Wolves Fans' Verdict v Chelsea: Horror show

Matt Cooper (Talking Wolves)

Reaction to the Result

Potentially the most spineless performance I’ve seen under the Nuno era. Wolves offered nothing going forward and found themselves constantly camped out in their own half, and with Chelsea having the share of possession, the only way Wolves could’ve been effective was on the counter-attack. Too many players went missing and showed a lack of heart and desire which won’t wash with this fanbase. I said I wasn’t worried about our start to the season, but we’ve rolled over and had our bellies tickled. 5-2 flatters Wolves.

Man of the Match

Raul got a bit of rest towards the end of the game. That’s the only positive I can take from that.

Something to Improve

Defensively we looked a shambles and were bullied by a one-man strikeforce. The lack of depth in the team means that players can have a torrid few games and their place won’t be threatened. The decision not to bring in another midfielder is looking a costly one too with the midfield three not performing. I’d be even tempted with a change of shape because it’s been lacklustre throughout the league games this season.

Clive Smith

Reaction to the Result

Not since Spurs last season have we looked so second-best in a home game. Chelsea were stronger, quicker and more precise in all areas of the pitch. Only in the last 30 minutes did we play at a tempo that brought out the best in us. It was a harsh lesson, one that certainly keeps our expectations in check.

Man of the Match

Jimenez only had scraps to work off. Had he received the same service his opposite number got, he could well have been the match winner.

Something to Improve

Surely we have seen the last of the Traore wing-back experiment. Also, tinkering with the defence (besides the unavoidable Boly change) over the last two games has worked against us.

Adam Virgo

Reaction to the Result

Absolutely horrific defending which at any level isn’t acceptable, never mind in the Premier League. In terms of general play until Chelsea scored I thought we were doing okay but when they took the lead, we just seemed to collapse and lose our heads completely. Vallejo and Coady especially were terrible, Abraham had a field day and we need to be much better if we want to start winning anytime soon. No wins in five league games now and the next two against Palace and Watford are massive games, we need four points at minimum from those but onto Thursday against Braga first.

Man of the Match

Cutrone came on at half time, we were 3-0 down and he was our best player by a mile. He acted like it was still 0-0, ran after every ball and got a deserved goal for himself. Right now he is ahead of Jota in the pecking order in terms of recent performances because against Everton I thought Cutrone played well. Doherty played well going forward when he came on too which was good to see, he looked himself much more than in previous games.

Something to Improve

We have now conceded eight goals in two games so it’s clear to see the defensive side of things needs huge work currently. Going forward I don’t have too many problems with, we can still improve there but right now if we’re going to be shipping goals for fun we won’t win games. Last season it was so unlike us to concede frequently so hopefully we can address these defensive problems, it’s also clear to see without Boly we are nowhere near the same team.

Rob Cartwright

Reaction to the Result

Bitterly disappointing result, but this can happen when we are not at the top of our game. First half hour was pretty even, but 3 goals in 10 minutes gave us a mountain to climb. We had chances to pull back to 3-4 and I think the late goal flattered Chelsea.

Man of the Match

Only 3 players came out of this game with any real credit – Moutinho, Traore and Cutrone. I’m confused as to why Traore was taken off after an hour, as he was the only player to create chances for Wolves. That said, too often he was ready to put a cross over and there was no Wolves player in the Chelsea box.

Something to Improve

There’s lots of criticism of the defence, but it was the midfield who let us down most. There is too of a much gap between them and the forwards, so the forwards come back seeking the ball. Hence, no one in the box and few scoring chances. It also puts too much pressure on our defence. Moutinho’s running and tackling puts Neves & Dendoncker to shame and they are 10 years younger! Also, when a Traore starts, we have nothing on the bench that can change the pattern of play. This is a problem for us.

Russ Evers (Hatherton Wolves)

Reaction to the Result

Well, we started brightly enough with some neat passes, but unravelled as soon as Chelsea hit us with a total one-off opener. After that it seemed to be easy pickings as Abraham destroyed our Boly-less defence time and time again, and we were out-muscled in midfield. The introduction of Cutrone and Doherty sparked a commendable fightback but defensive frailties cost us again. Other than Doherty and Cutrone, it would be hard to pick a player who did himself justice.