Wolves vs Chelsea: Our fans' verdict on FA Cup defeat

Rob Cartwright

What's your verdict on the match? Every so often, your team loses after giving their all. You applaud at the end and stay in the stands to acknowledge the players efforts. This was one of those days.

A packed Molineux was treated to a fine performance; limited only by the ability of those playing. As a supporter, that is all we ask.

I'm not sure it was the right starting XI. We were also lacking any strength from the bench, which was going to come back and bite when tired legs meant they were needed in the second half - earlier than they were called upon, to be honest.

That said, you could not fault the players on the pitch who gave their all.

Saville should have scored after just five minutes. It could have been different, but who knows? Chelsea may have played far more aggressively if he had.

As it was, we went toe to toe with them for half an hour. Then they got on top.

We were unable to step up any further in the second half...they could.

Who played well - and who didn't impress? When playing the Premier League champions elect, you have to be on your game for every second. Two lapses lead to their two goals.

Edwards left Pedro free to enter our box for the first goal and Batth loses Costa for the second after an unfortunate rebound. Both good goals, well taken.

It was a shame as Danny had coped well with Costa for the previous 89 minutes and he is a right handful. Hause was great yesterday and should keep his place next week.

Coady did well defending, but poor when crossing. Doherty looked jaded to me.

Price was excellent in the first half and started the second half well too until tiring.

Costa did well, often with three blue shirts in his path. It's just a shame that his midfield colleagues cannot make better use of the space this surely leaves!

Saville just doesn't do it for me. Weimann had very little impact. Both were mostly anonymous in this game.

Bodvarsson 'played' well, but had very little presence in their box. That's why we have failed to score in our last three games.

Costa showed his quality. He has great ability with the ball at his feet and is not intimidated by two or three opposition players around him.

My man of the match was Price, just shading Costa.

Overall, a much better performance. More shots, but still not really creating enough to score the goals needed. We desperately need to win on Friday.

Sarah Connolly

What's your verdict on the match? I'll be the first to admit that I saw the Chelsea team sheet yesterday and said '4-0 Chelsea'. Just looking at their bench was terrifying, let alone thinking of how we were going to cope against the likes of Costa and Hazard after Tuesday's atrocities.

How wrong I was. After Tuesday's baffling tactics all credit must go to Lambert for setting us up correctly and putting a team out that pushed Chelsea as far as they could.

This was a team at the top of the Premier League and, for 70 minutes, we Looked on par with them. Of course, at the end, our lack of cutting edge proved telling, and was the difference between the sides. Had we had a good attacking threat up front, I think that would have been a different game. Had Saville taken his chance, it's a different game. But it's all 'ifs and buts'.

No taking away from the performance, that was one of the best games I've seen us play for years. But those players need to do that week in, week out now, no excuses.

We've shown glimpses since Lambert arrived of a team in the making. I look forward to Lambert having a good transfer window to build a team to challenge next season, along with the return of Zyro and Graham. A prolific striker or two would be great please Mr Fosun!

The atmosphere was incredible yesterday, goose bump inciting. To see Molineux full was a delight, and credit to the South Bank who didn't stop. The fact that we could still applaud the team and get behind them after going 2-0 down just shows how the support will get behind the lads if they give the fans something to cheer for. Hoping for similar against Blues...is that asking too much?!

Who played well - and who didn't impress? I'd have to give Hause man of the match, I thought he was immense yesterday.

Yes, the defending was poor for both goals but he had one of he best games I've seen him play. For me, he has fully justified a start on Friday.

I'd love to see a constant partnership between Hause and Williamson, if only he can stay fit. Could easily give others man of the match however, I thought Saville had a very good game also, bar that excruciating miss. The only criticism I have is we still lack that cutting edge up front. Costa was kept very quiet and Bodvarsson just didn't look like scoring at all. A big headache that Lambert needs to address as priority in the summer.

Hats off to Lambert for giving a massive heads up to the kids too. It will be interesting to see how they continue to develop and I think they will make a big impact on the team given time.

The big question for Lambert now is how to replicate that kind of performance in the league. The players have shown they can do it, and they now need to repay the faith and show up to league games. Over to you, Mr Lambert. I'm behind you all the way.

Peter Abbott (London Wolves)

What's your verdict on the match? I suspect most Wolves fans feared the worst after hearing that Chelsea had all their big gun forwards on parade and that we might have been out of the Cup after only 20 minutes or so.

Proud to say, no way. Thanks Wolves for a decent performance, good game plan taking the game to them with a bright start and lots of effort, getting the ball into the box and, if only, after George Saville's big chance whacked against the post.

Add a decent early save from Carl Ikeme and with Danny Batth keeping Diego Costa quiet, it was good to still be in the tie at half time and for the first time in a while, feeling good about ourselves, especially when we also had to counter some amazing Premier League refereeing decisions.

Too many dodgy moments to mention but in particular a huge Wolves penalty appeal turned away first half when Weimann was barged and within minutes a similar challenge by Saville away from the box earns him a booking. I, for one, was far from impressed with the officials.

Not surprisingly the Blues took quick control second half. We could no longer sustain our attacks apart from a number of corners and the game was up when Pedro scored.

