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Stoke 0 - Wolves 2 FA Cup surprise result verdict thread

The oatcake forum is hilarious makes the mix look normal.
Another inaccurate highlights package from the Beeb made us look like we spent most the game parking the bus which is a load of bollocks.

And one poster refers to Wolves as plucky minnows.
 
The only negative I can see (and it's only a negative because I want it to be) is that this seems to be the final nail for Teixeira, Oniangue, and Gladon. Gladon was always a weird signing, but Joao and Prince I think are more than good enough for this league. Prince in particular I'm bemused by as he is our player outright.

But this is clutching at straws and ultimately if those players aren't involved and we still win, then the decision not to involve them is justified.
 
Glad to see Lee Evans back and playing well. I think him and Price can be our best midfield pairing, at least while Saiss is away.
I'd have him ahead of Price when Saiss is back anyway but that's a way off.
Obviously he'll be dropped for Dangerous Dave next game though.
 
Is Oniangue fit yet?

Gladon and Tex I'd agree with but Prince has had an injury which might explain his absence.
 
Is Oniangue fit yet?

Gladon and Tex I'd agree with but Prince has had an injury which might explain his absence.

Prince made his comeback in the same U23 game as Williamson, so is fit again.

Him and Tex are saying bye bye
 
I can't disagree with a lot that Slink has said and now I'm very much sober (and no hangover thanks to some well kept beer) I've had time to think so here are my thoughts.

There wasn't a lot of hope when we saw the respective line-ups as a midfield of Saville and Evans should've been destroyed by Imbula, Afellay and Bojan. I was hoping Iorfa v Arnie was going to show the best of Iorfa but Doherty against Shaquiri should've been a Stoke plus point.

The game itself was of mixed quality but Wolves were really on the front foot from the off. Passes from Evans and Doherty particularly good in finding Costa and Mason and Nod should've worked the 'keeper twice in the first 20 minutes. We started to play with tempo and knocked the ball around with ease, probing and trying to get Bright and Bod away from Shawcross and Martins-Indi (who was possibly worse than Shaquiri). When Costa tormented Pieters for the second time he struck a well timed low effort that had the away end jumping and as noisy as any crowd I've ever been in. A superb low strike that gave Grant no chance.

This set the tone for the rest of the game which from the matchday thread looks pretty accurate to me. The second half saw the change of Stoke's midfield and they started to dominate that area with Allen particularly impressive and both Saville and Evans struggled against their dominance and this put Stoke in our defending 3rd for most of the second half but the defence was imperious when put under severe pressure.

We then played almost exclusively on the counter and with the introduction of Dicko late on and Bod going wide left the game was ripe for a Wolves counter attack. Iorfa, Costa and Bod all raced clear at least once and fed Dicko with the latter getting only one shot on target and the crowd willing him to score just for his own sanity. This was all mute when Roberto Doherty stepped up and lashed in a free kick to incite a celebration I'd forgotten we could have.

Ikeme - 7 -Made his box his own and was very good against shots from distance where historically he hasn't been the greatest including one from Allen that was a real netbuster. His distribution is poor with his feet but this is nothing new.

Doherty - 8 - Wasted at LB, he was threading balls through for Bright and Mason as though he were Xavi and his free kick was brilliant giving Grant little chance and it was perfect placement. Many criticised the wall but almost every fan and I would imagine every Stoke player thought Saville was going to hit it left footed which is why they set up and moved as they did. Doherty caught everybody by surprise including 4,500 fans. He still can't defend and backs off way too much but Shaquiri was atrocious and he didn't have to do much defending. He looked just the same at RB when moved there late on and proved we really don't need a Ben Marshall.

Iorfa - 8 - Was rusty for the first 10 minutes or so against Arnie but his first dominate tackle settled him and Willo had him on a leash all game. Gained in confidence and stature as the game wore on, distributed the ball well and went on a couple of barnstorming runs but seemed to forget he had the ball when he got into the opposite box. His biggest weakness is the cross field ball over his head and this happened only once before Willo put him right with a quick chat. This was the old Dom and it was a welcome return.

Williamson - 8 - A dominant performance both in the air and with the ball just by being simple. Wasn't the greatest centre half performance but it was what was needed and he gets the good marks for what he brought to the back 5. Somebody we have missed for a calendar year, an organiser and the 2 young lads beside him were ten times the players because of him. A true captains performance.

Hause - 9 - My MotM, headed it, kicked it, read it, passed it and bossed it. This was a complete performance from a player transformed with a leader beside him and one we all hoped he would be. Lost Crouch once in the whole game but like Iorfa Williamson had a quiet chat and he didn't do it again. Lescott reborn.

Evans - 7 - Metronomic in midfield, isn't very mobile which wasn't much of an issue in the first half as he could get the ball and pick his passes at will to Costa, Bod, Bright and Mason. Always looking to get the ball forward and his range of padding and more importantly his decision making was excellent. He struggled in the second half against Adam, Afellay and Allen as they were stronger and more dominant than Imbula, Afellay and Bojan. A good solid performance.

