Wolves (A) Post Match Thread

[pride in battle]

If Mendy continues to stick a token leg out he will not only concede a few penalties this season, but will also likely suffer another cruciate knee injury.

He's either tackling from the wrong side, standing square on or retreating back towards his own penalty area.

One weakness has been particularly exposed in a couple of our games so far against Arsenal and Wolves.

Mendy has been unaware of a player behind him on a flighted angle ball and both Bellerin and the lad yesterday, were able to bring the ball down and take him with ease before getting a shot off inside the penalty area.

Another area of major concern for me is that while I love Bernardo, he's taking a proper attacker out of the side with flank pace, which seems to expose Walker even more.

Again, Mendy on the other side is taking Sane or Mahrez out of the starting eleven.

Pep said this new formation is bringing rewards because we are creating more chances against teams behind the ball, but we always found a way last season, nine times out of ten.

This present set-up takes attacking pace out of the team in the boxes and there is less of a fear factor for our opponents when they see Sane and Sterling are not playing from the start.

Let's get back to what made us so successful, Pep can overthink things at times, case in point being Liverpool away in Champions League last year?

Personally, would like to see Mahrez moved into the number ten, with Sane and Sterling either side of Sergio, with Dave sitting deeper alongside Fern.

Means nothing now, obviously, but Mahrez needs to grow a pair to find his place on this team.

It must be difficult, but I would have told Sergio to piss off over that last minute free-kick.

Aguero might have hit the bar but outside of KDB, 20 yards from goal, there is nobody better in this league than Mahrez from free-kicks.

Wrong side for Mahrez..

 

[franksinatra]

If Mendy continues to stick a token leg out he will not only concede a few penalties this season, but will also likely suffer another cruciate knee injury.

He's either tackling from the wrong side, standing square on or retreating back towards his own penalty area.

One weakness has been particularly exposed in a couple of our games so far against Arsenal and Wolves.

Mendy has been unaware of a player behind him on a flighted angle ball and both Bellerin and the lad yesterday, were able to bring the ball down and take him with ease before getting a shot off inside the penalty area.

Another area of major concern for me is that while I love Bernardo, he's taking a proper attacker out of the side with flank pace, which seems to expose Walker even more.

Again, Mendy on the other side is taking Sane or Mahrez out of the starting eleven.

Pep said this new formation is bringing rewards because we are creating more chances against teams behind the ball, but we always found a way last season, nine times out of ten.

This present set-up takes attacking pace out of the team in the boxes and there is less of a fear factor for our opponents when they see Sane and Sterling are not playing from the start.

Let's get back to what made us so successful, Pep can overthink things at times, case in point being Liverpool away in Champions League last year?

Personally, would like to see Mahrez moved into the number ten, with Sane and Sterling either side of Sergio, with Dave sitting deeper alongside Fern.

Means nothing now, obviously, but Mahrez needs to grow a pair to find his place on this team.

It must be difficult, but I would have told Sergio to piss off over that last minute free-kick.

Aguero might have hit the bar but outside of KDB, 20 yards from goal, there is nobody better in this league than Mahrez from free-kicks.

I wrote something similar after the first couple of games last seasom when we adopted three at the back, that we were playing with the handbrake on, without Sane and Sterling and I feel the same now.

Wolves set up yesterday playing very narrow knowing that as we had Bernardo Silva and Sterling (on his less effective left side) they want to come inside rather than hold the wide poditions and so Wolves were able to snuff out the pockets of space the likes of Silva enjoy operating with little threat coming from the flanks. The times when Mendy, rather than a winger, got out wide in an offensive position that just gave Wolves an outball to launch attacks from.

Mendy looks great going forward but he has affected the symmetary of the side. Laporte is having to do the jobs of two players and I think if Ota or Stones found themselves on the left side of the centre halfs they could end up brutally exposed. Defensively he has shown little concentration as yet, dives in rather than defends properly and seems oblivious to players attacking the back stick running in from behind him.

At the moment accommodating him in my opinion is too heavy a price to pay to lose the width of Sane and the defensive stability of a more defence orientated fullback.

 

[SilverFox2]

On the hand ball point, we don't have var but we do have two linesmen and the fourth official, was it really that difficult for at least one them to see it?

 

[Tom_mcfc]

Neves has no where to go as momentum takes him into Dave after he tripped himself up.

