12 Jan 2021 20:30:02
15 mins in and Semedo can't mark, Silva can't control or pass but Neves is back!


1.) 12 Jan 2021
12 Jan 2021 21:34:25
60 mins and Silva still can't pass or control the ball! MGW not much better!


2.) 12 Jan 2021
12 Jan 2021 21:52:59
Surely Nuno's tactics need to be questioned today. Silva offers absolutely nothing up top, surely Cutrone deserves a chance considering how long Silva's had.


3.) 12 Jan 2021
12 Jan 2021 22:10:07
Have to agree Golden, Nunos tactics are bizarre right now! This new system would make sense if we were making chances but we just aren't! We were awful again tonight, no drive, no ambition, no clue! I love Nuno but he really is starting to make it hard. I've said it before it's not even the results it's the performances, we are just awful today watch these days! 😡.


4.) 12 Jan 2021
12 Jan 2021 22:11:34
Disappointing tonight
Does anyone feel like nunos taken us as far as he can.
Mind you if we hammer the baggies.
Everything will be hunky dory again.


5.) 12 Jan 2021
12 Jan 2021 22:21:34
Great to have you back, Ruben Neves. We're going to need you! NOT great to have you back MGW, DO ONE! FWAW.


6.) 12 Jan 2021
12 Jan 2021 22:23:30
No, we are playing with bare bone at moment, it's his first bad spell, give the lad a break.
I said after Brighton game, Wolves need to go back to basics in their approach play, too often we are over running the ball, we need to make space and play the easy ball more, we have the players to do it, Neves is getting back to his best and showing the way, unfortunately Moutino seems to be way off pace and give ball away too much recently. I don't think we played that badly, just the final 3rd was lacking.
We are still competing with a very threadbare squad, and you could say we have given the last 2 games away with lack of concentration, that is something Nuno can't do. much about during the game.
My only gripe today was, Cutrone should have come on at half time, Silva just didn't have it tonight.


7.) 12 Jan 2021
12 Jan 2021 22:23:55
I'm sure we will beat them from down the road, but that'll just paper over the cracks that we are seriously lacking in first team quality players, Semedo and Ait Nouri cannot play in a back four, Silva is not even Championship standard yet, MGW is not good enough for the Prem, Cutrone it seems has been written off by Nuno before being given a fair chance and whispers coming out that we won't be spending a penny this month? If it stays as it is I can see us finishing around 14th and then let's see the walk out of our best players wanting trophies and promised ambition.


8.) 12 Jan 2021
12 Jan 2021 22:26:52
I honestly think Nuno is pissed off and has been for a while regarding our transfer activity. He surely knows that Fabio is simply not up to the job and personally I doubt he ever will be. Cutrone is a better option but not the answer. Difficult to see where our goals are going to come from. Tells you everything when Neves has to score from inside the box for the first time in 4 years. Need our big guns back for Saturday and we'll be ok.


9.) 12 Jan 2021
12 Jan 2021 22:28:10
I believe the baggies will be rolling their sleeves up full of confidence watching that garbage!


10.) 12 Jan 2021
12 Jan 2021 22:29:09
I think the big problem is the fact that we're missing Boly, Jonny, Marcal and Jimenez. These are all big players for us. The youth were brought in to be slowly integrated. Everton had a clear plan and that was to attack on their left flank by putting Semedo against Diane and Iwobi. I think Semedo looked good going forward but he hasn't got the support/ cover that Boly would provide.


11.) 12 Jan 2021
12 Jan 2021 22:36:02
I've got to agree and disagree here, samedo unreliable to say the least and fabio a spare part. But I didn't think we were that bad all things considered given we had no target man and only neto to give any bursts. Had we had pods and raul or adama I think we'd have won. Everton looked comfortable but could have been taken. Dendonker let himself down in front of goal again. Nuno is struggling with such a small squad but agreed his tactic/ selection is baffling. That said 4 or 5 past the poorthorn lot and we might have a different view.


12.) 13 Jan 2021
12 Jan 2021 22:43:23
Well noted the time to back the manager, fosun,
Or have they no intention of doing.


13.) 13 Jan 2021
12 Jan 2021 22:49:20
Nunos tactics may have been better but quite honestly I don't think the question is has Nuno taken us as far as he can I think it should be have Fosun taken us as far as they are willing?! It's easy to just see the poor performance in tonight's game but look at the two squads playing out there. I know Everton are well established but they've spent more in three seasons on transfers than Fosun have in their tenure! I'm not exactly blaming Fosun by the way, I suspect they've done what most owners do. Got to Euro level and then coughed up their drink when they see how much the next step costs! We look poor because our first team and under 23s have become one squad! If Fosun are serious about moving the club forward then there needs to be better squad management. Everton bought Sigurdson into the team tonight, we bought Gibbs white! Quite honestly at this stage I'm more worried that if Nuno did go we could end up in a certain R word area before we know it! Nuno may be making some bad tactical choices but let's get real he's trying to polish the proverbial, the squads just not good enough I'm afraid. And I know we have injuries but that's kind of my point, we have a good first team but a very average squad! 😭.


