[Archived] Wolves At Home On 8/8/2015

[RevidgeBlue]

My overriding thought from today was that it was once again like watching square pegs in round holes.

Rhodes toiled manfully in the heat all afternoon with no support until Koita came on near the end.

Delfy was a complete passenger on the right wing imo. When he was finally moved inside after about 35 mins, he made a nuisance of himself and it led to our goal. Marshall who looked lazy and disinterested in the middle was moved out wide and looked lazy and disinterested there but nevertheless the signs were better for the second half.

After half time GB obviously wasn't happy with the fact that Delfy looked more effective in the middle so moved him back out to the right wing where he reverted to being a passenger and allowed Marshall to resume his role of being lazy and disinterested in the middle.

Things only picked up when Koita came on. He looked lively and powerful with a decent touch and in a completely different class to Delfy. How on earth is he starting ahead of Koita?

Never seen the fuss about Ollson and I still think he is a really poor player who wouldn't be here had his brother not played for us and that he wouldn't get a gig anywhere else at this level.

Lowe adds nothing either offensively or defensively. Duffy and Hanley clearly don't get on and there is zero communication between them. I think Duffy is a poor player and he carelessly gave the ball away leading up to the second. Hard to see how Kilgallon isn't playing.

Just heard Radio Rovers and GB is hiding behind the fact their goal was handball and that we should have had a penalty. Maybe with some justification but there are far deeper issues, the manager himself being the main one Imo. He gets worse by the week for me and I think we've a very long hard season ahead.

[Blue blood]

To me rigger that's daft. There are always positives and negatives to take from any game. Very, very few are 100% garbage. Would also say analysis is very different to feeling great/crap after a win/loss.

The problem is that for every positive at the moment there are 4 or 5 negatives! Most worrying for me is we're making the same mistakes all the time. Garry being a novice and learning means squat - especially as he is not learning and always makes the same mistakes. Hanley-Duffy not working, like for like subs late on, not making the most of our chances. It could be last season all over again.

My overriding thought from today was that it was once again like watching square pegs in round holes.

Rhodes toiled manfully in the heat all afternoon with no support until Koita came on near the end.

Delfy was a complete passenger on the right wing imo. When he was finally moved inside after about 35 mins, he made a nuisance of himself and it led to our goal. Marshall who looked lazy and disinterested in the middle was moved out wide and looked lazy and disinterested there but nevertheless the signs were better for the second half.

After half time GB obviously wasn't happy with the fact that Delfy looked more effective in the middle so moved him back out to the right wing where he reverted to being a passenger and allowed Marshall to resume his role of being lazy and disinterested in the middle.

Things only picked up when Koita came on. He looked lively and powerful with a decent touch and in a completely different class to Delfy. How on earth is he starting ahead of Koita?

Never seen the fuss about Ollson and I still think he is a really poor player who wouldn't be here had his brother not played for us and that he wouldn't get a gig anywhere else at this level.

Lowe adds nothing either offensively or defensively. Duffy and Hanley clearly don't get on and there is zero communication between them. I think Duffy is a poor player and he carelessly gave the ball away leading up to the second. Hard to see how Kilgallon isn't playing.

Just heard Radio Rovers and GB is hiding behind the fact their goal was handball and that we should have had a penalty. Maybe with some justification but there are far deeper issues, the manager himself being the main one Imo. He gets worse by the week for me and I think we've a very long hard season ahead.

Excellent informative post. Thanks.

[Stuart]

C'mon guys, be honest. Who else was sat there on 75 mins, 2-1 down thinking: "You know what this game needs? Evans to partner Lowe in the centre".

No. Ok, just Bowyer then.

Koita for Delfounesa felt right but surely the other move was Henley off (tiring) and Spurr on in a three man defence, pushing Olsson into midfield. Benefitting from extra width and the option of Spurr's long throws to Koita?

We need to start taking the game to the opposition at home, or we'll be on the back foot regularly.

Highlights for me were Delfounso and a late cameo from a very raw but keen Koita. I though Guthrie started really well but faded.

Ah well, that's the opener out of the way and a strong team (on paper) scratched off. If we can play more like that first 10 minutes but for longer then we might have a chance of midtable security.

My opinions of Rhodes, Lowe and Bowyer remain unchanged after today.

[AllRoverAsia]

Worrying that people at the game are saying Marshall looked poor & not interested. Head turned?

I can forgive most things but not trying whilst playing for Rovers is not one of them.

[DE.]

