Wolves Fans' Verdict v Cardiff – Let's learn the lessons

Natalie Wood

What's your verdict on the match? This game was always going to be tough. Not only were we playing a team who was also undefeated, but also a Neil Warnock team. Anyone who has watched football in England over the past 10-15 years knows exactly what to expect from a Warnock side but it appears the word hadn't travelled to Nuno and the team as it seemed to take them completely by surprise.

The first 20 minutes were frustrating to watch. After impressing so much in the first three games Wolves seemed tired, always second to the ball and lacking in creativity.

Cardiff pressed very high leading Wolves to hardly leave their own half, and when they did the play was shut off quickly by Cardiff. The latter part of the first half saw some improvement.

I had really hoped we would come out fighting in the second half but Cardiff stuck to their clear game plan and we just didn't have an answer for it. The defence throughout the game looked weak – Miranda was very shaky and it is slightly worrying how easily Hoilett could get past him for their second goal.

Normally I steer clear of criticising the referee and officials, however I must make an exception today. A Neil Warnock side is always the same – big, physical and able to play the system very very well and the referee fell for it every time.

Straight from the first minute tackles were flying in, many of which were very questionable however the area of their game that annoyed me more was the constant stop in plays for "injuries".

It became clear very quickly anytime Wolves were building momentum a Cardiff player would go down, the ref would stop play and the moment would pass.

The referee needed to make it clear early on he wouldn't stand for it but instead let it go. He had no real control over the game and it felt like from 70 minutes onwards more time was spent waiting for a Cardiff player to leave the pitch with the physio or to place the ball for a goal kick than playing football. As a fan it ruins the game.

All that aside the simple fact was we were second best. Cardiff were effective and when they wanted to they played very nice football. Wolves just didn't really have any answers for it. It is still only August so now we learn from the game and need to respond in the right way at Southampton and Brentford. Any other season I would be worried however there is something about this team and I think they will respond the right way.

Who played well – and who didn't impress? Bright Enobakhare stood out for me, he looked strong and the most likely to create a chance but to be honest Cardiff always looked like the most likely to score.

Chris Hughes

What's your verdict on the match? After three games and three wins against much-fancied footballing sides we returned to earth with a bump louder than one of our flair players being decked off the ball.

Cardiff came with a game plan to hassle us and stop our usual controlled, possession-based game and it worked a treat. Granted they were assisted by an abysmal refereeing performance that was so bad that it had some questioning whether he'd been bribed but, overall, we were beaten by a side who out-fought and out-muscled us and turned the game into a scrap that they were always going to win.

In a way this could have been the result/performance we needed for Nuno to get a real understanding of what the Championship is all about. Not every team wants to play football. Some come for a battle and to make the most of set pieces and counter attacks. Cardiff definitely made the most of their opportunities.

Rarely during the game did we seem to have our usual control in possession, with lots of passes being hurried and misplaced compared to our normal slick pass-and-move style.

There were still positives though. On the one occasion we really managed to impose our usual footballing style on the game we ended up scoring the equaliser. What we need to do is learn how to win the physical battle to begin with so that we're able to play our game against teams who set their stall out to stop us.

Without trying to sound bitter about a loss, the officials had a key part in Saturday's proceedings.

For Douglas to be booked for grabbing someone's arm on the halfway line when the referee had given the same punishment for an over-the-top challenge on Jota two minutes earlier and for an elbow to the throat of Saiss just before halftime was laughable but was indicative of the inconsistency shown by Mr Duncan throughout the game.

It was almost as if he expected Cardiff to be physical because of their managers' reputation and allowed them to cross the line of what's acceptable more often than they should have been allowed to, yet penalised us when we tried to match them and give as good as we got. How they kept 11 men on the pitch was astonishing!

Who played well – and who didn't impress? Defensively we looked a complete mess at times, with Miranda in particular looking very shaky both in the air and on the ground.

Russ Evers (Hatherton Wolves)

What's your verdict on the match? We were always going to lose at some point but the manner of the defeat was the disappointing thing.

We were smothered and bullied by an impressive, fast and very strong team who were as committed to their cause off the ball as on it.

Cardiff were in the referee's ear from the kick off even escorting him to the centre circle for the second half kick off and it was Warnock's men who enjoyed the majority of decisions from the man in pink.

Saiss was even booked whilst three Wolves players were on the floor. Cardiff simply did a job on us and they did it well.

It may be a blessing in disguise as Nuno is now fully aware of the hardships that will come our way and this game may prove to be a valuable lesson. No need to panic!

Who played well – and who didn't impress? Miranda and Boly were also given harsh lessons whilst Doherty and Jota retained their early season promise.

