PHIL SMITH REPORTS ON WOLVES MOLINEUX DEFEAT TO EVERTON
After a much needed victory midweek at home to West Ham in the Carabao Cup, there was a lot more optimism for today’s game, that was until news filtered out that the rumours of Larsen not being in the match day squad was confirmed.
The official line was that he was Injured (Achillies injury which he has been managing) but that didn’t stop the news reporters’ tongues from wagging. Injury? Has he refused to play? Newcastle move imminent?
Let’s just hope he has been told he is staying and given the weekend off to get over it and get his head right for what’s looking like a long hard season.
Three games in and you wouldn’t want to say a must win being still in the month of August, but it felt like a game we needed to pick up some points from, especially at home.
Victor made a few changes from our last league game with Jackson Tchatchoua making his first league start for the injured Hoever after an impressive performance off the bench in mid-week, Andre returned to midfield alongside Joao Gomes instead of Bellegarde. After a very good turnout in midweek Hugo Bueno starts at left wing back while his namesake Santi started in replace of Doherty and Hwang starts up top like he did against West Ham.
Everton, who seem to have a team particularly in defence of all 6ft giants, welcomed back Beto up top and Mykolenko at left back from their rousing first home win at their new ground and coming to Molineux full of confidence with their danger men Grealish and Ndiaye both starting the season well and in good form.
Teams
Wolverhampton Wanderers FC
Sa, Tchatchoua, S.Bueno, Agbadou, Toti, H.Bueno, Andre, J.Gomes, Munetsi, Arias, Hwang.
Subs: Johnstone, Doherty, Mosquera, Krejci, Wolfe, R.Gomes, Bellegarde, Lopez, Kalajdzic.
Everton FC
Pickford, O’Brien, Tarkowski, Keane, Mykolenko, Garner, Gueye, Ndiaye, Dewsbury- Hall, Grealish, Beto
Subs: Travers, Barry, Coleman, McNeil, Dibling, Alcarez, Iroegbunam, Onyango
FIRST HALF
A slow and cagey first couple of minutes saw Arias for Wolves have the first shot on target, a tame effect which was straight at Pickford but an attempt none the less.
A spell of pressure from Everton pushing for an opening goal and Wolves look weak from crosses and set pieces. Grealish header back across goal and Beto is left alone by Agbadou and Toti to head home 1-0 Everton on 7 minutes.
Wolves looking slow and ponderous on the ball but out of seemingly nowhere a lovely move Munetsi great low delivery from the right-hand side see Hwang beat Pickford to the ball and smash it into the roof of the net. 1-1 after 21 minutes.
This got the crowd going and in return the Wolves players started flying into tackles and really getting stuck in against Everton led by who else but Joao Gomes, this got the Molineux faithful raising the decibels even further finally seeing the men in Gold getting about the Toffees.
Wolves win a corner which result in Agbadou with a shot on the half turn which went over but a decent effort from the big central defender. 28 minutes gone and remains 1-1.
On 33 minutes Grealish was in baring down on goal with only Sa to beat but the keeper did well to block his shot to the relief of everyone.
Wolves then have it on the right side with Andre under pressure from Keane who wins it after Wolves fail to clear Dewsbury- Hall ball in the box again not dealt with by the Wolves defence which allows Ndiaye to put the blues back in front 2-1 on 33 minutes.
The rest of the 1st half unfortunately for Wolves, ends with no more real action to speak of. The visitors going in at halftime 2-1 up being a lot happier of the two sides.
A big team talk hopefully from Victor to get the players going who looked slow and sluggish in the first half compared to the visitors with players being slow and misplaced passes not helping the flow of any Wolves attacks.
Halftime Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 – Everton 2
SECOND HALF
Second half started slowly just like the first half but again it was Wolves who have the first shot of the game from Joao Gomes who failed to hit the target.
With Wolves looking to get back in level terms it’s Everton who punish the home side with who else but Jack Grealish putting Dewsbury- Hall in on goal who smashes it easy past Jose Sa to put David Moyes men 3-1 up at Molineux. A terrible pass from Agbadou out of defence lead to the goal. He has started the season poorly after being a colossus at the back last season 3-1 Everton, 55 minutes.
While Everton looked comfortable with their 3-1 lead and cruising to an away day victory the Wolves boss finally looks to his bench and makes a triple substitution on 64 min with Arias, Tchatchoua and Andre being replaced by Lopez, Rodrigo Gomes and Bellegarde.
Half a shout for a penalty on Hugo Bueno but the referee was unmoved. Lopez was showing some lovely touches and gliding past players and was really getting Wolves going forward.
The Wolves left wing back Hugo Bueno, who was arguably our best player in the game pulls up following a tackle and he gets substituted for Wolfe and Hwang makes way for Sasa; finally some height up top after Wolves strange tactics of playing it in the air against a back four of 6fters and having Arias, Hwang and Munetsi up top.
76 mins gone and Everton make a double change with Beto and Gueye making way for Barry and Irogbunam.
Then on 79 minutes the two wing back subs combine with Wolfe ball across the box with Rodrigo Gomes doing superbly to arrive late and at the back post and finish brilliantly past the England number one. 3-2 are we in for a grandstand finish?
Molineux urge the home side forward with the noise cranking up Everton are now the side to start to look leggy and weary but Wolves are struggling to create anything clearcut.
Grealish makes way for Alcarez on 88 minutes, Wolves still searching for an equaliser but Everton are defending well making it difficult for the home side to create anything.
The fourth official holds up the board 6 minutes of stoppage time to be played.
They always say you get one last big chance in stoppage time and with it looking like this wasn’t going to happen here it did, on 94 minutes Bellegarde takes a shot outside of the area which forces Pickford into a save but the rebound pops to Rodrigo Gomes but he puts it wide with some in the Steve Bull stand thinking it was in.
The big chance to equalise goes begging Everton seeing out the final minutes using another sub with Ndiaye off for Coleman.
Full time score Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 – Everton 3.
Talking Points
Vitor Pereira to blame?
Victor Pereira did he get his tactics right? He already highlighted they have a big strong team so to play the ball in the air was always going to be food and drink for Everton’s back four. Especially when we didnt have any aerial presence so to continue to hit it long seems peculiar at best.
Secondly did he play the right starting eleven? Lopez and even Bellegarde found pockets of space and were playing balls through looking for the wing backs inside more which seem to cause Everton a lot more problems.
Slow starts?
In all the games this season we have been slow out of the traps especially in the last two league games and have fallen behind early leaving us with a mountain to climb from the beginning.
Defence?
Will the real Agbadou please stand up? He transformed our defence almost single handedly last season with the January signing making an instant impact. We seem to have his twin brother playing so far this season. He looks slow, unsure of what he is being asked of and he passing been off, but worst of all not picking up runners and getting beaten in the air for a centre half of his size shouldn’t be happening time and time again.
After making an example of Andre maybe its time to drop him and throw the new signing in?
Wolves 2 Everton 3: Deja Vu – Is this a Victor Pereira Wolves side or Gary O’Neil?