Stan Cullis

Wolves 2-1 Brighton Match Report

by with No Comment Match ReviewsNews

Wolves produced a fine second half display to come back from a goal down and see off Brighton at Molineux. Lewis Dunk had given Brighton the lead and could quite easily have added to it with Wolves unable to deal with the away side’s physicality at set pieces. But Wolves came on strong in the second half with goals from Adama Traore and a Premier League first for Morgan Gibbs-White sealing all three points. 

 

Reaction 

 

Wolves (4-2-3-1): Patricio, Hoever, Coady, Kilman, Ait-Nouri, Moutinho, Neves, Gibbs-White, Vitinha, Podence, Silva (Subs Used: Traore, Jose, Dendoncker) 

 

Brighton (3-5-2): Sanchez, White, Webster, Dunk, Burn, Jahanbaksh, Gross, Bissouma, Trossard, Maupay, Webeck (Subs Used: Mac Alister, Moder, Zeqiri) 

 

Nuno once again put his trust in youth after a promising outing in tough conditions at West Brom. One of the youngsters who impressed in the Black Country derby, Owen Otasowie, missed out through injury. Ki-Jana Hoever replaced Nelson Semedo, while Max Kilman came into the back four in place of the out-of-form Romain Saiss. Joao Moutinho returned from injury while Daniel Podence was also back in the starting line-up. Morgan Gibbs-White adopted the wide right position that Otasowie played at West Brom, with Vitinha starting centrally behind Fabio Silva. Wolves started the game brightly and managed to get in behind Brighton early on, Vitinha forcing a good save from Sanchez. However, following a promising opening to the game Wolves lost control and fell behind due to their inability to defend corners. This worrying trait continued throughout the first half, with Rui Patricio forced into one excellent save to deny Dunk a second form a corner. 

 

Having gone in level at the break it was clear Wolves needed to inject some energy, and they did so with Adama Traore coming on with half an hour to go. Wolves were now also up against ten men after an excellent interchange between Fabio Silva and Vitinha which saw Lewis Dunk bring the Portuguese striker down when he was in on goal, dually shown the red card by Jon Moss. Traore immediately stretched the game, with Gibbs-White now moving into a more central position, looking to support Fabio Silva. And after a number of good situations which Wolves failed to capitalise on, Traore finally had his goal after a neat one-two with Silva in a crowded penalty area, he fired beyond Sanchez with ten minutes to play. Gibbs-White continued to flourish and was having an even greater impact in the centre of the park. Traore chased Sanchez down and stole the ball wide of the goal. He cut back into the area with the keeper stranded but teed up Gibbs-White who fired over. It looked like that elusive Premier League goal was still to come for Gibbs-White, but as the clock struck 90, he redeemed himself as the ball fell nicely in the penalty area after good work from Ait-Nouri. Gibbs-White’s fine finish ensured the win for Nuno’s men, much to the youngster’s delight. 

 

Key Moments 

Dunk Goal

Pascal Gross’ fine delivery was met by the head of Lewis Dunk whose firm header into the ground went beyond Patricio to give the Seagulls the lead. Dunk was marked by Ruben Neves and Morgan Gibbs-White, a poor mismatch which ultimately cost the goal and could quite easily have cost more. 

 

Dunk Red Card

A smart piece of play from Fabio Silva who took the ball down in midfield before finding Vitinha. Silva continued his run beyond Dunk and Vitinha’s perfectly timed ball had Silva through on goal. Dunk took no chances and pulled Silva back, denying a goalscoring opportunity and was given his marching orders. 

 

Traore Goal

Entering a crowded penalty area Traore played a neat one-two with Silva and managed to fire the ball home between a cluster of Brighton defenders. The power and accuracy of the shot gave Sanchez no chance and set up a frantic final ten minutes. 

 

Gibbs-White Goal

Patient build up play around the edge of the box before the ball made its way out wide to Ait-Nouri. He took on Ben White and got the better of him too. The deflected cross fell to the feet of Gibbs-White and at the second time of asking, he curled a beauty into the top corner to seal the win. The delight on his face was there for all to see. 

 

Man of the Match – Morgan Gibbs-White 

The Stafford born midfielder has come in for much criticism in recent seasons having burst onto the scene aged just 16. His progress stagnated, and he had terrible luck early in the season with injury hampering his impressive start to a loan spell at Championship side Swansea City. But in 4-2-3-1 Gibbs-White certainly has his place, having been somewhat of a square peg when used in a 3-4-3/3-5-2. Gibbs-White’s energy and enthusiasm injected belief into the Wolves side that they could come back and win the game. In the second half he linked well with Hoever on the right-hand side, before enjoying the freedom to roam between the lines in a central area following the departure of Vitinha. This seems to be where he is most effective. His goal was superbly taken, made even more impressive by his ability to pick himself up after missing a guilt-edge chance just minutes before. 

 

Final Thoughts 

It was certainly an enjoyable watch in the second half, far more entertaining than most games we have been served up this season. But it was also a poignant moment as the win is likely (hopefully) the final game at Molineux behind closed doors. I have goosebumps just writing that. There will be a small crowd in attendance for the home fixture with Manchester United on the final day, with the hope that Molineux will be packed to the rafters once more in time for next season. The side have struggled for various reasons this season, some are excuses, others are situations that should have been handled better by the club/manager/players. But all in all, the effort is still there, and the younger lads have come in, injecting a newfound energy and for the most part have been relatively enjoyable to watch. Let’s hope they are continued to allow to showcase their talents and develop in these final three games of the season. The standard of opposition gradually increases, and they will be important learning curves ahead of next season. A great win, an enjoyable moment, and hopefully a sign of the future.

 

Ciaran Barker is part of the Talking Wolves editorial team – you can follow him on Twitter here.

