After a week that has seen many changes at Wolves with several new players arriving and some well known faces leaving, fans will attend Molineux today wondering how the changes will impact the team and their fortunes for this season.
There has been considerably more movement from Wolves on the transfer market during this window than fans have been used to in recent seasons, with a considerable amount of money spent by the club as has been demanded by the fans and seemingly the Head Coach. The arrivals of defender Nathan Collins, midfielder Matheus Nunes, winger Goncalo Guedes and striker Sasa Kalejdic will no doubt please fans, but perhaps just as pleasing will be the fact that new team captain Ruben Neves remains in the pack along woith Adama Traore. Sad to see Conor Coady suddenly leave fans will surely also have a soft spot for long term team member Willy Boly who left this week for Notts Forest, following Morgan Gibbs-White. Leander Dendoncker has crossed the midlands to Villa to be replaced by Boubacar Traore on loan.
So.... in what has been a disappointing start to the new season devoid of a win so far, what impact witll the changes have on the team. Well it's pretty fair to say that the players who have left the club have struggled to maintain starting places - or in some cases squad places - so far whilst the new players have been slotted into the team fairly quickly, in an attempt to familiarise them with the Premier League. Collins. Nunes and Guedes already look like being regulars in the team with Podence and Adama Traore having places on the bench.
Interest today will surely focus on the striker situation. Will Sasa Kalajdic replace Raul Jimenez who - sadly - is clearly still struggling to regain his pre-injury confidence, as epitomised by his poor performance on Wednesay evening, or will he come off the bench, or will Bruno decide to play them both in a totally changed system?
Wolves have quite a good record at home against Southampton but will be conscious of their defeat of Chelsea in their last game and treat them as a dangerous team.
Our game is due to kick off at 3:00pm and will not be televised. Our referee will be John Brooks with Tony Harrington on VAR duty.
Subject to a decent stream of the game this board will endeavour to provide regular updates on the progress of the match, and members are encouraged to voice their own observations and join in the conversation.
Precisely Lupy, has to improve doesn't it. Must improve ..... will improve!
Nice intro Chesh, sums it all up quite well. An amazing week or so of ins and outs, good to see from Fosun (but I am very sad about some of the cheerios) and whilst it does represent a bit of a sea change from what has gone before, shame they couldn't have backed Nuno a little better in his last year or so.
Now having acquired these new lads, the odds are they will need time to develop as a team, though if results don't go our way, will Bruno be given the time to get them playing as he wants? I've certainly had my dounts about Lage recently, probably (if honest) fueled by a general lack of connection I feel towards him .... I have always found him to be an incipid type of character and certainly no Nuno. Having said that, I want him to do well for the good of Wolves. I would imagine we'll see Kalajdzic today, will he start? Is there scope for both him and Raul in the same team? Of the Nunes and Guedes duo, they both have been a little slow off the mark so far, though Nunes clearly has something about him. If honest I have been disappoitned with Guedes thus far. Early days.
For what it's worth, I have a sneaking feeling we could win our first match today. We do have a decent record versus Southampton of late and so I've backed us .... money where my mouth is! Very much looking forward to seeing the starting line up.
Not sure I'll be able to follow much today, will try any stream available, though we have family around too and I can't be rude (I have been 'advised')!!
UTW
PS Chesh - do you have Forest friends by any chance? Just wondered if you were trying to wind them up with the 'Notts' Forest reference!! lol
One striker at the club ... let's hope the big lump lives up to expectations. If we lose today, I think we will probably be playing championship football next season.
The season is a write off in terms of slim chances of european football via the league so staying up and " good run in the cup" is the best we can hope for. The excitement is palpable..I wont be in to watch the desperate hunt for a goal so enjoy the match gentlemen.
Jonny gets a yellow card for a foul on Aribo. Ruben puts free kick out for a corner which Jose grabs.
Wolves are pretty unconvincing and disorganised so far & Matheus Nunes is particularly struggling to establish himself in the game
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2022:09:03:15:40:05 by Cheshire wolf.
Saints get another corner, which Wolves break from. Diablo stops Pod again and gets a yellow card for persistent fouling. 2 added minutes but Pod scores as we enter it after a cross from Nunes
Wolves 1 Saints 0
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2022:09:03:15:57:48 by Cheshire wolf.
Half time whistle blows and for once Wolves lead in a game at half time. Inevitably a break was started by Ruben who fed Nunes, he sprinted clear and passed to far side of the area. Pod hit it into the ground and it bounced over the keeper similarly to his goal at Leeds. Not a very impressive performance in general although there has been some good build up play from Wolves. Pretty solid in defence in fairness with Ruben doing some excellent defending at times.
