After the cruel news about Jonny's recurrent injury, and untimely exposure of Willy Boly to Covid-19 which led to an unsuccesful reshuffle of the Wolves defence and subsquent defeat at home to West Ham on Monday, Nuno Espirito Santo must now muster his team for another difficult challenge way to Fulham.
Ordinarily Wolves would be seen as favourites to win this game, but their recent poor form of no win in their last five games, and the recent improvement in their opponents fortunes paint a different picture. Fulham have mounted a serious charge in an effort to avoid what looked like odds-on relegation before Christmas. They now have a slight chance of saving their season, so they will be going all-out to win this game. Wolves managed only a 1 - 0 win at Molineux in October when Fulham could not manage a win at any cost, but their current form of both teams suggests it will take more to win the game tonight.
Wolves were seemingly forced to field a four man defence against West Ham on Monday following the withdrawal of Jonny and Boly, and whilst this led to an improvement in attack, the defence could not cope with the Hammers attack. It remains to be seen whether Nuno will continue with this approach or revert to the more usual five man defence, and do as critics have been calling for by returning Max Kilman to the defence. Perhaps what is more inevitable is that Fabio Silva will get more time on the pitch after his well taken goal on Monday, in place of Willian José who clearly doesn't know where the goal is!!
After Diogo Jota came back to haunt us for Liverpool, the cynics amongst us will no doubt be expecting Ivan Cavaleiro to get Fulham's winning goal, this evening too!
Tonight's game will kick off at 8pm and will be screened on BT Sport1HD
Our referee will be Jonathan Moss, with David Coote (for the second succesive match) on VAR Duties.
This board will carry regular updates on the progress of the game and members are encouraged to post their own observations for the benefit of those unable to otherwise follow the match.
Match Thread: Fulham vs Wolves
Posted by: Wolves (IP Logged)
Date: 09/04/2021 16:37
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021:04:25:13:55:49 by Cheshire wolf.
So.... we can only guess that the four-man defence has ben practiced heavily since Monday because Nuno has named exactly the same line-up. There will surely be a lot of criticism on social media about his reluctance to bring in Kilman or to drop Jose!! Line-up:
DP is playing through the midfield with Adama on left & Neto on right, but he’s not quite clicking yet.
Semedo brought down just outside the F’ham area. Neto to take free kick but too deep
Ivybridge Wolf Hi Chesh. In another world I would be watching this in a Chester pub ahead of travelling the extra few miles to Aintree tomorrow.
Oh well, there’s always 2022!
I believe the Chester Landlords are collectively in tears about their loss of revenue this evening!!
Good defending by Robinson to stop Neto. Some good attacking play from them so far too. Commentators saying Raul Jimenez will not play again this season!
Good play between RAN & Adama to earn a corner, but poor delivery easily cleared. Another poor corner easily taken by keeper, cross put over on to Loftus-Cheek’s head but wide
A couple of good chances for Fulham there, exposing some of our defensive frailties. Loftus Cheek should have scored, no doubt about it.
Neto crocked and Moutinho on!!
At last!!!! DP’s cross lands on Jose’s head and he plants it in the net. VAR looking at it and disallow it for offside against DP - probably his fingertips!!
Half time and Nuno is on the pitch questioning the ridiculous ruling! Such a shame as it would have been a really good team goal, capped by a first for Willian Jose. Still now they know what needs doing
Fulham 0 Wolves 0
Absolute bloody disgrace of a VAR decision. The match is drab enough without that shocking Stockley Park mirage cancelling the only bit of decent attacking play. Dreadful, dreadful officiating.
After that, Oh to be in the Bear and Billet ..... or Shropshire Arms, or Old Kings Head, perhaps the Cross Keys (the landlady went to the same school as me in Wombourn). I’ll just need to crack open another bottle here instead.
Scrappy game with neither team having any particular advantage.
Hoping Neto is going to be okay.
VAR nonsense denies us again, one frame before or after and the goal could have counted,
We need one of our famous second half performances to get the most out of this game.
Cmon lads.
Wolves showing more control & possession so far this half. Neves goes down under a challenge but no foul. Seems OK. Rilliant tackle to stop Adama who sits waiting for the whistle which doesn’t come!!
Ivybridge Wolf After that, Oh to be in the Bear and Billet ..... or Shropshire Arms, or Old Kings Head, perhaps the Cross Keys (the landlady went to the same school as me in Wombourn). I’ll just need to crack open another bottle here instead.
UTW
Some good attacking play by F’ham ends in a free kick ten yds outside our area. Free kick well cleared by Jose. Good competition between Robinson & Semedo down our right wing.
Ivybridge Wolf After that, Oh to be in the Bear and Billet ..... or Shropshire Arms, or Old Kings Head, perhaps the Cross Keys (the landlady went to the same school as me in Wombourn). I’ll just need to crack open another bottle here instead.
UTW
They’re all closed Ivy!!
Well you can dream, there’s not much happening in the match after all
Adama brought down on the edge of the F’ham area. Free kick from inside the D. Neves & Saiss in discussion! Saiss puts it just over aiming for top corner.
Ivan Cavaleiro to replace Aina for F’ham. Mitrovic totally miscues a cross & is furious!! Free kick to Wolves on left side for RAN to take, Joao gets a head on it but straight to the keeper
Corner to Wolves taken short & put over by Joao to Saiss but a weak header. Another corner earned by Fabio. Pressure on by Wolves but great block by Kongolo to deny MGW. Free kick to F’ham as we enter 3 added minutes but wasted
All over and a superb late, late winner gets Wolves the vital three points that Fulham needed. A fairly drab game spoiled by a VAR decision denying us again, but it smacked of Fulham needing a win more than Wolves. MGW was fouled, but Jon Moss played the advantage, Fabio put a brilliant pass through to Adama who raced on and smashed it past Areola. A deserved victory only because of the classiness of the goal.
Fulham 0 Wolves 1
Not so sure that we deserved that but I’ll take it. Great goal by Traore——at last.
High level of effort by the team so they should enjoy their three points.
Let’s hope that this fosters some greater confidence for the games to come.
Even with the Etch-a-Sketch lines across the pitch that looked like they had been drawn by some 4 year old, I still couldn't see how Podence was offside. Anyone who thought that VAR was a good thing were clearly mutants and as for the strange people who still think it's a good idea, the sooner they are locked away in a padded cell the better.
Fantastic goal from Traore who did little otherwise. The only good thing to say about a terrible match.
When we all thought a drab match and performance would be defined by a grossly unfair and quite ludicrous VAR decision, up pops Adama Traore to send the 3 points back to Molineux.
It was a tough watch at times, but how wonderful to get a win after a troubling run of matches. It was only Fulham, and they really weren’t up to much and but it’s a win and perhaps this result has gone a long way to seal their fate (my Brighton supporting mate is over the moon!). Any final fears of getting dragged into the the drop mix up have now officially ended.
Sheffield United up next ........ after getting the winner in the Grand National tomorrow ...... with any luck.
How on earth did Adama score from that angle? Great pass from Fabio and although Jose's goal didn't count , I thought he played well with his defensive heading and his holding up the ball under pressure. At last 3 points!!!
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