Perfect game plan..................

[highpeakblade]

Wolves that is not us..........!

I was hard not to be impressed with some of the football that Wolves played against us today, I would go as far as saying that it was some what textbook. The first half could have gone either way, we both gave as good as we got after conceding that sloppy goal and it was a pretty open match with some free flowing attacking football from both sides.

The key to todays result for me is that Wolves had obviously been doing the pre match scouting correctly and dealt with us as a result of it. The didn't give our flying scotsmen on the wing the slightest bit of breathing space for the most and regularly double man marked them and all-be-it dirty at times I think they took advantage of a lack of physical presence that we have in our squad and roughed us up a bit to knock us off our game which frustratingly worked for them.

I don't think we were dismal however I definitely don't think we were 100% on our game for 90 minutes. We created a bit which is a positive that we can take out of the game I suppose but hey I personally take my hat off to in all fairness a very decent team who play very decent attacking football at times and who had a game plan and saw it through.

Pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and on to the next one.

 

[Wards]

I felt we were unlucky against what turned out to be a decent, if very fucking dirty, Wolves side. They took their chances clinically (if a little lucky) and that proved to be the difference, felt we had the better of the first half despite a good 15 minute spell from them before they scored. Scougall should've put us 1-0 up and I felt that we had a clear penalty shout before half time which would've made it very interesting.

Having said that I can see why Wolves are top. Seems to get out of this league you either have to be very skillful (ala Soton/Norwich or be big and physical i.e. Pigs). Wolves seem to have got a good balance of both and you could say they bullied us somewhat - 6 or 7 yellows would confirm that. Seemed they chopped us down whenever a chance was arising for us and disrupted our flow. Even still I felt we played the better football but Wolves much more effective at the business end.

Doyle, Coady and Scougall were impressive for me, as was Freeman despite both goals coming from the left hand side. Collins was unusually poor and struggled with Clarke all day long - Murphy looked a threat in contrast to Flynn who was having a bit of an off day.

Hey ho, play offs were never realistically going to happen as I still think we miss that one 'good' out and out forward player (I'm not classing Baxter as a forward!). Strange to see Miller go out, and score, as I think he could've come in useful but trust Clough's judgement.

 

[Ginger Gnome]

I thought Freeman was appalling, looked completely lost half the time and constantly gave the ball away due to lack of composure on the ball and wild hacks to nowhere in particular. Wolves pressured well and had the clear game plan that we didn't like to be roughed up, but certain players couldn't hack it. As well as his total failure to deal with a simple catch for the first goal, his distribution was worse than ever, both centre backs and even Brayford were playing as if they had no time to think, and although this was sometimes the case, there were times when the ball was aimlessly given away under no pressure at all, it was a mentally weak performance by too many players who just don't like it up em.

Murphy offered as much threat as Fulham did against us, ran around a lot, went sideways or backwards a lot, but had absolutely no end product or interest in shooting. He could have played all day and wouldn't have got anywhere near scoring. The rest of the attacking players had the same problem though, Wolves were defending solidly, but even when there was a chance to break through, everyone had to turn around, pass it out wide or backwards, and look for a more complicated way to break them down, giving Wolves the chance to get players back behind the ball.

Wolves were nothing special in attack, but they didn't need to be, once the first goal went in it was game over. As an attacking force we offered absolutely nothing. Clough didn't even alter the tactics to try and counter what Wolves were doing, just the largely ineffective Flynn replaced by the completely ineffective Davies, Porter thrown on up front to stand beneath aimless balls aimed way over his head and Paynter brought on for a couple of minutes long after everyone else had given up.

 

[Deadly_D'Jaffo]

Freeman appalling!?!? Is that a joke?

 

[Foxy]

Thought Freeman was one of our better players personally

 

[Wards]

So did everyone sat around me. I think most appreciated he was playing out of position too.

 

[sitwell]

I thought Freeman was appalling, looked completely lost half the time and constantly gave the ball away due to lack of composure on the ball and wild hacks to nowhere in particular. Wolves pressured well and had the clear game plan that we didn't like to be roughed up, but certain players couldn't hack it. As well as his total failure to deal with a simple catch for the first goal, his distribution was worse than ever, both centre backs and even Brayford were playing as if they had no time to think, and although this was sometimes the case, there were times when the ball was aimlessly given away under no pressure at all, it was a mentally weak performance by too many players who just don't like it up em.

Murphy offered as much threat as Fulham did against us, ran around a lot, went sideways or backwards a lot, but had absolutely no end product or interest in shooting. He could have played all day and wouldn't have got anywhere near scoring. The rest of the attacking players had the same problem though, Wolves were defending solidly, but even when there was a chance to break through, everyone had to turn around, pass it out wide or backwards, and look for a more complicated way to break them down, giving Wolves the chance to get players back behind the ball.

Wolves were nothing special in attack, but they didn't need to be, once the first goal went in it was game over. As an attacking force we offered absolutely nothing. Clough didn't even alter the tactics to try and counter what Wolves were doing, just the largely ineffective Flynn replaced by the completely ineffective Davies, Porter thrown on up front to stand beneath aimless balls aimed way over his head and Paynter brought on for a couple of minutes long after everyone else had given up.

If Carlsberg did shit reports .....................

 

[kozluk]

.

Wolves were nothing special in attack, but they didn't need to be, once the first goal went in it was game over. As an attacking force we offered absolutely nothing. Clough didn't even alter the tactics to try and counter what Wolves were doing, just the largely ineffective Flynn replaced by the completely ineffective Davies, Porter thrown on up front to stand beneath aimless balls aimed way over his head and Paynter brought on for a couple of minutes long after everyone else had given up.

Personally I just thought wolves had a game plan which worked and they stuck to it. There play was a lot like ours away from home, every man behind the ball attack in numbers on the break. I don't think anybody in this division could have coped with wolves today, they were solid, and determined to get the win after a few points dropped recently.

But to say we offered nothing going forward is a joke, I agree a few balls could have been better but other than that, credit has to given to how disciplined and organised the wolves defence looked. Many teams in the division above would have struggled today to break them down.

But finally to say our players gave up near the end is ridiculous! I thought we gave it everything for the full 90 minutes as did a lot around me, and it was a pleasure to see it again. It wasn't that long ago they would have given up and that in itself shows how far we have come under clough.

I am really looking forward to next season with excitement, and that's something I haven't felt in a very long time.

UTB!

 

[1973_Blade]

I thought we played well without hitting the highs of previous performances. When a couple of our players don't play well it shows and the options we have on the bench are currently limited (why no Diego?). We certainly lack a focus in attack and Baxter is better floating around rather than being the main striker and Murphy isn't physical enough to do the role neither. On the plus side Scougs was very good and Freeman played well on his 'wrong' side.

Wolves were big, dirty but effective.