Brighton 0-1 Wolves: Verdict Thread

[Wulfie88]

 

[Yankeewolf]

Song for the 'Moroccan Maldini'

Tune: Any Dream Will Do

He's Roman Saiss
He's our Maldini
Scores goals quite freely
Just the one or two

And when he scores
He's like Maldini
It's nice and easy
Just the one or two

 

[Tom Hark]

Our attack is therefore constipated

Better than having a dire rear.

 

[The Bear]

Song for the 'Moroccan Maldini'

Tune: Any Dream Will Do

He's Roman Saiss
He's our Maldini
Scores goals quite freely
Just the one or two

And when he scores
He's like Maldini
It's nice and easy
Just the one or two

 

[The Bear]

Oh and thanks. I can't get that feckin tune out of my head now.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

The Brighton hoodoo isn't what people suggest, we won there in 2004 and 2016, not like we've played them *that* much over the last 30+ years either.

A strong second half, played some good football particularly on the counter, never looked particularly threatened and should have scored at least two, probably more. With Raul I think we win that game very easily. Adama's best performance since August and Trincao even won a 60/40 at one stage, scenes. The back three are evidently in excellent form and have a real understanding, cannot argue with the Saiss MOTM call, he was great at both ends. A simply wonderful pass by Neves (who got through some serious work, particularly second half) and a good finish too. They had the sitter right after we scored but pretty much nothing else. Some credit to the much-maligned Marçal who did a good job against Lamptey at very short notice.

The first half was dreadful from both teams, was like watching Ken's 2015/16 outfit play against itself. BT annoyed me by banging on about Brighton's missing players when we were unable to field Jonny, Mosquera, Ait-Nouri, Neto and Jimenez, then Hwang was broken inside five minutes.

If we are using Dendoncker in that "see out a game" role then can he stop giving away stupid free kicks please? Ta.

We needed that win, I know it's a tough run but at any stage you seriously don't want to be going 6/7/8+ without a victory, it just breeds pressure. Time will tell if we actually get to play many/any of the upcoming scheduled games...

 

[Quirkafleeg]

Song for the 'Moroccan Maldini'

Tune: Any Dream Will Do

He's Roman Saiss
He's our Maldini
Scores goals quite freely
Just the one or two

And when he scores
He's like Maldini
It's nice and easy
Just the one or two

I bet you're one of them sorts that holds up a piece of cardboard asking for a shirt..

 

[Dire Wolf]

The Brighton hoodoo isn't what people suggest, we won there in 2004 and 2016, not like we've played them *that* much over the last 30+ years either.

A strong second half, played some good football particularly on the counter, never looked particularly threatened and should have scored at least two, probably more. With Raul I think we win that game very easily. Adama's best performance since August and Trincao even won a 60/40 at one stage, scenes. The back three are evidently in excellent form and have a real understanding, cannot argue with the Saiss MOTM call, he was great at both ends. A simply wonderful pass by Neves (who got through some serious work, particularly second half) and a good finish too. They had the sitter right after we scored but pretty much nothing else. Some credit to the much-maligned Marçal who did a good job against Lamptey at very short notice.

The first half was dreadful from both teams, was like watching Ken's 2015/16 outfit play against itself. BT annoyed me by banging on about Brighton's missing players when we were unable to field Jonny, Ait-Nouri, Neto and Jimenez, then Hwang was broken inside five minutes.

If we are using Dendoncker in that "see out a game" role then can he stop giving away stupid free kicks please? Ta.

We needed that win, I know it's a tough run but at any stage you seriously don't want to be going 6/7/8+ without a victory, it just breeds pressure. Time will tell if we actually get to play many/any of the upcoming scheduled games...

It feels like a few Covid outbreaks would benefit us, give some players with niggles and knocks chance to recuperate and get fit. Once RAN and then Hwang were injured so early last night that subs bench was alarming.

 

[SSB]

If we are using Dendoncker in that "see out a game" role then can he stop giving away stupid free kicks please? Ta.

Moutinho could also do with reading this.

 

[Yankeewolf]

I bet you're one of them sorts that holds up a piece of cardboard asking for a shirt..

Yes! That's me. But what do you think of the song?

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

The Brighton hoodoo isn't what people suggest, we won there in 2004 and 2016, not like we've played them *that* much over the last 30+ years either.

A strong second half, played some good football particularly on the counter, never looked particularly threatened and should have scored at least two, probably more. With Raul I think we win that game very easily. Adama's best performance since August and Trincao even won a 60/40 at one stage, scenes. The back three are evidently in excellent form and have a real understanding, cannot argue with the Saiss MOTM call, he was great at both ends. A simply wonderful pass by Neves (who got through some serious work, particularly second half) and a good finish too. They had the sitter right after we scored but pretty much nothing else. Some credit to the much-maligned Marçal who did a good job against Lamptey at very short notice.