Saville - 6 - An unspectacular but necessary performance from a player with limited ability but a bucketful of application. Won some really good tackles but then would wilt under pressure from Allen and Adam. Only passed the ball backwards for the first 10 minutes which frustrated everybody including his team mates but this may have been a confidence thing and when he did make his forward passes he made the count. Solid if unspectacular.

Costa - 9 - a very close second for man of the match. Rinsed Pieters, Martins-Indi and Charlie a Adam at will. He's clearly a premier league player, dribbles for fun, runs with pace and passes the ball with purpose. Got stupidly booked by a crap referee but apart from that he was great. If I were Mark Hughes I'd be on the phone to Mendes asking how much he will cost when his loan finishes. This was better than watching Kightly in full flow in the Forest game. Magnificent Portuguese menace.

Bright - 6 - A mixed bag from Bright, some brilliant invention and the ball sticks to him like a limpet. His distribution was sketchy and he sometimes got caught making a decision when he could've released and of Bod, Costa or Mason. But then I remember he's 18 and he should look like that. Unfortunately levelled which led to his substitution and I hope he's ok. There will be a conundrum in that should we loan him out to a lg1 club to get 20 games in a row or do we keep him and play him sparingly for the rest of the season at a level he may not be quite ready for yet.

Mason - 6 - Played in Cav's role and it showed that he was a central forward playing wide. Tried hard, worked hard and displayed a good touch against a piss poor Johnson. Found himself on the end of several good passes from Doherty and Evans but didn't deliver much from them. Pretty average stuff and that seems harsh considering he did nothing wrong.

Bod - 7 - Tireless, good on the ball, smashed Martins-Indi and Shawcross to pieces and was a line leading forward. He just needs to find the net. Had 2 very good chances to work the keeper in the first half and not much in the second. His movement is underated as the Stoke lads kept letting him receive the ball to feet and run at them. Moved wide left when Dicko came on and played very well out there, particularly on the counter. The Icelandic clap at the end was very enjoyable.

Gibbs-White -7 - This lad is gong to be a very good player. Displayed pace, touch and decision making beyond his years and his first crunching tackle on Allen was great to see. OK out wide but much better behind Bod and then Dicko. And this lad is 16!

Dicko - 6 - Oh Dicko, we just want you to score a goal. He worked hard, worked the 'keeper and generally put himself about well. He looks like he's lost at least a yard of pace but his shooting instinct is still there.

Edwards - 6 - Bought some needed late energy into our midfield when Saville went to LB. The crowd love him and he loves the back.

The fans - 9 - A brilliant non-hostile atmosphere and we never shut-up. My Stoke mates said that the fans were as loud as anything they'd heard for years (and they all wanted Costa). My one negative point was the utter bellend we met in the Harvester before the game who said he came for 'the row' not the football. Him and his 'crew' didn't see the funny side when I asked him if he was too old for that shit, they were all knocking on 50. Utter bellends and not welcome as a Wolves fan or at any football game IMO.

It was a pleasure to watch that side yesterday and the only change I'd make to next weeks team is Cav for Mason and Price for Saville. The rest pick themselves.
 
Cheers Johnny.

Lambert has some big decisions to make next week, that's for sure.
 
Thanks Johnny and Slink excellent reports and insight lads, top drawer.
 
Ok...I didn't want to post last night as I didn't want the euphoria of the day out to cloud my judgement on my post. HOWEVER...

Ikeme; His best game is years. Commanded his area when needed, 4 excellent saves and talked (shouted) to and at his defence. His didtribution wasn't fantastic every time but he did direct his kicks better than he has and gave our players a chance to challenge for the ball and win it
Iorfa; Was back to the Iorfa we know and love. Pace, power and persistance no better summed up than in the first half when Arnoutovic stole a march on him and was away, halfway inside our half with a 2 yard headstart. Dom raced after him, caught up in a matter of strides and bullied the ball back off Arnie and then won a free kick because the Stoke player had to bring him down before he got away...Welcome back Dom
Williamson; I hope he feels ok this morning, what a return! He didn't stop talking to Kourtney and Dom and organised the defence superbly. After his time here under KJ, I thought he was just a "header and hoofer" but there is a lot more to his game. He was calm on the ball, stepping away from Stoke attackers with ease and played a couple of lovely diagonal balls to the wingers. He also was happy to play short passes to the midfielders and allowed them to start moves from deep. Very close to MOTM just because you could see the effect he had on the whole defensive unit
Hause; He looked like an England U21 defender...Good in the air, calm with the ball at his feet and wasn't afraid to mix it up with Crouch and the other Stoke forwards, he refused to be bullied. Playing alongside MW is clearly what he has needed, some guidance and support from an accomplished and experienced footballer
Doherty; What can I say?! Defended correctly and attacked with power, linking well down the left with Mason. He has started to use his left foot more now and is a better player for this. The Stoke defenders didn't know if he was going to go on the outside or cut in and that is such a good weapon to have. Lovely crossfield ball to Costa for his goal although it is a stretch to call it an assist as Costa had a lot to do once he received it. The free kick? I'm sorry but I'm not having anything about a bad wall. The keeper set it up to cover the left hand side of his goal and he "covered" the right. Saville, Costa and Doc were over the ball and only SamWolf thought Doc would take the kick. The keeper planted his left foot and Doc whipped the ball across him and into the right of the goal. Even if he hadn't stepped left he was not saving it. Step aside David Beckham..... Matt Doherty, take a bow!
Saville; Did his job competently, playing in his natural position. A bit shaky early on but grew into the game with advice from MW. Was ok in the short time he played Left Back too. Yeah, not bad
Evans; Welcome back lad. Again, he was a little shaky early in the game but was strong in the tackle and had a good range of passing. Will improve with game time although there is plenty of competition in midfield.
Costa; The transfer fee is agreed and in place so the only question Wolves should be asking is "how much do you want in wages?". The guy is a fantastic player and terrified the Stoke full back all game. Sometime a little lacking in his defensive duties but that is a minor gripe because of what he offers going forward...Lovely goal
Enobakare; Strong for his size, quick and very good with the ball at his feet, what a future this lad has ahead of him. Comfortable linking the midfield to the wingers and forward and not afraid of a tackle
Mason; Played on the left and did well. His linking with Doc, Bright and Bod was good and looked to run into the gaps out wide, past the defensive line.
Bodvarsson; Very close to his early season form, got stuck in to Martin-Indi and Shawcross and ran them into the ground. Left M-I on the deck out wide and powered to the penalty area before firing narrowly wide. He really deserved a goal for his workrate and it will come

