Always Wolves
Always Wolves
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BEN WHITEHOUSE SHARES HIS THOUGHTS ON WOLVES PERFORMANCE AT ANFIELD
Starting XI:
Jose Sa – 5
Had a fairly good game with some excellent saves and distribution, especially considering the magnitude of shots he had to face. However, could have done better for both goals and did have some shaky moments, but overall a decent performance back in the side.
Matt Doherty – 3
Doc looks mile off it at the moment; having evidently lost half a yard of pace he is completely unreliable in 1v1 situations and was routinely exposed by the likes of Wirtz and Ekitike. Where this was previously excusable because he provided stability and defensive intelligence to the back 5, he is now such a liability that he must be a backup option in my opinion.
Santi Bueno – 6
Had a fairly good game being reintroduced to the backline, scoring a goal to cap off the performance. Played some good passes and won some important challenges to break up the play, but ultimately lapsed for both goals which killed off the game.
Ladislav Krejci – 6
A decent showing again from Krejci but nothing spectacular – seems more restricted from showing his class when in defence rather than the midfield. Had some decent ventures forwards and seemed the most forward-thinking of the back line looking to progress the ball, but once again struggled to temper the Liverpool attacks and was poor for the second goal.
Yerson Mosquera – 5
Distinctively average performance from Mosquera with nothing much to note; chaotic as per usual from him and always seems uncertain on the ball, popped up with some useful interventions now and again but nothing of consequence.
Hugo Bueno – 5
Limited in how effective he could be in a game which forced him into being so defensive and did not permit him to be as advanced as he could be and where he benefits most from. His defensive shortcomings were exposed numerous times and came to a head for the first goal when Frimpong drove past him for his assist, so was overall underwhelming but not really by any fault of his own, just the wrong game for him to flourish.
Andre – 6
Not up to his usual standard of performance and seemed awfully hesitant to advance with the ball, but did as always add a degree of composure to the side when in possession, although out of possession he wasn’t up to scratch and was not winning the ball back or providing sound enough defensive cover for the backline, giving away a fair few fouls as well.
Joao Gomes – 7
Similar story to Andre’s game but offered more on the front foot, leading the charge in the press and marauding with the ball forwards single-handedly on multiple occasions. He was however poor off the ball and did not win possession back enough. Between the two of them, gaps were emergent throughout the game and let Liverpool carve through the centre of the pitch multiple times.
Hwang Hee-Chan – 4
A sadly typically drab performance from Hwang – uninspiring, seems more concerned with looking good on the ball whilst dribbling backwards than progressing the ball forwards, no sightings of goal at all or creating any chances at all. His dynamism seems completely drained and any form of output has been missing for far too long now, todays performance just another demonstration of it.
Mateus Mane – 8
A fantastic first Premier League start from the 18 year old; he plays without the pressure and inhibitions the rest of the squad seems to be working with, allowing him to be direct, fearless and carve out opportunities for himself. In certain cases his decision-making was off where a bit more composure and experience may have seen him play through his teammates rather than take on shots himself, but nonetheless it was so refreshing to see some pace and positivity from a Wolves player.
Tolu Arokadore – 6
Had some excellent hold up play against a very strong Liverpool backline in one of his first starts for the club and forced the issue for our first goal with his header. Despite this, he had a few half chances which he ought to have got on target at the very least for a Premier League striker and for struggling side in desperate need of goals.
Substitutes:
David Moller Wolfe – 5
In his half hour cameo, he did not have the opportunity to offer much in defence or attack, very much just looked like a cog in the machine with his passes going down pre-planned routes that were easily predictable for the Liverpool defence
Jackson Tchatchoua – 6
For a player renowned for his pace, I am so constantly frustrated by how little he decides to use it when it could be so deadly on counter attacks with space to advance into. Put in some good crosses and put in a decent shift.
Jorgen Strand-Larsen – 7
After last week’s catastrophic performance culminating in the penalty miss, he showed well today when called upon. He carved a chance from nothing which only was prevented by a world-class recovery tackle by Bradley and made some great runs.
Jhon Arias – N/A
I’ve been a fan of Wolves all my life, based in the South-East, making for some fairly awkward school football conversations trying to argue that Kevin McDonald was better than Bruno Fernandes with the endless supply of Big 6 fans around here, just for the fun of it! Hoping to offer a insightful view into the performances, transfers, decisions and everything else our beloved Wanderers throw at us, good, bad and ugly (but preferably good!)
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