Billy Wright Stand

Wolves 2-1 Brighton: The Debrief

by with No Comment NewsOpinion

Morgan Gibbs-White, he’s one of our own. It seems a lifetime ago since those sounds rang across the same Molineux stands that now sit so barren and lifeless.

 

Isn’t it great to get that winning feeling back? Until the youngster stepped up to smash home a deserved winner, it seemed like the 10 men of Brighton were destined to leave with a point. 

 

It could’ve all been so different had Lewis Dunk not grabbed Fabio Silva’s shirt, which in turn yanked the chain of the gold and black generator, causing Wolves’ afternoon to suddenly splutter into life.

 

The start was refreshing and vibrant, putting Brighton on the back foot immediately. That was until Dunk himself popped up and headed the away side in front. Neves and Gibbs-White appeared to have been given the task of stopping him. Perhaps one should have perched on the other’s shoulder to try and obscure the man mountain’s path to goal.

 

Brighton are a neat and tidy outfit. The passing is crisp and free flowing. As BBC commentator Danny Murphy remarked, “They’re dangerous every time they come forward.” 

 

Moutinho’s passing range and overall ball control was lacking. Ait-Nouri’s silky runs often became blind alley treks. The passing moves were textbook but ineffective, all done in front of a solid Brighton back line.

 

It looked like a training match, it felt like a training match. Even the synthetic cheers and whistles of the BBC sound machine failed to achieve any semblance of reality. Pressing the “boo” button at half time would’ve made things more believable.

 

Losing at home to a team beginning with B, on a Sunday afternoon, all seemed eerily similar to the 4-0 Burnley battering. Danny Welbeck was enjoying himself. The nearly man of the Premier League was physically strong, quick and willing to lead the line.

 

Again, it was difficult to see who Wolves could turn to off the bench. Dendoncker up front maybe? Otasowie at left back? Give Corbeanu a debut in a holding role? When the script got flipped it was a Brighton player who was the main antagonist.

 

Silva raced though. Dunk had a sneaky tug. Time stilled briefly. The big man’s head dropped; his departure inevitable.

 

Nuno suddenly sensed an opportunity. The beard stroking became more vigorous. Eyebrows steadily raised like Leonid Brezhnev. It was time to shake up the baby oil bottle, release the beast and let Adama Traore run loose. Already the recipient of an Adama roasting earlier in the season, Dan Burn no doubt twitched nervously as his tormentor reappeared for round two.

 

Rueing a gilt-edged opportunity minutes beforehand, to his credit Morgan Gibbs-White did not let the miss get him down. Often pinpointed as transfer fodder, as the exit door flapped open Morgan refused to be dragged away. 

 

He stepped up when it mattered, instigated some late notice drama and bagged all three points for his team. Brighton games aren’t supposed to be this way. A 3-3 draw in January and an entertaining 2-1 win that bucked the bore draw trend. Neal Maupay was determined to add to the drama when he went ballistic after time and made it two red cards for the Seagulls.

 

At half time a large percentage of fans might have happily swapped the managers around and accepted Brighton’s head honcho with open arms in to the home dugout. 

 

The red card undoubtedly swayed the game. In the end though it was Nuno, that grizzled old wizard, who had the last laugh over fresh young Potter.

Steve Wellings is part of the Talking Wolves editorial team – you can follow him on Twitter here 

Steve Bull Stand

Wolves 2-1 Brighton Player Ratings

by with No Comment NewsPlayer Ratings

Wolves earned their first win in three weeks as they came from behind to beat Brighton 2-1 at Molineux. After Lewis Dunk gave Brighton the lead from a corner after 13 minutes, the Seagulls’ captain then swung the game in Wolves’ favour when he was sent off for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity early in the second half. Substitute Adama Traore drew Wolves level with a quarter of an hour left, before Morgan Gibbs-White’s first league goal for the club earned Nuno’s side three points in the last minute of normal time. 

 

Rui Patricio

Had very little to do besides picking the ball out of his net and didn’t face a single attempt of any kind in the second half. Could have relieved Wolves of some first half set-piece pressure by coming off his line, but that just isn’t his style. 6/10.

 

Ki-Jana Hoever

Not his finest performance in a Wolves shirt. Coped well enough defensively but his attacking output was almost always ineffective. His crosses from open play or the simply horrendous short corners always either flew into the empty stand or hit the first man. His time will come. 5/10. 

 

Conor Coady

Did well. Failed to keep out Dunk’s header in front of the far post but was otherwise pretty much unchallenged by Welbeck or Maupay, but did get a yellow card for clumsily taking down Zeqiri off the pitch. His distribution was solid. 6/10. 

 

Max Kilman

Enjoyed his first league start in three months and two days and did well. Wolves’ defence looked hugely improved when compared to their last outing at Molineux against Burnley, and Kilman was a big part of that. Was relatively untroubled except for set-pieces, which he and Wolves finally got a grip of after Dunk’s dismissal. 7/10. 

 

Rayan Ait-Nouri

A second straight impressive performance for Ait-Nouri, who has done his chances of a permanent move to Molineux no harm. Was constantly up and down the left-hand side and had no problem with Jahanbakhsh and later Moder. 7/10. 

 

Ruben Neves

Not his best performance.  Wasn’t able to dictate play in the way he’d have liked following Dunk’s goal, with Wolves being hugely ineffective while the Seagulls were a goal up in the first half. Not a surprise to see him withdrawn as Nuno looked to attack following Dunk’s red card. 5/10. 

 

Joao Moutinho 

Clearly wasn’t at full fitness following his two-game absence. Was run ragged by Brighton prior to the dismissal, while his insistence to play the ball short to Hoever at corners was questionable to say the least. Nevertheless, Moutinho should have had an assist after his through ball was woefully mis-controlled by Jose at 0-1. 5/10. 

