Lots of the media now linking Wolves with the Montpelier striker Gaetan Laborde
The man in the know (apparantly) Mr T Spiers:
"As things stand Wolves now not anticipating January additions.
Difficulties in sorting a loan and a reluctance to spend big amid pandemic (plus Jimenez will return, they spent £35m on Silva)"
Seems rather early in the month to be calling that but wouldn't surprise me.
Unless we get a fairly dramatic contribution goals wise from Cutrone over the next few months I think we can safely assume our points total for the second half of the season wont match that of the first half. Going to be a bit of a slog I reckon.
Or of course Jimenez comes back sooner than anticipated.
Season is over in terms of actually achieving anything unfortunately. Looks like it could have been another great opportunity to have gotten among the big boys. Leicester taking full advantage the last few seasons.
Perhaps we can do something in the FA Cup, would be a big blow to lose today in that as well basically ending the season.
I don't think goals from the striker are the only thing we are missing. Cutrone could come in and score 10 before the end of the season and we would still probably be amongst the lowest scorers. We have a serious lack of goals from the midfield and limited through balls or balls into the final third from them unless it is to wide positions.
Hopefully MGW may add some tempo to our attacks in the 4-2-3-1, Vitinha comes good or Otasowie's ball winning sets up quick attacks. Otherwise I can't see a lot changing and it won't be the striker's fault.
This team not scoring enough was predictable from august in my opinion but most people on here argued against me saying that Neto, Podence, Traore woukd get their share. Nothing in their cv’s or style of play to suggest they would in my opinion. If they got 20 between them they will have improved their records
Since then we have lost Jimenez which obviously accentuates that situation enormously. So obviously a goal scoring centre forward would help but in terms of our general results and slipping down the table a little has mainly been the consequence not of cautious tactics or incorrect formations but by having 6 first teamers out injured. Something that would affect results of any club in the world. Just the return of one of them, Dendoncker, lead to a much improved performance last night. Boly’s return is imminent and hopefully Marcal and Podence won’t be too long away.
Being closer to a full strength squad will see us climb up the table a little but we could be the most creative team in Britain but still not score many without players that score goals. Teams in the top 6 tend to score over 60 in a season. Add up the expected goals scored by everyone in our squad and don’t think we will get anywhere near that.
Obviously, players add to their CV's and improve their style of play throughout their careers. Also obvious is that expected goals increases with chances created.
How many of the 6 first team players that were out injured are "players that score goals"? If we got all six back bar Jimenez, and continued with the same tactics and formations, how exactly do you see us climbing the table?
If half of those players come back, then added to the improvement we are seeing from others then I don’t see us as a worse team than the one that’s finished 7th the last two seasons. The one thing that might keep us short of that is no Jimenez. What the lack of goals costs us is being a top six team but all round, when we have a mostly fit squad then I think we are still a top half team even though we don’t score enough
With regard to creative midfield players, there are a few very good ones like De Bruyne and Fernandes but if you look at the Liverpool team they have a midfield that are more solid than creative. The likes of Henderson. Wijnaldum and Fabinho their assist numbers are very low. Most of their goals are made by the three forwards for each other and by the attacking full backs. The main difference with the Liverpool attack and ours is that they have three players that regularly get into positions close to the six yard box and get the type of routine goals that add up to a good tally. Neto, Traore and Podence are very different kinds of players. Probably no less talented but they are hardly ever in a position to get the simple tap in goals that all regular scorers get
So you are in agreement that we don’t get enough players in, or around, the six yard box? Its difficult to score a tap in from outside the penalty area.
comment by Spangles (U17289)
posted 47 minutes ago
With regard to creative midfield players, there are a few very good ones like De Bruyne and Fernandes but if you look at the Liverpool team they have a midfield that are more solid than creative. The likes of Henderson. Wijnaldum and Fabinho their assist numbers are very low. Most of their goals are made by the three forwards for each other and by the attacking full backs. The main difference with the Liverpool attack and ours is that they have three players that regularly get into positions close to the six yard box and get the type of routine goals that add up to a good tally. Neto, Traore and Podence are very different kinds of players. Probably no less talented but they are hardly ever in a position to get the simple tap in goals that all regular scorers get
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Whilst Wijnaldum doesn't have high assist numbers, he is one of the league leaders in balls into the final third and pass success rate into the final third. Let's have a guess where our midfielders are in these rankings.
