Match Day Thread v Wolves

Received a PM earlier today asking me to do the match day thread for Wolves.

So here it is.

Know **** all about injuries.
We're at home.
We're on Sky
Assume we'll be on a stream somewhere.

Almiron will score though we have Bruce as manager so insurance bets at the ready.

 

Chaos will be happy

Anyway, we need to try something different upfront

 

what the **** !!!!!!!!

 

it's not even a good attempt! I will never do one of these ****ty arse things! it's not worth my time.

 

Miserable ****!!

 

yep

 

I just wanted to mention that I said Wolves would come good about 6 weeks ago when they were 19th! I said this because they had also had tough opening fixtures and I have been proved correct and they now sit in 11th with a game they will be favourites to win next week. I have heard people saying we have to win this game, but imo that is not the case!! we need to pick up around 6-9 points out of the next 4 games is the way I see it and we will be in a very good position! wolves are a better side and can play a bit, so I expect we will struggle to get anything in the game.

 

I said 5 from the next 3 (two of which are at home) at the weekend to one of me mates so 6-9 from 4 is about right. We should be aiming for 20 points by Christmas looking at our fixtures to be perfectly honest. Anything over that is a massive bonus.

 

Hayden still suspended but bar Ritchie and Lejenue there doesn't appear to be any additional injury worries. With the formation Wolves play and the players at their disposal I think we have to try something different against them.

If Hayden was fit I'd try matching their formation with a 3-5-2 and try and win the midfield battle which will be crucial in this game but without Hayden I'd go 4-3-3 with Schar moving into a DM role just behind the Longstaff's because the other CB's we have aren't mobile enough or good enough with the ball and play a bit longer up to the front three.

 

I'm going to agree with the 3-5-2 suggestion, but also propose a different train of thought; both Longstaffs are solid defensively, like a tackle and can get about a bit. But they lack experience and are often outnumbered. However, the answer is not to put another DM alongside them - my proposal would be to drop Almiron in there as an outlet in the middle. He doesn't mind working hard, has pace to burn and just isn't a winger; then I'd put Yedlin right, Willems left and go with a front two of ASM & Joelinton. I think Joelinton would be relieved to have a partner, and I reckon ASM could stay fitter for longer if he's up the pitch rather than up and down the line. I think Almiron can do a solid job as sort of a Kieron Dyer style No.8. He can pop shots off from distance, take the game forward and I think it would be a great tactic to try, and Bruce is familiar with it.

 

no need to change anything wolves are a well drilled until and we won't see the ball, so makes no sense to change anything! I don't like almiron on the right because you can see he's not comfortable there like he does on the left! with max being a lefty too i'd swap the two around for a trial , but nothing drastic. I don't see any other option but to counter because we cannot keep the ball and there's no point dropping anyone for players that can't run fast enough to break.

 

Bruce has said we need to score more goals. Think he's finally cracked it, nice and easy, we'll win 5-0 now

 

Some good points and not an option I'd thought of as a CM midfielder position for Miggy. From what Brucey was doing in the summer where he was playing Almiron off the main striker but I have previously said I think Miggy would do better through the middle (in a 4-5-1) but maybe a little deeper he can get on the ball a bit more. My only hesitation would be he seems to pick up a lot of cards there for Paraguay and has a penchant for "going down easily" or more commonly known as diving...

 

the problem is we don't create many chances maybe 1 or 2 a game so even if we had good finishers we aren't likely to score enough .. rondon was a clinical finisher with both his head and feet and Ritchie and perez were feeding him … he could also score from free kicks and joelinton does none of that as well... zero!!! he can't hold it up aswel either. last season we were effective because we played this system and had a sting in our tail and now weve lost that aspect.. People can say drop almiron , drop joelinton all they want it's not going to be better if we play carrol and atsu is it. we have no ability to pass and move in our squad , so why any thinks removing pace and adding another striker will make a **** of a difference is beyond me

 

The central midfield battle is crucial in this one for me and Wolves with their 2 up top - one of which usually drop in and the 3 in midfield pack this area of the pitch. If we can pin their fullbacks deep and exploit the wings with overlapping fullbacks then maybe stick to the same formation and hope the Longstaff's have the legs to chase down their 3 CM's but we need to retain possession for that and I can't see it at present.

 

Not a lot's working for the lad, think of it as 3-4-1-2 formation. What it means is pressing the midfield of Wolves, particularly good passers like Moutinho, with Almiron whilst he's also there for a decent ball from either Longstaff to get us on the front foot. If he then has two options ahead we may keep the ball better whilst still playing more counter-attacking football. I'd also want ASM to drop a bit deeper but stay close to Joelinton, who can hold up and lay off well.

Our defence cannot work as a four, I don't think. We almost need three of them to make it solid, two on their own isn't very reliable and Willems/Yedlin aren't particularly strong as full backs either.

 

Forget possession ! wolves have been playing a passing system for years now , so us making a formation change won't allow us in one week to win that battle. The fact is we need to pick the same side that's taken 3 points from games against man united and Chelsea... there's no mixing this up here that is a fact, so why on earth anyone wants to change it is beyond me . We have a chance to win a few games and be top half without changing a thing. Were 4 points off 7th , so now is not the time to be panicking and experimenting

 

Man, we beat a very poor Man U and lost the other one, without registering a shot. The longer we let this attacking impotence stagnate the worse it's going to get.

 

we are a poor side and those are two of the best! do you think throwing a pretty pattern on a piece of paper and saying go on lads will mean we can play like weve been trained how to play that way for months on training ground ? we have no reason to change we can pick up enough points in the next 4 games and build up some confidence and then consider changing if we are in 1. a position to or 2. we simply must.

wolves are a very good passing side that have been coached and drilled into a passing system for years now! we cannot match that by moving players around and 1 week of playing that system in training. This is not the time to roll the dice it's the time to see if we can do well vs a run of teams around us.

 

I'd go Krath and Dummy at FB's in a 4 to be fair as while Yedlin and Willems are good going forwards I'd be worried if they were in a back 4 as well!

Look if you not careful I'm going to do next weeks match day thread today...

I've given my reasons as to why I feel a change is necessary and yes it does appear beyond you .

The surrendering of possession is not something you can do against Wolves if you aren't going to get some shots off as they will score goals (they have only failed to score in 2 out of their 18 games so far this year). We on the other hand have managed 6 goals in 10 and need support for the striker and as I have said several times - win the midifeld battle in this one. (edit) Also in regards to your claim about formation practice - Brucey had them playing 3-5-2 all preseason so it should be slightly ingrained.

Bare in mind that was a young inexperienced Chelsea at the weekend - Abrahams, Mount, Odoi, Fikayo etc - who's CB partnership had an average age of 22 and played their first games as a partnership in the last few weeks - we should have been testing them - the few times we did they looked shaky.

Just a difference of opinions though and you are welcome to yours