Wolves v Pups Post-Match Thread

[curlytailavfc]

hate say it but they ripped us apart and 2-0 was a blessing

[Mister E]

The counter attacking point is spot on. The way he sets us up away from home means we need to be able to counter attack, the trouble is there's zero pace in our team. Our counter attack was smash it up to Davis and hope he holds it up. Wolves attacked with pace, cohesion, passing and movement whereas we genuinely couldn't string three passes together. For the money we've spent the football should be much, much better.

We do have pace in the team, with Adomah, Snod and Elmo. We just use it very well.

[QuintonVilla]

Disappointed,  yes. Surprised,  no. Bruce has spent our millions very poorly trying to buy the best players from  club's, but not really thinking how he was going to use them. Nuno on the other hand has used his Portuguese connections and George  Mendes to uncover these gems.  Maybe our scouts need to look further afeild.

I know they've got those contacts and are maybe bending the rules a bit but it is laughable that they can sign all these bright young talents full of energy and pace. Who do we sign? Glenn fecking Whelan. A bloke who can't run or pass forwards.

[Hookeysmith]

When I saw Hutton in the team I was worried but he proved to be as solid as I have seen him but yet again he conceded so much space. The thing that really riled me was every time Hourianne received the ball he was facing the wrong way meaning he had to take a touch then turn. Each time one of thier players were on him

Johnstone   thought he made a meal of the sàve he made yet positioning was awful for both goals

.

[Chris Smith]

I thought we were ok up to half time, not brilliant but dealt with most things. Once they scored though and we had to go chasing it they were able to pick us off. They are a good team, better than I was expecting, and are set up in a way that looks to exploit their speed and ability on the break.

Other results yesterday (and on Friday) demonstrated the nature of this league, it’s a long hard slog and even their manager said that positions in the table are meaningless at this point. 

[Mister E]

Whelan is simply hopeless.
We should play one of the kids in that holding position - Lyden or Lloyd-Hayes perhaps. The role requires dynamism and stamina.

[exiled on the wirral!]

I thought we were ok up to half time, not brilliant but dealt with most things. Once they scored though and we had to go chasing it they were able to pick us off. They are a good team, better than I was expecting, and are set up in a way that looks to exploit their speed and ability on the break.

Other results yesterday (and on Friday) demonstrated the nature of this league, it’s a long hard slog and even their manager said that positions in the table are meaningless at this point. 

Exactly how I saw it. We looked comfortable in the first half and we restricted them to mainly long range efforts. The 1st goal was a poor goal to give away and after that we were always going to be caught on the break with those quick forwards of theirs. If I was to offer one criticism, is I would play In Onamah  over Whelean any day..at least he would offer the pace we lack in midfield.

[pbavfckuwait]

When are we going to see a Villa team that has movement, believe to pass and pass quickly 90% of the time forward, has pace and guile, it was a good job Wolves do not have a top class finisher, or that could have been embarrassing yesterday. Best team we have come up against in the last 2 seasons, the worry I have they may not go up as champions and if they came 3rd, we may kop the bastards in the playoffs if we make them of course.
Also highlights the fact you do not need to kick your way out of this division, you can play football and get results, but you have to ensure you have players that are comfortable doing that, a position we are not in.
Lets not have they have spent loads and they have their Portugal guy/ agent doing the deals, we have spent plenty just not as well.
Welcome to football in 2017 Mr. Bruce.

[Can Gana Be Bettered!?!?]

Thought the goalie should've saved the second.

[Villa Lew]

Sadly not entirely surprised by our performance, have watched all the home games and the away ones on TV, and have only seen us play well once that was the Norwich game. Wolves were superb today, totally outclassing us in midfield and are the best team in the league by a mile. Only plus was Hutton and O'Hare, who in the 10 minutes or so he was on the pitch, did more than some players, who played the full 90.

Can't wait to see all the Wolves fans this week at my local!

[Clampy]

Got to say though, the one who scored their first goal was superb, full of running all game. Miranda for them kept falling over.

[Des Little]

Thought the goalie should've saved the second.

Absolutely. Getting done at your near post is unforgivable.

[The Edge]

When did Wolves get good?

They've luckily picked a (seemingly) good manager - it happens for teams every now and then.

They're clearly the best team I've seen this season, and probably an anomaly for the league. They play like that all the time they'll cruise the league.

We're miles behind them. But we're way beyond many others.

Put it behind us and move on to all the other teams we should be beating.

It wasn't luck picking a new manager. They did their homework and didn't go "old school" and it looks like it's paying off. Same as Huddersfield and Bournemouth, to name but two.

[Russ aka Big Nose]

Where to start? I was never going to enjoy the performance or result from any seat in the ground - but being in the Steve Bull Upper with a Wolves mate and sat in front of an exceptionally gobby twat was not great.

Hutton did well playing out of position and Albert offered good support to him as a result we were not as exposed as I thought would happen but it meant we offered nothing going forward down the left - except for one Hutton trademark gallop into their half when he passed the ball straight out (standard).

A squad of our size and with the money spent means we should have competent back up option at fullback when we lose our first choices - people filling in can work against Burton and Bolton but against a good side, in a local derby and in front of their biggest crowd for 36 years, then that won't do.

I think Whelan gets more stick than is merited - if we set up to let the opposition have the ball and with a defence that back peddles at the rate that Terry does, then if we expect one player to cover that they would need the energy, pace and strength that would embarrass Clark Kent.

I see a bloke who doesn't hide, puts in a shift, links play with simple passes when in possession and encourages (or digs out) those around him. He twice applauded/encouraged the energy and movement of O'Hare when he came on.

He is poorly served by how we set up, but so is Hourihane - a player who is instrumental in a side that wants to be on the front foot,  imposing itself on the opposition with energy, pace and a commitment to attack.

I'm also uncertain about Kodjia and Davis as a pair - I rate them both but as a pair they both look to go it alone and are looking for different service into them. Neither looks to find the other in my view - early days and I hope I am wrong, but that might prompt a big decision, and that is something I think Bruce is poorly equipped to do.

I'll finish with a word on Bruce. It can be easy to slate managers when disappointed by results, but the squad assembled, how we set up, decisions to pick players in roles they are not suited for (or not supported by the players around them is down to him).

It feels like there is no plan - he stumbled upon Davis and he was great for a few games, then Kodjia comes back and he can't work out how to organise the side.

Here's a clue Steve - it's not as simple as saying 'let's go 4-4-2' it is who you pick throughout the team and how you ask them to approach the game that determines what happens at the top end of the pitch. It also means we are less likely to get exposed at the back.

[The Edge]

People seem shocked that Wolves are good. They bloody well should be. We may have spent a lot but they have shelled out massive amounts on the Jorge Mendes backdoor project, manager and half the team are essentially champioons league quality and it showed. An agent is in bed with the owners and taking players there that I doubt even knew who wolves were before being told to go there. I expected the result because they have done nothing to try and comply with FFP while we scratched about trying to all summer. The big tests for us are Fulham and Blues. I will wait till after those games before deciding the last 6 weeks were a blip from the norm.

That's a good point about ffp. They've just gone for it and will worry about the consequences after they have been promoted to the Premier league. Meanwhile we seem to be the only club who even try to adhere to it.