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PL: Wolves a 2009/10/24 Ratings and Reactions


limpid

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If we were more consistent we'd be a top 4 side but we aren't and we need to try and add that consistency. Spurs, chelsea, man u and liverpool have had worse results than this one this so far so i'm not going to get too worked up about it.

Our defence was pretty solid and gabby caused problems but the rest of the team were poor today.

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Typical derby to be honest - not a pretty sight but I don't think we were aided by the ref or what appeared to be a really tight pitch.

Wolves did their bit but never really threatened and we were pretty much the same....

Great build up and goal for us, shame the red mist came down and Sidwell recklessly challenged in the box, which was uneccesary and ultimately costly.

I personally thought Milner, Cuellar and Gabby looked good today..

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So why did so many players suddenly have an off-day today? Something to do with the tactics, gameplan or formation perhaps?

it was strange, almost all of our key players had off days, i thought MON had done well to change our formation half way through the 1st half and thought 2nd half was a huge improvement

big john and ash need to be dropped, carew in particular looks lazy, sidwell is going to get battered by our fans but its a shame i thought he was improving and offers the team more than NRC in terms of passing

and i really though the ref was poor today, very inconsistent and seemed to constantly be blowing, carew couldnt buy a foul in the 1st half, but to be fair the pens was probably one wrong each and then one right

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Poor game today. Conditions didn't help either side who both struggled to keep the ball.

We had a decent second half, at least in comparison to the first, and looked the most likely to carve out chances which we eventually did.

We defended well again, with the exception of Sidwells rash challenge, and apart from the penalty and when the ball hit Doyles shoulder and Milner cleared easily from near the goal line, I can't remember Wolves having a shot on target. Having said that we created very little also.

Only positives are we didn't lose, all the defenders did well and Gabby again looked lively and scored.

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So why did so many players suddenly have an off-day today? Something to do with the tactics, gameplan or formation perhaps?

The wide players had off days IMO. Carew was virtually non existent again and Sidwell wasn't too good either!

I would like to see us play that extra midfielder, NRC preferably, so that Sidwell and Petrov can concentrate on getting up the other end of the pitch to help out the attack. I think Carew should be the man spared for NRC. Although Sidwell isn't setting the world alight, I believe he would be a better goal threat than Carew or Heskey at the moment.

I cannot wait for Downing to get fit. I think my ultimate starting line-up would be 4-5-1 with the middle 5 being Downing, Petrov, NRC, Milner, Young. However, I think I would throw Downing in for Young at first, just to show Young that he needs to start playing better and that he isn't indespensible!

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Astonishing. We play better today than we did against Chelsea but today was somehow 'poor'? The only difference between the 2 games was a few set pieces WHICH it was said by some ... you can not always rely on - but that we don't look like we have much to fall back on when the SP's do fail. Which today they did. And we dropped 2 points. Wake up people. We are poor in open play and it is worrying. Wolves marked us perfectly today from corner and frees. Young was terrible - thankfully his 1 piece of good work over the whole 90 mins kept the ball in play for our eventual goal, Carew looked very lazy. Gabby played well and Milner was his usual industrious self. Sid didn't do himself any favours. Everyone else played well - the back 4, GK, & Stan. I was impressed with Wolves. Their energy and determination in the first half was nothing short of breathless and while I thought they looked like running us ragged I knew they couldn't possibly keep up that pace. But they still looked better than their league position. That's what a derby will do.

All in all a fair result and hopefully a lesson that will be heeded in what we need to get right if we're to trouble the CL places this season.

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I don't think it's a 'suddenly' thing to be honest sled. We've seen this kind of performance a few times this season - Wigan, Blackburn - and we weren't exactly great to watch against Portsmouth.

What teams play brilliant every single game?

