Where will Wolves finish 2022/3?

[YoungWolf]

Still really unsure, despite a quite promising looking squad, especially if we get a good attacker in

 

[Tony Towner]

I think par for a mid table finish would be 4 from the games played so far.

 

[WsWolf]

Still really unsure, despite a quite promising looking squad, especially if we get a good attacker in

This striker narrative is grating on me a bit. Why can Leeds score goals with Harrison Rodrigo and Dan James as their front 3 but we can't with much better personnel?

 

[prawnking]

Is it a 'narrative'? Or just something we obviously need?

 

[WsWolf]

Is it a 'narrative'? Or just something we obviously need?

Why do we need it but other teams dont. Brighton have Danny welbeck upfront and have outscored us easily, Forest have got a bloke who looks like he's never seen a football before. Even Everton have outscored us and they've had a 12 year old upfront.

 

[prawnking]

Because other teams play differently, have different set-ups, different managers, different approaches. Leicester have scored a lot more than us, and conceded a lot more too, hence them being below us.

It's no secret we don't have many goalscorers in the squad however we play, the answer probably lies in new personnel (which we've already done in Guedes and Nunes, and which also includes a potential new striker), getting more goals out of existing personnel, and the manager getting us to play in a way that maximises all this.

 

[WsWolf]

Because other teams play differently, have different set-ups, different managers, different approaches. Leicester have scored a lot more than us, and conceded a lot more too, hence them being below us.

It's no secret we don't have many goalscorers in the squad however we play, the answer probably lies in new personnel (which we've already done in Guedes and Nunes, and which also includes a potential new striker), getting more goals out of existing personnel, and the manager getting us to play in a way that maximises all this.

I don't think we play a vastly different style to Leeds this season but they look a lot more dangerous with inferior players. I hope they a new number 9 is the magic bullet but all the available evidence so far doesn't point to that being likely, if we were having 3/4 XGs per game I'd be agreeing but I don't think we've achieved above 1 yet.

Leicester have conceded more because their goalkeeper is woeful.

 

[prawnking]

I don't think we play a vastly different style to Leeds this season but they look a lot more dangerous with inferior players. I hope they a new number 9 is the magic bullet but all the available evidence so far doesn't point to that being likely, if we were having 3/4 XGs per game I'd be agreeing but I don't think we've achieved above 1 yet.

Leicester have conceded more because their goalkeeper is woeful.

I never said a striker was the magic bullet, I literally listed three elements that could form a solution in my response to your question. A striker was part of one of them.

What do you think the solution is?

 

[WsWolf]

I never said a striker was the magic bullet, I literally listed three elements that could form a solution in my response to your question. A striker was part of one of them.

What do you think the solution is?

I've already said on other threads what the solution is, a better manager.

I think most of the issues we have are because we are super predictable, our movement in the final 3rd and the passes we make are telegraphed.

It's clear that all teams need to do is pack the middle, Lage is obviously instructing us not to cross so we go side to side until we give it away or have a shot from 30 yards.

 

[Johnny75]

I've already said on other threads what the solution is, a better manager.

I think most of the issues we have are because we are super predictable, our movement in the final 3rd and the passes we make are telegraphed.

It's clear that all teams need to do is pack the middle, Lage is obviously instructing us not to cross so we go side to side until we give it away or have a shot from 30 yards.

I wouldn't disagree with much of that.

The attacking part is particularly frustrating to watch.

 

[WsWolf]

I wouldn't disagree with much of that.

The attacking part is particularly frustrating to watch.

Hopefully it's chicken and egg and when there's a proper cf there we will start swinging crosses in earlier so that teams can't just sit in.

 

[Johnny75]

Hopefully it's chicken and egg and when there's a proper cf there we will start swinging crosses in earlier so that teams can't just sit in.

I don't mind us not slinging crosses in but at least have the opton to, our movement in the final third is woeful.

I noticed in the training ground videos how limited the session was and I'm seeing the same limited movement on the pitch.

I really think Lage needs an attacking coach because his current coaches can't do it.

 

[WsWolf]

I don't mind us not slinging crosses in but at least have the opton to, our movement in the final third is woeful.

I noticed in the training ground videos how limited the session was and I'm seeing the same limited movement on the pitch.

I really think Lage needs an attacking coach because his current coaches can't do it.

Of course, if you are able to open teams up then I can understand recycling possession but we don't so at least if we put a few in early then the opposition are given something different to think about.

An attacking coach would probably be a decent compromise for me.

 

[prawnking]

I've already said on other threads what the solution is, a better manager.

