after watching the game on the offal

[horse1031]

It is so hard to listen to GJ and Sean and get a good feel for how we did in the game.  After listening to the game I got a sense we played awful but I found myself not feeling the same after watching it in replay.  It looks like they edited parts of the game but from what i saw this is my 2 cents after watching the game on the offal.

Back 4:  Bodurov is a good player.  Calm on the ball from what I have seen in the last 3 games and is probably one of the first names on the team-sheet.  He reads the game well and is a great header of the ball.  He looks the part for a Champioship center back.  Kavanagh looked the part and brought some speed to the left back position.  He had some devilish nice crosses... looks a bit weak but he is a young boy.  Hoogland really hasn't been part of the game in the last 2 games.  He had a stormer against Ipswich but he has looked out of sorts.  He seems to like to go on the offensive far too quickly instead of defending his area.  Of anyone, i think Hoogland could be a candidate for Voser to get a look this weekend.  Burgess did OK, he seems to make mistakes but also is a pretty good header of the ball and is comfortable in possession.

Midfield:  I thought the Greek had a good game on the left.  He was crowded out on that side quite a few times but came back and helped Kavanagh on more than one occasion.  He likes to have a crack from distance and I wish he would work it into the penalty box is those situations.  Parker had a good game and ticked things over.  I thought he was average all game, didnt really make many mistakes but didn't do anything spectacular.  Fotheringham:  I wanted to watch the first half and see if all the stick he got was well deserved or not and from what I saw I think he is being unfairly judged.  GJ and Sean were saying he struggled in the first half but I thought he was tidy on the ball, a willing runner, and didn't make a lot of mistakes.  He was actually more technical than I thought he would be.  If anything, he is too much like Scotty P so I dont think that Felix should play them together.  Patrick Roberts had a decent game.  He didn't get on the ball as much as he would like and if he is going to play winger he needs to be able to defend which will always be a struggle for him.  He is very quick and runs past people with ease.  Even though he is a defensive liability, he needs to be on the pitch as much as possible.

Forwards:  McCormack is a very technical player.  I think he is semi fit and tried to do some fancy stuff last night that did not come off with young Cauley Woodrow.  It seemed like one of those games where nothing was falling to a white shirt in the penalty box.  Wolves defended well and were a well organized unit so fair play to them.  I think Cauley huffed and puffed but the same thing happened to him.  Every time we get the ball in the final third it seems like we are hurrying and getting anxious and nothing is coming off.  There are goals in this team but we need to get more crosses in and get our forwards on the ball.

All in all we did not come close to playing our best but I dont think we were played off the park by any means.  I suggest everyone should watch the game and decide for yourselves.  Obviously we need three points but we have outplayed 2 if not 3 of the teams starting off this year but with nothing to show for it.

[RaySmith]

It is so hard to listen to GJ and Sean and get a good feel for how we did in the game.  After listening to the game I got a sense we played awful but I found myself not feeling the same after watching it in replay.  It looks like they edited parts of the game but from what i saw this is my 2 cents after watching the game on the offal.

Back 4:  Bodurov is a good player.  Calm on the ball from what I have seen in the last 3 games and is probably one of the first names on the team-sheet.  He reads the game well and is a great header of the ball.  He looks the part for a Champioship center back.  Kavanagh looked the part and brought some speed to the left back position.  He had some devilish nice crosses... looks a bit weak but he is a young boy.  Hoogland really hasn't been part of the game in the last 2 games.  He had a stormer against Ipswich but he has looked out of sorts.  He seems to like to go on the offensive far too quickly instead of defending his area.  Of anyone, i think Hoogland could be a candidate for Voser to get a look this weekend.  Burgess did OK, he seems to make mistakes but also is a pretty good header of the ball and is comfortable in possession.

Midfield:  I thought the Greek had a good game on the left.  He was crowded out on that side quite a few times but came back and helped Kavanagh on more than one occasion.  He likes to have a crack from distance and I wish he would work it into the penalty box is those situations.  Parker had a good game and ticked things over.  I thought he was average all game, didnt really make many mistakes but didn't do anything spectacular.  Fotheringham:  I wanted to watch the first half and see if all the stick he got was well deserved or not and from what I saw I think he is being unfairly judged.  GJ and Sean were saying he struggled in the first half but I thought he was tidy on the ball, a willing runner, and didn't make a lot of mistakes.  He was actually more technical than I thought he would be.  If anything, he is too much like Scotty P so I dont think that Felix should play them together.  Patrick Roberts had a decent game.  He didn't get on the ball as much as he would like and if he is going to play winger he needs to be able to defend which will always be a struggle for him.  He is very quick and runs past people with ease.  Even though he is a defensive liability, he needs to be on the pitch as much as possible.

