STRETCH SHARES HIS REPORT ON ANOTHER DIABOLICAL WOLVES PERFORMANCE
The Last Post
Tonight’s clash represented the last chance for the travelling Wolves to endure the crumbling offerings of Goodison Park. Wooden floors, cramped catering and so often a restricted viewing experience. Everton will be worried that their new stadium will be the best in the championship next year and Wolves had the chance to drag Everton into deep trouble whilst at the same time fearing they could find themselves adrift.
Any away point in the Premier League is hard to gain but after the previous night’s results Wolves fans will be desperate to take all 3 to keep pace with the other stragglers. A poor performance and a loss would put enormous pressure on the Wolves board to reconsider the manager’s position. The least Wolves fans can expect is a positive response from the players after a woeful display against Bournemouth.
Given the absence of Semedo, suspended through yellow cards, and fit again centre halves Gary O”Neil had a lot to think about when picking the team.
Starting Eleven
Sa, Dawson, Bueno, Ait-Nouri, Doherty, Lemina, Andre, Cunha, Larsen, Guedes, Joao Gomes (Lemina 1 of 3 centre halves)
First Half
Wolves started on the front foot winning the ball in midfield and controlling possession. A smart move ending with Rayan Air Nouri failing to deliver the precision needed for Larsen to finish. That was was quickly followed by a chance for Cunha, well saved by Pickford, and that point all looked positive. After 10 minutes out of the blue a long ball is not dealt with and a Bueno foul leads to a free kick just outside the box with Ashley Young easily passing it around the wall. Surely this falls to Sa for not lining the wall up properly.
Moments later another free kick from the wing ends up in the Wolves net but is eventually ruled out by VAR. The kind of interference by VAR that shows the difference between the real game and one refereed in slow motion. Yes technically a foul but a lucky break for Wolves delivered by the numbingly boring VAR. Unfortunately, the trend of poor defending continued with Dawson looking slow and Lemina no idea positionally. He is not a centre half. Inevitably another high ball into the box was not cleared adequately and the follow up shot made it 2 nil to Everton.
The 3 centre halves were not working together with Everton strikers dropping deep uncontested to pick up the ball to cause constant problems, with defenders frozen to their spots. Wolves were not awful going forward but the lack of cohesion and confidence in defence was palpable. Substitutions are needed at half time. Only Andre and Doherty deserve any credit.
Second Half
Lemina moves into a midfield 3 probably where he should have started but plays the whole of the half seemingly chasing shadows and in a completely undefined role.
A brief flurry from Wolves and then normal service resumes. An Everton corner is missed by the flapping Sa and it bounces in off Dawson who has had a terrible night. From here on it is difficult to write anything positive about the Wolves performance as the red mist has descended (no doubt for every Wolves fan watching) and the whole team is a shambles. Defensively the whole 90 minutes has been a disaster, confidence has gone.
Another cross and Sa drops it and the ball is in the net and fortunate to be ruled as a foul on Sa. However, it is not long to wait for another free kick to be turned in by the hapless Dawson.
The midfield is now disjointed with only Andre showing some consistent positioning and play. The attack now largely irrelevant. The first substitution sees Hwang replace Guedes. Not only has Guedes been no better or worse than anyone else it is a straight swop, no tactical change, and for a player that has had a disastrous season. How was that going to change the game?
The travelling Wolves fans have now given up on the game and surely the manager, singing the full repertoire of old chants all harking back to better days. The ironic chants turning to understandable vitriol at the final whistle.
Towards the end Everton missed two good chances with the game concluding 4 nil plus two disallowed goals that on another day could have been given. As bad as a performance as you could imagine and against a very average team. Never has a team needed to do so little to win a game. Everton were not good as with Bournemouth we were the cause of our own downfall.
The detail of any moves or structure are so unimportant in the context of the future of the management after this performance and quite frankly there was nothing worthy of comment in the second half. This was thoroughly dreadful.
Reflections
The team now looks devoid of confidence and ideas in nearly every aspect and relegation looms unless something changes. There can now be very few fans that do not want to see a change of management. This writer is finally raising the white flag. Having watched Wolves for 54 years, seeing many managers come and go, there have been games where you see a performance that signals the end and there is no doubt this should be one of them.
A decent set of players are now lacking in confidence, ideas and structure with everything leading to the manager.
I don’t think Gary O’Neil should be sacked he should have the decency to resign after that performance.
ARTICLE BY STRETCH
Started in 1970 standing on a stool in South Bank and have been screaming at referees ever since. Worked my way round the ground, Billy Wright, North bank and now made it to the Steve Bull. Moving as various friends came and went as well as accommodating age changes of the pesky kids who are also bitten. As passionate as ever despite the stress of VAR shortening my life expectancy.