Wolves v Forest Matchday Thread

[GrizzledWolf]

11' to go and Nuno swaps Neves for Mir....not sure I can appreciate the logic of that, but who know's, cometh the hour, cometh the man....we're about to find out.

[GrizzledWolf]

I thought there might be fireworks today, but all we got was a fizzer. Let's hope a different Wolves will front up against Mick's lot.
Perhaps, we just can't handle the ruffy-tuffy, but I'm thinking we better get used to it and find a suitable antidote a.s.a.p.
On that happy note, I shall bid you all adieu and return to my bed.....Goodnight, mates.

[WOODLANDSWOLF]

Just playing time out here, I think we can just draw a line under this one and move on. Pity really with nearly 30,000 at the game.

[MichiganWolf]

Some days, it’s not your day. We’ve beaten teams like this soundly before this season, we will do so again later this season. Disappointing result at home, but no real harm done as we still have the 9 points (plus goals) lead on Derby, and a dozen point lead on the playoff spots (pending the Cardiff result later today).

[Newcy Wolf]

Bad day at the office.

Worryingly, these bad days are becoming more frequent lately but hey, I'd bite your arm off if you offered me Wolves averaging more than two points a game at this point of the season.

[abbobrom]

Grizz there were fireworks today but only as the teams came out.

Forest arrived on a bad run and rode their luck. On six minutes a shuddering tackle through the back of Cav brought the first booking, and by the 29th Forest had racked up three yellows. I will be interested to read what Gav thought of the ref today. To my mind, they havn't the b..lls to send a player off in the early stages. A red today may have prevented some of the brutal challenges. Wolves were seeing plenty of the ball and moved it well in the middle of the park, however, the cutting edge that was so prevalant in the early season has gone missing.

A number of our recent wins have come about through set pieces or long shots from Nevis. Bonetelli has some nice touches but is looking jaded. Crosses are flying about in the visitors area but no one is making a connection. Nevis again looks real class, pinging cross field passes with acute accuracy and Boly looks to find this level easy. Cody and Bennett are hardly giving the opponents a sniff. We never looked in any trouble untill Cody was carded for a tackle just before half time. Within three minutes of the free kick Wolves found themselves two down and a mountain to climb.

Douglas and Doherty who this season have set high standards, but not today were replaced at half time by Costa and Gibbs-White. Nuno to his credit was going for it. We pounded the Forest rear guard, but many of the efforts were high and wide and when a decent cross went in to the box the wolves payers were noticably absent. The visitors were now operating a back line of six, perhaps they had watched the Sunderland game. We huffed and puffed but we could not blow their house down. As the last five minutes arrived Forest, started playing keep ball to chants from their supporters "Were taking the p..s, were taking the p..s". This chant had followed up an earlier one of "You must be sh.t were winning away".

In fairness they probably earned their day in the sun (snow). Despite us having 63% of the possession we finished up with nothing and we were perhaps lucky to get that. If the referee had taken a stand earlier things may have been different but he didn't. We like most sides need a good striker, however they don't come cheap and are hard to find. With the Derby and Cardiff results going our way with draws, no real harm done. A good job we had results over Christmas,

[wolves71]

A disappointing game and result from a Wolves perspective. There quite a few players on the pitch today who were below the standard they have set so far this, understandable to be fair. The main thing missing for me today from Wolves was creativity in the final third.

I could sit here and blame the ref for his handling of the game, especially the late challenge on Jota by Worrall. I think it was a straight red, but as always, it's how the ref sees it. Wolves enjoyed plenty of the ball throughout the game, but Forest created clear openings. The first goal had a bit of luck about with Dorrell's effort deflecting past Ruddy, but Cavaleiro didn't cover himself in any glory with a poor headed clearance moments before. The second goal soon followed, Wolves guilty of giving Osborn too much time to get his effort away.

When Wolves go in at the break and are losing, this season has been rare to say the least, it's interesting to see how they come out to try and get back in the game. The withdrawal of both Doherty and Douglas was a big surprise, replaced by Costa and Morgan Gibbs-White (i thought he did well). Both Costa and Cavaleiro now used in Doherty's and Doulglas's positions. Again Wolves enjoyed plenty of the ball, but in the final third again it just wasn't happening. I can barely remember the Forest keeper having to make a save, that's how much pressure Wolves put on his goal. At the other end Ruddy was made to work, and he also tipped another Forest over.

The final ball into the box was poor throughout from Wolves, but we have enjoyed plenty of games where Wolves have scored for fun, today it just didn't happen. It's how wolves bounce back at Ipswich that matters.

[GrizzledWolf]

My thanks to Abbo' and Gav' for two excellent reports, although the subject matter (Wolves performance) did not make for an encouraging read. Perhaps, next week things will be different.

[wolves71]