Forwards:  McCormack is a very technical player.  I think he is semi fit and tried to do some fancy stuff last night that did not come off with young Cauley Woodrow.  It seemed like one of those games where nothing was falling to a white shirt in the penalty box.  Wolves defended well and were a well organized unit so fair play to them.  I think Cauley huffed and puffed but the same thing happened to him.  Every time we get the ball in the final third it seems like we are hurrying and getting anxious and nothing is coming off.  There are goals in this team but we need to get more crosses in and get our forwards on the ball.

All in all we did not come close to playing our best but I dont think we were played off the park by any means.  I suggest everyone should watch the game and decide for yourselves.  Obviously we need three points but we have outplayed 2 if not 3 of the teams starting off this year but with nothing to show for it.

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[YoungsBitter]

My reaction pretty much too on watching the game having listened yesterday. Was nowhere near as bad as expected and we looked just one pass, a little bit of luck or one run off scoring and taking the game to them.
Bodurov - agree 100% looks a great signing, my MOTM and as you say 1st on team sheet as of today.
Kavanagh was a revelation, strong, great going forward and never bullied yet playing against guys way bigger and uglier.
Stafylidis - played ok and looks to shoot maybe too often but I question whether will be able to fight for starting left mid position, left wingback yes.
Burgess - was ok, not sure better than Amorebieta or Burn. Will be interesting to see if Hutchinson gets the nod on Saturday.
Fotheringham - agree 100%. was expecting a mare but I'm with you, did what you would expect and yes a bit like Parker so not a great combination. If we sign another DM we will not see him much again.
Parker. I am not a fan, would groan every time I saw his name on team sheet last year. However I thought he really lifted his game on Saturday and certainly has the fitness to perform at this level. But what you see is what you get, hard work, graft but a little indecisive so every other pass just a second too late so we lose momentum, constantly misses the quick release. Not physically strong enough a presence in midfield to boss a game and will struggle. I would rather we start blooding someone else in that role but doubt we will see it.
McCormack. Agree about fitness, looks a very tidy player and will get lots of goals and assists. Agree about the rub of the green in their box, Wolves defended well but nothing, zero, nada broke our way.
Roberts. Great little player but we should be careful about managing expectations, he is not the finished product and his decision making and final ball will improve as he matures, hopefully with us rather than as a bench warmer in the Prem for a big 5 team.
For the fans sanity Magath needs to make some decisions about who his starting 11 is or at least pool of 15 starters, a pool of 25 potential starters is just frustrating for everyone involved.

[millsy]

Believe me, I was there and it wasn't anywhere near as good as the highlights suggest. Having said that, pictures don't lie and looks like we did play some decent stuff last night, unfortunately only in small bursts and to no effect.

Around me in H5, we all felt let down by the team selection, more than by the players' efforts. Travelled home with a friend at the other end of the Hammy and his crowd felt much the same.

We all felt that Wolves were competent and comfortable, with everyone knowing their job. None of us felt they are a superior group of players but they seemed better organised and had a game plan, which frankly should have given them a much clearer win than the flattering 1-0.

Interestingly, the Opta stats also look much better than it appeared on the night. Anyway, enjoy the edited highlights and buckle-up for Saturday!

[SimpleTactics]

we have no game plan we may have had shots and possession but very few clear cut chances. Our game plan and team selection is not working full stop.

[ffcjazzle]

I feel that there's very little chemistry between our forwards. In addition, the midfielders don't supply them with enough passes, so when they eventually get on the ball they'll waste it with a hurried crack at goal. They need to be fed with lots of passes, so they get comfy and confident, then try and play a key pass to another winger/striker.

[bill taylors apprentice]

You lost me at "Parker had a good game"
And yes, I was there.

[Highlander]

You lost me at "Parker had a good game"
And yes, I was there.

Everything had to go through him and every time we sloooowwweeeedddd dooooowwwwnnn so much. Great holding midfielder but don't pass to him if you want to attack.

