Wolves v Barnsley; Match Report

After being a reader of this forum for many years, I thought it about time I contributed. This is my first serious post. I’ve chosen a topic that you might appreciate. A report on a mid-week away match that many of us with work commitments can’t always make.

A lot has happened at Wolves this summer. New wealthy Chinese owners with deep pockets, a new manager (Walter Zenga) and an active late transfer window when they spent big, mainly on foreign players. For example £7m on Cavaleiro from Monaco. They average good gates (over 20,000 per home game). They play a flexible 4-3-3 and look a big, strong set of players. Zenga made 6 changes for the weekend game with Burton and then 5 to the team that played on Saturday.

The game started well for Wolves. Barnsley gave away a soft free kick on the edge of the area from which Yiadom made a miracle goal line clearance, ably assisted by a couple of blocks of follow-up shots.

A pattern started developing for the first half. Although Wolves were having most of the possession (62%), they didn’t really know what to do with it against a very well organised, hard-working and disciplined Barnsley. We had two banks of four which they simply didn’t know how to break down. Wolves play a style of football reminiscent of the Hill era.

In contrast when Barnsley got the ball on the ground they played a quick passing, incisive game. Players flood forward to support attacks and we have clever, intelligent footballers who were out-thinking and outsmarting Wolves. The best football was all being played by Barnsley.

Wolves most likely chance of a goal was through Barnsley defensive errors. Poor clearances from MacDonald and Davies had me reaching for my heart-attack tablets. Roberts was immense and Yiadom was probably my Man of the Match.

In the first half Wolves were reduced to sideways passing which always eventually fizzled out with a mis-placed pass out of play. When they hoofed it down the middle MacDonald and Roberts are so powerful in the air and Scowen and Hourihane were always there to pick up and use the second ball.

Wolves fans booed their team off at half-time.

The second half started at a frantic pace as Wolves threw more men forward and the game become more stretched. In the 54th minute Conor seemed to pull-up with a hamstring. In the dugout immediately below us I could hear Hecky screaming ‘Conor, Conor’ trying to find out whether he was injured. He carried on, but I’m worried if he will be ok for Saturday.

By the 60th minute the Wolves pressure was getting very strong. Our two front men had run themselves to the ground and the ball kept coming straight back whenever it was cleared. Wolves had two good changes around this time, neither taken. At 62 mins my match notes said we badly needed subs. Then the cavalry arrived.

On 69 mins Winnall and Armstrong, who’d both played well and given everything were substituted. I like Watkins; he has more physical presence and has pace. Bradshaw is a very clever footballer and he will do well in this league, don’t doubt it.

After the substitutions, Barnsley took over the game. Watkins had 2 shots blocked in the area that looked goal-bound and the last one fell to Conor who slotted home from about 12 yards on the 73 minute.

Wolves broke well on 77 mins and Adam took a booking for the team as he broke up the attack. MacDonald showed his defensive qualities again when Wolves got behind Barnsley on their left wing.

I was watching the new lad Jenko from Celtic warm-up. He looked like a rugby three-quarters rather than a football winger. Frightening acceleration and with natural big upper body strength. I wouldn’t want him to run into me at pace. He was brought on as substitute for Kent who was suffering from injury and running himself to the ground.

As Jenko came on, I loved the way Yiadom was marshalling the loan player into his defensive position. We didn’t have to wait too long to see his attacking potential.

On 82 mins Hammel killed the game with a trademark goal. Though not blessed with massive pace, Adam has astonishingly quick feet and an even quicker brain. With 4 defenders around him he took a chest trap from Watkins and drove into the area; the defenders couldn’t get a tackle in with Adam’s close control and trickery. He finished easily and wheeled away to celebrate with the Barnsley fans.

Then Jenko showed his pace and strength with Wolves capitulating. Defenders were terrified to make a tackle as he will just accelerate past them and they’d bounce off him. This happened on the 85th minute. Defenders backed off and backed off. Around 15 yards from goal Jenko moved the ball out from under his feet and lashed it into the back of the net. 0-3 to the Reds.

Jenko repeated the run again into injury time, but instead laid the ball across the goal. Bradshaw lost 2 markers with a drag-back and turn before firing into the roof of the net. A great finish. 0-4 to the Reds. Wolves had gone and it could have been 0-5 on 94 minutes when we hit the post.

What can I tell you about Barnsley? We won’t win the league (Newcastle look favourites to me). But on last night’s showing we’ll be up there. All good teams have character. (In marketing speak a brand.) Barnsley have a great team ethic; they work hard and are organised. Everyone knows their role and what they have to do. I’m so impressed by the Hecky and Tommy Wright, and I’m not easily impressed. It’s going to be a cracking season and I can’t wait until Saturday.

What can I tell you about Wolves? Nice ground but they need a proper scoreboard. Thanks to their polite and charming staff in the Restaurant. They really looked after our party. However, their team plays like strangers. They have no fight and aren't forward thinking enough. They gave up fairly easily once they fell behind. The Chinese owners won’t put up with performances like their team gave last night for very long.

