Southampton 0-1 Wolves: Verdict Thread

[YoungWolf]

I thought we just about edged it. Had the best two chances of the game, took one of them. Brilliant from and for Raul! Buzzing for him.

think criticism of Marcal is a little unfair at times. I don’t think it’s entirely his fault. Think would be best suited to left of a back three yet Nuno and now Bruno have insisted on playing him left wing back where he’s just a black hole for our attacks. He’s quite a good footballer in general IMO just not got an attacking bone in his body.

Sa was decent. Yes it was handball by Long but was really good alert goalkeeping regardless. Glad for Coady having a pretty solid game, he’s not been at it this season but is still important if we play a back three and need him performing.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

People don't seriously think we played well today, do they?

I think we defended well? The CBs plus Semedo definitely.

Marcal can still fuck the fuck off.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I’ve not seen anyone suggest so but they’ve tried to take some positives.

The positives are that Raul got his goal and defensively we didn't do much wrong (even Marçal, while showing Conference level ability and composure on the ball, didn't get beaten much or put us in immediate danger).

Clutching at straws to pick out much more than that.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

think criticism of Marcal is a little unfair at times. I don’t think it’s entirely his fault.

Hauling down Toney last week was entirely his fault and nothing to do with his position in the team. God forbid if Saiss or Coady had done that and still remained in the team.

Marcal shouldn't be in the team, and nothing he did today changes that. He's slow, can't cross (1 good cross aside), isn't strong in the air, is a liability for a booking (or a penalty), and his general distribution is really poor.

 

[Wilf Wolf]

The positives are that Raul got his goal and defensively we didn't do much wrong (even Marçal, while showing Conference level ability and composure on the ball, didn't get beaten much or put us in immediate danger).

Clutching at straws to pick out much more than that.

If you can’t see that Sa coming off his line to clear a ball close to the centre circle was a positive I’m surprised. He’s not perfect but deserves credit for his performance today.

 

[YoungWolf]

Hauling down Toney last week was entirely his fault, god forbid if Saiss or Coady had done that.

He shouldn't be in the team, and nothing he did today changes that. He's slow, can't cross (1 good cross aside), isn't strong in the air, is a liability for a booking (or a penalty), and his general distribution is really poor.

Don’t get me wrong, his marking at corners is beyond stupid, but he’s not a terrible footballer. Retains possession well, I’d actually not mind seeing him at left centre back but it won’t happen. He’s not particularly slow at all.

Can’t see Bruno dropping him just yet. I’d start RAN but he’s obviously not ready to throw him in yet it seems

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

If you can’t see that Sa coming off his line to clear a ball close to the centre circle was a positive I’m surprised. He’s not perfect but deserves credit for his performance today.

Yeah, but as I say, it was irrelevant. An obvious handball that was always going to be given, play had effectively stopped.

I didn't see Hwang getting praise for a decent effort off the bar when a foul had already occurred and the whistle had gone.

 

[prawnking]

Thought you had me on ignore.

We didn't play well, kid yourself we did if you like.

Mate, you know football as well as anyone on here.

Sometimes it doesn't gel or look great but you pull through and get the points and it can give you a platform. If it buys Bruno and the team more time to work and try to find the right combinations then it's good news for us all?

 

[Throbber3]

Thought you had me on ignore.

We didn't play well, kid yourself we did if you like.

No we were pretty shite and this was noted on the match day thread several times . But a moment of magic won the game and the assist came from some quick thinking by our keeper, who you don’t think much off. Well documented. Your only post pretty much is one to downplay one of the few positives after an awful game which we won. You deserved an eeyore for that

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I've just got back home, for fuck's sake.

What do you want me to do, get a helicopter back as soon as the final whistle goes so I can post sufficiently for your liking on the Wolves Forum?

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Don’t get me wrong, his marking at corners is beyond stupid, but he’s not a terrible footballer. Retains possession well, I’d actually not mind seeing him at left centre back but it won’t happen. He’s not particularly slow at all.