comment by Spangles (U17289)
posted 2 hours, 48 minutes ago
This team not scoring enough was predictable from august in my opinion but most people on here argued against me saying that Neto, Podence, Traore woukd get their share. Nothing in their cv’s or style of play to suggest they would in my opinion. If they got 20 between them they will have improved their records
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Worth noting that between them, Podence and Neto have already matched Jota's Premier League goals total from last season. 17 games in, they have already got 7 goals between them. That's also not including assists which have surpassed Jota too.
Alternatively, our midfielders have only scored once this season and that was from the penalty spot. I'd say that and our lack of chance creation is our biggest problem; not the only area that we have improved in since last season.
Unwittingly or not Tam your point about Wijnaldum simply underlines what I said. Liverpool have three players that look to receive the ball inside or on the edge of the opponents area. For Wolves generally, Neto, Traore and Podence look to receive the ball 30 yards out and try to carry it to the area. Or look to cross it into the area where we rarely have much presence. Not sure who you expect our midfielders to pass to in the final third given we only have one player positioned there to receive it. That’s not the way we play.
Jota is actually a case in point and was something I regularly criticised. He too generally received the ball 30 yards out and tried to carry it forward when I always felt he was more effective played closer to Jimenez. Liverpool have played him 20 yards further forward and he has looked much better
Neto and Poedence look to receive the ball where they will get it. There is no point in them getting into the area repeatedly when our midfield is always too deep to be able to play the ball into them. Neves and Moutinho spend most of the game around the centre circle and are never in the position 30 yards out to play passes into the area. They play sideways 90% of the time.
It is our set up that causes these problems, not the forwards. We have no midfielder who will do the job, so our forwards have to fill the gap. It won't change until we remedy that; much like it was the same when Jota was here. If we had a midfielder who picked the ball up between the lines, ran at defenders and played balls into the final third, you would 100% see Neto and Podence get into those areas more frequently.
Don’t agree with any of that so I’ll go and cheer Blackpool on in extra time against Albion
Baffled as to how you could possibly disagree with that. It is exactly how we play. If I had a penny for every time Podence, Traore or Neto have to carry the ball forty yards to penetrate the final third I would be a very rich man, likewise if I had a penny for every pass in the final third from Neves or Moutinho I would be broke.
Not sure how anyone who watches our games cannot realize that our problem has always been the lack of creativity from midfield. We play deep, primarily I think, because our defenders are not that quick. They're good, but not quick. If we played further forward AND had a creative midfielder, we would most certainly get more chances. Dendonker does his best to get forward and arrives in the box a lot and will surely get some goals this season.
So I'm not surprise our resident know it all, disagrees with posters on here.
Good post that wolfie
Our defenders are good not quick. So our midfielders play deep. They should go further forward. Dendoncker does go further forward. So it’s no surprise I disagree with people
Marvellous stuff
Another Wolves loanee coming in for some praise now is Dion Sanderson. Didn’t get many games in the first few months of the season and Wolves evidently told Sunderland they were looking to take him back. But Sunderland manager Lee Johnson insisted he will play a bigger part in 2021 and so he will remain for the season. And he got rave reviews from Sunderland fans for his performance as a centre back in their home game against Hull at the weekend
comment by Cinciwolf in the desert (U11551)
posted 1 day, 15 hours ago
Baffled as to how you could possibly disagree with that. It is exactly how we play. If I had a penny for every time Podence, Traore or Neto have to carry the ball forty yards to penetrate the final third I would be a very rich man, likewise if I had a penny for every pass in the final third from Neves or Moutinho I would be broke.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
As a team we are amongst the lowest for time spent in the final third and highest amongst time spent in the middle third when in possession. We haven't had a single goal from midfield (other than a penalty), whereas our wide attackers are surpassing the number of goals scored from that position last season (which the majority of those goals being scored within the penalty area). The only assists from midfielders this season have come from Otasowie and Vitinha who barely play
Not one has come from Neves, Moutinho or Dendoncker. The stats show that our midfielders have only played one through ball all season and as a team we are amongst the lowest in the league.
