pommpey
THE FUTURE ... AS IT USED TO BE
- Banned
- #1
Thought it was a workmanlike, accomplished but unexpected win. Wolves are a useful side - they aren't where they are for no unexplained reason and NES has them playing in a well-disciplined, organised fashion making them at times, very difficult to beat. Sound familiar?
Given they were set up as 3-4-3 we never really made the most of outnumbering them in midfield for much of the game. I thought we did an exceptional job at the back nullifying the main threats and stopping them getting the ball into the danger areas. For a change, Henderson didn't have a difficult goalboand shot to stop, so that tells it's own story.
But again, in front of that is where we show our shortcomings. The central three are still missing a playmaker like Fleck and Norwood's assumed gifted capabilities are still missing. The free kick in the second half for example - Wolves bounced theirs off the crossbar. What is stopping Norwood doing that, in fact bending it into the net? Willian did it a bit back - off the upright and in. Have a fucking pop, FFS. The midfield itself though has real problems connecting with the front two. There's no look-up/supply pass into feet or into space - remember Lundstram's pass against Everton? Nowt to run onto and execute. Billy and McB spent much of the first half chasing chances (again) or digging the ball out of the channels (again) and second half Mousse and Ziv never had the ball-into-space or cross which meant anything. Maybe Wolves were too good, but then again, save for the half chance for Egan (again) we would have got nowt and the forwards were left chasing empty space.
Henderson 5/10: Really, had nowt much to do.
Baldock 7.5/10: Again, an energetic run up and down with plenty to do stopping Wolves but much to do supporting Basham and Berge. Good to see the three Bs busy
Basham 8.5/10: Aside from a goal which would have given him another point, there was little wrong with Bash's output. Reads the game and phase of play so well and still makes those excursions which baffe opposition defences
Egan 8.5/10: Solid performance and a well taken goal. It would be easy to compare Egan with say, Morgan or Paul Beesley (at his best) but it is a lazy comparison. He's better than they are.
O'Connell 8/10: Between him and Enda they cancelled out Traore and several other menacing threats
Stevens 7/10: A better performance from him
Berge 7/10: He has capability and it is finally starting to shine through. His intelligent passes and gathering ability is masked at times by some sloppiness. He will show his worth.
Norwood 5/10: Better from him but marginally. He is still a bit easy to harass and dispossess (whereas Berge isn't) and please, Oliver, wrap that foot of yours around the ball and clout it from distance. Make the fucking keeper work. Make him pull off saves like Henderson does.
Osborn 7.5/10: Had his hands full and at times seemed to be taking care of three Wolves players at once.I like this kid's energy and grit though
Sharp 5/10: I have given Billy 5/10 so many times - followed by 'because he got nothing'. There's a pattern forming here and it tells the tale of our goal difference. At one end we have a decent, solid defence and a great goalkeeper who together have saved so many goals from going in. AT the other end we have a proven goalscorer in Sharp who had tapped-in, nodded-in, booted-in any number of chances carved out for him over many seasons. Right now, he is getting nowt and having to go looking for the ball.
McBurnie 6/10: Another wasted talent, simply because we can't get the ball to him. In fairness (Man U, Burnley) when we do he sometimes fucks it up but like Sharp, it is all too rare. But we need six or seven chances per match and we create if half of that.
Mouset 5/10: Still pretty unimpressed with his workrate and the ball forward he put in between the Kop and South Stand he should have blitzed the tiring defenders dry and took it to the penalty area because their last ditch effort would have brought him down - red card and penalty. Poor judgement from him.
Zivkovic 4/10: Saw some on here are getting a chub on about Zivs but to me he screams 'not Premier League'. He looks like he is blessing his luck that one day he's playing for some Chinese side, the next he's mixing it up with Man U in the EPL. Again, none of the strikers have service and indeed, whilst he was on he could be found twice down by the SS/JS corner flag digging it out. I'd like more convincing he's worthy over Didsy (when fit) or dare I say Robinson.
Overall, it's a good three points and congrats United for a typical never give up attitude against a tricky and capable Wolves side who have surprised a lot of big clubs since their promotion. Areas need addressing and the connective tissue - the midfield - between back and front need work. Next match, if players are fit I would drop Norwood and have:
-----------------------------------------Henderson---------------------------------------------
Baldock----------Basham----------------Egan-------------O'Connell----------------Stevens
------------------------------------------Berge--------------------------------------------------
-----------------Lundstram/Osborn---------------Fleck/Freeman-----------------------------
-----------------------------McBurnie-------------Sharp/McGoldrick--------------------------
With Sharp/McGoldrick dropping behind McBurnie in the No10 role as required and Brge dropping across the side to cover the CB/WB attack up that flank
pommpey
ps: If you disagree, 'disagree' - and give some substance, eh? Simply saying 'you were watching a different game to me' or '5 for Henderson? What a cunt' isn't adding to the discussion, which is mostly why me and Deadbat do this stuff - him to a massive amount of detail too. If you don't see it how I did, please explain why. It's a free country.