14.) 13 Jan 2021
12 Jan 2021 23:28:44
Pass pass pass, but no end product and we look pretty fragile at the back,
Things can only get better I hope.


15.) 13 Jan 2021
12 Jan 2021 23:32:38
Ratings v Everton
First have to say disappointing that Everton’s thuggery/ professionalism depending on your view was rewarded and prevailed.
Iwobi, Doucoure (twice? ), Davies and Holgate all made fouls designed to stop us playing i. e. simply break up play by committing a deliberate foul – maybe Iwobi’s was just a plain bad foul. They actually only got 2 yellows but could no should have been 4 yellows and a red – Doucoure’s first foul was as cynical as you can get and really deserved a red on its own although the rules, I imagine, say only a yellow can be given. Surely once he commits his second, a deliberate handball on the edge of the box, though he has to be gone.

Patricio 6 – Despite having virtually nothing to do he conceded 2. First not his fault and I suppose he isn’t to blame for the fact that we have a v small side and are v weak in the air and thus v vulnerable to crosses and corners cf Dunk at Brighton. To add value though he needs to compensate for this weakness in the team and come and catch crosses occasionally – as Ruddy did. Doubt he could have done so for the 2nd goal tonight though. Is sadly not showing any signs that he is not in decline (I accept though that he didn’t have a lot of chances to do so tonight) . Suspect he will have to be replaced this summer coming.
Semedo 7 – blamed by some on sites for their first goal but whilst he obviously could have done more to stop cross coming in not his fault that Iwobi is unmarked 12 yards out. Was excellent going forwards though and in a 3 4 3 will be v effective. Not so sure in a flat back 4.
RAN 7 - Not quite as good as his debut v CP but otherwise his best game. Better defensively and good going forwards. However as he would be 3rd Choice LWB behind Otto and Marcal not sure we can afford the £20m needed so that he will be here next year but let's see how it pans put over next few months
Coady 7 – Played solidly and made some good interceptions. Weakness in the air is notable though when playing in a 4 not so relevant if Boly is there in a 3.
Saiss 6 – OK but didn’t win the ball v Keane which he has to do.
Moutinho 5 – legs have gone and so should he beat least as a regular starter – he is simply taking minutes from players who might have a future – he doesn’t. Quiet game against a physical organised defensive side. Simply doesn’t break teams down as he used to do.
Dendonker 7 – works v hard and does lots of good things but sadly just isn’t a good enough footballer to be a top, top player. Finishing is truly awful!
Neves 8 – Our best player. Unlucky not to have scored more than once. Recycles ball well and with Dendonker’s legs maybe the way to go now – perhaps if we are throwing the season away, (and are sure we can’t get relegated – not certain yet given the rate we are accruing points. WBA at home now terrifyingly important – win and we can probably breathe out lose and all bets are off – that gap is getting smaller and all team below have games in hand which some them will turn in to points – inevitable as some must be amongst themselves! ), give Vitor and/ or Owen more game time.
Neto -6 Tried v hard and made 2 great chances in first half. Unfortunately, both fell to Silva. He needs to work on right (if he had Traore’s right and Traore had his left what players we would have) . But needs to make more happen and is a little predictable cutting onto his left every time.
MGW 4 – Game passed him by. Not surprising though as it was his first start
Silva n/ a – In the 58th minute he made a good tackle. He also was in position to miss a good chance in the first half when Neto crossed and he scuffed it from 8 yards. Otherwise, 2 events summed up his game – and not just this evenings - but sadly every match. Firstly, as commentators pointed out, he was in usual stationary mode – (he makes good runs? ) when Neto again put the ball across 1 yard in front of him. A player would have anticipated the cross and got across the defender and an athlete would have reacted and got onto the cross. 6 yards out _ he might have scored? Sadly, he is neither an athlete, or more worryingly it seems, a player.
But the tin lid was put on it just before he came off when Dendonker slid a good ball to him down the channel and Godfrey made up 5 yards in 10 to easily dispossess him. It looked like Usain Bolt against your mum.
Surely, he can’t be picked again and if Cutrone isn’t the answer and it will be a massive bonus if he is but I suspect not then we either buy a new CF or we play Neto and/ or Traore more centrally with Podence as a 10 Assuming any of them are fit.
Subs
Hoever 6 – neat and tidy but not a forward
Cutrone 4 – not sure he did anything to note in a brief cameo
Vitor 6 – In an even briefer cameo he did look positive and comfortable on the ball. But if we are going to spend £20m on him surely he has to play and if he isn’t then why are we playing him even for these cameos.

