Wolves welcome Jose Mourinho's Spurs to Molineux this evening for the first of two matches in two days against Top Six opponents as places in the top half of the table become harder to achieve.
Competition is hot amongst many of the teams in the Premier League right now. Wolves have today moved down a place following the win by Leeds United and even three points from today's game would only see them move up by two places.
Nuno Espirito Santo takes his team into today's game knowing his side is becoming increasingly ravaged by injuries - or 'issues' as he refers to them - which will definitely see Jonny, Jiminez and Dendoncker unavailable for selection, and possibly Willy Boly too. This is causing instability in a team which has in previous seasons gone for many matches unchanged, and is seeing the introduction of young players essentially 'thrown in at the deep end'!
Nuno will welcome Jose Mourinho who he regards as a well respected friend and adversary, whilst Mourinho will undoubtedly be looking to put things right after Spurs home loss to Leicester City last weekend, and their slide from top of the table to joint 6th position. The press have this week been concentrating on Nuno's comments regarding the performance of referee Lee Mason at Burnley, rather than his team's generally poor showing which led to a 2 - 1 defeat.
The game is part of Sky's Super Sunday presentation, kicking off at 7:15 pm, and being refereed by Paul Tierney
This board will provide updates on the progress of the game, and members are encouraged to post their own observations for the benefit of those unable to watch it.
Match Thread: Wolves vs Tottenham Hotspur
Posted by: Wolves (IP Logged)
Date: 27/12/2020 16:20
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021:01:01:22:15:04 by Cheshire wolf.
Good evening Ivybridge Wolf . Sadly neither Donk nor big Willy are fit even for the bench. However Nuno has made three changes and Marcal is back in the attacking line-up which I think includes a return to a back four. Line-up:
I’ve been ambushed by grandchildren and may have to play some Christmas games, oh joy!!!
Perhaps hide and seek, somewhere where I can still get a decent stream and not be found for a while.
Will join in if and when I can.
Hopefully we can squeeze a result.
DP has our first shot on target after good mazy run by Adama but it is far too soft & easily collected by Loris. DP down on the sideline after a kick to the Achilles but is OK.
Spurs break well & head just wide
Can’t fault our players for effort but just not clicking, in particular as an attacking force. A few bright moments though overall just not creating enough. Can’t say Spurs deserve to be in the lead but it’s own to us to get ourselves back.
Another match hard to foresee a revival but we’ve said that before. One goal could swing it significantly.
Half time after a pretty equal first half. Spurs scored in first minute after an opportunistic shot from outside the area after a corner. Wolves have worked hard and created some good chances, one of which Fabio went only just wide with.
Wolves 0 Spurs 1
Spurs forwards Son & Kane fall over as soon as they are touched, then CC blocks Ndombele & gets a yellow card. Free kick 25 yds out for Dier but put wide
A goal from a set piece which is a rarity for us this season. An excellent run and header by Saiss. Silva breaks and shoots well wide. Would expect at least 5 added minutes. Kane dives in our area but is ignored.
Fabio should have sealed it after a glorious ball from Neves
Finishes 1 - 1 after a good game, in which Wolves worked hard and fully deserved at least a draw after such an early lead for Spurs. Nice hug for Nuno from Doc at the end
Spurs tried to sit on their lead in the 2nd half and we did almost all the attacking, & just lacked a killer shot. Then they tried falling over for fouls, even Kane diving in the area dreadfully. We thoroughly deserved to at least draw, and sadly Fabio should have sealed it at the very after great movement in the area to meet a super Neves ball.
On to Old Trafford and if we can get another result there it will have been a good Christmas, but a lot to ask after only one day off. The game will be on Amazon Prime Video
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2020:12:27:21:24:37 by Cheshire wolf.
What a start! A bad goal to concede and I feared the worse but we came into it well.
Too many mis-placed passes in the first half though.
All through the match the balls into their box were not good enough, always being cut out, until the last couple of minutes when Neto hit a decent cross and then Neves ball which Fabio should have buried.
We did well to keep Kane and Son quiet which a lot of sides have been unable to do and in the end we got what we deserved at the very least.
I still prefer to play with a back three but overall a decent performance and a massive improvement on last week.
I found that a frustrating watch to be perfectly honest but our shear effort and perseverance deserved the point alone. Any real craft up front was in sore short supply tonight against a Spurs side who went to sleep as an attacking force ...... until we scored and they decided to try and have a go again. Unfortunately Spurs took the lead before we had decided to wake up.
Not sure what to make of the Silva miss. Thought he played okay but the miss right at the death was (very sad to say) very poor indeed. Hopefully that won’t knock him because it should have given us the win.
These lads don’t give up though. Not the silky stuff of seasons past, but the work rate was extremely good.
Manchester United next up ....... they are scoring for fun, pushing up the league but their defenders will always give us a chance.
Spurs didn’t have a shot on target after the 21st minute, which must have been partly due to good defending. Fabio definitely should have scored but he will gain more confidence and I’m sure the goals will come. Neto was superb tonight
Lupinehowler Currently Neto is skinning defenders more often than Traore, is it his approach to the game or the service he receives?
The frustration I have with Traore at the moment is that he waits on the wing for the ball and often stands waiting for defenders to gather round him before trying to break forward. Not always of course, but I frequently find it slows our attack and gives the opponents time to mount their defence.
You are quite right Chesh, he almost exclusively opts to get to the bye line with little opportunity to deliver a measured and weighted cross. I would love to see him drive into the penalty box and really put defenders under pressure, earning the occasional penalty no doubt. If he could replicate Neto current form he would be much improved, the skill is there but he looks a bit stuck in terms of ideas regarding varying his approach.
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