Given they were set up as 3-4-3 we never really made the most of outnumbering them in midfield for much of the game. I thought we did an exceptional job at the back nullifying the main threats and stopping them getting the ball into the danger areas. For a change, Henderson didn't have a difficult goalboand shot to stop, so that tells it's own story.
But again, in front of that is where we show our shortcomings. The central three are still missing a playmaker like Fleck and Norwood's assumed gifted capabilities are still missing. The free kick in the second half for example - Wolves bounced theirs off the crossbar. What is stopping Norwood doing that, in fact bending it into the net? Willian did it a bit back - off the upright and in. Have a fucking pop, FFS. The midfield itself though has real problems connecting with the front two. There's no look-up/supply pass into feet or into space - remember Lundstram's pass against Everton? Nowt to run onto and execute. Billy and McB spent much of the first half chasing chances (again) or digging the ball out of the channels (again) and second half Mousse and Ziv never had the ball-into-space or cross which meant anything. Maybe Wolves were too good, but then again, save for the half chance for Egan (again) we would have got nowt and the forwards were left chasing empty space.
Henderson 5/10: Really, had nowt much to do.
Baldock 7.5/10: Again, an energetic run up and down with plenty to do stopping Wolves but much to do supporting Basham and Berge. Good to see the three Bs busy
Basham 8.5/10: Aside from a goal which would have given him another point, there was little wrong with Bash's output. Reads the game and phase of play so well and still makes those excursions which baffe opposition defences
Egan 8.5/10: Solid performance and a well taken goal. It would be easy to compare Egan with say, Morgan or Paul Beesley (at his best) but it is a lazy comparison. He's better than they are.
O'Connell 8/10: Between him and Enda they cancelled out Traore and several other menacing threats
Stevens 7/10: A better performance from him
Berge 7/10: He has capability and it is finally starting to shine through. His intelligent passes and gathering ability is masked at times by some sloppiness. He will show his worth.
Norwood 5/10: Better from him but marginally. He is still a bit easy to harass and dispossess (whereas Berge isn't) and please, Oliver, wrap that foot of yours around the ball and clout it from distance. Make the fucking keeper work. Make him pull off saves like Henderson does.
Osborn 7.5/10: Had his hands full and at times seemed to be taking care of three Wolves players at once.I like this kid's energy and grit though
Sharp 5/10: I have given Billy 5/10 so many times - followed by 'because he got nothing'. There's a pattern forming here and it tells the tale of our goal difference. At one end we have a decent, solid defence and a great goalkeeper who together have saved so many goals from going in. AT the other end we have a proven goalscorer in Sharp who had tapped-in, nodded-in, booted-in any number of chances carved out for him over many seasons. Right now, he is getting nowt and having to go looking for the ball.
McBurnie 6/10: Another wasted talent, simply because we can't get the ball to him. In fairness (Man U, Burnley) when we do he sometimes fucks it up but like Sharp, it is all too rare. But we need six or seven chances per match and we create if half of that.
Mouset 5/10: Still pretty unimpressed with his workrate and the ball forward he put in between the Kop and South Stand he should have blitzed the tiring defenders dry and took it to the penalty area because their last ditch effort would have brought him down - red card and penalty. Poor judgement from him.
Zivkovic 4/10: Saw some on here are getting a chub on about Zivs but to me he screams 'not Premier League'. He looks like he is blessing his luck that one day he's playing for some Chinese side, the next he's mixing it up with Man U in the EPL. Again, none of the strikers have service and indeed, whilst he was on he could be found twice down by the SS/JS corner flag digging it out. I'd like more convincing he's worthy over Didsy (when fit) or dare I say Robinson.
Overall, it's a good three points and congrats United for a typical never give up attitude against a tricky and capable Wolves side who have surprised a lot of big clubs since their promotion. Areas need addressing and the connective tissue - the midfield - between back and front need work. Next match, if players are fit I would drop Norwood and have:
-----------------------------------------Henderson---------------------------------------------
Baldock----------Basham----------------Egan-------------O'Connell----------------Stevens
------------------------------------------Berge--------------------------------------------------
-----------------Lundstram/Osborn---------------Fleck/Freeman-----------------------------
-----------------------------McBurnie-------------Sharp/McGoldrick--------------------------
With Sharp/McGoldrick dropping behind McBurnie in the No10 role as required and Brge dropping across the side to cover the CB/WB attack up that flank
pommpey
ps: If you disagree, 'disagree' - and give some substance, eh? Simply saying 'you were watching a different game to me' or '5 for Henderson? What a cunt' isn't adding to the discussion, which is mostly why me and Deadbat do this stuff - him to a massive amount of detail too. If you don't see it how I did, please explain why. It's a free country.
UTB
