I said in the preview that progressing was all that mattered which is just as well.
This was one flaky performance and very nearly seized upon by a spirited Shrewsbury.
I’m a fan of Cavaleiro, Costa and Traore but deploying all three hit and miss performers in tandem with a second string midfield set the tone for what was to come.
That said, it’s a set piece header and a goalkeeper fumble for their goals, so fingers shouldn’t be pointed exclusively at the attack for failure to turn the lights out after Matt Doherty’s early opener.
But credit to all in gold for turning things around with that man Doherty again the catalyst.
He may still offer up that occasional ‘I’ve just rolled out of bed’ performance but in a squad packed with quality he remains one of the standout players. It’s been a pleasure to see him get better and better and better every season.
Traore was probably the pick of the attacking trio and he did ever so well in the build up to Cavaleiro’s smartly taken winner, even if Sam Ricketts believes he fouled their man when retrieving possession. I’m not sure about that one Sam.
[interaction id=”5c5aaea01179bb791818101b”]It’s hard to say any of those who came into the side have done enough to enter the reckoning for Newcastle on Monday, but with Jota potentially ruled out there could be an opportunity for someone.
After that it’s off to Bristol for what’s likely to be a very difficult game, regardless of the team Nuno deploys.
He should be going full pelt though with the quarter finals beckoning.
This is starting to get very interesting.
Hopefully that performance by Ruddy puts to bed any nonsense about him being better than Pat. I’m also hoping that Nuno manages the squad over the coming weeks with an eye to picking a full strength team for the FA Cup. Getting to Wembley should be number one priority.
Said it last time we should play a full strength team from the off get the advantage then use the subs.
Giving your fringe players a game sounds a reasonable thing to do but thats twice now we have almost come unstuck .
The so called second string do need match time to get them up to speed so they can fit in seamlessly to the first team but there were just too many changes.
The fact that on paper it looked like we would bury them didn’t work out on the pitch and even in extreme circumstances there would never be that many changes to the first team in one go.
Oh well we won anyway so a sigh of relief and on to Bristol who will be no pushover and will surely require the pick of the bunch to turn up.
Cav for me against Newcastle if jota is unfit
Phew !! stood in the south bank directly behind the goal (SL3) Ruddy had a howler . First goal came to punch the ball away, completely missed it and bang the balls in the back of the net . He was much berated by several of his team mates . As to what happened next well all I can say is I don’t think he will be playing first team football for a while.
But he wasn’t the only one. !
Can someone please explain what Costa’s role was last night . He didn’t make one run, looked completely lethargic . Gibbs White and Saiss kept giving the ball away cheaply.
Thank god for Doherty , Cav and Traore
Anyway Job done we move on …next up Brizzle and please Mr Nuno a strong starting eleven
It’s a pity the full house didn’t get a better game, but hey ho we’re into the next round.
I could do with some warm weather training (well, maybe not the running around bit).
This is an incredible opportunity in the Cup this particular year with a maximum of 2 top 6 sides in the last 8 .
I will be very unhappy if Nuno does not field a full strength side at Bristol City . We can go all the way if he takes the opportunity .
The squad players are not good enough in truth which is the main upgrade needed in the summer .
Yes Nick and the fact that the 2nd stringers looked so far beneath the quality of the first XI highlights the question of whether Wolves were right to stay out of the January window and stick to such a small squad for the rest of the season. Fair enough, this performance was not typical of those players who were brought in. There’s been a lot of criticism of John Ruddy following the game and that’s not surprising. However, he has played other games where he’s been outstanding, including the cup win against Liverpool. He’s usually a reliable fall-back option as is Morgan, who was also below par on Tuesday.
On top of all that. we still have quite a long way to go in the season and is it not possible that we might get at least 1 or maybe more key injuries? Nuno seemed to write off that possibility by saying that he has confidence ion the under-23s, but will they be adequate? We’ve had a few games where key players have been rested and then had to be brought on later in a game to make something happen.
We’ve got Bristol City next in the cup and that’s going to be another bruising, physical encounter. There will be other fixtures against PL teams struggling to avoid relegation as well.
