ANDREW BENNETT gives his match report wolves 0-0 fulham AT a sunny MOLINEUX
A start to the season at a golden sun struck Molineux ended with the same old issues for the hosts Wolves, with a 0-0 draw to a resilient Fulham side.
Fulham the first opposition for Wolves, who after an opening day draw against Liverpool will provide a difficult opponent for the home side who will have to be at their fluid best to get a result and get Mitrovic and company under control. At possibly the warmest game I’ve ever been to (temperatures hitting over 30 degrees) you wonder how this will effect the players and crowd alike. There was a feeling of optimism in the air around Molinuex to see new players Collins and Guedes for the first time for many.
The starting line ups for both sides were unchanged from the previous games against Leeds and Liverpool respectively. For Wolves at least there was much improved depth with Nelson Semedo, Adama Traore and new signing Guedes on the bench for the first time this season.
Despite these additions the lack of depth in an attacking sense still astonishing with only Adama, Guedes and Chem Campbell available to Bruno Lage.
FIRST HALF
Arguably the start of a new era without Conor Coady in the matchday squad, as 3pm approached the Wolves side was led out onto the pitch by Ruben Neves as he did the week before at Elland Road.
From kick off it was a lively start from the hosts with Hwang put through on goal by Podence but a difficult angle meant that he could only hit Rodak in the Fulham goal. The half continued positively with another chance from Hwang blazed wide from outside the box. Just after Fulham’s first chance for Fulham was created down the left hand side with Kebano crossing for Mitrovic to blaze a volley into the south bank. This all happened in a lively first fifteen minutes.
This was the start of a little spell for Fulham where after their first corner Neves had to clear off the line from a free header about 10 yards out from Bobby Decordova-Reid. For the rest of the first half this was about it from Fulham in a half Wolves dominated the ball and moved around quickly with Morgan Gibbs White, Podence and Neto making great triangles and causing dynamic movement sadly without much final product.
After the first half drinks break Wolves best chance arguably presented itself. Neto going through on goal from a tight angle after Rodak and Tosin Adarabioyo had a mix up only to lose the ball which fell to Podence who fired wide. Wolves grew more into this half winning a few corners but went into the half time break with nothing to show for a dominant performance. This first half provided a belief around Molineux after seeing the first half with Bruno’s new formation and interchangeable forward play.
SECOND HALF
The second half started with a lower tempo and much scrappier from both sides with many stops in play for small tactical fouls, the heat seemingly slowing the play down.
The fifty fourth minute brought Wolves best and really only chance in the second half, this came through some great play from Kilman feeding Ait-Nouri down the left who fizzed a ball across the middle for Gibbs White who fired over from inside the six yard box.
There was more good interchanges from Wolves with often no final ball or missing the final pass, many moves this half were initiated by Kilman and Collins who had a solid Molineux debut together. The 57th minute saw the introduction of new signing Guedes coming on for Hwang who didn’t particularly offer much throughout the second half.
Fulham grew into the half more than the first half with Kebano cutting in bringing Sa to make his first meaningful save. Wolves made their final substitutions bringing on Adama Traore and Nelson Semedo for Jonny Otto and Pedro Neto respectively. Shortly after their introduction a mix up between Dendonker and Ait Nouri put Decordova-Reid through who the Frenchman took out conceding a penalty. Fulham’s talisman Mitrovic stepped up to take the penalty which Jose Sa saved down to his right. This woke Molineux up which was subdued for much of the second half like the performance.
The roaring Molineux sadly couldn’t inspire the lads in gold to create any meaningful chances in the final fifteen minutes. After the penalty not much of note happened in terms of actual football with Fulham taking time with the goalkeeper, making a couple of substitutes and player’s regularly going down to receive treatment. One moment of Wolves attack was stopped clinically by Mitrovic where Gibbs White was brought down; the two got into a bit of a scuffle, which ended with both receiving a yellow card. The seven minutes of added time continued in this same manner with tactical fouls a lack of tempo and no chances for Wolves before the full time whistle was blown.
All in all probably a fair result with the first half missed chances and Mitrovic’s penalty being saved by Jose Sa. A hard fought point gained by Wolves in the first home game of the new season at Molineux. The same issues for Wolves with a lack of goals and arguably lack of chances against a tough promoted Fulham team. Wolves will go again in a challenging game next weekend away at White Hart Lane to Conte’s Tottenham Hotspur.
WOLVES 0-0 FULHAM
ARTICLE BY ANDREW BENNETT
From my first Wolves match against Chelsea in 2003 I fell in love with the team and matchday experience. I work in digital marketing and have lived in Germany and Estonia over the past few years, this doesn’t stop me following Wolves and ensuring all my international friends become invested to the Wolf pack. I enjoy football, board games, a pint and travelling always excited to try new things. You will find me in the north bank on a matchday.