In my opinion you could add the Liverpool, Fulham, Birmingham, Man City and Chelsea games to this list. In all of these games we have been fairly solid defensively but not exactly great in the centre of the park or going forward. Obvously we got points in all of those games and good results against Liverpool, Man City and Chelsea. In the latter mentioned games i think the lack of quality going forward can be explained away because of the quality of the opposition. Others might seek to say the Birmingham and Wolves games were poor because they were derbies. But i just don't think things are really clicking offensively for us, off the ball we are great, on the ball we have generally been pants. We've become good at disrupting other teams play, but have forgotten how to play ourselves and to really get the ball down and dominate teams. Our lack of possession and creativity in the last two thirds of the pitch is really quite worrying.

Apart fom the fact we now look like we have a really solid defense, all of the same worrying signs are still there from the end of last season. Thats because we failed to really strenghten in the middle of the park and up front during the summer. Downing might make a difference when he is fit Delph is far from being what we need at the moment and is one for the future. I think a top quality midfielder and striker would have made all of the difference. Hopefully we can maintain this type of points form until January and get those two players in.

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We just never got going, did we? It was a performance that lacked fluidity (aided by the referee who was very picky) and creativity. There is a general lack of quality and confidence in the final third at the moment, but it's not a great long term worry for me because generally I think we are good going forward. I'm not sure whether it was a performance that will encourage wholesale changes to the team for the next game, but we have got options in midfield.

The partnership up front was bad. Gabby and Carew have never had a good understanding and today it was terrible. Did they link up at all? I think Heskey was better when he came on, he set the goal up at least.

On the plus side, defensively we look good and Collins in particular had a great game. I'm a massive fan of his already, his distribution is amazing. As good as any in the league I'd say.

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I thought Warnock, Ash, Carew and Sidwell were very poor today. Collins, Gabby and Cuellar were our only players on form. Carew doesnt look fit and isnt even getting chances on target let alone put one in the net. Id drop him and Ash unless they turn it around asap.

I seriously worry about our style of play. Our general passing & movement is appalling. It seems every team we play regardless of how poor has more possesion than us.

Our Defence is now rock solid, and looks secure for the future, with lots of strength in depth. Our midfield play is terrible at times, only really held together by Milner and Petrov. We dont seem to have many goals in this team unless we score from a set piece or Gabby is on form. Luckily the midfield will shortly get a big boost with the appearance of Downing who i really rate.

I still think MON deserves massive credit for keeping us near the top of the table and grinding out results. At the half way point of last season Id say than our four most important players were Ash Young, Barry, Laursen and Carew.

We have lost one to Injury, one to Man City, and Carew and Young have yet to put in a good performance this season let alone score a goal.

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Agree with points made about Carew, the guy is so relaxed he's practically horizontal, this has to be addressed in Jan, so does Sidwell and if Ash can't be more consistent then I have to say if the rumoured 25ml came in again for him ( I very much doubt that was true) take the money and run.

Also agree with Reality post (think it was) we can't imagine that we are going to be sitting here in Feb/March praying on the match winner from Gabby every match, he must see how Carew is so switched of, Gabby will get to Feb and switch of himself, just like last season, and that will put paid to his world cup hopes.

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Astonishing. We play better today than we did against Chelsea but today was somehow 'poor'?

Christ, I think I know now who nicked ClaretMahoney's drugs! Played better today than we did against Chelsea? That's as mental a statement as I've ever read on VT.

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Astonishing. We play better today than we did against Chelsea but today was somehow 'poor'?

Christ, I think I know now who nicked ClaretMahoney's drugs! Played better today than we did against Chelsea? That's as mental a statement as I've ever read on VT.

Yes a little odd that one, first half especially bloody awful!

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there is nothing creative in the middle of the park, if crosses or long balls dont work we are poor. several reasons for this- stan and sidwell dont get up to support play enough. how many times do we see the wide players or forwards isolated with no support inside within 20 yards

however in the event they do get there the wide players just bang it in the box anyway. we make no attempt to pass the ball to retain possesion, even when there is an easy pass on. our players always take the direct option which often gives it away.

there was also too many poor individual performaces today- carew and ash were awful. sidwell runs around but cant tackle, cant really pass and loses the ball too easily. his main contribution today was to miss an absolute sitter and give away the pen

cuellar and collins were good, as was milner most of the time. gabby held the ball up way better than carew and scored in a derby again. shame it wasnt the winner this time.

disappointing result

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