Wolves 0-2 Brentford: Verdict Thread

jd1981 said:

What Bruno has done is given himself more time with the style of play he’s employed if it was Pulis ball there would already be rumblings of discontent amongst a few.

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Agreed. But I would far sooner us try front foot football than grind a win football. That said 1 win every 5 games won’t keep us up. We need to do better. I think we will

Hard to know where to start with that one.

Game starts out for the first 20 or so we we’re controlling the game without really creating anything, but then Coady plays the ball back to Sa for absolutely no reason and then that allowed them to press us for the first time and we never really got out after that for 5 mins. We couldn’t handle it and it gave them the confidence to press us as they knew we were struggling with it. This then led to the corner and the absolute shambles from Marcal. Then we’re behind and they haven’t even had to try for it.

Now for a team who can’t score this is a disaster. And it was from here on.

We couldn’t handle Toney or Mbuemo at all. The former won everything in the air (and on the Floor) and the latter was too quick and strong for us.

The second goal is an absolute shambles from Kilman. That’s a kick out from the goalkeeper which he first over commits for and the messes up a simple challenge which has led to Toney bearing down on goal. 2-0 and game over.

No one comes out with any credit. Traore is still going to polarise because he did a lot of things badly. But sadly that is better than doing nothing at all, or everything badly which can be said about others. I don’t know where I stand with him, he’s the only one who looked remotely threatening, but if it leads to nothing then it’s a complete waste of everyone’s time. And him not being on the pitch would stop the “pass it to Traore and hope” tactic.

The back 5 did us no favours today. It meant we couldn’t really press them as their midfield 3 just passed round us and then as soon as they got it to the front 2 they held the ball really well and ran rings round us. Made the extra CB useless as it affected us pressing, offered us less of a presence in the final third and did nothing to stop their front two. Add in that we were then supposed to be playing with “wing backs” who are both practically useless in the final third then we were going to struggle. A formation that doesn’t suit anyone in your team apart from the back 3…

The right hand side was just a total void of creativity first half. Trincao did nothing and Semedo is useless as a WB when there’s no space. Never tries to beat a man, never puts in a cross. He’s a RB not a WB. Then Marcal on the other side offers nothing either, he’s a conservative LB definitely not a WB, but if he’s going to give goals away you may as well not bother with him at all. At least RAN gives them something to think about and would have destroyed Canos. Trincao was pretty much anonymous, Which makes Traores performance look amazing.

Raul is a massive problem. Unlike Toney and Mbuemo, he was neither quicker, stronger or more technical than their back 3, and when he did actually get on the ball he just gave it away. Sadly the only real alternative is Fabio Silva, but yeah he might be good in 3 years so let’s not worry. Raul needs to come out the team, but without playing someone as a false 9 we don’t have anything else. If only we had Kieffer Moore…(I Don’t even know if I’m being serious or not).

As for Bruno. He made the right call (ish) at half time. We needed a change. Anyone could have come off and I think the back 4 was the right call. However midfield was where we were struggling. Maybe Donck in there for Saiss. It’s a limited change but that’s all we’ve got in there, maybe could have tried signing someone. I mean anyone of their players looked like they could have come into our squad and been useful but apparently you can’t sign better than we have?

Anyway, we looked like a team who hasn’t played a back 4 though, things were all over the shop and there were no tactics. Things got worse where we just put 6 forwards on and gave it to Traore. Still nothing through the middle of the pitch.

Their time wasting was a joke and the fact the ref had no control over it was worse and only added 6 minutes. Honestly should have been 12. 6 subs, a red card, Gk changing his gloves and a ridiculous amount Of “injuries”. We could have maybe blamed the time wasting/ref if we’d scored but as we didn’t even have a shot on target in reality it made no difference.

It’s a rubbish result but might be a real watershed moment for us/Bruno. Allows him to make some changes, whether that’s tactical, personnel, both. Yes we won the xG battles previously and played well but at the end of the day we still lost, didn’t score and only did get going from a comedy own goal. Wednesday is a great opportunity to test those changes. I honestly don’t know what I’d do, but I don’t watch them every day In training, have access to all the data and get paid thousands to make the decision. That’s your job Bruno.

Trying to think of when I last celebrated a goal at a game. Think it was February 2020.

jd1981 said:

If the current continues come the November international break I suspect Bruno will be in big trouble. Fosun will get very twitchy if it’s evident our PL place is under threat.

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Who is next on the Mendes list of managers currently sitting it out waiting for a job?

SSB said:

Who is next on the Mendes list of managers currently sitting it out waiting for a job?

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Not going to happen surely?

If we continue at a pace of 3 from 15 you'd likely struggle to find Lage defenders tbf.

Jasperwolf said:

Not going to happen surely?

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Could easily happen if results continue in the same fashion.
Zenga was bombed out early on for poor form.

jd1981 said:

Could easily happen if results continue in the same fashion.
Zenga was bombed out early on for poor form.

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Fosun want us to play attacking, attractive football, but no one will do that with this squad, which is pretty much the same one Nuno failed to do those things with.

If they're not going to back Bruno with even one game-changing player during the window then what's the point in getting rid? Next one on the Mendes list would surely just be diminishing returns.

Get the guy a proper CB and CM ASAP FFS

prawnking said:

Fosun want us to play attacking, attractive football, but no one will do that with this squad, which is pretty much the same one Nuno failed to do those things with.

If they're not going to back Bruno with even one game-changing player during the window then what's the point in getting rid? Next one on the Mendes list would surely just be diminishing returns.

Get the guy a proper CB and CM ASAP FFS

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Don't disagree with the principle, would put a lot of money on hubris Jeff not agreeing though. FWIW I don't think we're close to that

prawnking said:

Fosun want us to play attacking, attractive football, but no one will do that with this squad, which is pretty much the same one Nuno failed to do those things with.