Can’t see Bruno dropping him just yet. I’d start RAN but he’s obviously not ready to throw him in yet it seems

There was a moment today when he just miscontrolled it and poked it out of play, they scored a disallowed goal off the back of it.

I can't see him dropping him either, he'd have done it today if he was going to. But i think Hoever has been good in the Spurs game and in his cameo today, i also liked Semedo on the left against Spurs and would be ok with that.

 

[YoungWolf]

There was a moment today when he just miscontrolled it and poked it out of play, they scored a disallowed goal off the back of it.

I can't see him dropping him either, he'd have done it today if he was going to. But i think Hoever has been good in the Spurs game and in his cameo today, i also liked Semedo on the left against Spurs and would be ok with that.

I like Hoever but he’s still so raw. Makes some crazy decisions sometimes. Semedo is a good enough footballer to play on the left but I’d still rather have a left footer out there.

Marcal is fine in the short term IMO. We just need Bruno to trust Ait Nouri sooner rather than later, he’s such a talent.

 

[AndyWolves]

The positives are that Raul got his goal and defensively we didn't do much wrong (even Marçal, while showing Conference level ability and composure on the ball, didn't get beaten much or put us in immediate danger).

Clutching at straws to pick out much more than that.

Weren't you saying recently that you didn't think Lage had the ability to grind points like Nuno was able to?

 

[Throbber3]

I've just got back home, for fuck's sake.

What do you want me to do, get a helicopter back as soon as the final whistle goes so I can post sufficiently for your liking on the Wolves Forum?

Still getting an eeyore. Most of us use a mobile phone which, by definition, allows us to post anywhere. But I will take you off ignore

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Weren't you saying recently that you didn't think Lage had the ability to grind points like Nuno was able to?

I'm not convinced he can in the long run (a better team than Southampton would probably have exploited the spaces we left in front of the back three/five much more than they did, ie not at all). I'm glad we won. We bloody needed to.

But what people can't do is say they were bored with Nuno's football, and say we were shit even when we won last season for the most part (that has some validity), then say that was a good performance. It was the same as we played in a lot of games in 2020/21. Sometimes we won 1-0, sometimes we got beaten.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Who has said it was a good performance?

 

[redvictor]

So just lose both?

Say what now?

 

[Wilf Wolf]

Yeah, but as I say, it was irrelevant. An obvious handball that was always going to be given, play had effectively stopped.

I didn't see Hwang getting praise for a decent effort off the bar when a foul had already occurred and the whistle had gone.

When Sa made the challenge he couldn’t have known handball would be given. Rui would have been on the edge of the box at that point. Sa was brought in to be more than a shot stopper and proved his worth today but you choose to write it off as irrelevant. Perhaps accepting Sa does have some benefits over Rui would be fair or are you colours so nailed to Rui’s mast you’re blinded to reality? Sa may well make many mistakes and prove to be a downgrade in due course but today he deserves credit in the bank.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I just said I wouldn't go overboard about a performance where, for all it mattered, he made one fairly routine save at his near post, and very nearly cost us a goal through just being stupid.

It's not always black and white, I'm not particularly interested in Rui now, he doesn't play for us.

 

[AndyWolves]

I'm not convinced he can in the long run (a better team than Southampton would probably have exploited the spaces we left in front of the back three/five much more than they did, ie not at all). I'm glad we won. We bloody needed to.

But what people can't do is say they were bored with Nuno's football, and say we were shit even when we won last season for the most part (that has some validity), then say that was a good performance. It was the same as we played in a lot of games in 2020/21. Sometimes we won 1-0, sometimes we got beaten.

Good point, no point changing the manager to have effectively the same performance levels.

I'd by lying if I wasn't a little concerned by decisions such as playing Saiss over Boly or still getting Marcal to cross the ball.

I suppose things like today's selection says that he's not happy with the squad. 2 keepers I think is making a statement. That said good to see Cundle getting in the squad, he's earned it