Yet there is no problem with the midfield in terms of chance creation, it's all on the forwards.
Even Stevie Wonder can see we're sluggish in the engine room, this is the issue with 3 at the back, we don't need two holding midfielders.
Whilst the switch balls out-wide look pretty it advances us up the field and then we end up back in our own half, look at the palace game, Adama had the ball deep in their final third, it ended up back at coady's feet.
Our centre-backs are pretty slow as are Neves and Moutinho which then leads to us sitting deeper so we don't get caught out, not sure how that's even a debate
Said it before, we need a ball winning, driving forward midfield player.
comment by bostonwolf (U17353)
posted 6 minutes ago
Said it before, we need a ball winning, driving forward midfield player.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I agree
comment by bostonwolf (U17353)
posted 44 minutes ago
Said it before, we need a ball winning, driving forward midfield player.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Like Dendoncker you mean?
In my opinion Neves is one of the best defensive midfield players in Europe. He has won possession more than any other player in the Premier League this season and on Friday he made 13 interceptions and 7 successful tackles. No wonder our defence came under little pressure. On top of that he made more passes than any player on the field with a success rate of over 90% and 18 of those passes were long forward passes including the one that released Traore to score the winning goal. As a defensive midfield player I don’t expect to see him in the opponents final third often but seems to be an expectation that he should do that as well
Or maybe the view is that unlike every successful club in Europe we don’t need a defensive midfield player?
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January transfer window
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posted on 8/1/21
Lots of the media now linking Wolves with the Montpelier striker Gaetan Laborde
posted on 8/1/21
The man in the know (apparantly) Mr T Spiers:
"As things stand Wolves now not anticipating January additions.
Difficulties in sorting a loan and a reluctance to spend big amid pandemic (plus Jimenez will return, they spent £35m on Silva)"
Seems rather early in the month to be calling that but wouldn't surprise me.
Unless we get a fairly dramatic contribution goals wise from Cutrone over the next few months I think we can safely assume our points total for the second half of the season wont match that of the first half. Going to be a bit of a slog I reckon.
posted on 8/1/21
Or of course Jimenez comes back sooner than anticipated.
posted on 8/1/21
Season is over in terms of actually achieving anything unfortunately. Looks like it could have been another great opportunity to have gotten among the big boys. Leicester taking full advantage the last few seasons.
Perhaps we can do something in the FA Cup, would be a big blow to lose today in that as well basically ending the season.
posted on 8/1/21
I don't think goals from the striker are the only thing we are missing. Cutrone could come in and score 10 before the end of the season and we would still probably be amongst the lowest scorers. We have a serious lack of goals from the midfield and limited through balls or balls into the final third from them unless it is to wide positions.
Hopefully MGW may add some tempo to our attacks in the 4-2-3-1, Vitinha comes good or Otasowie's ball winning sets up quick attacks. Otherwise I can't see a lot changing and it won't be the striker's fault.
posted on 9/1/21
This team not scoring enough was predictable from august in my opinion but most people on here argued against me saying that Neto, Podence, Traore woukd get their share. Nothing in their cv’s or style of play to suggest they would in my opinion. If they got 20 between them they will have improved their records
Since then we have lost Jimenez which obviously accentuates that situation enormously. So obviously a goal scoring centre forward would help but in terms of our general results and slipping down the table a little has mainly been the consequence not of cautious tactics or incorrect formations but by having 6 first teamers out injured. Something that would affect results of any club in the world. Just the return of one of them, Dendoncker, lead to a much improved performance last night. Boly’s return is imminent and hopefully Marcal and Podence won’t be too long away.