My only regret from a wonderful night? I was sat with Wolves fans and wished I was singing my heart out with the Barnsley fans. As I walked back to my car I met Barnsley fans walking to the coaches. ‘Alreight lad’ I said to a 40 year old youngster wearing a Barnsley shirt. He grinned with surprise at hearing a true Barnsley accent amongst Wolves fans. His grin was as wide as the Silkstone Seam and he replied ‘Alreight’ in the best accent in the world. Hope you enjoyed the drive home.

Sorry for the long post, and I haven’t even included my player analysis.

 

A pleasant read. Thank you.

 

Great report, thank you. It must have been fantastic to be there. I listened on player which was very exciting but nothing like seeing it all unfold in front of you.

 

Great report , and welcome to the bbs .

 

Enjoyed reading that. Please write more often!

 

A balanced view untainted by partiality: well done. What a contrast to the wonderfully absurd musings of RedRain.

 

Not bad buddy... apart from it was Bradshaw's chest down for Hammill's goal not Marley..:tongue:

Oh and welcome

 

We reported on the same game, pal. I agree with every word.

For those who've only seen the brief highlights on various media channels, don't be fooled by them. For some reason, they all seem to give the impression of Wolves dominating and Barnsley taking over late on. That isn't what happened. We were always threatening first half, I lost count of the times we cut through them but failed to really test Ikeme in the Wolves goal. The home side couldn't get out. They had more possession alright, but in their own third, passing sideways and back and without conviction, because they couldn't get between the lines. They were heckled and jeered from very early on by the home crowd and so resorted to long balls eventually that were meat and drink for Roberts and MacDonald. On the very rare occasions they got into midfield or beyond, Scowen and Hourihane soon regained their shape or regained possession.

They did have a couple of early chances that came about through hesitancy in defence, but didn't capitalise. Our best chance probably fell to Winnall who peeled brilliantly off his man and was found perfectly by Armstrong, but about 8 yards out he totally mis-hit the connection when you'd have put your house on him to bury it.

Just after the hour mark the home side began to finally apply sustained pressure, in my opinion this came about due to Armstrong and Winnall no longer being able to defend from the front effectively. They had given their all, it wasn't an effort thing. Hecky soon fixed that bringing on Watkins and Bradshaw and from then on, Wolves barely got a kick of any real note or consequence. Janko joined the fray and frightened the life out of the full back. We could quite easily have run out even clearer winners. For 20 minutes it was as good as you're likely to have ever seen as a reds supporter. Hunter, Clarke and Wilson eras included.

Nobody in a red shirt had an average game, bad game or indifferent game. They were all good or more. But the standout performers for me were Angus, Yiadom and Robbo at the back. The non-league trio. It's scary how good Roberts is.

But Hourihane put in the shift of his life, again. I compared him to Redfearn last season and the way he's carrying on that will seem like an ordinary statement soon. He gave the ball away last night on two occasions, and had chased 30 yards within seconds and wrestled the ball back. In my job now I have to remain calm and collected, especially away from home. But that proved hard last night. It's a special thing we've got going on at the Club right now, I have no idea how special or for how long this might last, but if you're reading this (and the OPs report) as a lapsed supporter or need some convincing to return, then I would suggest you give Reading a go this Saturday.

Wolves aren't a bad side, nor were Preston. I don't think we've played a bad side (Rotherham included). But we can make sides look bad. The only clear and simple thing I can point to in terms of a key, driving factor in this amazing 2016 we're having - fitness. This group have it in spades. And when they tire, we now have reinforcements.

Last time we won 5 of the opening 7 games at this level we........ in red and white hooped socks.

You Reds.

 

That's a relief - I was beginning to think I'd imagined it! Any idea why it didn't show up on either the Sky or Player highlights?

 

I thought Sam had been momentarily taken over by the ghost of Kayode for that miss. Pretty bad. Still he scores more than he misses. Massive pressure on places upfront for us.

Was far too 'happy' to write a report myself and wouldn't have been as eloquent as the OP so cheers

 

Haven't a clue I'm afraid.

The 10 minute highlight package on Player with the over-dubbed commentary isn't something we manage. It's pre-packaged before it ends up with us. Same goes for the 2 minute highlights on youtube. Nothing to do with us. Obviously contractual, obligatory uploads.

That's why the full match replays are your best guide if you've not made the game. We've had technical issues today so we couldn't get that uploaded, but we'll be trying to sort that ASAP.

I'm assuming you went last night? It was the best chance of the first-half by a mile, Winnall's. Bizarre how one-sided the first-half looks when watching the various highlight packages.

 

From our match report:




On 17 the best chance of the first-half arrived, as Winnall totally missed his effort from six yards after a great cross from Armstrong off the left wing.

Read more at http://www.barnsleyfc.co.uk/news/ar...atch-report.-3305893.aspx#BmeV1T0T3T1mtXA2.99

 

Yep, I agree. There were definitely a few scares,but Wolves weren't booed off at half time after being all over us as the highlights would suggest. Our play forced them into doing their Keith Hill era Barnsley away team impression, and I'm sure that I checked the stats at half time and we were ahead in both shots and shots on target.

I vividly remember being able to feel the crowd getting restless as they passed it along the back line before booting it up yet again to Roberts (who won everything) and remembering exactly how it felt when we used to do that. There was a certain inevitability about it back then, and it was always because we were up against a better team. Last night we were that team.