talks no matter who you are.
That’s probably the cause of PL players getting it. Should have cancelled games earlier.
Rant over, weather’s fantastic here, we’re in shorts, the Greeks are in coats.
🙂
I do not believe that any criticism should be leveled at our team — either individually or collectively.
How can you motivate yourself to play football, when your main concerns must relate to your own, and your family`s health ? Then, to add insult to injury, you are expected to perform in a desterted stadium which resembles an echo chamber.
That this match was played at all is an absolute disgrace.
Now we are supoposed to believe that come early April everything will again be hunky dory, health issues having miraculously disappeared overnight, so we can return to normality without a further hiccup. How stupid is this !! The correct action must surely be to postpone all games until further notice, whilst quietly making plans behind the scenes as to how to deal with matters if this crisis is considerably prolonged. — which will almost certainly be the case
Bu far worse, what will happen to the mass of small clubs in the lower leagues which are grossly underfunded, and which rely heavily on the personal financial input of owners. Zero revenue must surely mean that many such clubs will go to the wall. It is difficult to imagine the huge personal hardships which will ensue, let alone the massive damage to the basic infrastructure of our national sport.
Diufficult times, in which the right answers will be very diffciult to find.
You’re not wrong there Mike.
Over a century of football history could go down the pan if lower league clubs go pop.
I hope, at the end of this pile of crap, the fat cats will channel some of the huge amount of money they (and we) earn to help them out.
But, knowing the way things are now, I wouldn’t hold my breath.