Has our famous system finally been managed?

[Niceguyeddie]

Burke will start at Villa, probably with Mcgoldrick, if fit. Berge for Norwood, and Ampadu for Lunny to keep it tight away and frustrate.

That post is so way off the mark

 

[OrderOfStGeorge]

But we still got in three times and made bad decisions each time..

We have to be more clinical

Just complete lack of quality in the final 3rd that is what cost us dearly last season and will this season in a far worse way.

 

[Geordie Blade]

Being ‘managed’ wasn’t the problem. If they managed us so well, how come we hit the post and had all the chances that Billy missed (clearly an off day)?

The problem was coping with Wolves went they went forward. They’re a good team, but we’ll meet other good teams too, so our defensive decision making has to be spot on, otherwise it makes everything else harder.

 

[Torrix1889]

We haven't played our way since last season....we just lump it and hope for the best......that linked with very little creativity in midfield and strikers who couldn't score in a brothel complete the problem....

For me Norwood is the main issue...... can't pass water, can't beat the first man with a cross or corner and can't create any space so goes backwards.....looking very much like Lee Evans,...........Sander must be given that role now and the time to make it his own. We then need to play a 10 but not at the cost of a midfielder but behind the main striker......think Brooks and Clarke on Bouncing Day...

 

[metalblade]

It would help us enormously if we had two wing backs that had the confidence to take on and beat a man to get a cross in early, while ever we are taking 5-6 passes to work a crossing opportunity the defence has all the time they need to get numbers back and in position. Enda looks like he peaked early last season and is on the wane and Baldock while ok defending is hopeless going forwards. Both could be losing their places sooner rather than later. Mind you the midfield 3 were dog dung as well last night Feck improved as the game went on but still way off his usual standard. Lunny has had his golden spell and is back to his sub standard norm and I am now seeing why Norwood was dumped by Fulham and Brighton he struggles when pressed and now his set pieces have hit an all time low too. Not the start we wanted that is for sure, but not yet the crisis some would have us believe.

 

[Badger Blade]

The frustration is that everything we played was in front of the opposition. If we went on the break like Wolves did, we'd end up passing the ball side to side until Basham comes on the overlap, wait for the defence to come back and maybe settle for a corner that inevitably hits the first man.

We improved in the second half but I really wish we'd shoot more often rather than trying to score the perfect goal all the time when we've got a bloke in the penalty area who has made a living from getting on the end of loose balls in the 6 yard box. It's all very neat and tidy but sometimes looks like we're passing the ball for the sake of it. Moving the ball quickly and catching the defence off guard is what gets goals, Wolves defenders last night were stood there knowing the cross was coming and were stood waiting for it.

Last night wasn't a disaster but shows a difference in class (and money) between ourselves and the teams pushing around the European places. I don't think that we'll go down but we'll be competing more with the likes of Brighton, Palace, Burnley rather than Wolves, Arsenal, Spurs like last season.

 

[PokerBlade]

First half we were poor. I can forget about a mad six minutes at the start of a season but the worry was that we started last night the way we end last season. I was hoping that all we needed was a bit of rest. It wasn't just Wolves defeating us tactically, it was us lacking the kind of intensity that's got us here. We've been increasingly happy to play long balls and that just doesn't suit us.

We got better throughout the second half, granted Wolves had more or less won the game and were happy to sit deep and counter (which they're pretty good at). The big change, and absolutely no surprises from me here, was when McGoldrick came on. Suddenly someone's dropping deep to receive the ball, suddenly we're stringing passes together, working it out wide, making chances, connecting the attack and midfield. If we'd started the game playing like that Wolves would have had a real fight.

Everyone's been talking about getting a goalscorer in but for me it's always been down to getting in someone who can do what McGoldrick does. I'd sacrifice an out-and-out striker for a younger version of him any day of the week. We didn't work a decent chance in open play for either striker until he came on.

 

[mattbianco1]

I'm surprised at the comments re: Didzy. I thought he looked bright when he came on. His attempted shot from 20yards was comical though.

When Berge and Didzy were on, it looked like we might actually have a chance of getting back into it.

I was disappointed with Sharp mostly. He should have been more selfish. As a striker who loves scoring goals, he got in behind 3 times and each time he tried squaring the ball.
I appreciate they were all on his left foot, but still. A striker should be selfish and just shoot from those positions.

 

[Bladesman]

I'm surprised at the comments re: Didzy. I thought he looked bright when he came on. His attempted shot from 20yards was comical though.

When Berge and Didzy were on, it looked like we might actually have a chance of getting back into it.

I was disappointed with Sharp mostly. He should have been more selfish. As a striker who loves scoring goals, he got in behind 3 times and each time he tried squaring the ball.
I appreciate they were all on his left foot, but still. A striker should be selfish and just shoot from those positions.