Wolves 1 Saints 0
Also been grappling with the stream, probably because I'm in a bar trying to get it on an unsecured network with my ipad. So I'm grateful for the MbMs, lads.
Totally shocked we have a goal, I thought it was scoreless at half time.
Good defending by Jonny to deny Adams. Great play between Nunez & Neto until Neto’s dreadful cross for Pod. Wolves trying to put pressure on now & get a corner, which Max can’t redirect.
Got the stream going for 5 mins. Pure anxiety watching the giving away of possession, and our inability to play the ball out from Sa through the back four. Just putting pressure on ourselves.
We must find a better way to play in the oppo's half, not ours.
Mainland-Nile’s coming on for Saints. Nines breaks well & passses to Neto but again he has two defenders on him & is crowded out. No sign of any further Wolves subs yet after 72 mins!!
Still no subs for Wolves after 78 mins and after playing on Weds!! Bruno Lage’s game management really does concern me at times, and especially now he’s bringing Hwang on!!!
Three minutes to go and we are managing to hold on to a one goal lead. Semedo coming on . Really poor play by RAN gives Saints a chance as we enter 4 mins added time.
We so lack a bit of confidence and momentum. It's been dragging on since last April. It's like the excitement and fun has drained out of the players - and the fans.
Risca TM Makes me worry Lage goes into his shell, Chesh, to eke out the result rather than use his subs positively.
I have to agree Risca he doesn’t fill me with confidence at all! Still at last we have a win and the media can stop referring to us not having one for 12PL games. Not a classic performance at all, but we can hope that the new players are gradually getting accustomed to playing with the team. A shame that Sasa only lasted 45 minutes & we must hope he isn’t seriously injured especially Raul is also out of action. A positive performance and a positive result to report
Wolves 1 Saints 0
Supporting Wolves should come with a health warning.
Saw most of the second half and must admit that whilst the endeavour was there in abundance we never seemed to be in full control of the game and Saints will feel as if they could have got something from this match. Nunes seems to have settled in quickly and was absolute quality, Guedes doesn't seem to be quite up to speed yet but he didn't let himself down and I am sure he has something to bring to the table. Neto getting better with more game time and Neves was once again the kingpin of the midfield. Sad to see Sasa has picked up an injury let's hope nothing serious would be such a shame. Well three points gained and you can't do more than that so onwards and upwards, Liverpool and City had better be prepared now we are on a roll ______________.
3 points thank the Lord for that! Not great but it was about getting a win. Hope the injury to sasa isn't bad. Tough games ahead, just go out and show no fear what do we have to lose.
Said I wouldn’t mind a win in any manner, we really needed it and got it! Seen MOTD, and read the thread, so it appears it wasn’t a classic and the winner from Podence was so scruffy, you’d say it was a fluke …. Great ball from Nunes. Still all goals count. Very relieved.
As for Ched Adams inexplicably hand balling from 1 yard - incredible and just the luck we desperately required.
Up to 14th!!
Down side is obviously the injury to kalajdzic. Is there any news?
UTW
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2022:09:04:00:34:02 by Ivybridge Wolf.
A wretched display where we were lucky to get a win but how many times have we played well and not scored losing or drawing. I dont know what to make of wolves, we have had a good transfer window in some aspects but still lacking another option for the 6ft 7 lad if he is injured which he now is. Raul is finished , he claimed to have a groin injury but it is now " fatigue".. no one blames him for his injury 2 years ago but I wish he would leave wolves for everyones sake particularly his own with such an life/ career changing event. It's ridiculous persisting with a striker that has never been quick who now cant head a ball with a headband on which he needs for medical insurance.
Got back from America this week, where ALL the Premier League games are live on TV including the Saturday 3PM ones. Saw Newcastle last weekend, now back to world of dodgy feeds (and even dodgier politics).
Main feeling yesterday was about RAN who has certainly improved but seems to want half an hour to decide what to do. If I can see that ridiculous check back thing he does then I am sure the defenders can. All impetus drains from the attack while he frigs around on the edge of the box. And the new boys? Nunes looks the real deal and now we actually have six points (and the window has thankfully closed) maybe Bruno will get a chance to see if he can make them gel
Sad to say, I agree with Angry that Raul’s time may have passed. We all have that huge relief that he is running around and well, but for anyone who had not undergone that terrible injury to have performed as he has, they would have joined Coady, Boly, Saiss & Co. on the way out.
What’s the chances of getting a ticket to The Man City game? Only managed to get down the Mol three times last year, and they might need my help.
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