I think most of the issues we have are because we are super predictable, our movement in the final 3rd and the passes we make are telegraphed.

It's clear that all teams need to do is pack the middle, Lage is obviously instructing us not to cross so we go side to side until we give it away or have a shot from 30 yards.

Do you not think a lot of those elements precede Lage?

Don't get me wrong, give me Lopetegui or Amorim tomorrow and it's bye bye Bruno, but I wonder who they'd replace him with and whether they'd be 'better' after all

Do you have anyone in mind (apart from Steve Bruce)?

 

[MARKakaJIM]

I've already said on other threads what the solution is, a better manager.

I think most of the issues we have are because we are super predictable, our movement in the final 3rd and the passes we make are telegraphed.

It's clear that all teams need to do is pack the middle, Lage is obviously instructing us not to cross so we go side to side until we give it away or have a shot from 30 yards.

Neto tops the league for crosses so far.

If Wolves' players are so much better than the likes of Leeds etc. then why do they persist in doing things don't work? The manager can't be out their micro managing every single decision they make on the field.

Surely if they all felt Lage was selling them down the river then surely a few would rebel and do something different?

The fact that Jack Harrison attacks the back post better than any of Wolves' wide forwards can't purely be on Lage, the same was true under previous management too for a start. Why is there no self reflection from the players? Why isn't Neto or Traore or anyone else watching today's game and realizing they could do the same thing and probably score a ton more goals as a result?

 

[WsWolf]

Do you not think a lot of those elements precede Lage?

Don't get me wrong, give me Lopetegui or Amorim tomorrow and it's bye bye Bruno, but I wonder who they'd replace him with and whether they'd be 'better' after all

Do you have anyone in mind (apart from Steve Bruce)?

I don't think a lot of it precedes Lage as I've seen these same players be absolutely clinical under Nuno. As for who would be better, I'd probably only put Lampard as a worse manager than him in the premier league so there's plenty to choose from.

 

[prawnking]

You were doing so well

 

[WsWolf]

Neto tops the league for crosses so far.

If Wolves' players are so much better than the likes of Leeds etc. then why do they persist in doing things don't work? The manager can't be out their micro managing every single decision they make on the field.

Surely if they all felt Lage was selling them down the river then surely a few would rebel and do something different?

The fact that Jack Harrison attacks the back post better than any of Wolves' wide forwards can't purely be on Lage, the same was true under previous management too for a start. Why is there no self reflection from the players? Why isn't Neto or Traore or anyone else watching today's game and realizing they could do the same thing and probably score a ton more goals as a result?

But they are objectively better footballers, if you asked any football fan who they'd rather have very few would pick the Leeds 3 over ours.

 

[MARKakaJIM]

But they are objectively better footballers, if you asked any football fan who they'd rather have very few would pick the Leeds 3 over ours.

Best players don't always make the best team, especially if they don't suit what the manager wants.

I don't think any of Leeds' players are anything special at all but they all seem to suit what the manager wants from his team and they full embrace that game plan, so it works. Wolves don't appear to have that cohesion. You've got players like Podence who wants to try and play lots of little flicks and first time passes but hardly anyone moves enough to make that viable. Got a coach who wants to play out the back whenever possible but a midfield focal point who isn't especially comfortable receiving the ball with his back to goal or turning on it.

They're largely good players but there are shortcomings everywhere, you've got 5% being lost here, there and everywhere which soon adds up to a very disjointed performance and a team that looks worse than it's squad suggests it should. Meanwhile Leeds have a bunch of largely average players gaining 5% through the way certain players interact and respond to their Manager's tactics that makes them a far better team than the list of players would have you expect.

 

[WsWolf]

Best players don't always make the best team, especially if they don't suit what the manager wants.

I don't think any of Leeds' players are anything special at all but they all seem to suit what the manager wants from his team and they full embrace that game plan, so it works. Wolves don't appear to have that cohesion. You've got players like Podence who wants to try and play lots of little flicks and first time passes but hardly anyone moves enough to make that viable. Got a coach who wants to play out the back whenever possible but a midfield focal point who isn't especially comfortable receiving the ball with his back to goal or turning on it.

They're largely good players but there are shortcomings everywhere, you've got 5% being lost here, there and everywhere which soon adds up to a very disjointed performance and a team that looks worse than it's squad suggests it should. Meanwhile Leeds have a bunch of largely average players gaining 5% through the way certain players interact and respond to their Manager's tactics that makes them a far better team than the list of players would have you expect.

Good managers will devise tactics that get the best from their players, those same Leeds players have done it under 2 managers with quite different styles of play.