 

Morgan Gibbs-White

His best game in a Wolves shirt by far. Was given just his second league start since returning from Swansea in January and was clearly determined to make an impression. The 21-year-old was popping up here, there and everywhere trying to win the ball back and deservedly picked up his first league goal for Wolves at a crucial time. Thankfully, that meant we can gloss over his shocking open goal miss just five minutes earlier. 8/10. 

 

Vitinha

Wasn’t as influential as he was in the Black Country derby on Monday, but still offered Wolves a link from midfield to attack that they lacked so badly in February and March. Wolves’ gameplan seemed to go through Gibbs-White this time rather than Vitinha, as Nuno tries to see what all his young players can do ahead of a big summer. Was still surprising to see him withdrawn for Dendoncker after Traore’s equaliser. 6/10. 

 

Daniel Podence

Hasn’t had a good few weeks, and that continued against Brighton. Minus one good turn from a short corner early on Podence was completely ineffective again. He seemed more intent on trying to argue with Ben White than provide a goal or assist, which is becoming a running theme. Withdrawn for Willian Jose midway through the second half. 5/10

 

Fabio Silva

Had another good game. Looked threatening in the second half, broke free down Brighton’s left-hand side on a couple of occasions and provided a brilliant assist in a tight space for Traore’s equaliser. After some struggles in the winter months, Silva is beginning to show glimpses of why Wolves spent £35m on him. 7/10. 

 

Adama Traore

Played just 30 minutes, but was Wolves’ man of the match. Everything went through Traore and he was asked to almost single-handedly break down a stubborn Brighton side, which he did so with ease. His equaliser was built up, and taken, superbly, while he was a constant threat as Wolves pushed for a winner. With rumours of contract talks ongoing, Jeff Shi needs to present Traore with a blank piece of paper and let him write whatever numbers he wants on it. He is crucial to this team. 9/10. 

 

Willian Jose

Was fairly anonymous minus his poor touch when put through by Moutinho. Wolves would be mad to pay £20m for his services in the summer. 5/10.

 

Leander Dendoncker

Did nothing of note as Wolves pushed for a winner and then looked to hold onto their three points. N/A. 

 

James Wynn is part of the Talking Wolves editorial team – you can follow him on Twitter here.

Hawthorns shithole

West Brom 1-1 Wolves: The Debrief

by with No Comment NewsOpinion

On a saturated evening that was supposed to provide one final crumb of sustenance from an increasingly mouldy season, Wolves trudged through the puddles to earn a draw against the old enemy.

 

It wasn’t catwalk football. Many of the players may have viewed it as “just another game”. The lack of fans did not help get the blood pumping as was required for such an occasion. But between the dark grey clouds circling above The Hawthorns there grew some green shoots of light. 

 

Young legs, fresh ideas, neat combination play; something for viewers at home to cling on to. After last week’s 4-0 loss to Burnley it was the marked improvement so badly needed.

 

Early on the ever-industrious Fabio Silva looked particularly isolated as he hustled and bustled against the physical powerhouses of the Albion defence. 

 

Straight after his goal we tweeted: “Made up for Silva. Not stopped trying all half. Throughout the season every opportunity he’s had, every criticism and missed chance, never let his head drop.”

 

It was a glorious scuff but nobody cared. From 45-yard volleys to a five-yard tap in they all count the same.

 

Otasowie improved as the game went on

 

Once again played in a disjointed role, Owen Otasowie stuttered and stammered in a poor start. An early string of misplaced passes likely occurred from Owen misjudging the weight of the rain on the turf. Noted by the commentators as being a model, Otasowie looked like a model playing a footballer in a TV drama. 

 

After a laboured first 45, the second half at least brought more promising intent from the young American. Driving forward with the ball at his feet, there were raw glimpses of the 20-year-old’s potential.

 

Talking of potential, both Ait-Nouri and Vitinha excelled. As Wolves grew into the game Nelson Semedo’s wait for a goal nearly ended on the half hour mark. Vitinha’s forward movement and propensity to run with the ball caused issues for the hosts.

 

As the home side gently raised the temperature Rui Patricio earned his corn with a smart save from Conor Gallagher. Wolves retreated. Semedo went wandering. Matt Phillips found more joy down the left.

 

Albion’s single moment of hope arrived when Roman Saiss pulled his increasingly regular trick of falling asleep at the wheel. The Moroccan managed to fluff his lines in front of goal yet also go missing in his own box when it really mattered. 

 

Once Otasowie and Vitinha had the stabilisers taken off, both looked threatening. After his previously mentioned ropy start Otasowie grew into the game. Vitinha’s contribution held great promise and increased the likelihood of his fee being triggered.

 

Mike Dean’s introduction at half time stifled the flow of the game. The whistle-happy veteran is more effective than any midfield enforcer at stopping free-flowing counter attacks. 

 

How to deal with a problem like Podence?

 

While clearly not match fit, Daniel Podence is also a discussion point. The sprightly magician is well balanced, fast and skilled but has yet to find consistency. How many games since his arrival has Podence held great influence over? 

 

Perhaps the diminutive Portuguese is becoming a luxury the squad can ill afford. However, shipping him out (if indeed a buyer could be found) would be a heavy-handed decision at this point.

 

Podence was introduced to help ease the defensive burden and get Wolves functioning higher up the pitch. Playing under pressure in the second half was expected given the fact that the home side were fighting for their Premier League lives. Wolves weathered the metaphorical storm before the actual storm descended and the game floated towards its conclusion.

 

Described as biblical by the commentary team, the weather was more farcical as the ball skidded across the turf one minute before dragging across the sodden grass like a boulder the next. 

 

Injury aside there can be no reason to leave Vitinha out of the remaining fixtures. Another fleet-footed slickster, Morgan Gibbs-White, made a positive impact with his driving runs and penchant for a slide tackle. 

 

The youngsters offered a vibrancy of movement. A willingness to pull the head up, run with the ball or pick the forward thinking through pass rather than the gloopy sidewards offerings of the old guard.

