Match Report: Wolves 1 Spurs 0 (another defeat!)
Match Report: Wolves 1 Spurs 0 (another defeat, another knock back)
Another defeat… the way we are playing – inconsistently – you can’t predict anything accurately. Just take potluck. You probably got more chances predicting a Lotto big win than getting consistency from Spurs.
We have no chance of winning any trophies this season (another 15 seasons gone by with nothing)… a top-four place is iffy. As for the Champions League, it is anybody’s guess how far we can go… that is, if we can reverse the 1-0 defeat from the first leg of our away Milan game. We don’t even know who will manage us next season… What a mess… Daniel Levy needs to get a grip!
I took Janette with me to Wolves… she enjoyed the experience. Only an hour and 20 minutes from her house. We managed to find free parking near the stadium (5 minutes walk). However, food-wise, it was a bit downmarket… we could only get an ASDA lunch and then walked around the stadium to keep warm, popped into the Wolves shop and then waited outside the stadium’s away-end entrance in the freezing cold for the doors to open. Once in, we got a coffee and something warm to eat… then went to our seats to stand throughout the game. The joys of following Spurs away.
The game…
We were wasteful in this match, culminating in another miserable week. On Wednesday, we were beaten by Wolves after a late goal from Adama Traore.
We had the better chances and twice hit the woodwork, but the crossbar came to Wolves’ aid as Traore’s effort flew past our replacement goalkeeper, Fraser Forster.
The Wolves had been on the back foot for most of the game but made their late momentum count.
As for us… our inconsistent form continued as we dropped important points in the race for a top-four spot. More so with Newcastle being beaten by City.
The first half was fraught with stoppages because of player injuries, but neither side built any real momentum, despite some early pressure from us.
Pedro Porro came the closest to an opener when he struck the woodwork with a powerful free-kick shortly before the break.
Second half…
Just after the restart, Son, who had been playing well in the first half, hit the crossbar from close range. But Wolves, who pinned us down for much of the opening 45 minutes, improved after the interval, with Nelson Semedo being inches from connecting with a Raul Jimenez ball across the goal.
Their Jimenez was then denied a goal when his header from close range was batted away by Forster.
The impetus continued to swing in Wolves’ favour with a string of long-distance Ruben Neves efforts testing us.
Finally, Traore sealed all three points for the Wolves when he sent the ball rocketing in off the underside of the bar.
Thoughts…
After exiting the FA Cup midweek, we hoped to get so much from this game.
We did take the game to the hosts early on. Dejan Kulusevski’s curling effort forced Jose Sa into a good save, but despite playing with high intensity, only six of our 21 shots hit the target.
This game was Stellini’s second defeat as our stand-in manager. The next match (AC Milan) will see Conte retaking the reigns after his bladder surgery and recuperation.
We are now four points ahead of fifth-place Newcastle United. However, Liverpool are close behind us as they thrashed United 7-0. Putting them six points behind us with two games in hand.
Wolves were in the relegation zone when Julen Lopetegui took over as manager in November, but this victory, their first over a team in the top four this season, has pushed them into mid-table and six points clear of the drop zone.
Cristian Stellini said after the match, “Antonio will be a massive boost for us from tomorrow until the end of the season. It is important that Antonio is back. We want to have him back with a different result, but the team show to Antonio it is alive. They want to win, they want to control the game, they want to dominate the game, and this is important, I think.” Of course, we want to win… all teams want to win… a stupid statement… the problem is that we are inconsistent, and now we are knocked out of the FA and League Cups… and probably struggle to make the top four.
As for the Wolves manager, Julen Lopetegui, he said… “We are happy for the three points…” Of course they are happy… they were lucky to be playing an inconsistent us… no other top club would concede the way we did to a lowly relegated fighting team.
He then went on and said, “In the second half, we improve a lot, and we show our face in the end.” They improved? Or did we just not bother?
The next game up will decide if AC Millan will be another team that will eject us from a hat trick of competitions.
After the game, we quickly made our way to the car, got through the traffic reasonably well, and home.
Another defeat, another miserable game for us. Nothing really much more to add… or want to add. But then we should be used to it under Daniel Levy’s administration.
Next up: AC Milan in the Champions League (Wednesday), followed by a home game against Nottingham Forest this Saturday. Another potential banana skin awaits us. Oh, the joys of supporting a team under Daniel Levy’s accountancy eyes.
COYS!
Glenn