And don't get me started on that Fothxxx bloke. The cheer when was taken off was just about the loudest of the night from the Fulham faithful.

[epsomraver]

It is so hard to listen to GJ and Sean and get a good feel for how we did in the game.  After listening to the game I got a sense we played awful but I found myself not feeling the same after watching it in replay.  It looks like they edited parts of the game but from what i saw this is my 2 cents after watching the game on the offal.

Back 4:  Bodurov is a good player.  Calm on the ball from what I have seen in the last 3 games and is probably one of the first names on the team-sheet.  He reads the game well and is a great header of the ball.  He looks the part for a Champioship center back.  Kavanagh looked the part and brought some speed to the left back position.  He had some devilish nice crosses... looks a bit weak but he is a young boy.  Hoogland really hasn't been part of the game in the last 2 games.  He had a stormer against Ipswich but he has looked out of sorts.  He seems to like to go on the offensive far too quickly instead of defending his area.  Of anyone, i think Hoogland could be a candidate for Voser to get a look this weekend.  Burgess did OK, he seems to make mistakes but also is a pretty good header of the ball and is comfortable in possession.

Midfield:  I thought the Greek had a good game on the left.  He was crowded out on that side quite a few times but came back and helped Kavanagh on more than one occasion.  He likes to have a crack from distance and I wish he would work it into the penalty box is those situations.  Parker had a good game and ticked things over.  I thought he was average all game, didnt really make many mistakes but didn't do anything spectacular.  Fotheringham:  I wanted to watch the first half and see if all the stick he got was well deserved or not and from what I saw I think he is being unfairly judged.  GJ and Sean were saying he struggled in the first half but I thought he was tidy on the ball, a willing runner, and didn't make a lot of mistakes.  He was actually more technical than I thought he would be.  If anything, he is too much like Scotty P so I dont think that Felix should play them together.  Patrick Roberts had a decent game.  He didn't get on the ball as much as he would like and if he is going to play winger he needs to be able to defend which will always be a struggle for him.  He is very quick and runs past people with ease.  Even though he is a defensive liability, he needs to be on the pitch as much as possible.

Forwards:  McCormack is a very technical player.  I think he is semi fit and tried to do some fancy stuff last night that did not come off with young Cauley Woodrow.  It seemed like one of those games where nothing was falling to a white shirt in the penalty box.  Wolves defended well and were a well organized unit so fair play to them.  I think Cauley huffed and puffed but the same thing happened to him.  Every time we get the ball in the final third it seems like we are hurrying and getting anxious and nothing is coming off.  There are goals in this team but we need to get more crosses in and get our forwards on the ball.

All in all we did not come close to playing our best but I dont think we were played off the park by any means.  I suggest everyone should watch the game and decide for yourselves.  Obviously we need three points but we have outplayed 2 if not 3 of the teams starting off this year but with nothing to show for it.

having been there and watched the game live and whole I could not disagree with you more, Bodurof's first touch makes rodders look good, the whole team selection and set up was wrong,Fotheringham playing a prime example,   Mc Cormack a striker playing deep for most of the second half while we are 1-0 down!  the list goes on, Pat Roberts was the only highlight from the night, after watching Parker collect a ball from the touch line in front of us  and looking at his head down expression with 5 minutes on the clock  you can tell that things are not right at all at the club

[epsomraver]

Believe me, I was there and it wasn't anywhere near as good as the highlights suggest. Having said that, pictures don't lie and looks like we did play some decent stuff last night, unfortunately only in small bursts and to no effect.

Around me in H5, we all felt let down by the team selection, more than by the players' efforts. Travelled home with a friend at the other end of the Hammy and his crowd felt much the same.

We all felt that Wolves were competent and comfortable, with everyone knowing their job. None of us felt they are a superior group of players but they seemed better organised and had a game plan, which frankly should have given them a much clearer win than the flattering 1-0.

Interestingly, the Opta stats also look much better than it appeared on the night. Anyway, enjoy the edited highlights and buckle-up for Saturday!

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[Andy S]

Graham Taylor summed this league up some years ago. He said that you have to get the ball in the box as quickly and as accurately as possible. If you don't the teams you are playing have all the time in the world to organise their defence. Teams at this level are very good at that. Eleven behind the ball. If you notice last year there was not a lot of difference between all the teams for the goals against. You need to be able to score goals, and we are not making enough chances.