Newcastle 1-0 Wolves (13/09/25) - Verdict Thread

[YoungWolf]

They are shit but have two players far more likely to win a match than we do.

 

[slink]

to say we are competing is a real stretch. There’s so little plan in possession and at the back we have looked a real mess defending the box.

Played 4 lost 4. Scored 2 conceded 9.

Over - 1 xGD per game. Only Villa and Burnley worse than us in that sense.

We’re making the squad worse every year so it’s not a surprise. I don’t see why anyone can think we aren’t clearly one of the worst 3 teams in the division and do not look like improving.

We have competed though in the last 3 games and we did yesterday against a very good side. In terms of defending the box it’s pretty much all on Agbadou that we’re failing which i do think is a massive issue we need to resolve.

We know the squad is worse but lots of other teams haven’t improved and we still have some very good players that we need to get the best out of.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

West Ham are at least as bad as us, I would argue worse. They fold like Superman on laundry day and their fans fucking hate everyone bar Jarod Bowen. Plus they have Max Kilman.

badumtish

 

[slink]

They are shit but have two players far more likely to win a match than we do.

This has already been “proven” wrong this season. They were pretty much full strength in the cup and we beat them and had we played the team that ended the game from the start on the balance of that time it would have been far easier. There’s so many variables in football and i stick by the opinion that the negativity of everything which is fair is magnifying anything that isn’t positive.

With all that being said i’m not an idiot, we need to improve or we will go down but i do think the squad is there to do it.

 

[jd1981]

We have competed though in the last 3 games and we did yesterday against a very good side. In terms of defending the box it’s pretty much all on Agbadou that we’re failing which i do think is a massive issue we need to resolve.

We know the squad is worse but lots of other teams haven’t improved and we still have some very good players that we need to get the best out of.

Explain how it’s competing not having a single effort on goal for nearly 50 minutes when losing 1-0.

 

[sycophantia]

While I'm not as optimistic as Slink, I think he has some fair points.
Yesterday Newcastle did not 'manage' the game at 1-0, they were quite poor, they were panicking last 15 which makes it even more frustrating we didn't have enough quality to force a goal. I think Pereira made a massive mistake bringing Munetsi and Bellegarde on to save the game. Lopez has to have more minutes.

 

[slink]

I don't agree with this. I think we really overrate our players. Also, unlike any other squad, we have glaring issues, such as having no players with genuine pace that can carry the ball in attack.

I would say we're better than Burnley on paper, but that's about it. That's not me saying that other teams are way better than us by any means, but, as a balanced collective, I would rather Leeds/Sunderland/Brentford's squad than ours.

The only saving grace is that Pereira is probably a better manager than Farke/Le Bris/Andrews, so that might give us an edge, but I think our squad is packed full of average players.

Name me one player from the Leeds team yesterday that you would take?

 

[YoungWolf]

We have competed though in the last 3 games and we did yesterday against a very good side. In terms of defending the box it’s pretty much all on Agbadou that we’re failing which i do think is a massive issue we need to resolve.

We know the squad is worse but lots of other teams haven’t improved and we still have some very good players that we need to get the best out of.

We’ve been kept at arms length in every game as far as I’m concerned. None have had to play well to beat us. Including city. Everton I thought had a good plan but weren’t fantastic we just had no answer to how they set their press.

This has already been “proven” wrong this season. They were pretty much full strength in the cup and we beat them and had we played the team that ended the game from the start on the balance of that time it would have been far easier. There’s so many variables in football and i stick by the opinion that the negativity of everything which is fair is magnifying anything that isn’t positive.

With all that being said i’m not an idiot, we need to improve or we will go down but i do think the squad is there to do it.

It was a terrible game of football and in the cup. Both teams were atrocious. We were better with two forwards up top at the end granted.

 

[slink]

Explain how it’s competing not having a single effort on goal for nearly 50 minutes when losing 1-0.

How many attempts did Newcastle have? It was that kind of second half. We had to take our biggest threat off because he’s not match fit. I’m not trying to say we’re a fantastic team or anything either i’m just saying we’ve not been as bad as it’s been portrayed.

I will add as i have previously that we need to improve to win games but it’s my opinion we can. Obviously it can go the other way, we can get worse but that will be failure from Vitor.

 

[jd1981]

How many attempts did Newcastle have? It was that kind of second half. We had to take our biggest threat off because he’s not match fit. I’m not trying to say we’re a fantastic team or anything either i’m just saying we’ve not been as bad as it’s been portrayed.

I will add as i have previously that we need to improve to win games but it’s my opinion we can. Obviously it can go the other way, we can get worse but that will be failure from Vitor.

