Wolves fans watching on as their side lost 3-0 to Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United.
An interesting mix of comments (see below) following the final whistle.
First half goals from Isak and Gordon putting United in control, then Tino Livramento adding a late third.
Wolves fans with plenty to say after the game at St James’ Park, commenting via their Molineux Mix message board:
‘Bad day at the office with them getting 3 lucky goals.’
‘I think Newcastle worked harder than us especially 1st half but the 2nd and 3rd goals we’ve conceded are desperately poor ones to give away.’
‘A game too far in all honesty, though need to acknowledge Newcastle also played midweek.
We had all the possession in the first half but nowt to show for it, other than a helping hand in both their goals. They took their chances and err we didn’t create any.
Safe travels back everyone, just the Metro for us fortunately.’
‘i think we played ok. certainly not 3 goals worse than them. mainly the run of the ball was the difference.’
‘For me that wasn’t a 0-3 game, but I think we’re running on empty and definitely missing our injured players, and it showed.
Newcastle are a good side with some of their first team players coming back from injury, so other than the scoreline, no complaints from me. We huffed and puffed but it just wasn’t our day.’
‘Our small squad unfortunately. We didn’t play that bad, just no threat today. Newcastle had some massive breaks for the first two goals. Move on.’
‘Injuries really catching up with us now, and GON persisting with Bellegarde left us with a central midfield two including a ponderous Doyle, which left us wide open to be pressed by a team like Newcastle. Some hari-kiri panicked defending gifted Newcastle a comfortable lead.’
‘Looked better second half but the game was lost as soon as we conceded. We never really looked like getting back into the game.
Very tired performance. Ground we never really do that well at either.’
‘For me it was a pretty even game except the stat that mattered. I think GON got the starting 11 and tactics wrong. 2 vs 3 in the middle killed us on the transition. Especially without Gomes. It left Bruno G to dictate at times.
Dubravka decided today was the day he would learn to catch a ball aswell, which did not help.’
‘Newcastle had all the breaks today and it happens.
Ref had another decent match.’
‘At least we kept going and trying hard. All their goals were lucky and we did not have any luck with the half chances we had.’
IMAGO/Colorsport
‘Unfortunately one of those games. All three Newcastle goals had some element of luck. While our chances weren’t stellar, the Newcastle goalie still made some great stops to stop us getting back in it.’
‘Lost 3-0 despite the “luck”.
Wolves were never at the races and never did enough against a very average Newcastle side.
Let’s be honest, we were not good enough.’
‘We started in a way you would not expect in an away game against a good side, and it was costly. Newcastle sat deep, let us have the ball around their area, and set up a trap which we naively sprung. Somehow in open play, Toti is 20 yards outside their box leaving Kilman and Dawson as the only two back against a two man counter – ends up in the net (albeit with a lucky deflection). You should always have one more man back than they have forward in my opinion.’
‘Howe must have been very relieved that he wasn’t facing an inform and full strength Wolves team today.
Gary has turned us into a club that is a serious threat to any team………imagine where we might be this time next season?’
‘Two out of their three goals down to extremely poor defending. The first goal a lucky deflection to Isak.’
‘Can’t remember the last time when we were so inept at St James Park; part of the master plan pethaps.’
‘2022, Chris Wood 1-0 wasn’t great either. We had more possession that day too and did nowt with it.
For me, today was frustrating in that we weren’t carving out meaningful chances until an hour had lapsed. There was one point just before half time where I reckon we’d been passing uninterrupted for a good 2 minutes. As someone else pointed out we looked solid for the first 10 mins too. Not that it counts for anything!’
‘Shot ourselves in the foot with 2 of the 3 goals, the first being from a deflection, Newcastle didn’t do anything special throughout the game to come out with that score.’
‘One of those days I think. Newcastle seemed to get every break of the ball, and we were a little bit ragged. No complaints with the result but the scoreline felt harsh.’
‘We’ve been luckless in both games against them this season.
Struggling to see how fate likes Eddie Howe when everyone else thinks he’s a platinum plated…’
‘I think the result flattered them. We matched Newcastle in most areas, had loads of possession, just couldn’t break them down.’
‘Well that was a weird game. There was nothing between the teams yet we lost 3-0. I didn’t have high expectations before the game due to our injuries and tiredness, especially after I found Gomes was out. However, after the game started it looked like we were more than a match for Newcastle, they looked very poor. So many ifs and buts. If Neto had scored when he wriggled through early on, if we’d converted one of our chances when we got to the byline in the six yard box a few times, if the ball hadn’t ricocheted off Kilman’s chest for their first goal etc. We could have won it. Bad defending for the second goal and I lost all hope of a comeback after Neto didn’t come back out for the second half. The main frustration for me was that I thought if we’d sat back a little early on, Newcastle were never going to score. They caught us out on the break. That’s the game we play well and they caught us out at it, and wouldn’t have gone ahead otherwise.’
‘With Newcastle playing their cup game a day earlier and not having to travel, this gave them a distinct advantage, particularly with our small squad restricting our opportunity to rotate.’
‘Dominated the ball at supposed top 7 club. Put our injured players back in and we win that today.’
‘Reading the comments of both Howe and O’Neil have given some perspective
I think Howe knew if they sat in a little, we’d really struggle to hurt them.
They left Gordon and Isak high and looked to get the ball to them quickly. Both goals in first half came from a quick move like this. Both a little lucky on the finish. Last goal was a bit of comedy but it was injury time so game gone.’
‘It was a good time for them to play us!!
It was also a good time for us to play them …. alas we were so depleted!!
This will probably kick start their season again.’
‘never a 3 nil, we had plenty of chances to score, their keeper has a blinder…as usual… but this sort of game was always coming.’
