Match Thread: Wolves vs Brighton & HA

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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2019:05:11:11:22:55 by Cheshire wolf.

Two changes for Wolves this afternoon

Line-up: Patricio, Bennett, Coady, Boly, Doherty, Gibbs-White, Neves, Moutinho, Jonny, Jimenez, Jota

Subs: Ruddy, Saiss, Vinagre, Dendoncker, Costa, Cavaleiro, Traore

Referee today is Craig Pawson

Here we go in the brilliant Molineux sunshine



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019:04:20:15:06:13 by Cheshire wolf.

Jonny & Jota combine to earn a corner

Superb cross by Doc cut out for another corner. Good pressure from the get-go from Wolves. Brighton have to make an early substitution losing Propper

Really good confident play by MGW & Jota just fails to get it on target

Brighton are defending in numbers as they did at home against us. Free kick on edge of area earned by Doc & now a corner.
First shot in anger comes from Doc after good work from Jota

Wolves have had 84% possession so far!!

Good break & Jota forces another corner out of Bruno. I would love to see MGW get his first Wolves goal today as he is playing really well so far

Another long period of Wolves possession leads to our 5th corner - Boly just fails to connect. Murray breaks but no other Brighton player within 50 yds of him!!

1st yellow card to Stephens for taking out Jota. More good build up play and Jota shoots just wide

Play down the right hand side is most productive so far and we get our sixth corner but cleared easily



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019:04:20:15:42:08 by Cheshire wolf.

Good attacking play again by Joao & Doc but pass falls short

Two minutes added time to be played

Neves shot deflected up into air, Jota connects but it just pops on to top of the bar agonisingly

End of first half which Wolves have totally dominated but cannot yet find the way to break through a packed defence. MGW having an impressive game so far and some good wing play to earn us 6 corners already!

Is there anybody out there????

I'm here. Just hope we can learn to break down a packed defence but at the same time be aware of a break. We 've seen this situation before.

Afternoon BW

Here we go again with no changes. Mistake by Boly gives Brighton their first corner

Anything from Jimenez yet?

No real chances for him although as always he has been very much involved.
Kayak shoots from just outside area but over the top.
Jota unlucky to lose the ball in a good position

Brighton are growing in confidence and playing less defensthis half

Shot from Joao deflected for our 7th corner!

Vinagre being prepared probably to replace Jonny

Raul isn't firing on all cylinders today, in fact they are all struggling for ideas in front of goal

Vinagre has an immediate impact but Raul cannot direct his cross towards goal. Another corner to Wolves ends with a shot from Raul over the bar

Maybe this is a wakeup call for people saying the Burnley result was a " blip" as it was nothing of the kind. Unless teams attack us, we struggle to break sides down- any half decent side would blow Brighton out of the water particularly at home illustrating major investment is needed this summer. We've lost as many games as we've won practically and with that record the most inconsistent team in the league... better than being consistently poor than previous regimes I suppose.

Vinagre showing good speed. MGW replaced by Leander. Not sure why he's not bringing Traore on to really challenge their defence

Jota's header comes back off the post & Ryan manages to smother Leander's shot. We get our 9th & 10th corners, before Boly puts it over the bar

So Jota has hit the post twice. Looks like another of those days. Again!

Good cross from Doc earns our 11th corner. 17 goal attempts by Wolves - 4 by Brighton!!

31,096 at the match today including Ivybridge Wolf. No wonder I couldn’t get a ticket!!
Traore will be on soon

Traore replaces Doc

I haven't got much faith in Traore making a difference.

Long range shot from Neves well collected by Ryan. Great raiding by Vinagre earns our 12th corner. 5 minutes plus added time to play

Our corner taking has been poor most of the season- not sure Id keep Moutinho as our set piece taker

Bit late home - why can't we find the net? Seems we've had so many opportunities!

Ryan saves again from Leander. 3 minutes to be added

2 strikers required in the summer

Hopeless shot from Willy Boly after good play by Traore

Definitely two points thrown away - and probably 7th place!

