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Wolves 2-1 Brighton: Verdict Thread

Quite a bit of fluid movement between him, Salah and Mane though (last season anyway). I just think we have forward players now who could execute similar.
They don't interchange all that much, Firmino plays centrally at least 90% of the time but comes short to try and pull defenders out, creating space for Salah and Mane to cut inside their fullback and get in on goal.
 
It was a lineup that promised a mixture of chaos, naivety, and excitement - and it certainly delivered. Really entertaining game, I love the way Brighton move the ball around, and they have spells where they can run the best in the country ragged, so it's no surprise they did to us at times in the first half. Their passing and movement is absolutely exquisite at times, and I do think that Potter is going to the top.

Set-pieces. They're an absolute disgrace. I was really angry at that goal - Neves on Dunk ffs, it's just ridiculous. And then it happened again. And then again. It's by design, but if it clearly isn't working, why isn't Nuno, or even Coady, saying "nah fuck this lads, we're at risk on every corner, let's change this shit up a bit". I'm no coach, and Chappers was given stick for saying "what's wrong with just putting a big man on a big man", but there's got to be some area in between that simplicity, and just setting yourself up to fail. It's bastard ridiculous.

Obviously, we all know a 4231 will absolutely work. I'd rather see two new centre backs in to do this, but it's got to be one at an absolute minimum. It's essential to get the best out of the system.

Obsiously, the second half was a lot better - as was the first ten minutes tbf; I think it's a different game if we're remotely solid from set pieces.

When Adama can play like that, he's more than worth keeping. I just wish that there was something a bit better from him in the middle ground - something in between 'ridiculously good' and 'absolute waste of a shirt'. We only really want one of him or Podence for me, and the best of Adama is better than the best of Podence. I'm still far from convinced I'd keep even Adama tbf, but if we can get that even one in five rather than one ten, he's worth keeping off the bench.

The effort and intensity in the second half was really impressive, and there was no shortage of quality on show to go with the heart.

RAN, Vitinha and Silva - the three of them are destined for the very top of the game, there's not a doubt about it for me. They're all proper footballers, and bring so much when they're all on it.

What Nuno has shown, and that I wasn't convinced that he could, is that he's willing to give young players, and more vibrant football, a good go. You can tell there are some lads on the pitch the last couple of games that think they're playing for their futures here, and I don't think we'll see a drop in their performances next season, as long as Nuno doesn't retreat too far into pragmatism.

If you offered me tenth place next season, with proper game time to a young centre half, ran, Vitinha, Silva, Neto, helped along by the experience of a top centre half, Semedo, Neves, another dominant CM, Raul and Trincao-y type, and a similar footballing philosophy to that we've played with in the second half, I'd be really, really happy, and convinced we'd then go on to special things for a few years from August 2022.
 
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If anything it was a slightly more traditional Nuno's Wolves - good passages of play particularly with the transitions and overloads in the second half (even with eleven men), plenty of heart, glimpses of quality and just a bit of fight.

With young players like RAN, Vitinha and Silva you will always get heads dropping or things that don't quite come off all of the time, but they try riskier plays and movement off the ball which is infinitely better than what we've seen recently. Whether that is down to them being better players or just a bit less mentally exhausted, who knows. I'm similar to Del in that I'd take top ten next season because if we can hold onto these players from 2022 onwards we could be on the brink of something quite special.
 
I'm not sure if this was just how Brighton set up with 10 men but I can't remember them having a shot in the 2nd half? I thought we managed to control the game really well against 10 as it's easy to get caught out pushing too many forward especially if the only 2 back are Coady and Kilman against Welbeck who's a lot quicker than them.

Pleasing performance overall and even in the first half I think we restricted them to just having chances from corners which you would hope is an easier thing to fix than if they had 3/4 open play chances. Really pleased for MGW to get the winning goal hopefully it's a confidence booster for him.

As much as I would suggest previously that our short corner routines have been more successful than it would seem from watching how many we get completely wrong, today I don't think we managed to get any decent delivery in at all, we've seen previously that Hoever isn't a great crosser of the ball so I've no idea why he was the short option on the right as surely just dropping Podence over to that side would make more sense.

