Southampton 0-1 Wolves: Verdict Thread

[Carsy]

With your last sentence that's where we play Traore high up the pitch.

Agreed. I didn’t want to mention Adama for fear of going over covered ground!

 

[Tony Towner]

They play a different formation to us.
In their 352 from Saturday
Coady over Hause
RAN or Jonny if fit over Targett
Moutinho and Neves over Luiz and Ramsey
Jimenez over either of their forwards
Neto would play as you'd amend your formation to fit a player of that quality in

 

[Johnny75]

I don't think the squad is that strong personally. I don't think any of the centre halves who played yesterday would be anyone's first choice in a back 4, and I think of our central midfield players only Neves is one I'd be wanting to start most PL games. The CBs + Donk and Joao are decent squad options but I certainly don't think they should be automatic first choices. Then you have Marcal who I don't think should be anywhere near the 1st team. You could add Podence in there too, he was really poor, and the evidence over the last year is not that he's going to miraculously improve. He is what he is, alright as a squad player but shouldn't be starting.

So of the starting 11 from yesterday, ideally 7 of those should be subs and squad depth only. So yeah, I think the squad is fairly weak when depth players and subs are starting more often than not.

If we take the squads of the bottom six teams I don't think there's many that would improve our first XI player for player.

Palace: Anderson
Southampton: maybe Livramento
Newcastle: Lascelles, ASM
Leeds: Raphinha
Burnley: Mee, Tarkowski, McNeil
Norwich: Nobody

The squad is light on numbers and that's poor management from the recruitment team and Jeff Shi but it is not a poor first XI.

 

[WsWolf]

A little test then, who from our starting XI gets in over Villas starting XI?

Assuming they continue with a 352. Coady, Neves, Jimenez. Ait Nouri would aswell but we don't start him.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Kalvin Phillips would be lovely.

 

[Johnny75]

Assuming they continue with a 352. Coady, Neves, Jimenez. Ait Nouri would aswell but we don't start him.

We couldn't start him yesterday but I think he will start from now on. Can't see Marcal continuing after yesterday.

 

[Johnny75]

Kalvin Phillips would be lovely.

Neves is in a different league to Phillips, not even close.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Neves is in a different league to Phillips, not even close.

I agree, but Phillips NEXT to Neves would be amazing.

 

[Johnny75]

I agree, but Phillips NEXT to Neves would be amazing.

They're too similar for me in style. I think we need a different type of player next to Neves. Donk did very well yesterday in the first half when he was winning and recycling ball simply. A physical ball carrying player would give us more of a presence (I'm guessing that's why we wanted Sanches) given the pressing Bruno clearly wants to play.

Partey does it for Arsenal, but looking round the league I can't see too many more box-to-box types as lots of teams play 3 in midfield.

 

[WsWolf]

We couldn't start him yesterday but I think he will start from now on. Can't see Marcal continuing after yesterday.

I'm not sure Bruno trusts him defensively. Unsure why, he's not abysmal and the attacking ability makes up for that. Stick Boly there on the left and we will be fine.

 

[Wilf Wolf]

We don’t have a weak squad, we have a very unbalanced squad. Four centre halves that are ok in a back three but would be a horror show in a back four. Wing backs are just about covered but a couple look more suited as fullbacks rather than wingbacks. Next to no cover in midfield and similar at centre forward unless Hang can do a job. It means Lage has his hands tied in how he can set us up, hardly a recipe for changing the style of play.

 

[HanDoJin]

...and Hwang is basically Andy Keogh.

At least you gave him the full 160 minutes of league football to decide.

 

[PuntsWolf]

At least you gave him the full 160 minutes of league football to decide.

Who said it was a bad thing?

 

[prawnking]

We don’t have a weak squad, we have a very unbalanced squad. Four centre halves that are ok in a back three but would be a horror show in a back four. Wing backs are just about covered but a couple look more suited as fullbacks rather than wingbacks. Next to no cover in midfield and similar at centre forward unless Hang can do a job. It means Lage has his hands tied in how he can set us up, hardly a recipe for changing the style of play.

I mean... the way you describe the squad here, and when you take into account how small it is, and that we've struggled to score last season and this... well, it's unbalanced for sure, but it's hardly strong is it

 

[Wilf Wolf]

I mean... the way you describe the squad here, and when you take into account how small it is, and that we've struggled to score last season and this... well, it's unbalanced for sure, but it's hardly strong is it

There’s a fair distance between weak and strong. A lot of the current squad would be far more effective with the two signings nearly every Wolves fan knew we needed. Look at Liverpool last year, list top centre halves and it impacted the whole team.

 

[Throbber3]

Football is almost as much about confidence as it is about ability. You don’t become a premier league footballer if you don’t have ability. It’s the confidence to use that ability and the quality of coaching that allows that ability to thrive . That’s where I very reluctantly credit Burnley. Horrible team of limited ability that know their strengths and play to them. There are others. What we lacked after three home defeats was confidence that our new style could bring results, or Raul would ever score after 15 misses. Well we ground out a turgid win in a turgid game and can look at Newcastle as the game to further cement our confidence. They are in a dog poo run and will be happy to take anything from anyone regardless if style , particularly away from home. If we play a bit more in the front foot we will beat them and again, confidence improves and perhaps we start to play more attractive football. Baby steps and Sunday was step one

 

[Johnny75]

Fuck tactics lets have some more confidence.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

As I say, I don't care about us (relatively) shithousing a 1-0 away win. Everyone does that at some point, if you don't then you'll be in some trouble. And we didn't deserve to lose regardless, wasn't like they battered us and we scored from our only shot or anything.

It's the dichotomy between "yeah Nuno won some games but it wasn't very good, was it" and the differing reaction to yesterday that gets me. I think Nuno's work deserves a lot more respect than it gets.

That's just me though.

 

[prawnking]

A lot of the current squad would be far more effective with the two signings nearly every Wolves fan knew we needed.

I'm sure we'd be more effective with Mbappe up front too, unfortunately we have to judge the squad on the players we do have!

 

[sycophantia]

I'm sure we'd be more effective with Mbappe up front too, unfortunately we have to judge the squad on the players we do have!

Nah he's shit, Semedo had him in his pocket in the Euro's and we all know Semedo's rubbish.