All over and finished 0 - 0. Another example of how we fail to manage teams who simply come to defend, as we have no other game plan. MGW played well in 1st half and Vinagre showed speed and threat when he came on. Ryan made a couple of good saves but otherwise we lacked ideas on how to break them down.
Arsenal next up on Wednesday

Well that was a waste of a sunshine holiday in Spain!

Seems going out of the cup signalled the end of the season for some of our players. Disappointing really, because there's still SOMETHING to play for.

Quote:

wolverina
Seems going out of the cup signalled the end of the season for some of our players. Disappointing really, because there's still SOMETHING to play for.

You’re right Wolverina as we are now in 9th position with Watford now in 7th after winning at H’field today!

I dont agree, we were in the cup when we lost home and away to Huddersfield for eg. The reality is we have overachieved against the big clubs for reasons I illustrated on the other thread and underachieved against the lower teams. People can make out that all these defeats to lower premiership teams are blips or due to being out of the cup but you're kidding yourselves.

We're an average premier league side who can beat or lose to anyone on a given day without the quality to be consistent but enough about us to avoid a relegation fight. If people want to kid themselves it's down to being out of the cup more fool them.. we need better quality upfront. We took over 2 hours to take the lead against a league one Shrewsbury side over 2 matches so why people think failing to take 3 points against Brighton who sit back in a similar fashion defending is a great shock Ive no idea.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019:04:20:20:04:00 by an angry wolf.

The pattern of play does not change from one game to the next and if I have noticed it I am sure that the opposition managers have also and will set up their team to nullify and take advantage.
I actually think that we have got quality up front what we don’t have is a play maker with some level of creativity or flair that can offer something more to the strikers over and above the long “chase me” pass that seems to be our only outlet.
When we were in the Champ Costa and Cav were inventive enough to make our play attractive and could take on players for fun. That is no longer the case and needs to be addressed sooner rather than later or we will really be found out next season.

Top strikers drop back and create chances. Whilst we are on the subject of goals, I'm sick of Neves blasting the ball at goal from ridiculous distances. He does score from a few long range shots but thats only because he has countless shots game after game flying everywhere meaning our attacking play breaks up. It'd be nice to see him play a few killer balls to our "strikers " instead of scoring 3 points for wigan every game

It was a lovely day. I think I caught the sun a bit, sitting there in the North Bank. That was the good news.
Brighton were the most boring team to come to Molineux this season. They made no attempt to win the game and not much of an attempt to score a goal, understandable given their situation.
I suppose we can say that we were a little unlucky with hitting the woodwork twice but it's up to us to break these teams down. It's happened so many times this season that it's obvious we have a problem there.
Jota was probably our best player though Gibbs-White had a good first half and Vinagre did well when he came on.
On to Arsenal.

A thoroughly frustrating afternoons football played in fantastic weather conditions. Got the train in today, a couple (Bathams) in the Great Western and another couple (Bradleys Finest Golden) in the Lych Gate and onto Molineux - A lovely bright colourful setting!

Effectively for 90 minutes we completely controlled the ball and proceedings versus a side set up to defend, defend, defend. And why wouldn’t they? They are desperate for each precious point and apart from a few rare moments of true goal mouth excitement we failed - again - to break the opposition down.

I felt we looked really static up front. The approach play was too predictable, too methodical and we often just did not have the bodies in the box at crucial moments. We can have all the % of play, all the shots on goal, all the corners in the world but today, similar to many matches v sides fighting for their lives, we come up short. On our day, we can beat anyone, it’s true, however next season Nuno has to come up with a way to unlock resolute defensive set ups. Yes, fabulous season, but today in a classic example of where and how we need to improve.

Hopefully Arsenal will attack us on Wednesday, we’ll have a chance then!! One positive today, it might be the point to relegate Cardiff ... and I like my trips to Brighton.

UTW!