 

Is there any solace in relegating the old enemy? Possibly, but without a band of several thousand away fans goading and jeering their counterparts it was all pretty tame stuff. Pushing West Brom closer to the trap door, not quite kicking and screaming, is small consolation for not getting the win.

 

Monday was a chance for a glimpse at the possibilities of our next generation. Badgered into a line-up change, Nuno offered the spotlight to some fresh faces and they at least made a case for another shot. 

 

Even though Wolves’ third season has been a difficult experience on so many levels, the best teams and the best players will once again grace Molineux after the summer reshuffle.

 

With four points out of six, across two fixtures, West Brom won the battle. But the men in Gold and Black won the war. Perhaps we’ll meet them again sometime?

 

Steve Wellings is part of the Talking Wolves editorial team – you can follow him on Twitter here 

Hawthorns shithole

West Brom 1-1 Wolves Player Ratings

by with No Comment NewsPlayer Ratings

Wolves avoided the embarrassment of defeat against West Brom at the Hawthorns but will have been disappointed not to come away with all three points. Fabio Silva’s fortuitous opener put Wolves ahead at the break after an impressive first half display, but poor defending led to Diagne equalising for the hosts mid-way through the second half. Both sides had chances to win it, but it was Wolves who ended the stronger side without threatening Sam Johnstone in the Albion goal. Despite their pending relegation, Albion will no doubt be delighted to have taken four points off Wolves this season.

 

Rui Patricio 

Kept Wolves in it with two superb saves after the break, both from close range. The Portuguese shot stopper had a relatively quiet first half but dealt well in tough conditions, looking confident coming for the ball in a crowded and physical penalty area. 8/10

 

Nelson Semedo

Contributed well going forwards looking to link and support both Otasowie and Vitinha on the right-hand side. However, as often happens when Semedo plays in a back four, he should have closed the cross down far quicker which ultimately led to the equaliser. 6/10

 

Conor Coady

Recovered well from last weekend’s humiliating performance against Burnley, certainly looking up for the Black Country derby. Coady organised the back four well and was not afraid to play balls in behind, hoping to take advantage of the poor conditions. 6/10

 

Romain Saiss 

Will be extremely disappointed to have lost Diagne for the Albion goal. Prior to the cross coming in Saiss seemed to have his man under control, but one lapse in concentration meant Wolves’ lead was wiped out. Besides the mistake he was relatively comfortable and proved an important aerial presence in the box. 5/10

 

Rayan Ait-Nouri

An impressive all round performance form Ait-Nouri who is benefitting greatly from a consistent run in the side. He was assured defensively and contributed well going forwards, being more direct in his running and causing the Albion defence problems. 7/10

 

Leander Dendoncker

A difficult game for the midfield which in truth, neither side could dominate. Dendoncker certainly covered a lot of ground as we have come to expect and was not afraid to do the dirty work and break up play. He was unable to have any meaningful impact on the game going forward. 6/10

 

Ruben Neves

Like Dendoncker, Neves certainly relished the derby game and the poor conditions, launching himself into numerous tackles and winning the ball back on almost every occasion. He had several long-range shots on goal, all of which were frustratingly wasted. 6/10

 

Owen Otasowie

Justified his place in the side and was seen in yet another position as he played to the right of Vitinha in the three behind Silva. Was confident on the ball and wanted to get involved at every opportunity. He did waste possession on occasions but his willingness to get on the ball and play is something that should not be discouraged. 7/10

 

Vitinha

An excellent performance form Vitinha which has Wolves fans wondering why we have not seen more of the youngster. He was direct and wanted to create a chance at every opportunity, including a long-range effort which was well saved by Johnstone. His link up play with Silva was impressive and certainly something to build on, but the moment of the match was his neat flick into the path of Semedo which ultimately led to the goal. 8/10

 

Adama Traore

 A frustrating night for Traore who will have been disappointed not to have exerted a greater influence on the game. It certainly wasn’t for the want of trying, but the conditions were against him and Albion had clearly planned to crowd him out of the game at every opportunity. 6/10

 

Fabio Silva

A rare start for the Portuguese wonderkid and a second goal in a black country derby. There was a huge slice of goof fortune in the deflection back off Silva which ultimately led to the goal, but it was the bit of luck that both Wolves and Silva deserved. His link up play was impressive and he has surely done enough to warrant a start against Brighton on Sunday. 7/10

 

Subs: 

Daniel Podence

Came on for Otasowie mid-way through the second half and struggled to gain any kind of foothold in the game. His passing was poor, wasting good opportunities to counterattack. He was brushed off the ball on two occasions and hasn’t really seemed himself since his injury. 5/10

 

Morgan Gibbs-White

Followed on from his impressive cameo against Fulham to exert more enthusiasm into the game. The Stafford born midfielder will know exactly what the game means to the fans, and certainly didn’t disappoint in his short time on the pitch, flying into tackles and looking to get forward whenever possible. 6/10

 

Max Kilman

A short stint at left back from Kilman following Ait-Nouri’s injury. He had a faultless ten minutes, defending well and trying to keep the ball as Wolves looked to put pressure on Albion as the game drew to its conclusion. 6/10

 

Ciaran Barker is part of the Talking Wolves editorial team – you can follow him on Twitter here.

Hawthorns shithole

West Bromwich Albion v Wolves Match Preview

by with No Comment Match PreviewsNews

Wolves face West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League at The Hawthorns off the back of a humiliating 4-0 defeat to Burnley. Wolves were shambolic last time out and face an Albion side clinging on to a small glimmer of hope of retaining their Premier League status. The Black Country derby takes place on bank holiday Monday, May 3 and kicks-off at 6pm live on Sky Sports. 

 

Wolves form 

 

Wolves ended a two-game winning run with last Sunday’s collapse against Burnley at Molineux. The 1-0 wins over Fulham and Sheffield United were not exactly convincing either and up against a team who Wolves rarely play well against, they were exposed defensively and made to look rather silly against Chris Wood and co. 

