I’m not sure I agree with Paul Lambert’s assertion that this was the best we’ve played since he’s been in charge, but the numbers are compelling.
62% possession and 15 more shots on goal than QPR. On paper at least, we probably should have won and almost certainly shouldn’t have lost.
But Lambert will know his side are far too soft-centered and that must be addressed in January if they’re to be upwardly mobile over the second half of the campaign.
The team is jam packed with attacking talent, so we have to expect there will be space for the opposition to exploit, but even so the manner of the goals being conceded is galling.
Both of Bristol City’s strikes on Boxing Day were easily preventable had Stearman and Batth defended with greater authority. But neither of those finishes highlighted the physical defiencies of our center halves quite to the extent as QPR’s winner yesterday.
Pawel Wszolek simply steamrollered through both of them before prodding in what has to be the softest goal of the Championship season to date. Watch it below and tell me if you disagree.
Jack Price, who was outstanding in possession it must be said, can also take a slice of the blame for both concessions. He didn’t do enough to stop the cross coming in for Idrissa Sylla’s well taken opener and was out-muscled in the build up to the second.
Muscle is exactly what we need. Probably a bit more in midfield and significantly more in defence. Mike Williamson could be a short term fix but even he might benefit from a more commanding partner.
More encouragingly up the pitch, some of the interplay between our creative players is very good and had either Dicko or Enobokhare converted their one-on-ones to give Wolves a deserved first half lead, the game would have panned out differently.
But Dicko’s rustiness and Enobokhare’s inexperience are the exact reason we must also look to bring in that most priceless of assets – a goalscoring center forward.
You genuinely feel someone like a Jordan Rhodes would run riot with the current supply line from Costa and Cavaleiro, even if the latter’s final ball so often leaves much to be desired.
Again, a fit and firing Dicko or Bodvarsson have shown previously they can provide what’s required, but it’s not happening for either of them at this current juncture, so other options must be explored. We can’t wait forever.
Whether we can attract a proven Championship poacher to come to a team in the bottom half of the table is another matter entirely. Perhaps if we sell the dream of next season?
In the here and now we’re staring down the barrel of a daunting run of fixtures. Sheffield Wednesday away is as difficult as they come and with games to follow against Villa, Norwich and Huddersfield in January, this clumsy slip-up may soon appear more costly than originally anticipated.
A ball has yet to be kicked in 2017 and it already feels like another journey into the unknown. As usual, we’ll try to enjoy it.
Happy New Year to one and all!
The only stat that matters is the final score. Seen plenty of one sided games where the team under the screw have come out on top.
Will be interesting to see where PL conjures up a goal scoring striker that want’s to join us.
Happy New Year to all 🙂
Great write up Thomas,
I personally think jackett did a very good job considering,but the worst thing that still haunts us was making Danny Ba’ath captain.
At the time he needed a leader,a quick fix that’s still a plaster over a serious wound.
His captaincy now complicates the situation even more.
I feel we are very close to a serious outfit bit s makeshift back four will allow even the most inept atttcking teams a possibility of a point ,if not three.
Thelwell &co. ,please sort this out!
Happy new year all on here,and you too Amanda, although I doubt you have ever been happy.
I’ve just listened to PL interview,I think he’s just the same as all our other British managers, living in fantasy football land,maybe we should have won by what the statistics say but we didn’t. As I said I only hope we get some players in with grit and determination in the coming month or else it’s going to be same struggle.If PL doesn’t get it right I’m afraid he’ll go the same way as the rest.
Spot on Johno..!
Holloway sent out a patched up team to time waste and play for a draw. That we lost to such a team says an awful lot about our own precarious predicament. Remember QPR had lost 6 on the bounce previously and hadn’t scored since…oh yes against us at Loftus Road.
We were simply mugged by a very poor team – what does that say about us???
It doesn’t matter how good Costa is, and too a MUCH lesser extent Cavalleiro (1/2/3 touches too many) if the only goal scorer we have is Dave Edwards.
Similarly, If the shambles of our defensive errors is not sorted in the Jan transfer window we are still in relegation trouble.
I can understand why PL kept with a winning side,. However 2 further points:-
1) There is absolutely no point in hoofing high balls up to the diminutive isolated Nouha on his own against 2 tall centre backs. We should have started with Bod + Nouha together.
2) If we want to keep the same formation, then surely we should have started with Mason.
I like Bright and believe he has a future, however the experience of Mason was badly needed.
Despite the errors indicated above by Thomas – Jack Price was head and shoulders ahead of anyone else on the pitch – Man of the Match by a mile, followed by Costa and Dave Edwards (if only for his goal.) Price looks like the captain we should have – I’m afraid Danny needs time out of the firing line.
Desperately needed in January –
At least 1 experienced, formidable, skillful centre half alongside a hopefully fit again Williamson.
A proven 20+ a season goal scorer.
Thank you Thomas for your insights . First game for me since Sheffield Wednesday which is probably the worst I have witnessed in fifty years of following Wolves.
