LIVID: Wolves 1-2 Man City – Instant Fan Reaction

A Much Better Performance

The frustration isn’t with the team effort – we can’t fault that. Wolves played far better than in our last game. If the lads do one thing, they give 100 percent. Manchester City are undeniably world-class, probably the best football team in the world right now, and the difference in squad depth is clear. But Wolves didn’t lie down. We fought for every inch on the pitch.

The system we’ve been calling for was finally put in place: five at the back, using pace on the attack. And it worked. We scored a brilliant goal the way we used to, by hitting them on the break. The energy was there, the plan was there, and fair play to the players – they responded well. We had chances too:  But the key difference? City were ruthless, and we weren’t.

Referee in a Sky-Blue Shirt?

If we didn’t know better,weI’d say the ref was wearing City’s colours. It wasn’t even subtle. The decisions throughout the game, especially in crucial moments, seemed beyond questionable. Not to mention those yellow cards. Joao Gomes gets booked just for getting shoved? And then we get to the 95th minute, and this referee, Mr Kavanagh, ignores a clear foul on the edge of the City box. He’d given them similar free-kicks all game, but this time, he waved it off. Surprise, surprise, seconds later, City are firing corners at us, and they eventually sneak the winner.

Bueno, who deserves praise for how well he played, was pushed during that corner. Not even close to being subtle. That’s a foul any day of the week, right? Of course not, not when the referee is having his very own Man City appreciation day. They score, and then VAR shows offside… and then somehow decides it’s subjective? That’s never the case. If the boot were on the other foot, it’s getting disallowed. No question.

A Familiar Feeling

Sadly, it feels like this isn’t new. Some decisions in favour of the bigger clubs feel par for the course. We’ve seen this before. Remember Kilman at West Ham? Yeah, it was like watching history repeat itself. The sort of nonsense that keeps happening feels like we’re being deliberately kept down.

Teams like Manchester City already have the firepower, the resources, the quality. Do they need dodgy decisions to boot? Ask any Arsenal or Liverpool fan who saw this game today – they’ll be fuming too. It’s as if the decisions are already made. For teams like us, not being part of the big six means we have to take these late jabs on the chin.

Takeaways from the Fans’ View

Despite the outcome, it’s clear fans appreciated the Wolves players’ effort today. The system worked, and we finally looked like a team again. 

Man of the Match: No debate here – José Sá. Rock solid in goal with some breathtaking saves that kept us in the game.

Performance Rating: A solid 7.5/10, according to the fans. When up against a team like City, it’s hard to win, but Wolves showed fight, and that’s all we ask.

A Special Mention for MATHEUS NUNES

Some fans aren’t forgetting how a certain former player downed tools and left Wolves. When he came back today, he had the guts to fist-pump after City’s win. Let’s make it clear: he’s no longer welcome at Molineux. Whatever happens to him in the future, that’s on him. But he won’t get any love from this crowd.

Final Thoughts

This was miles better than last week. There’s something to work with here. We need a bit of ruthless polish on those chances, and we could definitely do with some fair officiating. But if the players go out like this week in and week out, we can stay up and may well surprise some people along the way.

Our message to Gary O’Neil: stick with the back five. You got it right today – don’t change it back now. We aren’t afraid to fight, but don’t let poor tactical changes be the reason we go down.

Let’s move on from this nightmare decision and get ready for Brighton.

Always Wolves!