STRETCH REPORTS ON WOLVES STRUGGLES AGAINST BOURNEMOUTH
Wolves fans would enjoy the prospect of a traditional bank holiday trip to the sunny seaside to visit their hosts Bournemouth. Both teams had lost key defenders in the summer and both had leaked 4 goals in their season openers, albeit against title contenders. A match providing more equal opponents would be a truer test of the newly formed defences. No doubt managers would have been focused on this and a tight game could be expected.
Wolves surprisingly swopped the defensive cover of Andre for the more progressive Arias with Bellegarde dropping alongside Joao Gomes. New signing Tchatchoua, easier to write than say, starting on the bench.
The key to this match would be whether Wolves had the capability to stem the early energy of Bournemouth’s high pressing and fast paced attack.
Starting Line Up
Sa, Hoever, Doherty, Agbadou, Toti, Wolfe, J Gomes, Bellegarde, Munetsi, Arias, Larsen
First Half
So much for quelling the early pressure Wolves concede after 4 minutes. A shot from an angle that had little threat flicks the heel of Agbadou and bounces in off the crossbar. Not much Agbadou or Sa could do about that but immediately Wolves are on the back foot.
After the early breakthrough Bournemouth continued to press with and without the ball and a second goal looked likely if not inevitable. The gap left by Andre being frequently filled by driving runs from the opposition.
It was 6 minutes before Wolves really ventured into the Bournemouth half forcing a corner that came to nothing.
Toti received a very early yellow for senselessly pulling back a Bournemouth player, still in is own half with no threat developing. Bournemouth played a long cross to find the feet of their striker who from 6 yards found the crossbar when it was easier to score, a real let off. Thereafter the Bournemouth threat began to diminish and the game became more even being mainly played away for either team’s goal
Soon after Wolfe produced a strong encouraging run but had two much pressure to deliver the killer cross. Then came Wolves first and only chance of the half with an excellent cross from Hoever and from a good central position Larsen could only force a save from the keeper.
We were now past half an hour and on the ball contributions from Munetsi and Arias were at a premium with the latter really struggling to find a way to contribute.
Hoever succumbed to injury and the new signing Tchatchoua was the obvious replacement. He immediately looked a little more positive and finally Arias was getting a few touches as Wolves began to grow into the game. Nevertheless they were unable to create a chance and the game trickled it’s way to half time without real incident.
Not much between the teams but Wolves are carrying very little goal threat.
Second Half
Vitor makes changes bringing Andre and Hugo Bueno on for the hapless Bellegarde and Wolfe.
This should help in midfield and offer more of a threat on the wing. Immediately Bueno is clear on the left and puts in a good cross to no avail, but it did deliver hope but of course that’s the killer. Within minutes Toti is caught the wrong side of the striker and pushes him in the back denying a clear goal scoring opportunity and resulting in a straight red. In the end the silly first half yellow did not matter he was gone simply for his second bad decision. A game to forget for Toti and with a potential replacement en route we might not see him start for a while. Shortly after Santi Bueno came on to replace Arias who has had a very disappointing debut.
Despite being down to ten men the midfield, with Andre, provided a better defensive shield than in the first half.
Bournemouth controlled the game but with little clear opportunities although Sa saved superbly from a long range shot. Wolves chances were limited to a couple of free kicks lobbed into the area without any end product and an Agbadou free kick shot tamely into the wall.
The match ended with a Wolves corner and a blast over the bar from Hugo Bueno but in truth Wolves never looked like scoring, which looks to be a long term problem.
There can be no argument with the result. Once we were down to ten men we defended well enough but threatened little and we will never know if the eleven could have fought back.
REFLECTIONS
Arias needs time to acclimatise and Tchatchoua looked a decent player. Hugo Bueno should be ahead of Wolfe at this stage. The biggest problem is goals, Larsen will score but we need alternatives and there is practically nothing.
Already huge pressure is placed on the next home game against Everton practically a must win already What is a must are new signings that can offer a forward threat.
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.
1 Comment
by Gurbux Singh
Like all wolves fans – frustrated and bewildered by where the club is going and what its objectives are. A silence from club hierarchy is ominous.
Yesterday game – we lack identity, creativity and goal threat – and defence under pressure