Making the trip to Molineux, the feeling among many of us was the same - matchday just isn’t exciting anymore. There was a time when waking up on a Saturday/Sunday brought that familiar buzz and anticipation of getting to the ground. Now, it feels more like a chore. As I’ve mentioned in previous verdicts, I can’t help but question why I decided to renew my season ticket this year.
And that, really, is the problem in a nutshell. Supporters are paying extortionate prices to watch a team that’s completely lost its spark. The clash between fans, players, and staff at full-time has been coming for a while, and the post-match video of Jose Sa certainly hasn’t helped. Right now, Wolves have become a laughing stock.
We were lucky to go in level at half-time and had given ourselves a platform to maybe turn things around. But as has so often been the case this season, we failed to capitalise. In possession, we were slow, predictable, and completely devoid of ideas. We have to work incredibly hard for every goal we score, while visiting teams seem to find it far too easy to score against us.
Three defeats against the newly promoted sides, just two points from nine games, and an increasingly toxic Molineux - it’s difficult to see any light at the end of the tunnel. I genuinely feel for the players because I don’t think effort has been the issue. But the recruitment has left us miles short of the quality needed to compete at this level. Burnley, by contrast, have brought in players like Kyle Walker, who showed exactly why he’s been a top-level performer for so long.
There are no real leaders, and precious little quality. While plenty of the blame rightly sits with those behind the scenes, it’s hard to see where our next points are coming from. It feels like it’s going to be a very long, painful road to the end of the season.
Matt Gallimore
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All roads lead to somewhere, and Sunday was the destination to which years and years of, in my opinion, neglect, bad management, lack of ambition and selling your best players has led to.
Let's be honest. This team is going down, and the atmosphere at full-time was a realisation that this is a season too far.
As much as these players get criticism, the simple fact is that they do try, but they are simply not good enough. I stated weeks ago that to stay in this league you need quality, footballers who can do something with a football. The truth is these lot are runners, triers and not much else. There is zero creativity in the side, and this is evident by the number of long balls, hoofs into the box and backwards passing.
Forget the starting quality we had in previous seasons, bench warmers such as Podence, and even the likes of Guedes and Sarabia are players that were able to do something on any given day. Now we have the likes of Munetsi, Arias and Bellegarde, who may give their all and run around, but that isn't enough.
As for the manager, he has got to go!
He was given full reign in the summer, brought in his own man in Teti, and chose the players he wanted to fit his formation. The fact is every signing besides possibly Krejci, has been a disaster. And what is this 'formation' that he wants to play? Because to me it looks like he hasn't got a clue what works best, what is his starting eleven and how to get results.
The poor form from the end of last season, continued into pre-season, and now nine games in we are still without a win. His record is diabolical and it backs up the history of his managerial career. He doesn't last more than a year at every club he manages. Add to the fact he makes Tony Pulis and Sam Allardyce look adventurous in their style of play has made me convinced he isn't capable of turning this around. I cannot stand the type of football he plays, a literal long ball merchant type of manager who places physicality and getting stuck in, over technical ability.