So several times a better performance and we deserved to win. But the old failures were there to see. Dicko has not recovered the sharpness he had prior to his injury. Enokbahare however bright (sorry) his future is still a work in progress. We need a nailed on goal scorer. Crouch would be a typical choice but if he’s going anywhere it’ll be China.
And defensively what can I say. Looked fine except for those typical exceptions – a Sunday morning goal followed by Keystone Cops for the second.
As we’ve all said (seems like for years) get a centre back and a guaranteed goal striker or give up.
Spot on Thomas. Can’t believe we lost this one as we totally dominated the whole match. QPR came out to stifle the game from the start, time-wasting from 15 minutes in. I thought when Dangerous equalised we were going to go on and score another couple but a failure to take our chances and leaky defending sunk us once again but that’s hardly a surprise is it? We’re not far off being a good side, all we need to do in this window is strengthen the defence and get a goal-coring, championship-experienced number 9…that’s not too much to ask, is it?
The highlight of my day was having a pre match beer with London loyal in the North Bank bar after that it was all down hill. Happy and prosperous new year to one and all. Sort it PL !!!!
We keep blaming the defence for losing us matches, and rightly so in a lot of cases, but surely to goodness the forwards have got to take their share of stick for what keeps happening.
The chance conversion rate is absolutely pathetic.
Dangerous Dave seems to be the only one who knows how to hit the goal while missing the goalkeeper.
We have to give Paul Lambert a chance to chop out the deadwood, bring in a few new faces, mould the team into the one that HE wants and then see what happens.
At the moment we all know what’s going to happen without having to stump up the dosh to get into Molineux.
Happy New Year all.
Soft centre that’s our problem the report is spot on in every detail.
We have to get serious & physical or we will look tame & easy meat for all but the weakest predators& QPR we’re very weak believe me.
I’ve not seen us win for 3 months & 1 week. I missed the Boxing Day rarity, & go only to the odd away game.
This is poor, but there are shoots of green waiting for spring but a goalscorer & 2 big meaty physical centre halves a must in the window.
Price was great but he also lacks muscle & physicality. Bright flashes of his first name but not yet ready. Mason or Jon Dadi have to start either together or as more physical support for Dicko. Enobakhare was too easily dispossed, & how two defenders let that QPR winner go in God only knows. Doherty also great going forward but he was out of position for the first goal & Price could’nt stop the cross. Frustration & disappointment two words Wolves fans are very familiar with.
Long long way to go before onwards & upwards can be said with any vestige of truth.
Great summary of events Thomas …and I for one was gutted when QPR scored that cheap goal at the death ( no…it’s got nothing to do with th fact I predicted a boring 1-1).
How we contrive to fail to score yet are so generous in giving cheap goals away….needs sorting out and for me Lambert is wrong to heap praise ..for the reasons given on a performance that the records show ..that we lost.
There were some plusses… but as mentioned already ..enobakhare has plenty to learn…and IMO …Mason would have roved a better choice.
Dicko continues to lack confidence…and without a goal will become even more edgy in front of goal.
The less said about Batth the better although Price was culpable in some part for the QPR winner.
Still plenty to hopefully look fwd to (New signings) and dump a few of the no hopers currently blighting our huge squad..
Happy new year to you all…
Two things.
Firstly: Danny Baath is completely out of his depth. He turns slower than a barnacled ship, and has no pace. His positional sense appears non existent and his distribution is no better than Sunday league standard. Steerman is little better, his propensity for costly mistakes always being near the surface. As a duo they are an absolute disaster.
Secondly: Dicho is not worthy of his place. He is a shadow of his former self, never looking remotely likely to score — in fact he appears little more than our new Siggy, all action and promise but zero end product. Bright has great potential, but he cannot be expected to solve the short term problem of having a strike force which appears completely impotent, unable to convert even the most straight forward of chances.
Two new center backs and one decent striker would transform our team almost immediately. Please Mr. Shi give Paul Lambert the necessary funds, and then watch us go.
What…the fuck?!
That’s the only appropriate reaction I have to QPR’s winner. I had heard about how bad it was but it’s something to be seen to be believed!
We seem to in general be going in a positive direction under Mr Lambert but with ‘defending’ like that…we should already have some sort of idea as to who we’re gonna be going for, if the Parliament Meeting is anything to go by!
I’ll upset a few here but Jack Price was partly at fault with both goals and the highlights only serves to reinforce that. The same can be said of the first Bristol City goal in the previous game. He’s tidy in possession but easily outmuscled and that’s a big drawback for a defensive midfielder. In his defence the rest of our midfield like to push forward and he can often be a bit isolated when we lose possession. I’m not suggesting the rest were that much better – we should have won comfortably. QPR are a poor side.
Concerned for tomorrow but who knows – we could go and nick it.
They have this saying in Hungary that if two or more people tell you that you are drunk, then go home.
Well, Mr. Lambert not two, but EVERYONE is telling you the same thing, that we need a minimum of four new, experienced players in this month, the defense needs to be dropped en mass, and a new captain appointed.
Its only the first of the year, but we need to be seeing movement this week.
There is no spin to be put on our predicament, if we don’t get a lot of fresh blood and ideas, we will be fighting off relegation for the rest of the season, and on this showing, we might not win the fight.