The Club is seemingly spiralling a little out of control with a worrying lack of strategy and coherence. This has to change and fast or our better players will walk
Assuming the season is a write off but we are safe we need to use this to develop and be ready for next year. No sign that this is the case at present.


16.) 13 Jan 2021
13 Jan 2021 00:37:02
As promised Silva Valuation
Will try to be brief – not my forte – in establishing how I would value the potential of a player.
Since no one KNOWS how a player will turn out it is all opinions but surely we should acknowledge that there are a range of potential outcomes to which we assign – based upon our judgements – different probabilities.
So if you think there is a 40% chance of him being a £50m player, 30% chance of him being a £30m player, 20% chance of a £20m player and 10% chance of him being a £10m player then his price would be
50*0.4 =20 plus 30* 0.3 = 9 plus 20*0.2 = 4 plus 10 * 0.1 =1 == £34m so paying £35m would not be irrational
Now for him to be a £50m player by the age of 22 – when he will have 1 year left on his contract and we either sell, offer a new contract or walk away from – he will have to be one of the best 22year olds in the world. There are very few £50m players full stop let alone 22 year olds.
From what you have seen is that likely? Certainly I’m not sure you can give it a 40% chance?
Clearly my view is that whilst there must be a scenario where he is worth a large sum but probably not £50m – due to his prowess in youth football – although v few successful youth players ever convert to adult football – see England world cup wining side of 2017 – that possibility is v low given his physical and football skill sets.
There are much larger probabilities of him being worth substantially less and of course a probability that is not zero of him being worth zero.
You can obviously have as many views as you like so long as you can justify the view and the probabilities of all those views add up to 100%
Have a go and then see what you think
For example, if you think there is a 35% chance that he is worth £100m, i. e. he is one of the top 2 or 3 players in the world we have bought a bargain regardless of what you think the other 65% outcome is!
Next note we discussed Walcott and Calvert Lewin previously, both bought on potential by clubs for tiny amounts with adds on that still came to tiny amounts well as a further recent and comparable example Ollie Watkins was sold for £1.8m as a 21 year old by Exeter with “add ons” that mean they have now received over £6m with potential for more. Still pretty cheap compared to £35m up front and for a player who looks lot better so far
We also discussed Robbie Keane on here, sold for a measly £5m without add ons, so we were on the wrong side of that deal as well. But at least John Richards was sacked
Finally for £35m we could have bough Soucek and Wilson two players who with hindsight would have given us a far better return this year and sadly probably in the future as well.
Don't want to comment on the poor ( except on several million a year he isn't) young lad until I have to tell you I WAS WRONG AND HE IS GREAT.

I really hope that is v soon but am not holding breath!


17.) 13 Jan 2021
13 Jan 2021 05:10:47
Yes tfig gamble responsibly. We havnt, silva will never make a financial return and he'll be lucky to be a first team player. Image, appearance fees? I've seen better players in the U23s, players who'd race and tackle with pride if played. The lads already set up for the 'fame ride which will prove to be a short journey methinks. But he and his agents will be loaded and hell pass his time playing for some lowly team back home.


18.) 13 Jan 2021
13 Jan 2021 10:20:13
At the risk of braking my rule.
Abby fear you may be correct. I actually don't think it is fault I just don't think he has physically got it not that he isn't trying - but there has to be a chance - and not a small one that in 4 years time we will cut our losses and he will return to Portuguese football and not at one of their giants.
A v odd transfer.
People who saw him in Portuguese youth football, ( our scouts and apparently quite a few posters on here), and his record is v impressive, must be surprised/ shocked he can't, as yet, translate that form to English adult football.
However before his transfer he had virtually no adult football to his name 12 games 11 as a sub before he was shipped off to the B league is hardly a glowing cv.
Going all in on him was indeed therefore a massive gamble and at present would appear to be a bad one.


19.) 13 Jan 2021
13 Jan 2021 11:01:38
breaking - sorry.


20.) 13 Jan 2021
13 Jan 2021 11:29:52
Gibbs White somewhat anonymous, Cutrone surely must replace him in the second half.


21.) 13 Jan 2021
13 Jan 2021 11:18:53
The problem is that Nuno got out thought by a better manager. I said he had taken us as far as he could when we finished seventh the last two seasons. You asked me to name a better manager Jas M. There are quite a few now.