CRAIG HICKEY GIVES US THE LOWDOWN AND SHARES HIS THOUGHTS ON WOLVES 2-6 DEFEAT TO CHELSEA
A new season, a few departures and new faces, the return of Pedro Neto in a Chelsea shirt, all providing talking points for the first home game of the season and a renewed optimism after the Fans V Club debacle regarding season tickets. It’s a chance for us to put our wits against a club who have enough players to field 3 teams, let alone one and see if we are any closer to getting near the top 8 – 10 places in the league.
The players on both sides gathered in the centre circle before the kick off to provide a minutes applause for a sad loss of a young man, Mati Sarkic, in June, both sets of supporters respecting this for over a minute.
Now then, I’m sure some supporters hadn’t even got in the ground when Chelsea grabbed the first corner of the game. Cole Palmer was on set piece duty for the visitors and whipped in in a corner from the right, which was met by Jackson at the far post with a downward header, 1 – 0 Chelsea. I’m not sure why Jackson saw it necessary to approach the South Bank and remonstrate with the fans, eventually being dragged away by his team and subsequently getting into a shoving match with Cunha. This was a disaster for Wolves, slow out of the blocks, not for the first time in the last 12 months.
So we have to come back from a goal down against a buoyed Chelsea team, Madueke getting lots of attention from the supporters. We start to get more of the ball and probe down both flanks and get ourselves a corner, Cunha on duty for us, his set piece was met by Mosquera but went the wrong side of the post. The game was getting very physical and Cunha and Jorgen Strand Larsen closing down the defenders with purpose. This led to a goal by Cunha after Larsen had set him up with a low cross but it was offside, the dreaded VAR rearing its ugly head.
On 17 minutes there was plenty of Chelsea pressure with bodies blocking shots, the ball broke to Lemina, he fed Hwang and a ball to Larsen set him free to clip a ball across the box to Cunha…..surely a goal, NOOO…just wide as he stretched for the chance. Cunha and Larsen were linking up really well and this is looking like a promising duo, unfortunately Hwang didn’t seem to link too well with Doherty, this caused us few issues during the first half.
Finally we see some magic from Rayan Ait Nouri, he goes on one of his mazy runs and slips a diagonal ball to Cunha on the left and he side foots it into the net. Its 1 – 1 and promptly he lets Jackson know it.
We start to get more of the ball and really click as an attacking team, great movement and link up play from Lemina who plays a ball around the corner to Bellegarde, he passes it to Ait Nouri but the cross is cut out. It’s a lot better and we look more threatening going forward, at the back meanwhile its still not a comfortable afternoon with Palmer and Madueke causing problems.
On 41 minutes Wolves again break but this time on the right, Doherty plays a square pass to Cunha who meets it with a fierce curling shot, which smashes off the bar, we should be ahead now. That comes to bite us on 44 minutes as Sanchez takes a quick free kick, the long ball is a problem for Mosquera who can’t deal with it and the ball is flicked to Palmer, he instantly clips it over a hapless Sa from 25 yards out, the keeper for me was too far off his line, 2 – 1 Chelsea. What a sucker punch after us having the best chances of the half.
The board goes up for 6 minutes of added time, all due to scuffles and handbag swapping. Chelsea were looking to see the half out but Wolves continue to attack and get a free kick 20 yards out. Its Ait Nouri who clips a ball into the right hand side of the six yard box and its headed back across the area for Larsen to get his first Wolves goal with a right foot poke into the net, a No.9 who is there to get that kind of goal at last. Its 2 – 2, what a half as the referee blows for half time, will the 2nd half be as good though?
HALF TIME WOLVES 2- 2 CHELSEA
The second half gets underway as Neto comes on in place of Mudryk, he gets a good reception but that’s all you’ll get from us Pedro.
We all thought that Wolves would learn from the first half threat of Chelsea from kick off. Alas in the 49th minute we didn’t and they grabbed the lead with a quick free kick played to Palmer, he plays in Madueke and he finishes it off with a deflected shot past Sa. It comes from Ait Nouri being out of position and leaving Toti isolated, 3 – 2 Chelsea.
Chelsea now have the ascendancy and they are getting lots of the ball, with attacks all coming through Palmer and Madueke. Wolves fail to keep the ball enough and get punished again in the 57th minute, Madueke breaks down the right again and fires in his 2nd goal, another assist from Palmer 4 – 2. Chelsea are now running us ragged and Palmer goes on a run down the right and manages to get a shot away just before the byline, it hits the post.
We are falling apart here and the right side is a massive problem, a back 4 looked exposed in the first half but this is now really alarming. It got worse in the 63rd minute and guess what…….yes Madueke got his hatrick, another break down the right and finish from him emphatically into the net, 5 – 2 and another Palmer assist.
Gary O’Neill made plenty of changes and I thought Dawson coming on was a reverting to a 5 at the back but Toti slipped into the left back slot as Ait Nouri went off along with Cunha and Bellegarde.
Wolves did get a goal from a beautifully struck volley from Lemina, 20 yards out but it was disallowed by VAR, I’m assuming for an offside or blocking the keepers view, at this point no one cared as the ground emptied rapidly.
Finally to add insult to injury, Pedro Neto set up Joao Felix for a 6th goal on 80 minutes. As the board went up or 8 minutes of added time a chap who sits next to us said “have faith, it’ll be six all”, you have to laugh at his sense of humour because at this point I’d had a failure to laugh or smile at anything else.
Thankfully the full time whistle went and there were still some hardy souls who gently clapped off the players who looked shell shocked and embarrassed. Gary O’Neill held his hand up as if to apologise to everyone, lets hope the club are able to conclude some transfer business this week, a centre back is a must, some say a left back and dare I say it a keeper? That may be harsh I know but it’s a hot debate at the moment regarding Ramsdale.
Full time Wolves 2 – 6 Chelsea
Personally, I think a back 4 is our undoing as the personnel we have are not fitting into the system well enough. Maybe its time to play a 3-4-3 or 5-3-2-1, the tacticians amongst us will all have our views and the socials will definitely be on fire over the coming days. Dazzling Dave and the crew will be busy on Sunday/Monday evening….
Onto Wednesday and get this out of our system before the battle at the City Ground, that is one place I’d like to take our frustration out on next weekend with gusto. Keep the faith Wolves Ay We!!!
ARTICLE BY CRAIG HICKEY
A 53 year old season ticket holder in the Steve Bull stand. Go along with my two young lads who love the Wolves and so far, the positive times. Long may it continue.