And the fuckin’ shit keep winning.
Bastards.
A perfect example of what Wolves are not capable of.
Gestede is appatently close to a move to Middlesboro, which may indicate Rhodes or Nugent are on their way out.
New captain , new back four and a striker, sounds simple enough but who ?? Any suggestions??
There’s nothing that get my back up more when we have lost and he comes out and say ” that the best we’ve played and I’m proud of the players ” well Mr Lambert I’m not proud of them one or two did there job for which they are being paid very handsomely indeed.
Proud of the way we through away another 3 points, proud that even 12 years can defend better that Batth and Stearman…….proud Mr lambert well your standards cannot be very high if that’s the case.
Lambert it seems is going down the path of so many of his predecessors talking a good game deluding himself that certain players will come good if he plays them enough ( Jackett) and the other players are playing well when 21, 000 people in the stadium can see….and know different.
If his approach towards to defence is to go softly softly in the hope everything we come good……..well it hasn’t and isn’t working.
Lambert you have had enough games now to know who is shite and who is not ….no more excuses, no more cuddles its a kick up the arse they need and if that doesn’t work fuck em off and play the kids yes…play the kids at least they will try at least you can teach them not the donkey Batth and Stearman the pair were at fault for both goals yesterday and what’s frustrating how easly Batth gets knocked off the ball the blokes 6.2 got to be 13 1/2 stone and he gets out muscled time and time again.
I said when Fosun took over they should have a total clear out even the tea lady and I wasn’t joke in the words of Oliver Cromwell when he dissolved Parlament ” you have been sat here to many years to be doing any good, go in the name of god…. Go ” that sums up the hole set up at Wolves espeacilly the coaching side to many people to comfortable in the roles and no improvement year on year under there stewardship in fact the oppersite…..!
Even if other players are to blame for misdemeanours re defending the blame goes to the organiser at the back and that means our Captain..
There should be no hiding place for him in all these repetitive circumstances..Williamson would make that difference but we are hanging on to an edgy player who could go out of fitness..(as much as I rate him)
So we need to sort this now.Its January.
Re the match – We did play well most of us would agree and missed 3 good chances but I would of put my savings on us conceding at the end..
We are odds on to do so every game.
PL has got most of us on his side although he has been recently flippant commenting on poor results..I just hope thelwell doesn’t prevent him from going for it this month..
My nose tells me he might not and consolidates with accepting mid league until next season..which incidentally is an insult to us with the Clubs aspirations at the beginning of the season.
Hears to changes at the back and a certain winger that might get the ground rocking again..and that marquee striker…
Happy new year.
Your certain winger with all due respect has only played 87 mins this season, so if he came back it would take four weeks to get him up to speed. We need players that can come straight in to the first eleven. Have a good new year Steve. COYW
Great summary.
One thing you touched on was ‘muscle’or lack of it. I think this is our down fall because we are unable to win the second ball; sometimes even off our own throw-ins and goal kicks we lose possession. To win the ball we have to chase high up the pitch and this opens us up. The result is the opposition running at our defenders. Even top defenders would struggle against this.
This makes it extremely difficult against teams who sit back.
We need to find a system to cope with this and, as yet, I have not heard enough from Lambert to suggest he has the tactical nouce to overcome this weakness.
Open games worked for us in Div 1 because we had better strikers than other teams. But in this league we dont. So whilst it may entertain we are unlikely to win consistently.
Some managers can be sucessful if they have better players (Jacket Div 1). But if their players are the same or inferior to the opposition its the manager that needs to find the edge (motivation, shape, system) and some just cannot do it (Jacket C’ship).
What will PL be? Lets give him a chance and see.
Love the Cromwellian point & it has a ring of truth as far as this team is concerned.
The only defence for Batth & Stearman is that what goes on in front of them does put them under a lot of constant pressure. It’s only human to crack under it.
So maybe it’s not totally down to them. Ikeme I think needs to see danger & dominate his area more. Doherty on the left is out of position far too much. The midfield is not big & tough enough to fight & win the ball back.
And finally if your strikers are missing silver & golden chances the back four are under constant pressure.
So yes Cromwell in a few cases but it’s a collective responsibility & no one gets away scott free from a loss like Saturday’s when the opposition sat up & begged to be whipped.
If we don’t show more physicality, grit & determination at Hillsborough then like a couple of seasons ago it’s lambs to the slaughter.
Gut wrenching result against a patched up team who had lost 6 on the trot. If there is a team on a poor run, conceding goals, cant score, haven’t won an away game or whose manager is facing the sack, come and play wolves at home, we are a banged on certainty to give you a positive result. How we play is inportant but the be all and end all is the final result and the 3 points. We look good going forward but lack the killer punch, everyone is desperate for Dicko and JDB to score but it’s just not happening and it’s costing us dear. As for the defence, it’s got to be sorted because it’s becoming an embarrassment, there should be no room for sentiment. I have made a New Years resolution and it’s to predict the result with my head and not with my heart as I have always done (without much success) so my first prediction of 2017 is a right tanking by SW based on the fact we can’t defend and if Forestier is playing, god help us.