Half-term report

[Jabbawolf]

I haven't read the match or verdict threads for todays game, so maybe this has been covered elsewhere. Since Nuno arrived Coady has always been the first name on the team sheet, and the general consensus has always been that he can only play in the centre of a back 3, that he is not suited to a 4. So we switched to a 4 and Coady did "okay", but we are leaking too many goals and he is not a centre-half. His positioning has to be different, his responsibilities are different - he is learning on the job. And he can be bullied by big centre forwards.
Obviously his influence on those around him cannot be ignored, but are we witnessing the end of the Coady era? Boly and Saiss are more natural defenders, in a 2 or a 3, and Saiss can play in the middle of a 3.
I am not advocating one way or the other, but it could be argued that Coady is not good enough to play in a back 4 - that we should either stick with a 3, not play him, or move him into midfield.

Also we have been very unlucky with deflections - just half an inch could have been enough to turn a shot round the post instead of into the corner.

I think the Coady question, if we are to stay with a back four, has to be addressed.

 

[Tredman]

I think the Coady question, if we are to stay with a back four, has to be addressed.

I think Coady is great and absolutely the heart of our team. Does not look like a CB in a back 4, but nether do any of the others - Boly too many brain fades, Saiss too rash. Just play a fucking 5 or buy 2 new CBa.

 

[redvictor]

Coady is much more to the team than just a football player. He is the heart of it. But agreed it needs to change. Back to 3 is really the only option, for now anyway. We can't keep shipping goals without a strike force.

 

[PuntsWolf]

I don't think 4 at the back would be an issue if we had the personnel. I don't think we do. There's not one defender with the exception of the injured Jonny or Marcal who I'd think wood look as comfortable in a 4 as a 5.

But the goals we are conceding aren’t down to formation. You can play a low block with a 4-5-1 just like you can with a 3-4-3.

We played a 5 at Burnley, WB high up the pitch, CB dragged into channel, cross the backpost between Saiss and RAN - goal. We were more open then in 5 than we are in a 4!

 

[redvictor]

Maybe we really do miss Doc and Jonny more than we think......

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Doc in a back four? No, I don't think we miss that at all. No more than I miss Anthony Forde or Yannick Sagbo.

Semedo is a better RB than RWB, if the intention was to move to this shape then it makes complete sense.

 

[The Bear]

This is the main thing which needs fixing ASAP. Going back to a back three would help:


* Wolves are without a clean sheet in 12 Premier League games, the longest ongoing run among sides currently in the division.

* Wolves have conceded the first goal in each of their past nine Premier League games - their longest ever run of conceding the opening goal in games in the competition.

 

[Tredman]

With Marcal or Jonny perhaps, still can’t see where our first 2 CBs are though. I really don’t think it was the plan - it just worked ok when Coady was out.

 

[YoungWolf]

I think if you put Tomori next to Boly you get a decent combination of aerial quality, aggression with speed and technical ability. That would make sense in my head anyway.

in terms of judging this first half of the season, gimme a couple of days to digest!!! Will most likely write something up on it

 

[Tony Towner]

But the goals we are conceding aren’t down to formation. You can play a low block with a 4-5-1 just like you can with a 3-4-3.

We played a 5 at Burnley, WB high up the pitch, CB dragged into channel, cross the backpost between Saiss and RAN - goal. We were more open then in 5 than we are in a 4!

Coady is weak defending in a 1 on 1, always has been. 3 centre halves and he's not the one marking Robinson and doesn't give away the penalty. Agreed though that we let stupid goals in this year however we set up

 

[Jabbawolf]

Doc in a back four? No, I don't think we miss that at all. No more than I miss Anthony Forde or Yannick Sagbo.

Semedo is a better RB than RWB, if the intention was to move to this shape then it makes complete sense.

Dan - please educate me - my thoughts are that Semedo is good going forwards but defensively suspect, so my thinking is that would make him more suitable as RWB than RB.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

It's the way he attacks, he's better when he has more space in front of him and starting from deeper. We used to park Doc miles up the pitch more or less permanently unless we were playing City/Liverpool. That isn't Semedo's game. He's better running with the ball from his own half, at most from halfway or so and then linking from there. If you place him 10 yards away from Adama then nothing will ever happen.

Whereas Doc can't run with the ball any more than a standard League Two clogger, but he was alright at winning the ball aerially high up the park and playing from that position.