Being closer to a full strength squad will see us climb up the table a little but we could be the most creative team in Britain but still not score many without players that score goals. Teams in the top 6 tend to score over 60 in a season. Add up the expected goals scored by everyone in our squad and don’t think we will get anywhere near that.
posted on 9/1/21
Obviously, players add to their CV's and improve their style of play throughout their careers. Also obvious is that expected goals increases with chances created.
How many of the 6 first team players that were out injured are "players that score goals"? If we got all six back bar Jimenez, and continued with the same tactics and formations, how exactly do you see us climbing the table?
posted on 9/1/21
If half of those players come back, then added to the improvement we are seeing from others then I don’t see us as a worse team than the one that’s finished 7th the last two seasons. The one thing that might keep us short of that is no Jimenez. What the lack of goals costs us is being a top six team but all round, when we have a mostly fit squad then I think we are still a top half team even though we don’t score enough
posted on 9/1/21
With regard to creative midfield players, there are a few very good ones like De Bruyne and Fernandes but if you look at the Liverpool team they have a midfield that are more solid than creative. The likes of Henderson. Wijnaldum and Fabinho their assist numbers are very low. Most of their goals are made by the three forwards for each other and by the attacking full backs. The main difference with the Liverpool attack and ours is that they have three players that regularly get into positions close to the six yard box and get the type of routine goals that add up to a good tally. Neto, Traore and Podence are very different kinds of players. Probably no less talented but they are hardly ever in a position to get the simple tap in goals that all regular scorers get
posted on 9/1/21
So you are in agreement that we don’t get enough players in, or around, the six yard box? Its difficult to score a tap in from outside the penalty area.
posted on 9/1/21
comment by Spangles (U17289)
posted 47 minutes ago
With regard to creative midfield players, there are a few very good ones like De Bruyne and Fernandes but if you look at the Liverpool team they have a midfield that are more solid than creative. The likes of Henderson. Wijnaldum and Fabinho their assist numbers are very low. Most of their goals are made by the three forwards for each other and by the attacking full backs. The main difference with the Liverpool attack and ours is that they have three players that regularly get into positions close to the six yard box and get the type of routine goals that add up to a good tally. Neto, Traore and Podence are very different kinds of players. Probably no less talented but they are hardly ever in a position to get the simple tap in goals that all regular scorers get
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Whilst Wijnaldum doesn't have high assist numbers, he is one of the league leaders in balls into the final third and pass success rate into the final third. Let's have a guess where our midfielders are in these rankings.
posted on 9/1/21
comment by Spangles (U17289)
posted 2 hours, 48 minutes ago
This team not scoring enough was predictable from august in my opinion but most people on here argued against me saying that Neto, Podence, Traore woukd get their share. Nothing in their cv’s or style of play to suggest they would in my opinion. If they got 20 between them they will have improved their records
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Worth noting that between them, Podence and Neto have already matched Jota's Premier League goals total from last season. 17 games in, they have already got 7 goals between them. That's also not including assists which have surpassed Jota too.
Alternatively, our midfielders have only scored once this season and that was from the penalty spot. I'd say that and our lack of chance creation is our biggest problem; not the only area that we have improved in since last season.
posted on 9/1/21
Unwittingly or not Tam your point about Wijnaldum simply underlines what I said. Liverpool have three players that look to receive the ball inside or on the edge of the opponents area. For Wolves generally, Neto, Traore and Podence look to receive the ball 30 yards out and try to carry it to the area. Or look to cross it into the area where we rarely have much presence. Not sure who you expect our midfielders to pass to in the final third given we only have one player positioned there to receive it. That’s not the way we play.
Jota is actually a case in point and was something I regularly criticised. He too generally received the ball 30 yards out and tried to carry it forward when I always felt he was more effective played closer to Jimenez. Liverpool have played him 20 yards further forward and he has looked much better
posted on 9/1/21
Neto and Poedence look to receive the ball where they will get it. There is no point in them getting into the area repeatedly when our midfield is always too deep to be able to play the ball into them. Neves and Moutinho spend most of the game around the centre circle and are never in the position 30 yards out to play passes into the area. They play sideways 90% of the time.
