Lots of people had this down as a horrible opener to the season and it so it proved. I'm not really sure where to begin so I will start by saying Wolves played really well in the first two thirds of the pitch. The way Wolves played today reminded me of some of our home games last season where we controlled the play but failed to actually create many opportunities in spite of getting far too many crosses for me to count into our box. They didn't quite have the final ball, didn't have a player gambling on it and both our central defenders happened to play a blinder and cut out the crosses. So in fact exactly like those 0 - 0 home games for us in every aspect other than Wolves found a good final ball and scored a goal to bag three points which nobody can seriously say they didn't deserve. From our point of view, even putting aside the fact that we were away from home and any other mitigating circumstances, I don't think anybody is happy with that performance. Simply we couldn't pass the ball at all and this meant we had no chance of ever making chances against a superbly drilled Wolves team. In the first half, we created absolutely nothing of note. At the start of the second half we created actually quite a few decent chances but then Olsson got sent off (and once more even the most deluded Norwich fans cannot claim this was not the right decision) and away from home with 10 men the game was up. Having said this in the 5 minutes after Lafferty came on we also had a mini-spell of pressure but we never ever really looked like getting a goal. The red card is a shame because Wolves had looked rattled up to then and who knows what could of happened if we had stayed in the ascendency? Regarding the line-up I simply cannot understand why Adams thought this would be appropriate for the game. It contained far too many attacking players with nobody who could really pass so it is hardly surprising that it failed to make chances against an organised 4-5-1 team. The full-backs were left horribly exposed by the front-loaded midfield and hence Wolves were able to barrage us with crosses including one that eventually told. Hoolahan links up well with other players on his day but nobody in that midfield or up front is a particularly fine passer (Bradley Johnson is the best passer in that team today FFS) so we had all these attacking players with nobody getting the ball to them and 3 or 4 players who don't really backtrack. I think Grabban is about six feet tall but nobody else outside of our defence was so we were losing every header. But we still tried to cross despite having nobody with a decent final ball and nobody who could compete against the centre-halves. We desperately needed somebody who could hold up the ball because all of our attacking players are lightweight and easily knocked off the ball. When Lafferty came on he gave us this and we looked much better. Players: Ruddy (7) fantastic distribution, dependable goalkeeping. Has to be the best 'keeper in the league. Whittaker (5) Wolves crossed from his side far too often and didn't really offer an outball going the other way. Martin (6) by and large a decent game where he had to be alert to keep out countless Wolves crosses. Turner (7) one of very players who was consistently good last season was very good again today. Perfectly timed every tackle and got to every cross first. Olsson (5) wasn't as good going forwards as I hoped and had to take a second yellow to stop a 1 on 1. Johnson (5) didn't really do anything wrong; ball retention was decent on the rare occasions he was on it but couldn't really break up the play against a Wolves team who never really made a mistake in possession. Bennett (4) anonymous. Helped out going back but sloppy in possession and contributed very little going forwards. Surman (3) was really poor leaving Olsson/Garrido horribly exposed, easily knocked off the ball and struggled to find teammates. Hoolahan (5) very hard to judge considering the mediocrity in front and either side of him. Surely if we play Hoolahan he deserves a more balanced team around him? HE HAS TO BE THE MAIN MAN! Redmond (4) completely ineffective. Just like last season he can beat players and run fast but then what? He misses the pass/cross/shot and we lose the ball. Considering the front heavy set up today this was the last thing we needed. Grabban (3) horrific in possession and squandered the few chances that came his way. In fairness he needs to be finishing off moves not getting involved in them. Subs: Garrido: (5) lots of hate for him on these forums but IMO completely misplaced. Maybe he could have done more to stop the winning cross but he was getting no help from Surman, was only just on and against the best player on the pitch. Other than that he played quite well in an unfamiliar central position as we chased this game. Tettey (5) broke up the play well and gave the team some much needed balance. Should have (IMO) started the game but had no chance to make an impact with 10 men. Lafferty (7) provided some much needed physicality up front and created more in 15-20 odd mins than the rest of the team put together did in 90 despite being a striker. Has to start next game for me. Sorry it is such a long post but I feel really strongly about this. TL;DR: Naive team selection from Neil Adams lead to a horribly unbalanced team with nobody who could pass or defend so predictably we lost. Too many cooks spoil the broth and all that. Wolves were a miles better team than us. People might want to blame Garrido etc but the truth is that Redmond and Grabban were awful and we cannot play a team like this ever again at this level.
Saw a bit of this game on hols with Arabic commentating which provided the best entertainment Holoman obviously a good player We still miss Holtys prescence why not just get The main man back for the season ? Wigan don't want him
I'd simply put it down to know how. We didn't get it from the top and I wouldn't expect quick turnaround if I were you. Just need to wait and see how pig headed the board are about thinking they are right.
You have been making this point non-stop for weeks - it is getting boring. We get the message. Even you must accept that no Club is going to sack a new Manager after one 1-0 defeat away at one of the biggest Clubs in the league especially when they had to play for 30 mins with 10 men. You might turn out to be right - Adams might not be the man for the job - but surely you can call a truce for, say, 20 games to arrive at a more accurate and reasoned assessment.
Why would I even want to do that. If everyone had been like me, we may not have even been in this division. If you were all like me, then perhaps we may get promotion.
Not big headed at all, just stating my stance on Hughton was correct early on, if he'd of gone at the end of his first season, like I said, we may not have been in this division. That is just stating facts. I think I'm right now, even more so perhaps.
You seem to be the one lying to yourself 1950, not me. You have not provided a single reason for the support of Adams
It didn't seem to hamper him much on the dance floor at his wedding a few weeks ago. I'm more concerns about where Hooper was? Grabban is not the answer and if we want to win this division we need Hooper and the 25+ goals he can give us in this division. If he's on his way out as well then I have real fears about where we can finish this season.
I hope that's the case and not just a line we're being fed a la Bassong, Becchio and Fer who I don't expect to play for us again. Just a bit nervous that Grabban is considered the main man up front this year from some of the things I've read because on the evidence of yesterday (and yes it was only one game) he doesn't look anything like a Premier League striker to me. Lafferty looked good when he came on though.
If we'd been on the end of some good fortune instead of all the rotten stinking kind that we were then we wouldn't have gone down either.