Worrying that people at the game are saying Marshall looked poor & not interested. Head turned?

Sounds like a fairly typical Marshall performance to me.

[MarkBRFC71]

With GB as manager, picking a spine of Hanley, Lowe and (if he persists with a lone striker) Rhodes, I think it's going to be a long, difficult season.

[Tom]

Marshall may as well not have played at all to be fair

We must stick with Raya or his confidence will be shot.

[blueboy3333]

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/rovers/news/13583475.FULL_TIME__Blackburn_Rovers_1_Wolves_2/?ref=mac

LT match report.

Like most on here i wasn't there either today ( but will be back from September onwards )

From the match report above it seems we shipped two soft goals and missed some good chances. Same old, same old. Disappointing result but not unexpected. At least Koita sounds like he could be a good un when he's up to speed. Marshall not looking interested is nothing new, nor is Hanley-Duffy not working, or Rhodes missing chances.

We either tighten up or this season will be a struggle. Playing Killa would be a start in the right direction.Roll on Huddersfield, but if the results stay like this then the pressure will build on Bowyer.

[MarkBRFC71]

Marshall may as well not have played at all to be fair

We must stick with Raya or his confidence will be shot.

Everyone could see Marshall was clearly uncomfortable in the '10' role within 5 minutes, yet tactical genius Gaz took half an hour to change it. Then (despite us looking better) changed it back at half time!?!

[Stuart]

Sometimes decisions go your way other times against you, that's football.

Way too early to say anything really but the defence didn't look that much improved if it all and that was a major weakness last season, but we need to see more games. I'll be interested to see how much rotation the manager does for the next game, I think he rotated the team way too much from week to week last season without being forced to due to suspensions and injuries.

16k was the attendance? 3k+ were Wolves fans? Seems rather low for the opening day of the season but I guess the mood and confidence in the manager/team isn't that great.

The thing is RVR, our defensive problems are resolvable but our pig-headed manager seemingly will not be proven wrong about Hanley. He and Lowe simply must be played at all costs so that he can point to them as his success stories - even if it means poor performances on the pitch. I thought that perhaps he had seen the light last season with the injury to Hanley meaning Kilgallon came in and steadied the ship - even Radio Rovers pointed this out (which is quite bold for them) - but no, Kilgallon, who is in his prime and vastly experienced, must be sacrificed.

I've no sympathy for Bowyer but I've even less when problems are of his own making. He needs to get into Hanley's head, tell him that he needs to focus on his own game first and hand the armband to Kilgallon. If he is prepared to do that then maybe he can pair them both up. If not, my preferred option would be Kilgallon and Duffy.

[blueboy3333]

Disappointing result considering the goals were both avoidable.

We hit the post twice but so did they, and both teams had a clear penalty turned down.

Neither keeper worked too much in reality with both of them looking like weak links.

Koita was very good when he came on, hit the post and then headed goal wards with Duffy somehow failing to knock in.

Weak points for me were Marshall, Hanley-Duffy and I'm sorry but Lowe was appalling.

As an aside we moved to the family stand for a nicer environment; some bloke came and stood next to us swearing his head off, a few told him to be quiet and he got worse, I told him to button it and he apologised to me then started offering people outside. As he was being dragged away by his mate he offered one too many folk out and a bigger bloke lamped him and all hell broke loose, not a steward in sight for 5 minutes

sounds lovely. Some people shouldn't be allowed out.

[Doaksie]

Just heard Radio Rovers and GB is hiding behind the fact their goal was handball and that we should have had a penalty. Maybe with some justification but there are far deeper issues, the manager himself being the main one Imo. He gets worse by the week for me and I think we've a very long hard season ahead.

GB - more like Comical Ali. Praising the occasional profit, while our empire is being destroyed in the background. Fiddling while Rome burns.

[LewisF]

Guthrie had a good game, as did Koita when he came on, two cracking strikes. Rhodes' early effort was unlucky to go off the post, may well have changed the game. Lowe was awful, and Delfounso was pretty pants too. I've changed my mind that Marshall should play in the number 10 role; I think he should play on the wing with Conway, with Koita either as the number 10 behind Rhodes or next to Rhodes up front. I think we shouldn't drop Raya because of this game, their two goals was purely down to our God awful defence, and how none of the officials saw the handball is beyond me. Kilgallon should have played ahead of one of the two stooges, but we all know GB is madly in love with Hanley. We should be winning all the remaining (league) matches in August, although realistically I can see us winning 3 at the most. GB was out thought yet again by the opposition manager, I just hope he can get things right before they go too out of hand.