What one where we do nothing and they see out the 3 points with no real threat. We had a good opening 20 minutes the moment we were put under pressure we conceded. Newcastle still created the better quality of chances either side of the goal.
Said to you earlier but it’s utter delusional to suggest not getting battered at Newcastle means we’ll do well v Leeds.
Facts are facts 4 games no points only 2 goals scored and 9 conceded. Basically tells we’re ok until we’re in the opposition penalty area and defending our own. Pretty much pivotal if you ask me.
Oh and missing chances are as equal a mistake as being a defensive calamity.

 

[WVWolf]

Name me one player from the Leeds team yesterday that you would take?

I wouldn't 'take' them as such but there's not much difference at all between Bogle, Rodon, Struijk, Gudmundsson, Stach and Ampadu and what we have based on performances this season.

I'd take almost anyone over Hwang. And I don't particularly rate James/Gnonto/Okafor but we have no player with that profile, so one of them would have to play.

For the record, I reckon Burnley, Wolves & Leeds go down.

 

[jd1981]

Look I’d love to be on the receiving end of a “told you so” situation sadly I think it’ll be the other way round.
The squad of players we have is the worst since May 2017.
It’s the worst top flight squad we’ve assembled in the pl era, sorry that’s why we’re in deep shit.

 

[Stan Hullis]

Look I’d love to be on the receiving end of a “told you so” situation sadly I think it’ll be the other way round.
The squad of players we have is the worst since May 2017.
It’s the worst top flight squad we’ve assembled in the pl era, sorry that’s why we’re in deep shit.

*since we were promoted under Nuno, I’ll agree with

 

[slink]

Look I’d love to be on the receiving end of a “told you so” situation sadly I think it’ll be the other way round.
The squad of players we have is the worst since May 2017.
It’s the worst top flight squad we’ve assembled in the pl era, sorry that’s why we’re in deep shit.

I don’t think you’ll have to tell us i told you so if we go down, i’m more than aware that it’s a possibility. I think where we differ is from what i’ve seen we’re not as bad as it looks but we can be that bad if we can’t stop the individual errors and can’t get a win on the board. The next few games will determine which way we go, i hope my faith in the players and manager is correct because it is rather frustrating following us around the country barely winning a game.

 

[Leyton Wolf]

I think that we're bang in trouble. Vitor's selections and subs have been poor, rumours of a rift with Andre and losing the dressing room are troubling and would explain some of the lacklustre performances of key players from last year, and the squad is the worst we've had in the Premier League with Fosun. But despite that...I'd be pretty surprised if we were Derby bad by the end of the season.

The squad is still much better than the 3 that went down last year. Everton survived multiple seasons in a row with squads as bad or worse than ours imo. I do think there are a few pretty dire squads (including ours) this year too. Some that are missing things we have.

We have a striker we know can score goals at this level, a central midfield pairing who have started for Brazil in the last couple of years and I would hope at least two serviceable centre backs between Mosquera, Agbadou (he's been crap but surely isn't totally cooked) and Krejci. Someone could shithouse that to safety with a fair bit of luck, I'm just not sure it's Vitor at the moment. He's making a number of very puzzling decisions.

Also aware that arguing that we'll probably go down but won't be the worst Prem team ever is a horrendous state of affairs.

 

[Jinky]

Gomes’ form is clearly not at the height it has been previously but to say he has not won a single individual battle yet this season is both hyperbolic and blatantly not true.

The stats back this up, and so did seeing the game from the gods of St James Park.

He was bettered by a sublime Sandro Tonali yesterday but was probably our best player on the day.

I really hope we win on Saturday.

No.

He was made to look like a Sunday league player against Reijnders. Scott & Tavernier ran him & Andre ragged v Bournemouth. Garner was quality against us v Everton & Dewsbury-Hall got a goal and for large spells had the run of Molineux. Yesterday Tonali again made him look like a park player.

Gomes covers a lot of ground and cannot be accused of not trying, so he gets a pass - but he *has* lost every individual battle this season so far. We’ve lost the midfield battle in every game, so it’s not all on him.

 

[Alan]

I’m afraid that Agbadou’s first six months here will look like Hwang’s purple patch come May.

 

[Loki]

Vitor has a whole week to work with the complete squad now if I'm not wrong. A bad result and a poor performance will mean he's got one foot out of the door imo.

 

[Jinky]

I admire Slink & others for their optimism - but let’s not rewrite history either. Bar City, the scorelines may look close on paper, but for me, we’ve been comfortably second best in every match this season.

There’s also a hell of a lot of “ifs” and “buts” in those optimistic posts over the last few pages. I just don’t see it.

And for the record, I haven’t once said we won’t beat the infamous Derby point total. I think we might struggle to beat the points we got on the other occasions we went down, though.

 

[YoungWolf]

I’m afraid that Agbadou’s first six months here will look like Hwang’s purple patch come May.

It’s really alarming. He was very good in France too though, so I think it’s either a) he isn’t fit (has strapping round his knee) or b) had some kind of falling out or wants out.