‘Watching the highlights back, I did not realise that it looked as of Dawson was man marking Isak. He seemed to follow him where ever he went. Evident on both goals. First goal he went with Isak originally. Toti,Doyle etc slow to get back. When Toti got back he went out to block the shot from Bruno.
No idea why they decided so late to swap men. If Toti just matched Bruno G’s run then he could of sniffed it out.
For second Dawson followed Isak out into the midfield when he received the ball initially and this created the space in which the ball went into. Unfortunate for Sa that Kilman got in the way. Third goal as I said before was laughable.
The first two looking at them could of been sniffed out and it seemed to bore from confusion of who was meant to have who. Dawson being glued to Isak when would of been better served passing the man sooner. Is this a negative of the fluid 5/4?’
‘It felt like something changed after about 20-25 minutes, it wasn’t just the goal.
We had been knocking the ball about well and in total control as we always had a spare man it seemed.
Then Newcastle changed their press and we couldn’t do much as we couldn’t go long or over the top. So we were suffocated.
3-0 was a bit harsh but it was also a stroll for Newcastle in the end.
I think O’Neil got a few things wrong as the first goal simply can’t happen tactically.’
‘We lose our first away match since December 17th and the wheels are falling off.’
My conclusions:
I think only a small number of Wolves fans are seeing yesterday’s match for what it really was.
Any of them believing that Newcastle United didn’t deserve to win, are simply deluded.
They might have an argument that it was more a 2-0 than 3-0 defeat based on overall play but that is about as far as it goes.
So many of them desperate to think it was just lucky Newcastle.
Wolves had not a single effort on target in the first half and then they had three after the break, but all of those were half-chances at best and Dubravka, nor any other half decent keeper was ever going to let any of that trio of shots in.
Wolves did what they often do and played some nice football in non-threatening areas but never looked like pulling Newcastle apart.
Eddie Howe clearly was happy much of the time to draw them in, especially knowing that when regaining possession, the likes of Schar and Botman are so good at passing the ball out. So easily they broke Wolves’ press for all three goals and on other occasions, with great long passes (not aimless long balls) with Gordon, Bruno and Isak three on three for the first goal, they claim ‘lucky’ deflection when a Wolves defender threw himself in front of Bruno’s shot in the box but I would say he was just as lucky to block that shot, whilst if you shoot from 15 yards out it isn’t unusual for then another attacking player to get the rebound or deflection.
The second was actually an excellent goal. A brilliant pass along the ground from edge of our box to Willock on the halfway line, then a superb low cross that was quality from Murphy on the right. Nothing lucky about it at all. Particularly in the wet conditions it was the perfect ball in, as it was behind the defenders and the Wolves keeper could never have gathered it but knew he had to try and do something or almost certainly a tap in by a Newcastle attacking player. The ball was never going to be easily dealt with by a Wolves defender or the goalkeeper and very likely to offer up an easy chance for an NUFC player, which is what happened with Gordon scoring.
As for the third goal, an outstanding ball from Schar saw Wolves exposed at the back and Tino one on one with the defender, dribbled past him and then got the touch to score as the keeper came out to close.
Wolves never had any chances as clear as this one and indeed they were so fortunate to see Willock’s header beat the keeper but a brilliant defensive clearance off the line by a defender, plus Bruno put Almiron in and the keeper did really well to save one on one.
To sum up, Wolves had slightly more possession but never looked like scoring, Newcastle had slightly less possession and created all the really dangerous chances / situations.
Stats via BBC Sport:
Newcastle 3 Wolves 0 – Saturday 2 March 3pm:
Goals:
Newcastle United:
Isak 14, Gordon 33, Livramento 90+2
Wolves:
(Half-time stats in brackets)
Possession was Wolves 56% (37%) Newcastle 44% (63%)
Total shots were Wolves 12 (5) Newcastle 14 (8)
Shots on target were Wolves 3 (0) Newcastle 7 (4)
Corners were Wolves 5 (3) Newcastle 3 (1)
Referee: Tim Robinson
Crowd: 52,206 (3,000 Wolves)
Newcastle team v Wolves:
Dubravka, Trippier (Livramento 52), Schar, Botman, Burn, Longstaff, Bruno, Willock (Miley 70), Murphy (Almiron 70), Gordon (Anderson 90+3), Isak (Barnes 70)
Unused subs:
Karius, Lascelles, Krafth, Hall
(Newcastle 3 Wolves 0 – Match ratings and comments on all Newcastle United players – Read HERE)
(BBC Sport comments from ‘neutrals’ – Very interesting on Newcastle United after win over Wolves – Read HERE)
(Gary O’Neil embarrasses himself – Bizarre claims after losing Wolves lost 3-0 at Newcastle United – Read HERE)
(This is the photo that all Newcastle United fans will absolutely love tonight.. See HERE)
(Newcastle 3 Wolves 0 – Instant Newcastle United fan / writer reaction – Read HERE)
(Newcastle 3 Wolves 0 – Eddie Howe masterclass! Read HERE)
Newcastle United confirmed matches to mid-April 2024:
Monday 11 March 2024 – Chelsea v Newcastle (8pm) Sky Sports
Saturday 16 March 2024 – Man City v Newcastle (5.30pm) BBC1
Saturday 30 March 2024 – Newcastle v West Ham (12.30pm) TNT Sports
Tuesday 2 April 2024 – Newcastle v Everton (7.30pm) TNT Sports
Saturday 6 April 2024 – Fulham v Newcastle (3pm)
Saturday 13 April 2024 – Newcastle v Spurs (12.30pm) TNT Sports
>>> Read full article>>>
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