So silva stays on his feet, that momentum still takes him through silva, not a penalty? It’s not a case of he kicked himself so no pen, he went through him regardless of the previous action. There’s no law that says a clumsy challenge is ok if it’s momentum that causes it

 

[taleofbluehalves]

So silva stays on his feet, that momentum still takes him through silva, not a penalty? It’s not a case of he kicked himself so no pen, he went through him regardless of the previous action. There’s no law that says a clumsy challenge is ok if it’s momentum that causes it

It was a clear pen for me. More so than Salah time lapse fall several seconds after the contact.

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

Wrong side for Mahrez..

Wrong side you say?

It's perfect for a left footer who can whip it inside the near right-hand post or someone like a Messi or Mahrez, who can actually wrap their foot right around the outside of the ball and go the other side.

Nightmare for the keeper and also the reason Mahrez was stood to take it until Aguero decided to pull rank.

Sane would also have been more suitable than Kun.

 

[Exeter Blue I am here]

I wrote something similar after the first couple of games last seasom when we adopted three at the back, that we were playing with the handbrake on, without Sane and Sterling and I feel the same now.

Wolves set up yesterday playing very narrow knowing that as we had Bernardo Silva and Sterling (on his less effective left side) they want to come inside rather than hold the wide poditions and so Wolves were able to snuff out the pockets of space the likes of Silva enjoy operating with little threat coming from the flanks. The times when Mendy, rather than a winger, got out wide in an offensive position that just gave Wolves an outball to launch attacks from.

Mendy looks great going forward but he has affected the symmetary of the side. Laporte is having to do the jobs of two players and I think if Ota or Stones found themselves on the left side of the centre halfs they could end up brutally exposed. Defensively he has shown little concentration as yet, dives in rather than defends properly and seems oblivious to players attacking the back stick running in from behind him.

At the moment accommodating him in my opinion is too heavy a price to pay to lose the width of Sane and the defensive stability of a more defence orientated fullback.

Yep, same goes for me Frank, even given Sane’s absolutely wretched cameo yesterday. Mendy’s crosses are a fabulous attacking weapon, but Sane managed the second highest number of assists last season (not to mention numerous goals), many of them from having worked his way, either as the result of his own endeavours or via Dave and Kev’s little passes, in behind the opposition. Wolves made it difficult for us yesterday and apart from the absolute peach he put on Jesus’ head near the end, most of Mendy’s deliveries were from slightly too deep and were cleared by the first defender accordingly. He wasn’t useless, but he was ineffective. Pep has had a couple of digs at Sane pre-season though, so I'm not expecting a change anytime soon unfortunately

 

[Blue Smarties]

What did people make of the performance from Neves?

 

[franksinatra]

Yep, same goes for me Frank, even given Sane’s absolutely wretched cameo yesterday. Mendy’s crosses are a fabulous attacking weapon, but Sane managed the second highest number of assists last season (not to mention numerous goals), many of them from having worked his way, either as the result of his own endeavours or via Dave and Kev’s little passes, in behind the opposition. Wolves made it difficult for us yesterday and apart from the absolute peach he put on Jesus’ head near the end, most of Mendy’s deliveries were from slightly too deep and were cleared by the first defender accordingly. He wasn’t useless, but he was ineffective. Pep has had a couple of digs at Sane pre-season though, so I'm not expecting a change anytime soon unfortunately

On a positive note,re:Sane, Pep did make some comments this wkend stating Sane is now ready and In relation to Mendy m not sure he will be best pleased with his performance.

A feature of our play last year was stretching sides, making the pitch big and then KDB, Silva find the ball in the pockets via Fernandiniho and then the slide rule ball inside the fullbacks. We have lost that this year with the likes of Bernardo wanting to play to feet and then to work inside onto his stronger foot.

We know Pep likes to dominate the ball and retaining possession is king but for me we managed that last year without losing our attacking threat/pace on the flanks.

 

[simon23]

I thought others were much worse, plus I held a similiar view about gund defensively, but it dawned on me that it ain't a significant part of his game, and even pep has said as much. I did not see any difference between him or the two Silva's creatively, the other two like him struggled to break down wolves deep block. In fact I watched gund closely and there were thtee or 4 times he found space in fangerous areas waiting forfa return pass and he did not get it. I may have missed it in the thread but if I'm right the one piece of quality/creativity we desperately needed to get back in the game which led to are equaliser did notncome from silva, it came from Gundogan, with his free kick.

in yesterdays game others were as bad...but continually over an extended period of time Gundogna is the weak link for me

Yes Vinnie had a bad game - more often or not he is solid
Ferna had a bad game - more often or not he is an at least 7 or 8 out of 10
Mendy was poor defensively (good going forward)

Gundogan is never more than ok....and is often the weak link....he did nothing yesterday baring the free kick for the goal....other than that he offered no attacking threat and was again defensively absent