Those situations though where you are damned either way if you don't score. Lay it off and people say he should have shot and then if he shoots but doesn't score everyone says he should have played it across for a tap in.

 

[Snowflake]

Burke will start at Villa, probably with Mcgoldrick, if fit. Berge for Norwood, and Ampadu for Lunny to keep it tight away and frustrate.

Let’s look at who plays on Thursday first.

 

[OrderOfStGeorge]

We haven't played our way since last season....we just lump it and hope for the best......that linked with very little creativity in midfield and strikers who couldn't score in a brothel complete the problem....

For me Norwood is the main issue...... can't pass water, can't beat the first man with a cross or corner and can't create any space so goes backwards.....looking very much like Lee Evans,...........Sander must be given that role now and the time to make it his own. We then need to play a 10 but not at the cost of a midfielder but behind the main striker......think Brooks and Clarke on Bouncing Day...

100% in agreement you have nailed it exactly how I see it Norwood needs replacing just like we replaced Evans with Norwood we just require a better quality player we cant keep having passengers in our midfield and that is what Norwood has been for a long time now.

 

[Speedracer]

Look, we started the game poorly, were so slow & looked under prepared, no denying that & 0-2 could have gotten a lot worse, but we did rally towards the end of the first half & improved a lot for the whole of the second. Saying all that for all the hand wringing there were some positives to take. I do think our system as it currently is isn't working at peak efficiency, we have used it for coming up to 5 seasons now & the tweak it had when Duffy exploded worked better than expected last season, even though I suspect it wasn't meant to be the final itineration of it.
Looking at our signings I have a feeling that Bogle & Lowe could actually be George & Enda's replacements now rather than being back ups. Neither George nor Enda have shown pre lock down form for some time now, & we have been saying the same thing about George's crossing for 4 seasons. He has improved season on season but it does look like he has hit his ceiling in that regard, maybe CWAK are planning a 442 with fullbacks being fullbacks & Bogle & Lowe wide mids? Okay I don't believe that but non of us know what the next step will be!
Despite our slow forward play being a little predictable we still managed to fashion a few chances that we were unlucky with, such as Fleck's shot against the post, & we have to remember that Wolves are no mugs, they have fantastic players that most sides would have in their teams, & shop in a different galaxy to us, financially we just cannot compete, so we have to try to be inventive in other ways.
To completely write us off after a admittedly poor first half an hour is frankly an insult to the players & management. If we ripped the script up after a below par performance imagine the clusterfuck of a club that would make us!

 

[Sheffsteel]

Think people dont quite understand that the Wolves strength is counter attacking.
They are excellent at defending when they sit back......then excellent and very dangerous on the break.

We have similarities to them...we’re great at sitting back defending in numbers....we never got the chance to do that last night.

So regards the styles of the 2 teams...first goal was always going to be massive.
Wolves scores 2 cracking goals from their 1st two shots....at 0-2 down the game was basically over.

 

[Kevincarterversion2.0]

There are some good points in this thread.

1) I agree with those who say we need to find a different way to play if plan A isnt working. Teams in the PL are clever and will wise-up to the way we play. Wolves did (so did Toon last year) and more will do. If we can't play down the flanks, we need another way through.
2) We dont play our really attractive system anymore (Duffy & the number 10 role)
3) We shouldnt be relying on an older and injury prone McG as our spark (an improvement on McG was badly needed for me)
4) We should have hit the target twice, but poor final balls and finishing let us down.

All of the above is why I thought creativity was the key attribute needed in the window. I am not sure we have aquired it....

Early doors, and we are slow starters and will get better. But there are some warning signs there (which have been there since post-lockdown).

 

[Mojo]

The loss of JOC not only makes our defense unquantifiably weaker, it also totally ruins our flowing attacking system on the left. Small margins but it's costing us right now

 

[Bergen Blade]

The loss of JOC not only makes our defense unquantifiably weaker, it also totally ruins our flowing attacking system on the left. Small margins but it's costing us right now

We can still hope that Stevens and Lowe will put that right. Not enough time to assess them vs Fulham.

 

[Mojo]

We can still hope that Stevens and Lowe will put that right. Not enough time to assess them vs Fulham.

My only issue with that is Stevens just does not have the aerial prowess or physical presence that JOC has but agree that's an option

 

[Bergen Blade]

My only issue with that is Stevens just does not have the aerial prowess or physical presence that JOC has but agree that's an option

That is true, but we won't be facing big strikers in the next couple of games.

 

[JJBlade]

What system are we talking about

The system that works, that other teams and managers couldn't figure out

Or the scared, brainless, hoof it crap that we've been served up since lockdown

Teams don't work each other out, they either play well or they don't.

If a team plays very well there isn't much any team can do to suss them out

 

[Chingo]

Do we still play ‘the system’ , I think by and large we have ditched it since losing O’Connell