CRAIG HICKEY
Things are not good at the moment, we are in quite a mess as it stands, I’m quite concerned to be honest. Here goes on my reaction to tonight.
Lacklustre, no forward movement in the first half, we were lucky to be one nil up. Second half started bright and then we concede two uncontested headers, unforgivable. Fer Lopez looked bright and Hugo Bueno proved but we looked devoid of ideas and attacking threat against a side as bad as us.
Then the changes came……what a difference, Gomes gave us stability, Tchatchuoa pace, Doherty a cool head, Sasa hold up play, Larsen – two goals and he ain’t going anywhere!! It made up for a poor 70 minutes. What a finish from the No. 9 for both goals. Let’s go in the league now and hopefully it breeds confidence.
JOHN TARAS
Well what a see saw of a game.
A superb follow up to Hwang penalty post kick and Rodrigo Gomes smashes it in. The troubles were there in the back three. Two sloppy goals as we let the Hammers have two clear headers. Johnstone had no chance for either. He’d made three good saves in the first half.
I was thinking we’re losing when are you bring on the subs. Bang on 70 minutes Vitor responded but when I only saw Larsen to go up front I was worried.
Within 10 minutes any suggestion Larsen had his mind on Newcastle no chance he buried one with his left foot and then powered home a header. He was like a man with a point to prove. Sasa came on for 10 minutes but Wolves deserved it in the end.
My man of the match was Hugo Bueno. He was a menace down the left wing and reliable in defence. His constant crosses would have been food and drink had Larsen been on sooner.
Rating 8.
We need the new CB to command the middle.
One or two players still not cutting it.
But if these new players do sign up there’s a chance Wolves could climb to mid table.
Larsen must not be sold under any circumstances.
What a game!
Credit to the travelling West Ham fans who brought good numbers, disappointing turnout from the Wolves support though and I don’t think Fields of Gold has the same impact as a walkout anthem. What it lacked in quality it more than made up for in emotion and drama.
JSL was a game changer and to be fair to Sasa they worked perfectly together. When you have two monsters like that in the box they’re so difficult to defend against because it requires so many men to mark them.
Bueno looked tricky at LWB while Arias and Tchatchoua are wonderfully crazy signings. Constant work rate and blistering pace combined with an utter unpredictability.
A lot of the players on the pitch today have given Vitor a selection headache for Everton. Vitor’s system didn’t work at the start but the change to the two towering strikers at the front is an experiment I’d love to see again. If Sasa’s legs can hold out he may prove to be a real asset. A strangely enjoyable match and what football is all about.
PAM WELLS
To start, that performance was a large improvement from the one against Bournemouth the first half was pretty average not much attacking play but a much better defence and midfield today with Andre the standout player of the half.
The half was very balanced with West ham coming into the game with a few good chances, but in the last few minutes Wolves really felt like having ago which earned us a penalty that led to the goal by Rodrigo Gomes.
The second half started well but West ham with two crosses scored two goals, still Wolves were the better team with attacking play being a lot better especially with the subs that were left a little late in my opinion.
Quickly after the subs we were a lot faster on the break and a stronger midfield, the two goals scored by Strand Larsen were both different but both proved we were missing a striker the whole game.
Man of the match a few options but for what he did when he came on it has to be: Strand Larsen
Performance rating: 7.5
KARL WHITEHOUSE
We looked nervous at the start and struggled to find any tempo. Our play was flat.
As the half went on, we hit some good long balls. We need more concentration and a more positive approach.
We won our first penalty in a long time. It was missed, but Rodrigo Gomes reacted first and scored the rebound. That should give us confidence going into the second half. We must be more clinical in our build-up, but at least we showed some identity with a few good spells. Hopefully it continues.
It didn’t last. We struggled again, conceded, and our defending let us down. Three defenders failed to pick up a free header in the box. No challenge, just sloppy play. This has to be addressed.
We must stop the crosses. We have bodies back, but we’re still leaving players free to score. We went behind again, and Vitor has to react. Concentration levels need to improve after that earlier good spell.
Arias deserves a mention. He looked better higher up the pitch, around the box. Good to see.
Vitor’s four substitutions changed the game. Our press, intensity, and tempo lifted, and our finishing was clinical. The wingbacks were key: Hugo Bueno on the left and Jackson Tchatchoua on the right caused problems with their speed and runs. This could be the solution for Everton. Jackson’s cameo was excellent; great pace and an assist. Jørgen Strand Larsen took his two goals well. He needs to stay at the club; when he gets service, he scores.
This was a morale-boosting win. It gives the team confidence and clarity in attack. Vitor now has a selection dilemma, but the wingback issue looked solved tonight. Please play those two. We have to keep believing; the second half was much better than the first.
Player of the match: Jørgen Strand Larsen
Match rating: 8
WOLVES FANS REACT TO CARABOU CUP WIN AGAINST WEST HAM