Wolves fans share their thoughts following defeat at the Etihad
DAVE
I felt were on the back foot from the moment the teamsheet dropped today. I like Rob Edwards’ but bemused that he chose to start without a recognised number 9 set the tone, leaving us blunt, pinned back and unable to get out in the opening stages.
With no focal point up front we sat deep and simply couldn’t relieve the pressure. Attacks broke down instantly, the ball kept coming back, and we never settled. The opening goal was avoidable, and conceding again just before half-time all but ended the contest.
What made it more frustrating was the contrast after the changes. The substitutions finally gave Wolves some structure and intent, and suddenly there was life. Mateus Mané’s driving runs gave us something we’d lacked all game — pace, aggression and a willingness to carry the ball forward. For the first time, Wolves pushed higher, asked questions.
Mosquera’s header clipping the bar summed up the late push. It didn’t change the result, but it showed what could have been if Wolves had started with more ambition!
JOHN TARAS
EMMA AKA THE PRODUCER
As a Wolves fan, I never went into the Etihad expecting a win. But I did expect us to make a game of it, and we did not, not in that first half. The starting XI felt wrong from the off. We played like a side trying to survive rather than compete, and the tempo was all City. The frustrating part is that the first half basically decided the whole match. When you let City settle, pin you back, and play at their pace, you are already chasing shadows.
Starting without a recognised striker hurt us more than anything. The ball just would not stick up top, so every clearance and every long pass came straight back at us. City would regain possession quickly and wave after wave would start again. We looked so much better later on after the substitutions when we finally showed some fight and played with a bit of purpose. If we had started the match with that energy and a clearer plan, things might not have flipped the result, but they could have made it competitive. And that is all most of us really wanted from this one.
I also thought the referee had a decent game for his first Premier League match. He didn’t get everything right, but in a strange way he felt like an improvement on plenty we’ve seen this season. I was especially impressed that he stood his ground when VAR sent him to the monitor to look again at a possible penalty. Far more experienced referees might have buckled under that pressure, and it would have been very easy to hand City a spot-kick there, but he stuck with his decision.
KARL WHITEHOUSE
What can I say about this game? I’m still not sure what Rob was thinking with today’s line-up. Starting without a recognised striker felt like a bad call, especially after what we have seen from the team in recent matches.
We conceded an early goal and we have to be better there. Our defending was not good enough and it was the worst possible start. With the team we put out, that first half had no real shape or identity, which is a concern because we have looked organised before.
Then, of course, VAR got involved again for a penalty decision. It took its time, and we got a reprieve. It’s worth remembering that this came with a referee making his Premier League debut, and I thought he did fairly well overall. We didn’t learn, though, and the defending for the second goal was poor too. At that point, I genuinely feared we were in for a hiding in the second half.
In the second half we made changes to try to get something from the game, and straight away we looked more like ourselves. We had our shape back, and playing Mane in a deeper role suited him. We were much better after the break, with more spirit and a clearer plan. City still tried to smother us, but we competed more and started creating chances. We also hit the crossbar from a corner through Mosquera.
One question, though: should we have had a penalty? It didn’t even seem like VAR checked it properly, and that was frustrating. We finished the game strongly, but the first half cost us. We have another match coming up where we can put three points on the board, but we need to be ready for it. Keep the faith, even if today wasn’t our day.
Player of the Match: Mane
Match Rating: 6/10
SCOTT DRAME
An expected result, but there were positives.
We should take a lot from the second half. The response was strong, the shape looked better, and we actually competed. The frustration is that we just couldn’t find another goal, and you rarely get away with that against City.
Rob Edwards had the chance to pick from a full squad and, for me, he didn’t get the line-up right. The first half showed it. We were too passive and never really laid a glove on them.
Man of the match has to be Mane for what he did in the second half. He stepped up, worked hard, and looked much more effective once we adjusted.
Performance: First half 0/10, second half 8/10.