SUBS;
Gibbs-White; Came on in the 60th minute with us a little under the cosh and wasn't phased at all, in fact he made a crunching tackle within 2 minutes of being on the pitch. Not afraid to run at defenders and didn't seem overawed at all. Another with a big future on this showing.
Edwards; Came on to give us some much needed "legs" when some of the midfield were tiring and did what he does, chased around giving the Stoke players little time to settle.
Dicko; He is not done! Pace, power and energy, was ideal as an outlet on the break and could of scored two goals. The first chance he had, he had drawn the keeper and defender to him and COULD of passed to Costa for a tap-in but he was in front of goal and is paid to score. Should he have passed the ball? Maybe...Would I of passed the ball? Nope! We were 2-0 up and he desperately needs a goal, it is all that is missing. Sadly he snatched at the shot and instead of lifting the ball over the keeper who had gone to ground, he fired at his legs. The second chance was not as easy but again he snatched at the shot. He needs a goal, no doubt, but when it comes the pressure he has clearly put on himself will be lifted

Lambert; I saw the Stoke line up and then I saw ours and thought we were in for a long afternoon and a battering but I guess he knows more than I do! He was prompting and encouraging from the technical area and even towards the end, when we were dropping a little deep he was shouting at the players to get out and get forward. He didn't want us to just sit back and try to soak up the pressure and that is a good sign, as is throwing a 16 year old into the fray at 1-0 with 30 minutes still remaining!

Overall that is the best, most complete Wolves performance I have seen since our time in the Premier League and I am back to being excited about our future under Paul Lambert
 
Thanks darlowolf another fantastic read, it warms the heart.
 
There must be 10 different clips of Doherty's free kick on Facebook.

Is it good that we get to see it from all angles or a sad state of affairs that everyone must film everything on their mobiles instead of enjoying the moment live?
 
Thanks for the comprehensive reports Slink, Johnny & Darlo - confirms the impression that was coming over what feed we were able to access.

Really should have looked to go to this game rather than the QPR one :)

Some hard choices for Lambert now on the next game lineup - big plus is Williamson coming through a full 90 mins. Don't think he is the best CH in the Championship, but has experience & ability to organise which appeared to get the best out of the others alongside him.
 
The official FA highlights but who is Gary Docherty?? ;)

 
There must be 10 different clips of Doherty's free kick on Facebook.

Is it good that we get to see it from all angles or a sad state of affairs that everyone must film everything on their mobiles instead of enjoying the moment live?

One of those videos would be mine, i enjoyed it just as much as i would have if I hadn't recorded it. In fact i think it's better because i can keep looking back at it. I generally don't record anything but just felt we might score so did it.
 
The one from behind the goal with a clear view of the balls trajectory is fantastic
 
Slightly better highlights from Sky than beeb....gunna start calling Doherty Gary from now on
 
One of those videos would be mine, i enjoyed it just as much as i would have if I hadn't recorded it. In fact i think it's better because i can keep looking back at it. I generally don't record anything but just felt we might score so did it.
Fair enough. It is good to see back and I guess filming a freekick is better than the tourists you see at Old Trafford filming throwins. It's better than spending 90 mins checking your bets online like someone by me in the South Bank does every game.
 
It's better than spending 90 mins checking your bets online like someone by me in the South Bank does every game.

Must be the thing to do - as the pair in front of me do this throughout the game - not sure why they bother with a ticket as don't seem to watch the game
 
Wolves fans, still in the ground celebrating long after the full time whistle...I'm somewhere in that mass of humanity

 
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