 

[Deleted Cyber]

It’s not difficult but Nuno has been very cautious and a bit Myopic. 3 at the back suits the defence. Midfield is the elephant in the room. When was the last league win when Moutinho and Neves started? Joao is 10% down on last year and it really shows. Otasowie is a better selection and leave Donk as the defensive midfielder except for set plays. My scores for the half season
Rui 5 Not his fault with goals often but he is not giving confidence to his defenders. Still can’t kick. Concedes almost half of the shots on target. Needs to step up.
Samedo 5. Can’t defend. Doesn’t score.
Boly 5. Not his season. Too many unforced errors.
Coady 6. Better in a 3 than a four.
Saiss 6. Done well in many games but positioning is poor for a centre back and it costs us goals.
RAN 6. Ok going forward. Naive defensively.
Neves 5 . Only done well with Otasowie beside him recently.
Moutinho 5. Legs look shot. Time catches up with all.
Dendonker 5 gets chances and misses them.
Otasowie 7. Looks a prospect
Neto 7. Player of the year so far
Silva 4. Had his best game today ironically but generally lightweight and lacks real pace or trickery
Podence 6. Flashes of brilliance then anonymous
Traore. 6 just starting to show some of last seasons form
Raul 6 looked isolated too often before his injury
Hoever 7 looks the best of our window buys
Marcal 6 I fear he may be made of biscuits.
Kilman 6 has not let us down but lacks pace.
vitinha 5 brief cameos but hasn’t shown that much.
Cutrone 4 not the answer I fear but needs game time to prove it incredibly!
MGW. 5 doesn’t seem to have developed much in 3 years.
Nuno 5. Wanted evolution but didn’t buy the players to evolve. Hampered by Rauls injury but not having a decent Raul back up was glaringly obvious necessity and it was spectacularly ignored. That’s on Nuno and the club and they have to live with that
Tactically outthought by the genius that is Sean Dyche that was a low point until today. . Does not know his best 11 or formation. That’s a worry. He must get the team back to being hard to beat. A point a game second half is fine. Then a clear strategy for next season with some significant improvement in recruitment.

 

[redvictor]

Doc in a back four? No, I don't think we miss that at all. No more than I miss Anthony Forde or Yannick Sagbo.

Semedo is a better RB than RWB, if the intention was to move to this shape then it makes complete sense.

I meant how we used to play. We can see Doc in a back four now. It's not pretty.
But here's the truth. We've gone from a team who every team in the premier didn't want to play, to one that every team in the premier knows how to beat. That is disturbing for me. I think we miss Raul for more than just his presence in the box. He would chase the back four all match. That helped the midfield. We miss Jonny's solidness at the back, that helped the defence. Neto is as good(if not better) than Jota. But the rest of the team members is as we had them. Yes, we have had injuries, but today not so much.

 

[Jabbawolf]

It's the way he attacks, he's better when he has more space in front of him and starting from deeper. We used to park Doc miles up the pitch more or less permanently unless we were playing City/Liverpool. That isn't Semedo's game. He's better running with the ball from his own half, at most from halfway or so and then linking from there. If you place him 10 yards away from Adama then nothing will ever happen.

Whereas Doc can't run with the ball any more than a standard League Two clogger, but he was alright at winning the ball aerially high up the park and playing from that position.

Ok, I get that makes sense going forwards, but what about the defensive aspects of each role?

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Doc can't defend regardless...

I don't think Semedo is anything like as bad defensively as people make out. Had some issues with misjudging crossfield balls but that seems to have gone now. Certainly didn't do anything wrong in that sense today, for instance.

 

[redvictor]

Marcal 6 I fear he may be made of biscuits.

He is the new sicknote in fairness.

 

[YoungWolf]

Doc can't defend regardless...

I don't think Semedo is anything like as bad defensively as people make out. Had some issues with misjudging crossfield balls but that seems to have gone now. Certainly didn't do anything wrong in that sense today, for instance.

Agree with this and your comments on him offensively.

 

[Paul]

Otasowie 7. Looks a prospect
Neto 7. Player of the year so far

You're giving him extra points based on potential...........mmmm interesting

 

[Deleted Cyber]

You're giving him extra points based on potential...........mmmm interesting

No giving him points for fulfilling his potential and almost heading the winner v Brighton