I’m going to be holding my breath quite a lot and hoping for the best over the remaining games I reckon. Here’s hoping I’m just too much of a pessimist.
A slap dash performance by too many of our “second string” players and we were fortunate to get though. We will have to be much better against Brizzle to avoid a disappointing end to our cup run. I think that we should prioritize the FA cup now and play a full strength side in the next round where there is no second chance with a replay – extra time and pens after 90 mins!!!
This just highlights the fact that we have a small squad and is an indication of how many new players we will need if we finish 7th and qualify for the Europa league next season. I reckon that we will need 7-8 quality players with an outlay of £80 – £100 Mill – scary stuff!!
Maybe we should be careful what we wish for????
All that matters of course is that we got through last night, but Nuno must go with his gun XI from now on in the cup. Bristol City will be an altogether tougher proposition. If 343 and our fringe MF/attack can’t see off Shrewsbury comfortably, then we’ll really struggle v Bristol.
We all know Ruddy had a howler. The disappointing aspect was that Shrewsbury had done nothing to warrant their 2-1 lead. It was all us.
The defence didn’t do a fat lot wrong so let’s look at the MF first.
I’m sure MGW has a bright future ahead of him but he was naive last night. Too often his passes weren’t quite right or he’d be caught dawdling in possession. Saiss’ passing was pretty bang average too. There just wasn’t enough creativity in the middle of the park.
Re front 3, Traore looked threatening when he got to the byline and clipped a ball in, but when breaking into the box, it was either a scuffed shot or a poor decision. Can’t deny his effort, but can a ‘football brain’ ever be coached into him?
There were a few poor touches from Cav but he took his goal well and largely fed off scraps. Costa was anonymous, just didn’t go looking for any work. I think his confidence has completely gone.
The trio have simply not done enough to warrant Nuno switching back to 343. Jota and Raul are miles ahead in their performances.
Speaking of 343, especially in the first half, our front 3 kept drifting out wide and getting in the way of the WBs, while no one was in the box. Thankfully Doc still showed his quality to save us. The point is that last night really brought home how much of a better team we are playing 352.
Finally, I found it disappointing that when we went 3-2 up, we didn’t kill Shrewsbury off. Instead, we became sloppy, invited Shrewsbury onto us and we were lucky not to concede in the end. We lost control. It was poor game management. Nuno won’t be happy.
Anyhow, thrilled to be in the next round. Go with our gun XI and I think we’ll see off Bristol.
I think you’ve hit several nails very firmly on the head there mate.
‘…last night really brought home how much of a better team we are playing 352.’
Hard to disagree with that in terms of the Prem. But I still think that if we had started with Raul as the focal point of the attack last night we would have buried them playing 3-4-3…
Completely agree Jack.
If Raul had started, he would have dropped deep, linked the play and Traore and Cav would have bombed on ahead, leaving plenty of room for Doc and Jonny.
Don’t blame Nuno for resting Raul, as he’s that important to us. It was just frustrating to see the front 3 getting in each other’s and the WBs way. It was all a bit congested and messy – not the slick Wolves we have been accustomed to for most of Nuno’s reign.
I don’t disagree with what you say, but it must be remembered that Raul and Diogo have had a run of games so have that understanding and match sharpness that continuity gives you. Cav, Costa and Adama, and MGW, have played much less recently and that’s bound to have affected their performance levels somewhat.
I know what you mean Wolfstroker.
The problem is that the 352 is the perfect system for Raul and Diogo (and our MF). It’s not for Adama and Costa – I fancy Cav to do a job if Jota gets injured.
It doesn’t suite MGW either really. MGW looked good as the 10 when we initially went with 3 in MF, as he stayed in the attacking half of the pitch and drove forward with the ball. But now we’re not playing with a 10. Long term I think MGW will be a 10, but not so much a deeper playmaker (Neves, Moutinho) or a box-to-box presence (Donck). A loan in the Championship might do MGW the world of good, where he could have a season playing for a good footballing side and learning how to dictate a game.
It is hard when you’ve not played much recently, or with each other, but at 1-0 and 3-2 they really should have exerted their authority and put the game away.