 

There wasn’t really any positives from that game other than we are one step closer to this horrible season ending. 

 

They usually say that form goes out of the window or a derby fixture but with Wolves’ tepid performances for the best part of 12 months, I’m pretty sure even without the Burnley result, Wolves would not be looking forward to this game. 

 

Having said that, Wolves sit 12th in the league table and barring a huge goal difference swing, they can’t actually lose a position. Although Palace in 13th do have a game in hand. 

 

West Brom form

 

West Brom look all but set to join Sheffield United in the Championship next season however they are still not down and out just yet. Two recent impressive wins included a 3-0 win over Southampton and a 5-2 away win at Stamford Bridge when Thiago Silva was sent off inside 30 minutes. They followed this up with a 3-0 defeat to Leicester before conceding a 92nd minute Keinan Davis equaliser vs Aston Villa last weekend. 

 

They have still only won five games this season, one of those coming in their 3-2 win at Molineux, which I’ll sadly recap shortly. 

 

Matheus Pereira has been their dangerman this season whilst recent addition Mbaye Diagne has scored a couple of goals however time is running out for the home side. Nevertheless, a win over a tame Wolves outfit would keep them in the league for a little bit longer.

 

West Brom vs Wolves Team News

 

From what we know, Wolves are likely to be without long-term absentees Raul Jimenez, Pedro Neto, Jonny Castro Otto and Marcal. Joao Moutinho missed the Burnley mess with an injury picked up in training. 

 

Nuno has been reluctant to change things even with safety all but secure and after every heavy defeat this season, he has placed an even bigger emphasis on defending and protecting a clean sheet. Wolves can’t defend in a four or five, so if he wants to play with a four going forward, he needs to play it and stick with it. 

 

Potential side: Patricio, Semedo, Boly, Coady, Ait-Nouri, Neves, Moutinho, Podence, Vitinha, Traore, Silva. 

 

Robert Snodgrass looks like he could return for Albion with Branislav Ivanovic the only other injury doubt for Sam Allardyce. 

 

West Brom vs Wolves Head-to-Head

 

Wolves suffered an embarrassing 3-2 defeat at Molineux back in January in the reverse fixture.

 

Pereira scored twice either side of a Semi Ajayi strike as goals from Fabio Silva and Willy Boly wasn’t enough for Wolves to gain anything from the game.  

 

Referee Michael Oliver had a poor game gifting West Brom a penalty for a foul that was outside of the box and he then failed to award Wolves a penalty when Kieran Gibbs quite obviously caught the ball in the penalty area. Oliver also gave West Brom another penalty for a very soft foul but away from that, Albion were fired up and wanted the victory more than Wolves. You’d expect the same on Monday.

 

Albion have won the last three games between the teams and have the better overall record, winning 65 games compared to Wolves’ 53. 

 

Prediciton

 

Nuno has relayed his messages about competing in games and trying to cut out mistakes. On Friday, he told the media that this week (in training) had been good and that this game “means a lot to us and the fans. We are going compete. We have to compete.”

 

Wolves have to show some desire and fight on Monday. They had none of it against Burnley and looked like they didn’t care. 

 

This is probably not the ideal game to bounce back from a thrashing but if the players can’t get up for a local derby, then there is something wrong.

 

We’ve seen Wolves struggle defensively this season and that isn’t going to change overnight but Wolves are a better team than West Brom and if they can avoid making silly mistakes that lead directly to goals, they may be able to take something from this game. For that, they need to attack a defence that has conceded 64 goals this season, but Wolves aren’t exactly a free-scoring team. 

 

I expect Nuno to play it cautiously and try and grind out a 1-0 win. Wolves seem more bothered about not losing than trying to win, but when you struggle to defend, there’s no point in playing for a draw. 

 

Prediction: West Brom 1-1 Wolves. 

 

Taran Dhamrait is part of the Talking Wolves editorial team – you can follow him on Twitter here.

Molineux Stadium Turnstile

Wolves 0-4 Burnley : The Debrief

by with One Comment NewsOpinion

As bad days go this was right up there.

Scorelines often mask the reality of a game. A good performance punctuated by a couple of mistakes can lead to a 3-0 or 4-1 reverse with the statistics not offering a true representation of events. 

On this balmy April afternoon the score echoed every inch of a one-sided drubbing. It probably should’ve been more. Heads dropped early, quality players hid in large shadows that loomed across the pitch. Obscured from view, hoping to avoid scrutiny, too many went missing at all the vital moments.

Picking Wolves and Burnley as a BBC game may have led to disgruntled subscribers demanding an end to the license fee. At least one team arrived looking to ramp up the entertainment factor. 

Burnley, a rigid four-four-two grinder of a side, built in the hard working image of their manager, turned on the style and punished their hosts who spent most of the afternoon resembling a League Two outfit. 

 

Watching Wolves isn’t fun anymore

 

For years the rise to prominence has been so sweet. But as the oddest of seasons rumbles on it’s all beginning to get a little bitter.

Problems? There are many. For starters, there’s nothing on the bench to shake up the chosen 11, or make opponents feel the slightest concern.

Even at 2-0, when there was still a little hope of a comeback, who could jog down from the stands, work themselves loose and enter the fray to strike fear into the opposition? Would Vitinha or Morgan Gibbs-White, tidy technicians that they are, offer an increased threat to Burnley’s comfortable back line? 

Familiar and functional, the line-up offered few surprises. Tarkowski and his band of blockers would not have to deal with the bizarre “threat” of Owen Otasowie in a False 9.

Often as effective as Otasowie in forward positions, last week’s hero Willian Jose began pretty strongly. For the first five minutes at least. Holding up play, swinging a beautifully weighted pass across the pitch to Semedo, it all looked so promising. 

For the remainder of the half he resembled a bag of cement – only less mobile. It’s clearly a case of wrong place, wrong time for the big Brazilian who is now entering Tomasz Frankowski territory. At least Jose got that goal.