Fabio and RAN again impressed, thought Fabio's first touch for the sending off was a clever one and his touch for the first goal even better while RAN seems to be having more and more impact going forward and linking with others even if he does on occasion carry on running when he should just lay the ball off, again though good work for the winner, starting to look forward to next season more each time the youngsters play, hopefully we can show more signs against better opposition in the last 3 games.
 
Pleasing performance overall and even in the first half I think we restricted them to just having chances from corners
2 decentish chances from open play. Welbeck header back to Maupay, which he bollocked over the bar and the long ball to Welbeck that Coady managed to get back to mop up before he could shoot.
 
2 decentish chances from open play. Welbeck header back to Maupay, which he bollocked over the bar and the long ball to Welbeck that Coady managed to get back to mop up before he could shoot.
I'll blame the dread of conceding from corners take the blame rather than me losing my memory.
 
Thought we started with intent but as soon as Brighton got the ball we looked vulnerable, Coady looked shaky and in a 4 we still don't get our 2 deeper midfielders in positions to stop passes into forwards who link play.

Our defending from corners is a shambles and has been all season, not sure how we haven't figured out that using Neves etc as blockers isn't working, they aren't strong enough to hold players like Dunk back and our players who should be challenging can't attack the ball properly from their zones.

I think it's obvious to everyone now that Vitinha, Ait-Nouri and Fabio have the potential to be top class footballers and we saw that against today.
RAN's getting more confidence to travel with the ball now and that's when he looks best but he also links well with those close to him.
Vitinha didn't have as much influence on the game as he did against Albion but he's so comfortable on the ball and will pick passes around the box that others can't and was involved with Fabio for the red card.
Fabio proved again that he's improved so much this season and he's going to benefit so much from it, great one-two with Vitinha to get through before Dunk pulled him back and lovely little lay off to Adama for the equaliser. He's not Raul but we have to make sure he still gets plenty of minutes next season.

I thought both Hoever and MGW were better than what i was reading from Wolves fans both on here and on twitter during the game. Hoever can't cross we've discovered that but he linked up well especially with Adama second half and i think he looks more solid than Semedo. He's another that has to get more minutes because he has the potential. When it comes to MGW i've said before i've been critical of his approach within games for us, too many flicks and not enough of doing what he is actually good at but he's also never got to play in a role that actually suits him. First half today he wasn't at his best but that was because he was too wide, once he started to drift inside and then play inside later in the game he was a big influence on us controlling the latter stages and he deserved his goal. I think he was a bit unlucky with the earlier chance and it's one of those that gets criticised far more than it should, Adama probably should shoot when he checks back past the keeper and the ball just bounces up a little as Morgan strikes it. He definitely should still score with that more often than not but it wasn't the sitter many think. I thought he had no future here but from the little we've seen of him this season in that number 10 role i think he's got something to give and still has lots of improvement in him.

From what i've seen across the whole season is that we have some excellent young players who are improving by the game, we need Nuno to nurture them and get the best out of them while also getting more out of the senior pros and improving the quality of the squad with players in during the transfer window. There's a lot of talent and most of it attacking in this squad now and it would be a shame to not let them express themselves as i think we definitely could be back up in the European spots next season if they're allowed. If he can't get attacking football out of a squad that contains Adama, Neto, Raul, Fabio, Vitinha, Otasowie, Neves, Semedo, Ait-Nouri etc... then it's time to worry.
 
I know that Brighton's defense is three tugboat cloggers, but Fabio still impressed me with his pace today. Running away from Dunk may not be a huge achievement but he made it look good.
 
Interesting to see the stat about having 5 starters under the age of 21, first that a Prem side has done that since 2018, which was Leicester.

Whilst you recognise the side is younger yourself obviously it hadn't clicked with me how young some of them are till I read that.
 
Vitinha may have been a bit quieter but he was instrumental in our win. Played the ball through for Fabio to run onto and played the ball into Adamas feet for the equaliser.

We haven't had anyone can play those types of passes before
 
Interesting to see the stat about having 5 starters under the age of 21, first that a Prem side has done that since 2018, which was Leicester.

Whilst you recognise the side is younger yourself obviously it hadn't clicked with me how young some of them are till I read that.

Both of our full-backs were 19, Fabio 18.

What is scary about them is that, apart from RAN's decision making from time to time you wouldn't tell. They don't look the slightest bit out of place. Vitinha and Fabio very rarely make the wrong decision.
 
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