I think last night showed just how ineffective the ‘old system’ can be, with two central midfielders supporting one striker with 2 wingers. I don’t blame Nuno for going with that line up to give Traore, Cav, Costa, MGW and Saiss a run out. With a strong back line there should have easily been enough to see off Shrewsbury comfortably.
However it shows just how far we have come. If we can keep the first XI fit, playing Dendoncker, Moutinho and Neves in midfield supporting Jota and Raul we are looking a threat for anyone. Those 5 are all in form and really complement each other and Nuno’s formation. I am surprised it took Nuno so long to bring the ‘Donc’ into the side as he has made such a big impact on the team. Also Jonny and Doc can create havoc down the flanks, so we don’t need wingers.
Against Bristol City if we go with the same team as Shrewsbury we will struggle to get through. I would go full strength but would retain Ruddy in goal. Yes a terrible mistake, but he is usually a solid keeper and deserves the cup shirt for staying as a quality back up to Patricio.
The only worry for the rest of the season is back up to the first team that now just picks itself. Not sure our wide players especially Costa have as much of a role now at the club. Traore or Cav could play one of the front 2 roles but Jota and Jimenez are just outstanding at the moment.
Lets hope Nuno goes big for the cup.
I’m not saying this with my rose tinted glasses on, but that was not a difficult game and again Wolves did not even get out of first gear, nor did they need too.
We had 6 players that don’t always start a game, trying to bed into a formation that is second nature to the”regular guys”.
Costa is struggling at present.
MGW was trying too many fancy touches, but I do think he had a better game than his last.
Saiss also too many wayward passes, but held his position and made some good challenges.
Ruddy, FFS he made one mistake all night, the rest of the game his distribution was what our “complete team” is lacking, the final part of the jigsaw. If we could dovetail Patricio’s amazing saves and Ruddy’s distribution, bingo what a goalie we would have.
On last nights performance, if Jota is out for Newcastle I would play Cav alongside Jimmy. I heard Jota was a simple knock and they chose to rest him last night, I’m hoping the comments on here don’t mean you guys have had worse news than I read.
We beat them, we beat them well, they were knackered that last 30 minutes apart from a little rally in the last 5 mins. The only thing their fans complained about was, “the 6 minutes added time in the first half” well I’m sorry, but your goalie was at it again, so you reap what you sow”
Tha majority of their fans on the interview I saw accepted they were beaten by quality, Dog knows what they would have said if Nuno took it seriously..
My Grandson and I enjoyed it all, a good FA Cup tie, goals, mistakes, drama and entertainment.
Roll on Brizzle.
Full team please Nuno.
Happy Clapper from Pendeford.
I agree with Stu. The game was quite comfortable to me. If Shrewsbury got in our half four times in the first half that was it. Traore had a decent game. Cav was in and out but took his goal well. The cat from Everton may as well have been in goal but sometimes shit happens. Bit of pressure late on from Shrewsbury and we got a bit scrappy. MGW needs to keep it simple and Saiss was much better second half with his distribution. But we are through. Who is to say Brizzle won’t make changes.They are going for promotion so may have different priorities. Bring on the Geordies next. And 41 points!
Ticketmaster, Sir,
I am after three tickets for Bistol City. Any thoughts.
Text me, Big Brother watches the sites.
I only need two Stew.
Not being able to get a live video stream I listened to the game on BBC WM radio.
Suffice to say that the commentary was about as good as the Wolves performance.
It’s all very well to hear about the history of various players, and their clubs and their favourite aftershave and their granny’s cats… but not while the game is going on lads!
It was quite tense at the end and they didn’t even tell us that the match was over until about 3o seconds after the final whistle.
We won, that’s about as much as can be said.
I feel for John Ruddy.
Playing real, competitive games is the only sure way of getting match sharp.
He hasn’t been playing and he certainly wasn’t sharp.
I think he’s just answered the question about who should be in the first team.
And Costa just keeps underlining how far he’s fallen since the heady days of beating Liverpool away in the cup.
But it’s not all doom and gloom. My mate Dave, at the gym I go to has, on my recommendation, got Doherty in his fantasy football team and he’s amassing points by the shedload. I also persuaded him to buy Jimenez, so he’s a very happy bunny.
Most importantly…. We’re through to the next round.
