Disappointing is the sole word to explain Wolves’ midweek match versus Bournemouth. Wolves were looking for their first win of the season against a side that conceded nine goals on Saturday but walked away with a scoreless draw instead.
José Sá
Sá was not asked to do much during the match tonight, with Bournemouth only providing two chances on target. Wolves attempted to play out of the back with Sá only attempting three long passes compared to the 12 he attempted versus Newcastle on Sunday, according to sofascore. It was overall a very conservative performance in possession and he was not challenged defensively.
5/10
Nélson Semedo
Semedo played very advanced and looked impressive at times in the first half. He made smart plays, moved well and did not make many mistakes, but he struggled to add to the attack in a meaningful way. He received the ball in advanced areas but failed to play the ball into dangerous areas with any consistency. He was taken off early in the second half after appearing to pick up an injury.
6/10
Nathan Collins
It was a relatively quiet performance from Collins. He did not make many mistakes, but he struggled to progress the ball as Wolves played out of the back. Bournemouth aggressively pressed the Wolves’ back line and Collins played the ball side to side more often than up the pitch.
6/10
Max Kilman
In the first half, Kilman’s passing ability was on full display, offering multiple long passes into dangerous areas. Kilman has established himself as a very consistent player with a relatively high ceiling. Tonight was not an excellent performance but he continuously delivers on what is expected of him.
7/10
Jonny
It was a quiet game from Jonny. He began on the left side, but after Semedo’s injury, he switched to the right, where he struggled to get a hold of the game. In attack, he did not offer much and struggled to find a rhythm with Gonçalo Guedes or Pedro Neto.
4/10
Rúben Neves
Neves spent the better part of his night playing in the middle of a back three. He was dropped very deep to aid with the Bournemouth press and his ability to pluck out runners down the pitch was relatively neutralized. He was still tasked with being a focal point of Wolves in possession, leading the team with 109 touches (per sofascore). Despite the large volume of touches, the deeper role hindered his ability to help create chances.
5/10
Mattheus Nunes
In the first half Nunes, positioned on the right wing, did an excellent job sending the ball into the box with crosses. The problem with Nunes attempting a high volume of crosses was the lack of Wolves players in central areas due to his wide positioning. Nunes was attempting to put the ball into danger, but too often there was no one there to receive the ball.
5/10
João Moutinho
Moutinho was one of the better performers tonight, but that is not saying much. Moutinho, with Neves, dropped deep and Nunes in an advanced role, was completely isolated in the midfield at times. The 35-year-old midfielder was very active the entire match and at times had to carry the midfield alone.
6.5/10
Gonçalo Guedes
Guedes struggled to get into space on the attack, moving side to side rather than exploring vertical runs. He is a player that prefers to create his own opportunities rather than sending the ball into the box, attempting zero crosses, according to sofascore. Overall, he was held very quiet and was a nonfactor before being subbed off.
4/10
Raúl Jiménez
Tonight was a very rough match for Jimenez. His most notable moment was a missed sending a shot wide of the goal in a one-on-one with the keeper. The missed opportunity on top of many passes where Jimenez was nowhere to be found made tonight’s performance dreadful.
3/10
Pedro Neto
It was not a good night for the usually exciting Neto. Midway through the first half, he seemed to be cementing himself into the match with an ambitious attempt from outside the box, but the second half was a very quiet one for the winger.
4/10
Subs:
Rayan Aït-Nouri
Ait Nouri entered the match and immediately showed why he should have started. He is confident and skilled on the ball but was unable to make much of an impact.
5/10
Daniel Podence
Today he was not at his best, but his intent and creativity made the stagnant Wolves’ attack look slightly energized. The two best opportunities of the match came once Podence was inserted into the match, with one being his header that was cleared off the line.
7/10
Adama Traoré
Traore has struggled coming on this season due to a lack of effort and tonight was more of the same.
4/10