 

Is Nuno losing the dressing room?

 

To be blunt, Wolves played like a team looking to get rid of their manager. Maybe the manager himself would be better off with a move away. Appearing genuinely sad on the sidelines, a far cry from the super-motivated, ferocious figure of the Championship blitz, Nuno could do little to stem the tide from the increasing heat of his dugout.

Adama Traore showed a bit of fight. The wrong kind of fight though, and he was lucky to escape a red after a needless palm swipe at Jack Cork. Familiarity breeds contempt and Wolves feel like a team of individuals who can’t stand the sight of each other right now.

Scoring against Burnley is tough enough at the best of times. Trying to find five goals would be near impossible. One of the most frustrating parts is that the home side’s defensive frailties were not the result of boundless abandon or attacking endeavour. It was a stale, lifeless beating. Leaky at one end, worthless at the other. 

Aside from a few catches from corners, Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope was largely untroubled. The visitors were professional, streetwise, well organised. They knew when to defend, when to whisk forward with surprising ease and when to hit the deck and roll around.

The men in Gold and Black were the opposite. Weak in the tackle, slow to close down the wide players and their threatening crosses; stumbling underneath long punts and giving away the ball with alarming regularity – and that was all just the first half. Losing the second half 1-0 seemed like an improvement.

 

Too many players had an off day

 

Even with five minutes to go Wolves’ defenders were still providing “what the hell are you doing?!” moments as Saiss wandered into a corner of trouble. He was swiftly dispossessed and his team swiftly punished.

Anyone rubbing hands at the prospect of Wolves hammering the final nail in to the Albion coffin next week need to look elsewhere. Right now, there’s no guarantee of three points from any fixture.

This squad requires a huge overhaul in the summer. The playing staff, the tactics, the personnel, maybe even the manager all need to be intensely scrutinised. Let’s see if Fosun have the stomach to whip out the cheque book and sort things out. 


Steve Wellings is part of the Talking Wolves editorial team – you can follow him on Twitter here 

Steve Bull Stand

Wolves 0-4 Burnley Player Ratings

by with No Comment NewsPlayer Ratings

Wolves put in one of their worst performances in recent years as they lost 4-0 to Burnley at Molineux. A first Premier League hat-trick for Chris Wood put the game beyond Nuno’s side in the first half, before Ashley Westwood’s brilliant late strike put the icing on the cake. It was a disastrous display by Wolves, who looked hopeless in all aspects of the game. 

 

Rui Patricio

A difficult afternoon for the Wolves keeper, but he would have done well to stop any of Burnley’s goals. Made one very good save from Lowton in the second half, as well as a couple more routine stops from Wood either side of the break. 5/10. 

 

Romain Saiss

Part of a back three who were battered from pillar to post by Wood and Vydra. Was responsible for Westwood’s brilliant fourth after giving the ball away to Rodriguez outside his own box, but prior to that Saiss had a more backseat role in Wolves’ demise when compared to his partners. Still undoubtedly one of his worst performances in his four-and-a-half years at Wolves. 3/10. 

 

Conor Coady

The worst possible performance for Wolves’ captain in front of a national audience, which it’s safe to assume included Gareth Southgate. If people wanted an example of how not to play against Chris Wood or the Premier League’s other target men, they should look at Coady’s performance; he was turned inside out for the first goal by the New Zealand international, who repeated the trick for a chance in the second half. The defensive aspect of Wolves’ game was a complete shambles, which ultimately falls into Coady’s leadership domain. 2/10. 

 

Willy Boly

Started as he meant to go on when his attempted backpass was woefully short and put Vydra through on goal. Boly’s brilliant last-ditch tackle on the Czech international delayed Burnley taking the lead by just 90 seconds, as another one of his mistakes allowed Wood to score as a long ball sailed over the Ivorian’s head. Certainly Boly’s worst performance in a Wolves shirt. 2/10. 

 

Nelson Semedo

Semedo has looked much improved in recent weeks and months, but he was back to his early season form against Burnley. Taylor and McNeil were untroubled on the left-hand side in the first half, while on one occasion Matej Vydra was given the freedom of Wolverhampton on Semedo’s side and was only stopped by Patricio. Withdrawn for Silva on 57 minutes. 3/10. 

 

Leander Dendoncker

Completely and utterly anonymous throughout the first half to the extent that most watching probably didn’t realise he was playing. Dendoncker was completely bypassed for most of the game, and in the moments when he did make a contribution, it was almost never positive. Before signing a contract extension in the autumn, Dendoncker was one of Wolves’ most important players. Now, they look better without him. 2/10.

 

Ruben Neves

Was a welcome addition to Wolves’ starting lineup after missing the visit of Sheffield United through COVID, but clearly wasn’t up to speed. Like his midfield partner Neves was bypassed for most of the game, and his long shots and free kicks left a lot to be desired. Not the return to action he’d have been hoping for. 3/10. 

 

Rayan Ait-Nouri

Probably Wolves’ best outfield player, but that’s mainly because the use of Josh Brownhill as an inverted winger left him without a one-on-one challenge for the 90 minutes. Still won’t have convinced many that he is a £20m wing back ahead of the summer. 4/10. 

 

Adama Traore

A really bad performance after looking like he’d turned his season around. Was responsible for the second goal after a lazy pass to Semedo was intercepted by McNeil on the edge of Wolves’ box, and his attacking play was similarly woeful. A disaster from Traore, who will be hoping this is just a one off. 2/10. 

 

Willian Jose

Back to his usual anonymous self after two good performances against Fulham and Sheffield United. Was no match for the formidable pairing of Mee and Tarkowski which led to the Brazilian drifting wide, where he was just as ineffective, and the addition of Fabio Silva to form a strike partnership showed no improvements either. Most fans have been calling for Silva to start over Jose for months now, but with five meaningless games coming up the 18-year-old has to play over a man Wolves would be mad to sign in the summer. 3/10.

