Wolves 1 Newcastle 2 - Liam Keen and Nathan Judah with analysis
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00:00Hello, I'm Nathan Tudor, I'm here with Wolves supporters, Mr Liam Keane, Liam, Wolves 1,
00:13Newcastle 2. Look, we all thought that they were playing well in the second half and then
00:18two body blows and they are body blows. That's one point from the first four games, one win
00:23in the last 14 in the Premier League and we knew this was going to be a tough start but
00:28it's proving very, very difficult. Yeah, I've described it in the written word as
00:34Monu was left stunned and I think we're left stunned really by what we've seen because
00:38it was a first half that was a little bit cagey, there wasn't a lot in it, Newcastle
00:43maybe the right of the first five or ten minutes but there wasn't really a lot in the game
00:46and Wolves scored a really good team goal, a really, really nice goal, go 1-0 up, come
00:50out in the second half and they're all over the shop for five minutes. Half asleep, struggling
00:56to contain Newcastle but once they got a foot on the ball and they calmed down, Wolves
00:59were the better side for 35 minutes or so in that second half. Arguably having the best
01:06period of the whole match. Arguably having the best period of the season, up there with
01:10maybe the first half against Chelsea and they hit the post twice, they have a couple of
01:15efforts that Pope saves, there's one right at the end when they're two on down that Pope
01:18saves as well from Cunha and Wolves are just unable to find that second goal and you worry
01:24about them being punished by not finding it and they're punished in the most fortuitous
01:28from a Newcastle point of view way in Shah's goal. Wolves need to come out quicker, they
01:33need to close it down quicker but at the same time, you've described to me like this and
01:37I think I agree with you, it's a bit of a pot shot from Shah and sometimes you don't
01:40mind them from distance, sometimes you're going to get away with that, most times you're
01:43going to get away with that and it takes an unfortunate, and I don't blame Dawson for
01:47his role in it, but it takes an unfortunate deflection off Dawson as he tries to get ahead
01:51on it and it hits the top corner and from there Wolves don't really recover and it's
01:54that five minutes between the two goals where Wolves are struggling for any kind of control
01:59or grip on the game and Barnes shrugs off a challenge from Doherty, cuts inside and
02:02scores a wonderful winner. It's really unfortunate from Wolves' point of view, the manner in
02:08which they've scored the goals but they've not taken their chances when they had the
02:11opportunity and ultimately they've lost the game. And that's it, like you say, when they
02:16haven't scored that second goal and then you just saw them and we both said at that time
02:20they're getting deeper and deeper and deeper and inviting that pressure, you don't mind
02:23Shah, I mean look, Shah's scored some great goals from distance at the same time but it
02:27is very fortuitous, at the same time when you're inviting that pressure, when you don't
02:31know or you've forgotten how to win, how to close a game out, this is going to happen
02:35and this is going to happen time and time again, we're in the Premier League, you don't
02:38seal a game then you're going to have quality players coming at you and Wolves have got
02:42to do better because the fans are stunned going out there, you're stunned, I'm stunned,
02:47I don't think Wolves did enough to win the game today but they definitely do enough to
02:50lose it.
02:51Yeah, no, I agree, I think it's a harsh loss from Wolves' point of view. I think had they
02:56won it, I think we'd be reflecting on a pretty decent Wolves performance but you are right
02:59in that they didn't dominate the game enough to say that was a categorical win for Wolves
03:05today but we're sat there writing the intros almost saying Wolves have got their first
03:09win of the season because albeit they were getting deeper, Newcastle weren't offering
03:12a massive threat and Wolves looked like they were going to see the game out and it is that
03:16one fortuitous moment with Shah and Dawson and that first goal and it's a calamitous
03:21five minutes for Wolves in which Barnes goes and wins it for them and as I say, they almost
03:25got an equaliser, Cooney has a volley that Pope gets fingertips to and it's a wonderful
03:28save, hit the post twice, I know Newcastle did as well once but Wolves hit the post twice,
03:34Pope makes two or three really good saves, on a different day Wolves win that and they
03:38are unlucky but you also have to learn and know how to see a game out and Wolves just
03:43crumbled under a little bit of pressure and that's the most frustrating moment and most
03:47frustrating thing about that game because Wolves, the three points were there, the three
03:50points were in Wolves' hands ready to take and they threw it away.
03:53And like you say, if they do win that game and it's four points in the first four games
03:57you think okay that's fine, you know they move up about four or five places in the league
04:00and you think okay well they're having a difficult start to the season but that's fine, one point
04:05from four and it's a completely different story.
04:06At the same time, let's look at a few of the positives today and we'll be doing more on
04:10the Keenan-Judith Show tomorrow, positives and negatives.
04:12I thought Andre had an excellent full debut, was very, very positive and actually I only
04:17saw him for the last few minutes but I actually thought Carlos Forbes was very useful as well,
04:21a bit fiery but at the same time, I thought Jürgen Mosquera showed a good game as well
04:25or Ryan Akinori but there were a few performances that just need to raise their levels because
04:29they have started the season poorly, individually.
