Wolves Fans' Verdict v Villa: Derby day defeat

A game where we expected nothing at 4:30pm when the teams were announced and no one was really surprised by the result.

We did really well in the first 30-35 minutes, a lot better than I was expecting considering our attacking options.

Ait-Nouri definitely should have scored and the game could have been so much different if that had gone in. Once Villa scored, it was always going to be difficult to get back into it and we struggled to really create anything from then on.

It’s not the players or O’Neil’s fault at all, they did what they could with everything around them and the resources available, it’s the board to blame for us being in this position. Tuesday against Burnley is a more winnable game and we can only hope Cunha is available for at least off the bench in the worst case scenario.

Rob Cartwright

All too predictable, from a threadbare Wolves squad.

This was a battling performance with players, young and old, giving their all but coming away with a defeat. In fact, Wolves were on top in the game for the first 60 minutes.

If Ait-Nouri had scored his early chance it would have been a different game with something to hold onto. What might have been? Watkins also missed a good chance for Villa.

We went behind from a corner which wasn’t cleared properly by Lemina. It was a fantastic shot by Diaby from the edge of our box. Behind against the run of play.

It’s disheartening with the defence playing OK and the midfield doing well; we simply have no senior forward-line available. The “first pick” four are all out injured and Sarabia underwhelmed. No fault of the academy lads but they are just not quite ready for games of this magnitude. Furthermore, playing Lemina further forward is having a negative impact too.

I thought Doyle was excellent. Can only think he was taken off to save his legs for the games ahead. Semedo had a great first half, with most of our danger coming from him down the left side. Villa appeared to deal with this outlet in the second half.

Gomes was tremendous and was my Wolves man of the match.

Wolves started the second half well. We had hopes of a comeback, only to fall further behind with a fluke goal from a cross. Sa could have controlled his six yard box better here, maybe.

It wasn’t quite game over yet, as Doherty missed a great chance with a header.

The fact is that Villa were seeing more of the ball in dangerous spaces, as we had no ability to hold the ball up field while players joined to form attacks. The stats will tell you it was 50:50 for possession.

No sign here of the famous Neves 2-3 comeback.

It’s well documented how small our squad is and with injuries we now only have 11 fit senior outfield players. It’s shocking really. However, it’s beyond unlucky to find all four forwards out injured.

You can’t really account for this.

On the other hand, we’ve been lacking a number nine since Jimenez was injured. That’s a few years now.

I find it unprofessional to allow two forwards out on loan this season, without replacements. Silva and Kalajdzic were both bench players, but would both be featuring in the team as things stand. They were not the long term solution but would be better than what we have available right now.

Games will come fast now, with the players already showing signs of tired legs.

What a ridiculous time to have international friendlies. I’m sure the Nations League was set up to reduce the need for friendlies!

I hope things don’t just peter out. The other results show there is still lots to play for in terms of sixth place.

The players will have the desire. I’m just not sure they will have the energy.

Stephen Jackson

Oh Ait-Nouri, how in the world did you miss that? A contender for miss of the season no doubt, you even had time to take a touch.

Martinez is a fine goalkeeper with a World Cup winners medal and possibly the greatest save ever in a World Cup final, but that was an inexplicable miss.

The game was set up after that should-have-been goal. 1-0 up, defend valiantly for the rest of the match and escape with the three points.

Bodies on the line, Fraser off the bench to head one off the line, Lemina to receive his knighthood in Wolverhampton for shutting down everything outside the box. Sigh.

Instead we left with nothing but more disappointment. Gary O’Neil must turn around this downturn in results and while the lack of depth in the squad is surely a contributing factor, our season is at a huge risk of petering out way too early.

You can’t say “where are the goals going to come from” when you miss from two yards!

For the beginning 20 minutes we were the better side and played some really good football, moving Villa all over the pitch, Semedo especially impressive getting in behind time and time again down the right. As the clock ticked past 30 you just knew it was important to get in at 0-0. 1-0 down and it was going to be a hurdle too far.

I want to highlight one other shocking miss during the game. Where was the local derby spirit? Where was the intensity, the fight, the disgust at losing to your neighbors? I saw Sarabia high-fiving Digne towards the end after being in a tussle. High-fiving Villa players while down 2-0 is a close second in the post match list of inexcusable mistakes.