 

Daniel Podence

Amid fierce competition, Podence’s performance was probably the worst of the lot. The Portuguese almost always broke up any attacking moves Wolves somehow managed to muster, spent more time on the floor than he did on his feet and the handbags following an embarrassing dive in the first half could have led to Wolves being reduced to 10 men. Should have been replaced prior to his eventual substitution on 69 minutes. Needs to bring back his performances of the winter, quickly. 1/10. 

 

Fabio Silva

Replaced Semedo after 57 minutes. Put himself about and disappointingly let a good cross fly through his legs in the box. 4/10.

 

Morgan Gibbs-White

Wolves’ attacking urgency had reduced to near zero when Gibbs-White came on, did nothing of note. N/A. 

 

Vitinha

As above. N/A.

 

James Wynn is part of the Talking Wolves editorial team – you can follow him on Twitter here.

Wolves stadium

Wolves vs Burnley Match Preview 

by with No Comment Match PreviewsNews

Wolves host Burnley live on the BBC this Sunday and will look to make it three wins on the bounce for the first time this season. Nuno’s men have all but secured safety with recent victories over Fulham and Sheffield United, and could draw level on points with local rivals Aston Villa with victory at Molineux. 

 

Wolves Form 

Last Saturday’s victory over Sheffield United wasn’t exactly one to get the adrenaline going. Perhaps a Saturday night kick off in front of a packed Molineux may have made it more bearable, but in truth it was yet another lacklustre performance. There were positives for sure, most obviously Willian Jose’s first goal for Wolves and yet another assist for Adama Traore. It also meant Wolves had secured back-to-back wins after a five-game winless run and were now comfortable in mid table. The chance of a top half finish remains alive, but Wolves will have to improve their performance levels if they are to continue their winning run to the end of the season. 

 

Opposition form 

Burnley have lost their last three games, the most recent of which was a spirited 3-1 defeat at Old Trafford last Sunday. The Clarets are not mathematically safe but will think that one more win should be enough. A run of 4 without defeat including an impressive win away at Everton steered Sean Dyche’s side towards safety as they look to secure yet another topflight season. 

 

Team News

Wolves will welcome back Ruben Neves after he has completed his isolation after contracting COVID-19. Having missed the majority of training leading up to the game, Nuno is likely to stick with the midfield pairing of Leander Dendoncker and Joao Moutinho, with Neves taking his place on the substitute bench. Nuno reverted to a back three formation against Sheffield United and may stick with this to ensure Wolves have the height and physicality to combat Burnley’s strengths. The likes of Boly, Saiss, Dendoncker and Jose will all be needed at set pieces where many of Burnley’s goals tend to come from. With safety all but secured, many fans are calling for the likes of Vitinha, Otasowie and Silva to be given more game time, and there is certainly an argument for that. If Nuno opted to go with Vitinha and Silva, Wolves’ focus would be on themselves, and trying to use their technical ability to get round Burnley rather than focusing the opposition’s strengths. However, given Nuno’s track record when it comes to team selection, the former is far more likely.

 

Likely Line Up: Patricio, Boly, Coady, Saiss, Semedo, Moutinho, Dendoncker, Ait-Nouri, Podence, Jose, Traore (Subs: Ruddy, Hoever, Neves, Kilman, Gibbs-White, Vitinha, Otasowie, Silva)

 

Burnley are without key players Robbie Brady and Ashley Barnes for the trip to Molineux, but otherwise have a clean bill of health. For the most part, Burnley play with a 4-4-2 but do occasionally change to a 4-5-1 for away games. Dyche opted for a midfield five for the defeat at Old Trafford and Burnley put in a balanced and promising performance. Had Marcus Rashford strike not deflected in late on, Burnley could easily have taken a point. However, given Wolves’ inability of playing against Burnley’s front two in recent seasons, it is more than possible the away side will revert to a 4-4-2 for the trip to the Midlands. 

 

Head-to-head 

As two founder members of the Football League, Burnley and Wolves have played 134 competitive games against each other with Wolves often gaining the upper hand, winning 66 of those encounters. The Clarets have won just 39 of those games but have certainly come out on top in more recent history. Wolves have beaten the Lancashire side just once, a victory which was Wolves’ first home win in the Premier League following promotion in 2018. Raul Jimenez’s second half strike gave Nuno’s men all three points. However, that is Wolves’ only victory over Burnley since 2010, with both games ending all square last season, and Burnley edging past Wolves in December.

 

Prediciton

Despite its Sunday afternoon slot on the BBC, this game is unlikely to capture the attention of many neutrals. Neither side have been particularly good to watch this season. Wolves’ victory over Sheffield United was far from a thriller, but it was also good to see Wolves get all three points when not playing at their best, something they have done well in the previous two seasons but a trait that has gone amiss this season. As mentioned, Wolves have struggled to cope with Burnley at both ends of the pitch in recent seasons, finding it difficult to break down a stern and determined defence while also facing difficulties against the physicality they pose in the area. Wolves have improved since their poor showing at Turf Moor in December, particularly defensively. They will know what to expect and I would like to think they will keep Burnley’s threats to a minimum but based on recent performances it is hard to see Wolves breaking down the Burnley defence and going on to win the game. 

 

Prediction: Wolves 1-1 Burnley    

 

Ciaran Barker is part of the Talking Wolves editorial team – you can follow him on Twitter here.

 

Molineux

This is Our Love and it Knows No Super League

by with No Comment NewsOpinion

This is Our Love and it Knows No Division. This is Our Game and we’ll make the Decisions.

