WOLVES FANS DON'T HOLD BACK ON DIRE PERFORMANCE AT BRENTFORD
BLACKPOOL WOLF
Enough is enough; Gary O’Neil has to go.
A lot of the mistakes we made today are too similar to those made in previous games. We haven’t got the players to play the formation that GON wants. Instead of adapting, he’s been stubborn, sticking with what he wants. This has led to us conceding 21 goals in seven Premier League games. His substitutions have been poor, and his loyalty to Hwang and Bellegarde, using them over other players who have been poor time and again this season, has been unbearable.
There have been many individual mistakes that haven’t helped, but I truly believe the players don’t support what GON is trying to do. I heard this is our worst top-flight start to a season since 1965. Set pieces have been terrible, and all the fans have noticed this, yet the coaching staff still insists on zonal marking and bringing every player back. This not only stops us from relieving pressure by counter-attacking or holding the ball up the pitch but also allows the opposition to put more bodies in our box.
I don’t want to dwell too much on today’s game because it’s only the same things we fans have pointed out in previous weeks.
The lack of minutes for Lima, Doyle, R. Gomes, and even Guedes has been criminal.
Time to go; patience has run out.
KARL WHITEHOUSE
What can I say about this game? We were left open and exposed in all areas of the pitch right from the kick-off. We didn’t learn what Brentford can do from their starts in games.
There were so many mistakes to mention. Most of these came from the back four. We have conceded 21 goals in seven games, which is frightening for our club. Something must be sorted out.
We were sloppy in the first half, making plenty of mistakes in marking players. Sometimes we didn’t pick up their players, allowing Brentford to score.
We should have made substitutions at the start of the second half to try and get back into the game. Yet again, Gary didn’t do that. Keeping faith with the starting XI was a bad mistake. We should have chased the game and at least tried to get something from it.
In the second half, we were left exposed on many occasions while chasing the game. This defeat was disappointing against a team we did well against last season at their ground. It shows the difference in the team over a year and highlights where we are going.
There weren’t many positives in the game. I’m happy we scored three goals, but conceding five is not nice to see. Let’s see what happens during the international break.
Wolves management has a lot of work to do. This side has lost confidence, and getting back to a winning mentality is crucial. Is this an issue with the way Gary has set up the team and its shape, or is it time for a change in management? It’s not pleasant being at the bottom of the league at this stage of the season. This will be the question on most fans’ minds now.
PAM WELLS
Well, where on earth do you start after that display? It has to be one of the worst defensive performances I have seen in a long time. Brentford scored a dreadful goal after a minute and could have had a second a minute later. We managed to pull one back through Cunha but then got a soft penalty given against us for them to go back in front. Larsen then managed to level it again with a goal off the side of his foot, but they went on to score two more against us before half-time.
Surely, things can only get better, but then again, perhaps not. He brings on our worst attacker at the moment and takes off our best midfielder, Hwang, for Andre. We perhaps had a little more play in the second half. We probably should have had a penalty that wasn’t given, then they scored a fifth in the last couple of minutes, and we got a consolation third goal from Rayan Ait Nouri. So, we finish still bottom, still one point.
Last week, I said we didn’t look like a bottom of the league team against a top team, but this week, a mid-table team made us look like a definite bottom of the league team. Today, I thought the players looked as though they had lost belief in the system. We have a really good squad of players, but the tactics just aren’t working.
They ran through our defence and midfield like a knife through butter, but by the time we finished going sideways and backwards, they were all back in defence, ready for our attack. I will be very interested to hear the excuses this week, as up until now, he has said we are playing better teams than us, which is disgraceful. But today, we were playing one of the teams on the same level as us, so how come they absolutely hammered us?
Man of the match? I don’t think I can pick one unless I give it to Larsen for his goal and for trying for 90 minutes. Performance rating: 2.
John taras
It’s difficult to find any positives from today. I suppose we scored three away from home. The big negative was conceding five, and it could have been double! Basic mistakes made it a very sad day for Wolves. Apparently, the normally loyal away army booed them off at half-time, which is unheard of.
What does the future hold? Well, next up are the triple Premier League champions, Manchester City, who will be rubbing their hands with glee. Should O’Neil go, that’s up to Fosun. It doesn’t matter what I think. But can I see him changing things? No!
Will we get out of the bottom three? I hope so! Based on today’s performance, the team were like lost sheep!
GEORGE LAKIN
23/24: ARS (A), CHE (H), FOR (A), NEW (H), AVL (A), LIV (H), BRE (A) – 8 Points
24/25: ARS (A), CHE (H), FOR (A), NEW (H), AVL (A), LIV (H), BRE (A) – 1 Point
Pretty clear which direction we are headed. No more excuses. Something’s got to give.
SCOTT DRAME
Today’s performance was far from impressive. O’Neil’s tactics left much to be desired, failing to adapt to the game’s demands. The midfield struggled throughout, lacking cohesion and creativity. While defensive play did see some improvement over time, it was still not up to par. The VAR decisions were spot on, providing clarity when needed. On a brighter note, Johnstone’s and Cunha’s performances stood out, offering a glimmer of hope in an otherwise disappointing display.