If they're not going to back Bruno with even one game-changing player during the window then what's the point in getting rid? Next one on the Mendes list would surely just be diminishing returns.

Get the guy a proper CB and CM ASAP FFS

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Regardless of performance, style etc results are king ultimately as is maintaining PL status. If they believe Bruno is running a risk of taking us down they’ll act staying in the PL trumps everything.
Agree the squad isn’t balanced enough for the attacking football they supposedly want but if it’s in danger of going down then it’s massively underachieving.

Today was the worst we have played this season. Deserved nothing , got nothing. We have too few options in midfield and an attack that has lots of pretty moves but zero end product. That needs to change pronto

9 home premier league defeats this calendar year out of 14 games that’s a shocking stat to be fair only 12 goals scored.

prawnking said:

Fosun want us to play attacking, attractive football, but no one will do that with this squad, which is pretty much the same one Nuno failed to do those things with.

If they're not going to back Bruno with even one game-changing player during the window then what's the point in getting rid? Next one on the Mendes list would surely just be diminishing returns.

Get the guy a proper CB and CM ASAP FFS

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Nuno didn't fail to play attacking football because of the squad, he built this squad to play the football he wanted.

jd1981 said:

Regardless of performance, style etc results are king ultimately as is maintaining PL status. If they believe Bruno is running a risk of taking us down they’ll act staying in the PL trumps everything.
Agree the squad isn’t balanced enough for the attacking football they supposedly want but if it’s in danger of going down then it’s massively underachieving

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It'd be a damning indictment on their strategy if that happened (unless Bruno really lost the plot and we started losing heavily constantly).

You aren't going to storm the PL with attacking football with no player investment and an inexperienced manager. He and the players can do better, it may take time and a little pragmatism. But Fosun can hardly expect wonders

MARKakaJIM said:

Nuno didn't fail to play attacking football because of the squad, he built this squad to play the football he wanted.

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I agree, just the way I phrased it.

I meant that when he tried to be progressive last season it wasn't a success either, so he had to go back to doing what his squad was built to do.

If Bruno is forced to do that then what was the point in hiring him?

prawnking said:

Fosun want us to play attacking, attractive football, but no one will do that with this squad, which is pretty much the same one Nuno failed to do those things with.

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It’s not true though is it. We’ve just been beaten by Brentford who have had plenty of plaudits for playing good football. They repeatedly sell their best players and today their only summer signing was Ajer for a measly £13.5m who walks into our team today. The rest of the team are seasoned championship players or players they signed whilst in the championship.

6 of the first XI they signed in the championship with the Konsa, Sawyers and Maupay money. They signed another two last year with the Benrahma and Watkins money and then Henry and Canos have been their donkeys!

Even with 10 men they were causing us problems.

Yes we could do with better players but we’ve got more than enough to have scored more then 2 goals in 5 games with an “attacking style
Of play”.

prawnking said:

I agree, just the way I phrased it.

I meant that when he tried to be progressive last season it wasn't a success either, so he had to go back to doing what his squad was built to do.

If Bruno is forced to do that then what was the point in hiring him?

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I think ultimately that is what is going to have to happen to keep us up. If you look at all the high press teams in the PL their squads didn't happen overnight. They kept adding the right players to turn them into that high press team, without sacrificing the defensive integrity.
Bruno will need time and players to implement a successful high press team, one that can score AND win games.

PuntsWolf said:

It’s not true though is it. We’ve just been beaten by Brentford who have had plenty of plaudits for playing good football. They repeatedly sell their best players and today their only summer signing was Ajer for a measly £13.5m who walks into our team today. The rest of the team are seasoned championship players or players they signed whilst in the championship.

6 of the first XI they signed in the championship with the Konsa, Sawyers and Maupay money. They signed another two last year with the Benrahma and Watkins money and then Henry and Canos have been their donkeys!

Even with 10 men they were causing us problems.

Yes we could do with better players but we’ve got more than enough to have scored more then 2 goals in 5 games with an “attacking style
Of play”.

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Sorry, which bit isn't true?

We've hardly been a free scoring team in the PL, and without Neto and (essentially) Raul, where are the goals supposed to come from?

Bruno, like Nuno before him, has to play three at the back as we don't have two CBs in the squad worthy of the name in a four. Being able to play a four would give him the option for an extra midfield or forward body

redvictor said:

Bruno will need time and players

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Well the poor sod has missed the boat for the latter, so let's hope he gets the former!

prawnking said:

I agree, just the way I phrased it.

I meant that when he tried to be progressive last season it wasn't a success either, so he had to go back to doing what his squad was built to do.

If Bruno is forced to do that then what was the point in hiring him?

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It's still far too early to be thinking like that in my eyes, there were plenty of fears before a ball was kicked that this whole endeavour would be a complete mess but today has been the first game where it's looked anywhere close and even then it's largely down to individual errors rather than a systemic failure.

The failure to upgrade the defence may we'll continue to hamper the plans, you were never likely to see Nuno's defence exposed in the way they were today for the 2nd goal but they still should've dealt with that easily. They weren't overrun or anything, just two really bad individual mistakes from Kilman and Saiss in relatively low pressure situations gifted a goal. It's easy to say better players handle that situation but the two involved shouldn't have been troubled by it either, they weren't out played as such they just fucked it up and any standard of player is capable of a mistake.

Perhaps some of it is still down to a lack familiarity, players don't have much practice dealing with some of the situations they now find themselves in because the previous system didn't really expose them to those challenges. I don't think it's surprising that there will be teething troubles with that, I'd be a lot more worried if the same is still true come Christmas and either the players haven't become accustomed to those problems or the manager not found a way to avoid them until he can get new recruits.