The first half was dreadful from both teams, was like watching Ken's 2015/16 outfit play against itself. BT annoyed me by banging on about Brighton's missing players when we were unable to field Jonny, Mosquera, Ait-Nouri, Neto and Jimenez, then Hwang was broken inside five minutes.

If we are using Dendoncker in that "see out a game" role then can he stop giving away stupid free kicks please? Ta.

We needed that win, I know it's a tough run but at any stage you seriously don't want to be going 6/7/8+ without a victory, it just breeds pressure. Time will tell if we actually get to play many/any of the upcoming scheduled games...

With the amount of stupid free kicks we gave away in the last few minutes, i started to wonder if it was a tactic, as we felt we were more than capable of defending the impending set piece rather than what they offered from open play? Marcal, Moutinho, Dendoncker and Semedo all gave them away in very quick succession!

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Obligatory whisper but we still haven't conceded from a set piece (bar penalties) yet, have we?

Impressive. Kilman improving his ability in the air has been massive for us, he wins loads now, last season you couldn't get the Express & Star under his feet.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Indeed, which makes it all the more possible we are risking giving away those free kicks to break the play up? We've seen how the dark arts have been brought in generally, maybe this is another aspect of that?

Kilman's improvement has been staggering.

Semedo and Coady too have also gone up a couple of gears, Coady's positioning has improved, and Semedo just doesn't have the brain farts he used to, he holds onto the ball really well too (he always did though in fairness)

I felt it was a really good ball across their 6 yard box from Semedo in the 2nd half, Trincao was asleep.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Yep, if Raul is playing then that's 2-0 and game over.

 

[North Shropshire Lad]

Obligatory whisper but we still haven't conceded from a set piece (bar penalties) yet, have we?

Impressive. Kilman improving his ability in the air has been massive for us, he wins loads now, last season you couldn't get the Express & Star under his feet.

I thought Kilman had one of his poorest games for a while last night, such is the high bar he's set this season. That said, I did notice how on the occasions he did get beaten or gave it away, his recovery of the situation was very good. Had a look of a Martin Keown about him a couple of times the way he smothered the play to win the ball back. An established [it's all about me] ref might have penalised him for it, but he stopped the mistake becoming costly.

 

[YoungWolf]

Yep, we are just so much better defending the box in general. Couple of soft goals (Ings, Vardy) but so much better. Set pieces particularly we have a good balance with how we set up. I like how we keep players up, it's refreshing as hardly anyone does that, so it's quite brave. If Roberts does have as much influence on set pieces as suggested then fair play to him. Even the way we position players on the edge of the area is sensible given we don't tend to win the first contact when attacking.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I thought Kilman had one of his poorest games for a while last night, such is the high bar he's set this season. That said, I did notice how on the occasions he did get beaten or gave it away, his recovery of the situation was very good. Had a look of a Martin Keown about him a couple of times the way he smothered the play to win the ball back. An established [it's all about me] ref might have penalised him for it, but he stopped the mistake becoming costly.

An interesting one on MOTD. He got pulled out of position challenging for a ball near halfway that he didn't need to. Ruben immediately filled in at RCH.

Tactically we are extremely disciplined which is not what I expected, especially after pre-season. It does perhaps come at the cost of fluency/spontaneity going forward but if you can't win, don't lose, that's always the mantra.

 

[North Shropshire Lad]

Ultimately, with the squad at his disposal, Bruno has done this extremely well and has definitely improved the defensive side of our game. The shambles we were at times last season has not been repeated. I think Sa's mobility [or maybe Rui's reluctance to leave his line last year] has also contributed to our slightly higher line.
On paper, or to those that don't watch us often, we have a decent array of attacking talent. Unfortunately the truth is that very few are progressive players and even those that are have little or no end impact.
Podence, Traore, Neves because of his highlights reel, Ait-Nouri on YouTube and even Neto to a degree would all make you assume they would be a potent and consistent threat but they're not. Even Raul, for all he's done for us, has never across his career been prolific.

 

[Johnny75]

I don't agree that we don't have attacking talent and the RAN comment is unnecessary.

What we don't have outside Neto and Raul are finishers. Added to that you can have all the talent in the world but if you're set up defensively, which we have been in the main, you're unlikely to score many goals.

And if your right wing back is a vacuum for creativity and don't have a supporting midfielder 3 against 6 isn't a good ratio for attacking play.

That's on Bruno to change, which to his credit, he is trying to with patchy success so far.

 

[North Shropshire Lad]

I said our attacking players, or those that are assumed to be attacking, have little or no end impact and that they are not as potent or consistent as some would expect them to be. My own eyes and their stats back me up. I didn't say we don't have any attacking talent.

I didn't see a great deal of Ait-Nouri in person at Angers and so can only go on the videos of what he played like there. I haven't seen anything consistently similar since he's been here.
I do like him though and think he's been great this season [nod to Marcal while I'm at it as he was good last night covering him], so don't think the 'comment is unnecessary'.