04:31Yeah and there's a few players we can mention, Larson gets the assists and he doesn't have
04:36a particularly great game, we'll go into more detail as you say tomorrow of the Keenan-Judith
04:39Show but Nelson Samedo had a very good first game back from his suspension against Forrest
04:44and then really struggled today and there were other players you can go through but
04:47Wolves and you pointed this out in the first half on social media that Wolves just seemed
04:52a bit disjointed didn't they, I didn't quite know how Wolves were trying to win, I didn't
04:56quite know how Wolves were trying to play, I couldn't quite figure it out.
04:58What did you think of the formation today, I know Mario Lamina was obviously sometimes
05:03the highest person up the pitch.
05:04Yeah he started out as a 4-2-3-1, Kunja in behind Larson, so very much the same formation,
05:09Fabelago on the left not the right and Lamina out on the right and he's played there a little
05:13bit for Wolves but it's obviously unusual to say the least.
05:16He then switches, comes more as a 10, Kunja goes out on the right, it worked and actually
05:20the goal that was scored was really from those two switching, Kunja picks the ball and plays
05:23Larson, the cross comes in and Lamina arrives in the box for the goal so I'm not necessarily
05:29criticising that but you've got so many attacking players on that bench and you're trying to
05:33have maybe a bit more control over the game, get your best players in there but I don't
05:37understand why that's not more of a straight 4-3-3 and I suppose it did become that in
05:41some regards with Lamina and Kunja switching but Lamina was very high up the pitch as you
05:46say and I don't think that's why he's best suited, I do think, I don't think he's necessarily
05:51a 6 but he's definitely not a 10 and I think that's pretty obvious, for me he's an 8, he's
05:57a box to box midfielder.
05:58Well, Mario Lamina was one of the best box to box midfielders in the Premier League last
06:02year in the purple spell that he had, that's where you want him playing but I guess when
06:06you sign a lot of centre midfielders and you've got to fit, and Garon Neal said on Friday
06:10he wants his best players, as many best players on the pitch as possible, if that means them
06:15playing out of position slightly, is that the payoff, is that the right payoff? You've
06:20got a lot of players there, a lot of wingers there today that will be disappointed not
06:23to be starting and I'm sure they will get an opportunity on Wednesday now.
06:27I think it's going to be wholesale changes, I really do, but at the same time...
06:29Is this a hole in the head game really?
06:31I completely agree, wolves want to win, they need a win, obviously the Premier League would
06:36be a priority but at the same time it's not a priority to go to that game and play your
06:42strongest XI, especially with Villa coming up the weekend and it's a Wednesday to Saturday
06:45turnaround as well, it's not an easy turnaround, I think it will be wholesale changes, I think
06:49we're looking at 9 or 10 changes to be honest, perhaps XI but I think one or two players
06:53will keep their place, probably at centre-back with Totti out at the moment and then we want
06:58to ensure they'll keep their spot. Wolves have got a relatively deep squad at the moment,
07:03their bench looked strong today, they were just unable to make best use of it towards
07:07the end of the game but they didn't have to make use of it because by the 75th minute
07:11before that shard goal goes in, wolves are in control of the game, albeit getting slightly
07:15deeper but the three points are there and I know it's fortuitous from a Newcastle point
07:20of view but it's so frustrating that the chance and the opportunity to win that game is in
07:23front of you and it's sweating you out.
07:26I mean look, after the eight game weeks then things get a little bit better but the last
07:30thing you want to be doing with these games coming, and look they are difficult, I know
07:33they've got to go to Bournemouth as well, which Bournemouth are playing some great football
07:36at the moment with a better side against Chelsea yesterday, you don't want to be one point
07:39or two points from eight because then you are adrift and you're battling to make up
07:44that ground, it's difficult and Gary Neal's got a lot of decisions to make, a lot of difficult
07:49decisions to make, haven't you coming up?
07:50Yep, Villa away, Liverpool at home, Brentford away, then the international break I believe
07:57it is and then Man City here, that's not an easy four games and obviously Newcastle adding
08:01to that and the previous three makes it a very tough eight game start to the season.
08:06You have to probably get something from a home game and you probably have to get something
08:11away at Brentford. Villa, being a derby, obviously Walsall Morgan are capable of going there
08:15and getting something but the way that they are playing and how far they've pushed on
08:20means that Wolves are certainly going to be underdogs in that game. Wolves need something
08:25for these games, yes the run after the City game up until Christmas is on paper good but
08:32you can't tell me that Wolves are guaranteed to go to any Premier League game this season
08:36and win it. It's what happens on the pitch on the day, Wolves have to get something in
08:40these next few games. I don't think Gary Neal is going to be under pressure, I think it's
08:43very premature to be talking about that right now, I really do, but you can't just say
08:48these four games are going to be tough, let's just wait for the next seven, no you have to get something now.
08:52And the way that I'd phrase it is that it's way too early to say Wolves are in a relegation
08:57battle but what you can say 100% is there are a lot of warning signs there at this moment
09:02in time and they've got to be put right quickly. Yes, the positives that Gary Neal will take
09:06from that is that in some part performances have been there within games, I don't think
09:11they've put a perfect performance together yet in any of these games but there have been
09:13moments in games and there was a long period in this game where Wolves were the better
09:17side, that's where he'll take the positives from but they have to have a bit more nouse,
09:22a bit more botter, a bit more character, just see the game out and again I know they've
09:27been very unlucky in the way that the goals have been conceded but they in some way, particularly
09:32the second one, were avoidable to some degree and that's the most frustrating part.