Wolves 0-1 Arsenal: Verdict Thread

[Wilf Wolf]

Disappointing performance with next to no threat on their goal. Podence can be immensely irritating with terrible decision making at times but if anyone is going to create something it is probably him.

Trincao had brief moments but you don't pay £25m for 15 minutes of "ok" buffered out with average to poor the rest of the time. I can see him going a whole season without scoring and for a player in his position that is nowhere near good enough.

Donk pressed well, got forward more than Moutinho does and generally did a reasonable job - if you think he was the problem tonight that's because you decided that was the case before kick off.

Raul just is not the player he was and at times his decision making was awful. You're not going to dribble past 5 players so stop trying to do so and concentrate on getting in the box.

Semedo and Neves did pretty well, the defence was fairly solid but it is so frustrating watching such a toothless display. If the next few games go the same way Bruno needs to experiment to try and find a better balance between defence and attack.

I agree with Del Whoppio in that losing any of our forwards bar Neto wouldn't cause me to lose a moment's sleep. The formation may not be helping but I can't ever see the others scoring more than the odd goal here and there and I include Raul in that.

Arsenal have gone from perennially qualifying for the CL to competing for top 7 or 8. Pitiful how cynical they were feigning injury and wasting time. Left the ground with zero respect for them.

 

[Carsy]

Would appear the ref got the red card wrong ..

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Oh and Gabriel is a gaping arsehole, holding his face when he knew that actually he'd fouled Podence. Cock, he got away with murder tonight.

As did Soares, his challenge on Marcel that lead to him getting injured was extremely dangerous something that Kane has done loads of times and something that is seen as a sending off offence in rugby, then of course there were a further 2 challenges that were bookings.

Pretty inconsistent from Oliver on the whole, but it wasn't an easy game to referee and he got the Martinelli decision absolutely right, i can't understand what Arsenal were moaning about.

I don't think Sa was fouled for their goal though, I thought Sa was a bit shit there, lacked awareness that Lac was there, he should have punched that rather than trying to hold it.

 

[BeaverWolf]

Just got home going to bed, not read the thread apart from the initial Adama revisionism, but want to get this off my chest.

Our forwards aren't fit for purpose and unfortunately I mean all 3
1 is very busy, so there's a positive, but his falling over, arm waving and fancy flicks ultimately lead to zero end product

Number 2 is so easily knocked off the ball, doesn't track back and can't cross. I don't think he'll ever make a PL player no matter how much you talk about his lovely touch, it's just not in him

Number 3 used to be a hero, he's not that player anymore. The touch is still there, the decision making isn't and he doesn't attack the ball...ever. Every sympathy for what he's been through and in odd games there is a glimpse of the player he was, but it's too infrequent.

We are a team that doesn't score goals, it's very easy to see why and with these 3 it's not going to change. We will continue to be reliant on the odd set piece and bit of quality from nowhere to get points

Adama would be a bit better than the three you cannot name! At least he would entertain & I was not entertained on Saturday or tonight. Adama did not go out to Bristol Rovers on loan you know.

 

[Haggstone]

Why do we win that if Moutinho plays, out of curiosity? Although I agree with the latter part of your post, to say we win if Moutinho plays is just silly

You’re probably right, far less likely to have lost is what I should have said. My main point was that a team is going to be playing champions league football next year. It won’t be us, but it will be a team that ain’t much better than us. That’s a shame.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Would appear the ref got the red card wrong ..

You can't play on if you are sending a player off, but he wasn't sending Martinelli off when he played the advantage after he pushed Podence, he was sending him off when he stopped play for his foul on Chiquinho, so that was spot on.

That law would have been interesting in the Brentford game, as the ref played on the challenge by Gomes initially, then realised that if he was going to send him off he HAD to stop play, that's why he did. (he obviously got that decision wrong though.)

 

[Carsy]

You’re probably right, far less likely to have lost is what I should have said. My main point was that a team is going to be playing champions league football next year. It won’t be us, but it will be a team that ain’t much better than us. That’s a shame.

Yeah, I don’t disagree with that. The premier league is basically made up of mini leagues. We could quite easily finish anywhere from 5th-12th or so, dependent on a good run or bad run of form

 

[Tony Towner]

Adama would be a bit better than the three you cannot name! At least he would entertain & I was not entertained on Saturday or tonight. Adama did not go out to Bristol Rovers on loan you know.

Yes, his 1 goal and 0 assists are an improvement on the other 2's 0 goals and assists, but playing the Adama righteous card, isn't just missing the point, it's not in the same postcode

 

[Newbridge Wolf]

A frustrating night, we seem to struggle to finish moves and just can't get on the end of crosses (the 1 in 10 that are actual crosses) we got bodies in the box too so that's not an excuse.