Who played well - and who didn't impress? After recent below-par Wolves performances it would be churlish not to highly praise the team.

The bottom line is we played well and when the excitement of this excellent (and rare) FA Cup run dies down we will obviously need the same again, starting on Friday against the other Blues.

Chris Hughes

What's your verdict on the match? The more we love them, the more they let us down.

Another resilient cup display compounds the misery of our recent league performances.

Losing 2-0 to the dominant Premier League leaders is nothing to be ashamed of but there's still the element of 'what if?' about the game. What if Saville had put his tremendous volley away? What if Edwards had followed his man for the opener? What if Doherty had smashed the ball clear before the second goal?

At the end of the day, the gulf in class showed in the little things. Chelsea's first touch was a fraction better. Their movement was better. Their positioning off the ball was better.

But this isn't a team we need to compete with. This is a team who are eight points clear at the top of the Premier League. Yet we made them feel uncomfortable for an hour or more before we fell apart defensively for the opener. A weakness that haunts us in league games transcended into our cup performances as their 5ft 7in winger stole in for a free header at the back post.

At 1-0 it was game over. We tried to get back into it but there wasn't the attacking threat to trouble their back three.

We huffed and puffed for a while but were undone again by an excellent piece of finishing from Diego Costa that had many Wolves fans on their feet applauding, probably because we've forgotten what a 'proper' finish looks like with all of the scrappy goals from set pieces we've got used to.

Who played well - and who didn't impress? The most important thing to take from the game is that we need to work hard against every opponent. Those who have battled so hard against. Stoke, Liverpool and Chelsea need to do the same in league matches if we're to survive in this division.

Sorry if the realism bursts the cup bubble but our survival is important!

Russ Cockburn

What's your verdict on the match? The romance of the cup was alive and well at WV1 yesterday, well at least until about 6.35pm. What a sight...Molineux full, noise bellowing down from all four stands and our gold and black warriors matching Chelsea's playboys stride for stride.

This is what we all go to football for, to be involved in, and, importantly compete, in massive games like this. And let's make no bones about it, when the Blouse and the Fonz roll into town on Friday it's just as big.

I thought the XI that started yesterday gave their all and more. Yes, they're not the most technically gifted players and we're about as aggressive as Switzerland up front, but you can't fault the commitment and passion they all showed. If only the goal was 1mm wider and Saville's decent strike could have given us something to hang on to.

The FA Cup run has proved a number of important things for me. We can hold our own at the highest level, but importantly we are a better team without the ball. That probably sounds strange so let me explain.

Against Stoke, Liverpool and Chelsea we didn't have that much possession and were happy to keep our shape, throw ourselves into challenges and break in numbers. That reaped its own rewards two times out of three.

In the Championship, where teams sit off you, it's a different story. We have more of the ball, we have to try and break teams down and that's where our technical limitations are shown up.

I said last night on twitter that Thelwell needs moving on. As someone in charge of recruitment for the last god knows how many years, for us to finish that tie with the front six we did is nothing short of disgraceful. That's not having a pop at Ronan/Wilson, who I'm excited to see develop.

But how many of us would have said three years ago we'd be playing the champions elect with Saville, Edwards, Costa, Ronan, Wilson and Price as our attacking threat? Not sure how many more chances you can give him to get it right...I mean what's wrong with buying a striker who, wait for it, actually sticks the ball in the net?

So we move on to Friday night, when Jasper Carrott's lot visit Molineux. We need the ground rocking like it did yesterday evening and we need the players to turn up and show the same level of passion, intensity and commitment.

We also need Lambert to find a system/line-up that will see us have more than two shots on target. Quite what that looks like I'm not sure.

Who played well - and who didn't impress? The outstanding performers for me were Hause (who looks better against better players) and Price, who tried manfully to become the Wolverhampton version of Deschamps. No small task when you're faced with the outstanding talent of Fabregas, who only normally graces the Chelsea bench. If ever he fancies a sabbatical in Wolves, I'm sure we can find him a nice Redrow House in Compton to settle into.

I also thought Batth did well against the Elephant Man, who is a constant threat. He may have hit every branch on the ugly tree on his way down, but he's also picked up a fair amount of footballing ability with it.

Coady, whilst doing a solid job at full-back, finds himself in some of our best attacking positions, which is a problem in itself. He appears to like a good cross about as much as Count Dracula and really needs to work on that part of his game going forward.

Russ Evers (Hatherton Wolves)

What's your verdict on the match? A prime example to the watching owners of what could and should be - a full Molineux rocking on all four sides and a team full of passion and pride.

Where we failed was probably understandable against a team so far clear at the top of the Premier League everyone else looks at them through binoculars.

But on this occasion they were there for the taking. The only chance created - more than many in the greed league - saw Saville hit the post. And when they broke well over an hour later Pedro waltzed past Dave Edwards despite Dangerous watching him every step of the way. Two pivotal moments.

We now need to take the commitment into Friday's game but Mr Lambert, whoever you are able to choose up front please please please give him some support.

Who played well - and who didn't impress? Most of them with Hause and Batth excellent. Poor? No-one really apart from that empty space between midfield and attack.