 

18th April 2021. Wolves had edged past Sheffield United the night before, Fulham have just conceded yet another late equaliser and the nation was nursing its first Sunday hangover for months. Some would say normality is resuming. But twelve despicable custodians of some of the biggest clubs in Europe had other ideas, six of whom brought shame upon the English game. It was during Manchester United’s victory over Burnley that news really began to gather pace that a European Super League was set to be announced, with the self-proclaimed and media enhanced ‘Big Six’ signing up. 

Within that six were Arsenal, the same Arsenal who had just hours ago scraped a point at home to Championship heading Fulham. Among those six were Tottenham, less league titles than Wolves and the same amount as Burnley. Yes, Burnley. Among those six were Manchester United, who have struggled every single time they have faced little old Wolves since 2018. You get the idea. But this was not about creating jokes, this was not about gloating over your rivals. The announcement spoke of a tournament that ‘will provide significantly greater economic growth [and] uncapped solidarity payments which will grow in line with league revenues’, how exciting. They weren’t even trying to hide the money grabbing experiment. This abomination was enough to unite fans up and down the country and even brought about a sense of unity in the wonderful world of football twitter. This was nothing short of an attack on our game, our traditions, our history and our heritage. An attack from people whose football opinions would not be worth the time of day. It was an attack even more relevant to Wolves fans, and fans of many other ambitious Premier League clubs, which would kill our dreams and Fosun’s dreams of one day challenging the elite on a regular basis, of competing at the pinnacle of European football. The response from neglected club officials, staff, players, the media and most impressive of all the fans was exemplary and showed the impact fans still have on our game. Our game because that is what it is. It does not belong to the cash cows in America, or the executives at Sky Sports. Gary Neville was praised and rightly so, he articulated the thoughts of millions perfectly, as did many others. But there was one moment, just 24 hours after the news gathered speed, that filled us with a particular sense of pride. It was no surprise that Fosun and Wolves as a club would be against the formation of a Super League, but the way in which they expressed their disgust was mesmerising. 

At periods of [our] history, we were one of the most successful and decorated clubs in England, falling out of the country’s top three just once over a nine-year period and winning the league three times. But at others we tumbled down the leagues, spending seasons in the second, third and fourth tiers, almost going out of existence on more than one occasion. (Official Wolves)

And this is certainly worth remembering. If you dare mention the fact Wolves were in League One just seven years ago on twitter you are often shunned down, and don’t you dare mention the years of struggle when Wolves nearly went out of business. Now when trying to make excuses for Wolves’ lacklustre campaign that may be fair, but Wolves fans should take pride in the ride this club and its fans have been on, in both long standing and modern history. Everyone reading this now will have endured the double relegation, the feeling of desolation and despair. But will also have enjoyed the revival, spearheaded by Kenny Jackett in what was a thoroughly enjoyable two years that followed. ‘This is Our Love and it Known no Division’ was the banner and the phrase that rejuvenated the fanbase, and it is a mantra that means more now than ever before. From that season we finally had a team that cared. We had a team that gave 100% and that is all a Wolves fan is ever going to ask for. 

In sport, nothing is forever; champions come and go, dynasties disappear, sleeping giants awake and new challengers test the status quo. That is the beauty of sport, and what epitomises the beautiful game. (Official Wolves)

Perhaps the most striking and quotable part of the Wolves statement. It needs no explanation and speaks to football fans up and down the country. It emphasises the point that this is not about who you support, or where you watch your football, this is about our game itself, our passion and our way of life.

As a foreign owner, Fosun came to the UK in 2016 and embraced our club, our history and our supporters, but also the country and its proud traditions, one of which is the most historic football system in the world. That sense of competition is what appealed most to Fosun then, and still just as strongly now. Our promotion and relegation systems, built on solid foundations of competition and fairness, create promise, ambition, success and failure – all of which are essential in the sport. If you work hard enough and operate with greater intelligence and commitment than your competitors, you will be successful, you can challenge the top clubs and rise to their level through your own efforts, and that cannot change.  Fosun made a commitment in 2016 when they took over this historic football club and have displayed their dedication since, taking Wolves on a journey from the Championship to the Europa League – an example of the type of ascent which makes English football so special. That commitment stands just as strong now, in 2021, as it did five years ago. Fosun remain completely devoted to Wolves and harbour the same sizeable ambitions, which they hope to achieve through a meticulous, long-term plan. (Official Wolves)

This is certainly where the statement becomes personal to Wolves fans. Fosun have brought huge success on and off the field since buying the club in 2016. Although the past 12 months have been disappointing, the club is in as good as a position now as it has been for generations. Much was made of such a historic and traditional club being taken over by a Chinese investment group, but almost all Wolves fans had a feeling we’d hit the jackpot (unlike some of our neighbours). Jeff Shi openly admitted he knew little about running a football club and the rollercoaster first season certainly didn’t argue with that. But he learnt, Fosun learnt, and three near-perfect years followed. There is certainly learning to be done from this season too, but Fosun relayed their commitment with this statement, while providing Wolves fans and English football with a reminder that not all foreign owners are bad. The mention of operating with ‘greater intelligence and commitment’ to ‘challenge the top clubs and rise to their level’ was a direct warning to the owners who are scared. Scared of us, Leicester, West Ham, Leeds and all the others who have bridged the gap to the cosy club in the Premier League. Well, we’re here to stay, all of us. There is no doubt Fosun are here to run Wolves as a business, they are an investment group after all and a successful one at that. But they respect our traditions, and they respect history, the clubs’ values align with theirs and they want success for the club just as much as we do. 

A kick in the teeth and a kick in the pockets of these billionaires, cowardly billionaires, that own some of our biggest and most historic clubs with some of the most loyal and vocal fans around. A victory for us who dream, to put our trust in Fosun, Jeff Shi and Nuno and to get back on track. Next season brings new hope and huge expectation, and if they get it right, we’ll be playing for a place in European competition once again. A victory for football and its fans (Sorry, legacy fans), and this is just the beginning.

 

Ciaran Barker is part of the Talking Wolves editorial team – you can follow him on Twitter here.