Raul is a concern, his link up play seems off, he was such a central part of our team, not just the goals, but as an outlet for winning the ball in the opponents half and distributing it, that seems to have deserted his game.

Trincao is another frustrating player, does really well then fluffs his lines.

Podence was our only real attacking outlet but again decision making could be well off, he also went for a 10 minute spell of giving the ball away in our own half.

Neves played well, we will be lost without him.

Donk did OK, couple of awful headers though but he did a job, and the defence was generally OK.

Chiq looked a bit like an excitable foal when he came on, but calmed down and showed us some decent skills, I like the look of him, think he could be very dangerous given time.

We just can't bloody score, we either break down before the chance is there or we fluff our lines or freeze.

I'm not panicking but it would be nice if we really invest in a few key positions, we are so close to being a bloody good team.

 

[Carsy]

You can't play on if you are sending a player off, but he wasn't sending Martinelli off when he played the advantage after he pushed Podence, he was sending him off when he stopped play for his foul on Chiquinho, so that was spot on.

That law would have been interesting in the Brentford game, as the ref played on the challenge by Gomes initially, then realised that if he was going to send him off he HAD to stop play, that's why he did. (he obviously got that decision wrong though.)

Perhaps I misunderstood the screenshot but i thought the last part would apply?

I thought it was great refereeing at the time

 

[Carsy]

Yes, his 1 goal and 0 assists are an improvement on the other 2's 0 goals and assists, but playing the Adama righteous card, isn't just missing the point, it's not in the same postcode

As much as I’m a defender of adama, he was also part of the problem before he went on loan, not the saviour

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Perhaps I misunderstood the screenshot but i thought the last part would apply?

I thought it was great refereeing at the time

Yeah you're right, i mis-interpreted that.

Where was that from?

Seems ridiculous that might be the case!

 

[Carsy]

Yeah you're right, i mis-interpreted that.

Where was that from?

Seems ridiculous that might be the case!

Just saw it online. Could be wrong quote but if not then the ref got it wrong.

Anyway, to be pedantic, after Podence (I think it was him who took the throw) was pushed I think he only had 1 foot on the floor, so technically a foul throw and ref should’ve brought at back anyway. Not that it mattered anyway

 

[BeaverWolf]

Yes, his 1 goal and 0 assists are an improvement on the other 2's 0 goals and assists, but playing the Adama righteous card, isn't just missing the point, it's not in the same postcode

I don’t really understand what you mean. My argument is that if Wolves are to progress you keep players like Traore & Jota. I understand that might not happen. But you either have aspirations to be a Champions League team for the sake of a few million or you don’t bother. Sending out Traore on loan when they did was sending out a pathetic message about ambition. I also understand that some do not rate Traore. I do rate him. It is a matter of opinion. At least when Traore is on the pitch the game is worth watching. Both Saturday & tonight was a woeful watch.

 

[Carsy]

Yeah you're right, i mis-interpreted that.

Where was that from?

Seems ridiculous that might be the case!

Up there with the scoring an own goal directly from an indirect free kick being a corner and not a goal. Thank you the chase

 

[Freddeno]

Just got home going to bed, not read the thread apart from the initial Adama revisionism, but want to get this off my chest.

Our forwards aren't fit for purpose and unfortunately I mean all 3
1 is very busy, so there's a positive, but his falling over, arm waving and fancy flicks ultimately lead to zero end product

Number 2 is so easily knocked off the ball, doesn't track back and can't cross. I don't think he'll ever make a PL player no matter how much you talk about his lovely touch, it's just not in him

Number 3 used to be a hero, he's not that player anymore. The touch is still there, the decision making isn't and he doesn't attack the ball...ever. Every sympathy for what he's been through and in odd games there is a glimpse of the player he was, but it's too infrequent.

We are a team that doesn't score goals, it's very easy to see why and with these 3 it's not going to change. We will continue to be reliant on the odd set piece and bit of quality from nowhere to get points

Not that hard to get all correct:
1.Pod
2.Trincao
3.Raul

 

[SSB]

I honestly don’t know what we do in training. What is our route to goal? How are we looking to score?

Do you think we actually practise the “pass it out from the back” tactic? I’ve never yet seen it successfully used.

 

[Mild 'n' Scratchins]

I don’t really think dendoncker was an issue tonight at all to be fair.

Really? He was useless. A complete and utter waste of a shirt. Did absolutely nothing in midfield, whereas poor Ruben, admirably, worked his socks off. What exactly did you think Donkey contributed tonight? He wasn't the only issue, by the way, as I said in my original verdict post, but he was dogshit, again.

 

[Freddeno]

Sebastien Haller maybe?

 

[BeaverWolf]

Not that hard to get all correct:
1.Pod
2.Trincao
3.Raul

Blue Peter badge for you mate. It was far too complicated for me after a few drinks!