One more giant leap for Nuno’s men.
It all adds up to the fact that the squad is too small at the moment. How many of the ‘reserve’s would you really want in the 1st team? If Raul and Jota both got injured we would be in real trouble . Cav deserves a run out, but what on earth has happened to Helda- confidence shot to pieces?
It could be argued that Nuno’s selection was spot on. We won and their goals were the result of uncharacteristic goalie errors. Plus peripheral players got a run out. Traore and Cav, by all accounts, looked decent with others confirming they are not quite ready or have slipped below what is required.
Nuno and Fosun will perhaps had confirmation of what purchases are required to push the “project” forward.
And I for one would love it if Nuno felt a serious push for the FA Cup was now the way forward. We’re not in any danger of relegation, nor likely to be able to achieve more than 7th place. And how I would love a day at Wembley!
Or even two days
Great result , onto the next
The considered opinion of a number contributors to the blog, that they would apply the 1st XI to the next cup match from the start, is one which I also believe will reap rewards in the next round …..against Leicester, West Ham and Everton we got on the front foot, (as the pundits like to say), from the get go with early goals resulting .
With respect to the availability of Jota for the next fixture vs Newcastle I would advocate playing Traore should Diogo not be fit ….utilizing the supporting role Dendoncker played at Everton ,making himself available in the final third when going forward, giving an extra outlet to Traores distribution …. (perhaps the solution to the enigma that is Adama Traore?)
Jiminez to become highest scoring Mexican in Premier League history ?
Sat in the Billy Quiet last night. Queue for the toilet was horrendous. Not going in there again. Crap game really. We just made it difficult for ourselves when it needn’t have been. Hey ho. We won.
Sorry to have missed a few of you bloggers but will be there again on Monday.
Nice to see you last night Major, very pleasant interlude. You missed Stuwolf and Stuwolf Jr bye a few minutes, they look pieved to have missed you.
Same time same place next Monday, bring it on.
Yeah, same to you mate. Spoke to Stu later.
See you Montag. Bitte schön.
Can’t comment on the game as I have only seen the brief highlights on the BBC website. Cup games are difficult, just look at some of the results so far.
We won and we go on, that’s the most important thing.
🙂
For me, the game showed us a number of important facts
Raoul Jiminez is absolutely indispensable. We have no one with nearly sufficient ability to to replicate his key contributions to the attack. An injury to him would be a disaster.
MGW has huge potential. But that is all it is. Potential. His time will certainly come, but at this stage in his development he is not ready for regular inclusion in this side.
Helder Costa is but a shadow of his former self. His self confidence is shot. Presently he is little more than a passenger.
Bristol City will not be easy. Resting ‘first team ‘ members is not an option if Nuno has serious intent of FA Cup progress.
We’re through. By hook or by crook, we’re through. And that’s what matters.
And with every round that passes, it matters more and more.
Maybe it is time for Nuno to reconsider using the U23s for senior players to regain sharpness. Helder could probably use it and Leo could have used it previously.
Helder will probably be wasting the rest of the season if he doesn’t sharpen up and he is unlikely to do so following Nuno’s current approach.
Exactly two years ago we thumped Liverpool on their own patch, and our star was a certain Helder Costa.
Ran rings around them, he did.
This is the bloke to build a team around, we said, this is our very own mega star.
A few months later, he misses the last few games of the season, “injured” we thought, a euphemism for being sold in the summer for a quick profit, as per Wolves usual way of doing things, we thought.
But no.
Cue Nuno, a shed load of new signings, and hey presto, off to the races!
But what happened to Helder?
He quickly became a non regular starter, and now has the odd cameo role, and that’s about it, and when he does get on the pitch, he is non existent.
But, a good player does not lose his abilities overnight, there has to be one or two reasons.
Scared of getting injured again?
Being played in a different position?
I think his problem, all mental by the way, is the “big fish in a little pond” syndrome.
Two years ago he was our best player by a country mile, and lit up games when he played.
Now, he is a small fish in the big Prem pond, and has been left standing still, performance wise, by the bigger fish brought in over the last 18 months.
I think he hasn’t got his head round the fact that the team no longer revolves around him, and he needs to come to terms with that fact.