Where was the leadership from the captain to make sure we did everything we could to wipe the smiles off the Villa faces? We laid down far too easily after the second goal and if a neutral did not know the derby factor they would have never been able to tell this was a historic rivalry.

The modern game has become too nice in my opinion and while I don’t support tackles that could injure an opponent, I surely support an intensity that shows the fans how upset you are that you are losing, because it is the fans who take the stick during the week, its the fans who leave the ground having spent their money to attend the derby, its the fans who want to see the sense of pride to play for Wolves.

The last two matches we’ve played local teams and lost both in disappointing fashion. We must be careful and correct this on Tuesday.

Clive Smith

It’s been a long two weeks. Two weeks of nothingness since you-know-what. It felt like the season had ended. An ongoing injury crisis, our top players earmarked for a Sky 6 team, ongoing concerns about our financial position and a fixture list that suddenly seems more daunting than it did previously.

Mr Grumpy Wolves could be forgiven for heading into this week’s claret and blue trilogy without the usual enthusiasm. We have shown a bouncebackability already this season though and, despite a quarter of the season to go, there are reasons to be cheerful. Not least, our points and league position of course.

The result did not go our way, but we gave a good account of ourselves and for a lot of the game we looked the better side. It is no use bemoaning our injuries but with just one of our missing front three playing you would think it might have been a very different game. All too often Doyle, Gomes or Ait-Nouri had possession in midfield but had no sensible forward passing option available. It meant we could not make best use of our possession with predominantly Semedo being our most used outlet.

Despite the situation Doyle and Ait-Nouri had good chances. The referee (who has a banner on the Holte End ‘the 12th man’) had shown his inconsistency regarding what he deemed a foul, often it was the colour of the shirt being the deciding factor. Villa made the most of that.

Having been the dominant side for half an hour, albeit seeming to be working much the harder to be so, to then go behind was disappointing. Knowing our likely goals tally did not help.

We continued to be competitive after the break while still struggling to create good goalscoring opportunities. When a Villa cross found its way in off the far post the writing was on the wall, despite there being still 30 minutes to play.

GON rung the changes in the remaining time and perhaps if Doherty had kept his header down, to make it 2-1, we may have been able to conjure up a result.

MOTM Doyle was particularly impressive in the opening half an hour. He dominated our play in midfield with a fine array of passing. Often it was down the right with mainly Semedo, and Sarabia, receiving those passes. Lemina found himself playing neither one position or another which meant linking up with Ait-Nouri was less effective.

It’s unlikely there will be many team changes in the rest of the week, but hopefully we will be able to be more productive in front of goal.

John Lalley

The instant Wolves spurned the glaring opportunity to cash in on an outstanding opening surge in this match, you feared the worst. The worst being that we wouldn’t trouble the scorers and that we would give Villa a helping hand in overcoming a dicey 25 minutes and gift them the initiative.

The lack of focus which assisted Villa to take the lead was reminiscent of the defensive uncertainty that unhinged us against Coventry. Slow to react to a routine set-piece and lacking the physicality that the absent Dawson can offer, uncertainty and confusion abounded. The decline in our performance was stark; we finished the game looking drained and alarmingly predictable and lightweight.

So disappointing that we comprehensively surrendered the initiative after asserting our authority so impressively. With Doyle expansively controlling midfield and Ait Nouri and the excellent Semedo dangerous on the overlap, Wolves were comfortably the more menacing outfit.

The old cliché impressing the need to convert your chances when in the ascendancy was left staring us in the face; we failed to take heed and paid the price. Ultimately, there was an absolute chasm of difference in how Wolves started this game and how they finished it and that is the biggest disappointment.

Paroled by Wolves, Villa steadied the ship, asserted themselves and finished buoyant and comfortably dominant, no doubt relieved immeasurably to rid themselves of the Wolves’ bogey.

Worthless speculation of course, but had the heavyweight triumvirate of Neto, Hwang and Cunha been on duty during those impressive opening stages, it’s more than possible that we could have caused Villa a healthy dose of real discomfort. For the three youngsters who operated in this match, it’s the ultimate double-edged sword.

They must be thrilled to get the premature opportunity to operate at this elevated level but the challenge is a daunting one. Through no fault of their own, circumstances have dictated that they simply have to pitch in and contribute as best as their inexperience allows.

It’s safe to say that the learning curve is decidedly steep. They deserve our patience and for that matter so do the rest of our patchwork team.