Gestede scoring on his Villa debut too, well done to him.

[OJRovers]

What was the formation? Thanks

[SamTheShrew]

Local wolves rag's take on the game - how does this compare for the people who were at Ewood park?

http://www.expressandstar.com/sport/wolverhampton-wanderers-fc/2015/08/08/blackburn-x-wolves-x-report-and-pictures/?

[Mike E]

I reckon it was a so-so game. Positives:

Koita looked a good'un when was on, I'd start him in the middle with Conway and Marshall either side, but playing more narrow.

Guthrie had a good game, just needs match fitness. Would like to see Williamson take Lowe's place in midfield just hard being a hard fecker.

Best bit: At the final whistle, Duffy made a show of taking each boot off and slamming them to the ground. Good to see passion like that after lacking since probably Forest away last season.

Negatives:

Defence still seems too open, Olsson and Henley didn't get forward enough for me to support the attack. Lowe, who?

I felt Dolphin was just having 'one of those days' more than being a bad player. At least he created the goal.

Unsure:

Raya fancies himself as an outfield player. I enjoyed his performance today apart from the insistence on booting it to the right wing. Change it up all game, as he did in the last 15mins.

Should've been a draw but enjoyed the game tbh. Just glad to be back on.

[LewisF]

What was the formation? Thanks

It varied from 4-2-3-1 to 4-4-2

[scotchrover]

Actually unbelievable how badly we were . It has to be said, I thought we'd changed our style of play during the first 20 mins or so. We got in their faces and have played some decent football. After that, we gave up and sat on our own box, with Rhodes been used a target man. He then proceeded to take off Guthrie, the only one of the midfield creating anything going forward, with Evans, who did absolutely nothing.

Those who think we're going up under him are having a laugh. We're in a relegation battle, all with a £14m striker! How daft does that sound. We've got a manager who doesn't know how use a £14m striker. Absolutely disgraceful!

BOWYER OUT!

[Proudtobeblue&white]

For 29 minutes we didn't give them a sniff, but all our defensive frailties emerged as soon as they launched their first real attack. I'd tried to block out just what a lummox Hanley is, and I agree totally with all observations about GB playing Fonzerelli out wide right. Lowe is not the answer to anything - he gets a nose bleed going forward. The standard continues to drop each season, with no end in sight. He cannot continue to play JR as lone striker - he needs a friend. Totally disappointed. Oh and the ref was terrible. Having a drink now and trying to forget.

[Blue blood]

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/rovers/news/13583475.FULL_TIME__Blackburn_Rovers_1_Wolves_2/?ref=mac

LT match report.

Like most on here i wasn't there either today ( but will be back from September onwards )

From the match report above it seems we shipped two soft goals and missed some good chances. Same old, same old. Disappointing result but not unexpected. At least Koita sounds like he could be a good un when he's up to speed. Marshall not looking interested is nothing new, nor is Hanley-Duffy not working, or Rhodes missing chances.

We either tighten up or this season will be a struggle. Playing Killa would be a start in the right direction.Roll on Huddersfield, but if the results stay like this then the pressure will build on Bowyer.

blueboy agree with the bit in bold. We've disagreed a fair bit about Bowyer in the past and my question to you would be how worried are you by the same mistakes being made time after time? To me, more than anything, this is a worrying sign of Bowyer's abilities or lack of them.

[LewisF]

The officials should be ashamed of themselves. Completely obvious handball

[Stuart]

It varied from 4-2-3-1 to 4-4-2

I thought at times today we really didn't have that much shape. There was a lot of changing around going on. Pre-season hasn't been used well at all.

I really hope Raya's confidence hasn't been dented too badly today. Or the dropped Steele's for that matter. I wonder if his new contract had a stipulation about being made No.1? Could be a move too soon?

[DannyKeg]

Here's one for the statisticians.

When has a Championship/2nd.Division team won promotion to the top tier after losing the first game of the season at home, on the same day that England regained the Ashes and when in the third and fourth tests, four different seam bowlers took six or more wickets in four consecutive innings ?

[Stuart]

Here's one for the statisticians.

When has a Championship/2nd.Division team won promotion to the top tier after losing the first game of the season at home, on the same day that England regained the Ashes and when in the third and fourth tests, four different seam bowlers took six or more wickets in four consecutive innings ?

Once?

[Jock]

Please when will Bowyer and his minions accept that Lowe is bobbins?