No one player is bigger than any club, and that needs to sink in.
We know he hasn’t lost his superb talent, see his goal at Wembley, he just needs to accept that there are a lot of dogs at the table, and he ain’t top dog anymore.
Once that sinks in, hopefully we will see “our” Helder back to his best.
I hope so, I’ve always liked him ( for what that’s worth!)
As to last night.
We won.
And I am really pissed off at the prats on “social media” who have gone on about Ruddy and we must get rid, and other bollocks.
When an outfield player makes a mistake, 99% of the time it does not lead to a goal.
When a keeper makes a mistake, 99% of the time it does.
So what?
No one is perfect, and John Ruddy will always be remembered fondly as the keeper who helped us win the Championship last year, and kept us in the FA Cup this year with that wonderful save to deny Shaqueery.
And who can forget Cardiff?
He had a bad game.
Big fuckin’ deal.
The whole team had bad days against Watford, Cardiff, Palace, Huddersfield and Brighton.
Are we going to get rid of them because of those games?
We won last night, and Shrewsbury didn’t.
They should be grateful to us, they had TWO cup finals this season, but came up short both times.
If they play like that the rest of the season, they might survive.
Not our problem, we move on to Bristol.
And I hope Albion win tonight, them from the South Coast!
And 15 goals in our last 5 matches.
Not too shabby.
Interesting thoughts about Costa, Clive.
It does seem to stem from the injury and I’m sure you’re right, it’s partly a confidence issue. But he does seem to have bulked up this season and I wonder if the medics were trying to build his strength and make him more robust. If so, it also regrettably seems to have had the side effect of making him noticeably slower than he used to be. This would explain his current unwillingness to take defenders on.
What do others think?
What can Nuno and his medic staff do?
Really excellent post Clive, and echoes my thoughts precisely, both on Helder and the ridiculous furore about Ruddy’s bad day at the office.
Squeaky bum time last night. I was well out with my 6-0 prediction! Going by reports, Costa should pop into Costa Coffee for a strong espresso before kick-off in future. He was my favourite player in that first season of Fosun ownership. The form that had Chelsea interested in him seems well gone but frustratingly he can still turn it on occasionally. His goal against Spurs at Wembley is proof. I wouldn’t write him off.
Some of us on this site want Nuno to prioritise the FA Cup. I’d love a cup run but not at the expense of seventh place in the league. I’d love both in fact as we all would. I trust in Nuno to play things the right way. Unbelievably exciting times!
BREAKING NEWS…
Check out Wolves website.
Bristol Tickets on sale from tomorrow, expect us to get loads so all who want should get tickets.
£12 Adults.
£8 over 65’s
According to ‘WBA unofficial’ site under the thread headings ‘poor crowd expected tonight’ a crowd of 10000 is expected for the replay and it is only 10 quid in. Compare and contrast with 28500 at the Golden Palace last night for the mighty Shrewsbury. Still, they are a club the same size as us. Apparently.
8500 the crowd at Sandwell. Wim a mossive club ay we……
Seeing the empty stands on TV, I thought it was shocking to see the level of apathy among Albion ‘fans’ and so disrespectful of one of the world’s great competitions.
Had the footie on in the pub last night so I watched a little of the shite’s game. Nobody there at the ‘pit of misery’ ground was fookin empty…compare and contrast that to our game against the Shrews. I agree Cheesy we are a big club and for once its great to see the shite fans look of jealously, shame and indignation. What goes around comes around !!
And 8499 of them was from the South Coast!
Y’all are mistaken, the crem was full last night…………………with fans dressed as empty seats!!
And nice to see the team who’s fans feel they are special and should win everything, but who haven’t EVER won the Prem, now in second place.
Bubble and bursting comes to mind.
Yow cor mekk this stoof up!!
Finally…
Spotted last night at the Hawthorns.
You lot are so unfair. Would you pay to watch the like of Livermore, Robson- Kanu etc? I’d rather watch paint dry.
I think it’s a little deeper than that SP, having Darren “the plank” Moore as your manager is like our Chairman and CEO appointing a “clip-board” as a “premier league manager”. As Dodge sed “what goes round come round….