It is our set up that causes these problems, not the forwards. We have no midfielder who will do the job, so our forwards have to fill the gap. It won't change until we remedy that; much like it was the same when Jota was here. If we had a midfielder who picked the ball up between the lines, ran at defenders and played balls into the final third, you would 100% see Neto and Podence get into those areas more frequently.
posted on 9/1/21
Don’t agree with any of that so I’ll go and cheer Blackpool on in extra time against Albion
posted on 9/1/21
Baffled as to how you could possibly disagree with that. It is exactly how we play. If I had a penny for every time Podence, Traore or Neto have to carry the ball forty yards to penetrate the final third I would be a very rich man, likewise if I had a penny for every pass in the final third from Neves or Moutinho I would be broke.
posted on 9/1/21
Not sure how anyone who watches our games cannot realize that our problem has always been the lack of creativity from midfield. We play deep, primarily I think, because our defenders are not that quick. They're good, but not quick. If we played further forward AND had a creative midfielder, we would most certainly get more chances. Dendonker does his best to get forward and arrives in the box a lot and will surely get some goals this season.
So I'm not surprise our resident know it all, disagrees with posters on here.
posted on 9/1/21
Good post that wolfie
Our defenders are good not quick. So our midfielders play deep. They should go further forward. Dendoncker does go further forward. So it’s no surprise I disagree with people
Marvellous stuff
posted on 11/1/21
Another Wolves loanee coming in for some praise now is Dion Sanderson. Didn’t get many games in the first few months of the season and Wolves evidently told Sunderland they were looking to take him back. But Sunderland manager Lee Johnson insisted he will play a bigger part in 2021 and so he will remain for the season. And he got rave reviews from Sunderland fans for his performance as a centre back in their home game against Hull at the weekend
posted on 11/1/21
comment by Cinciwolf in the desert (U11551)
posted 1 day, 15 hours ago
Baffled as to how you could possibly disagree with that. It is exactly how we play. If I had a penny for every time Podence, Traore or Neto have to carry the ball forty yards to penetrate the final third I would be a very rich man, likewise if I had a penny for every pass in the final third from Neves or Moutinho I would be broke.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
As a team we are amongst the lowest for time spent in the final third and highest amongst time spent in the middle third when in possession. We haven't had a single goal from midfield (other than a penalty), whereas our wide attackers are surpassing the number of goals scored from that position last season (which the majority of those goals being scored within the penalty area). The only assists from midfielders this season have come from Otasowie and Vitinha who barely play
Not one has come from Neves, Moutinho or Dendoncker. The stats show that our midfielders have only played one through ball all season and as a team we are amongst the lowest in the league.
Yet there is no problem with the midfield in terms of chance creation, it's all on the forwards.
posted on 11/1/21
Even Stevie Wonder can see we're sluggish in the engine room, this is the issue with 3 at the back, we don't need two holding midfielders.
Whilst the switch balls out-wide look pretty it advances us up the field and then we end up back in our own half, look at the palace game, Adama had the ball deep in their final third, it ended up back at coady's feet.
Our centre-backs are pretty slow as are Neves and Moutinho which then leads to us sitting deeper so we don't get caught out, not sure how that's even a debate
posted on 11/1/21
Said it before, we need a ball winning, driving forward midfield player.
posted on 11/1/21
comment by bostonwolf (U17353)
posted 6 minutes ago
Said it before, we need a ball winning, driving forward midfield player.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I agree
posted on 11/1/21
comment by bostonwolf (U17353)
posted 44 minutes ago
Said it before, we need a ball winning, driving forward midfield player.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Like Dendoncker you mean?
posted on 11/1/21
In my opinion Neves is one of the best defensive midfield players in Europe. He has won possession more than any other player in the Premier League this season and on Friday he made 13 interceptions and 7 successful tackles. No wonder our defence came under little pressure. On top of that he made more passes than any player on the field with a success rate of over 90% and 18 of those passes were long forward passes including the one that released Traore to score the winning goal. As a defensive midfield player I don’t expect to see him in the opponents final third often but seems to be an expectation that he should do that as well
Or maybe the view is that unlike every successful club in Europe we don’t need a defensive midfield player?
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