Heather Large

What's your verdict on the match? It was disappointing but we knew before kick-off that a Neil Warnock side was unlikely to let us play the way we wanted and that, sadly, our run had to come to an end at some point.

Cardiff clearly came with a game plan and it worked. They were the more confident side, they successfully disrupted our play and had more effective counter-attacks that exposed the weaknesses in our defence.

We just weren't strong enough going forward and lacked any real momentum. To me we looked tired and under-prepared for dealing with a physical side that were happy to bully us about the pitch with a few dirty tactics, aided and abetted by a poor ref.

We were also sloppy at the back with that solid defence that had served us so well against Middlesbrough non-existent for most of the game and an error from Boly ultimately costing us the point.

The match also demonstrated the need for more firepower at the front.

But I think, as Nuno said, it was a valuable lesson especially for our players that are new to Championship.

Cardiff will not be the last club to come to Molineux and play that way. We can certainly expect the same from Ipswich to name just one.

It's better that the likes of Ruben Neves, Roderick Miranda and Diogo Jota were exposed to that style of football early so they can be better prepared for it next time - although I thought the latter probably handled it the best.

But it's just one game and nine points from a possible 12 is still a great way to start the season.

I'm disappointed but definitely not worried or disheartened – although I'd be lying if I said I hadn't hoped to see another Neves wonder goal!

Who played well – and who didn't impress? I thought Bright Enobakhare had a promising first half but then struggled in the second before being taken off, often winning the ball only to find nowhere to go with it. I do think we have yet to see what he's fully capable of.

I thought despite getting manhandled and pushed about, Jota did well and looked the most likely to breakthrough their defence.

Referee Scott Duncan certainly didn't impress – how Cardiff lasted the game with 11 men on the pitch I do not know. It would have been a different game with a better ref but would it have changed the outcome? I don't know.

Adam Virgo

What's your verdict on the match? Neil Warnock came to Molineux with a game plan and it obviously worked for them. To be fair, I thought Cardiff were better than us and they pressed well but plenty of poor refereeing decisions didn't help us one bit. I'm not going to blame the ref for defeat because we could have played better than we did, we've shown how well we can play already but the level just slipped a little yesterday.

I don't think we played bad though, we kept the ball well and after the first 25 minutes we got into the game a lot more and started to create a few opportunities. Cardiff should have had a red card, Loic Damour left his arm out purposely to block Saiss off and caught him in the face. You can't just turn your back, stick your arm out to block someone off, end up elbowing them in the face and get away with it but the ref only gave him a yellow.

Scott Duncan is one of the worst referees I've seen in the championship for a while. From minute one he had no control in the game whatsoever and was just allowing all sorts of fouls to happen. To be fair to the likes of Jota, Neves etc. They got on with it and carried on trying to play football.

We couldn't get our normal flow of passing football going enough and they stopped our wing backs from getting on the ball and hanging out wide, which is key to the way we play. Obviously we can learn from that and if a team does it again, hopefully we'll find another way of breaking them down.

It was a typical Neil Warnock game, set his players out to stop us from playing which they did plenty of times, Zohore was a handful all game and he caused us a lot of problems. However, we've got nine points from 12 and prior to the season, looking at our fixture list, I'm sure many fans would have taken that all day.

Who played well – and who didn't impress? For me, our best player yesterday was Diogo Jota. The ball sticks to his feet like glue and he played a big part in our goal. He caused the Cardiff defence problems and had a big chance created by his own work in the first half which he ballooned over the bar. Cardiff were always trying to block him off and stop him going anywhere as they knew he was a threat but he battled very well and stuck to his game. Wouldn't surprise me if he woke up with a few bruises this morning.

I thought Bonatini did okay, he holds the ball up well and his link up play is very good. Obviously he got another goal at Molineux and I think he deserves credit for that. How many times did you see our strikers hang on the edge of the box and not get into dangerous areas when a ball was put across last season, too many times, but at least he was in the six yard box and tapped it in. 2 goals in 4 league games to say he's not 100 per cent match fit isn't bad going if I'm honest.

Defensively, we had a lot of trouble from Kenneth Zohore who caused us all sorts of problems, especially in the second half. Both goals were just mistakes made by the defence which happens, you can't be perfect every game. Miranda got beat far too easily by Hoilett for the first goal and he did struggle quite a bit yesterday with Zohore turning him inside out twice. For the second goal it was just a simple goal kick, Boly missed the ball which allowed Zohore to play in Mendez-Laing who of course scored past us like all ex-players do.

Douglas and Doherty couldn't really get involved in an attacking sense which is key to the way we play, and in a 343 formation they're so important as we saw in the first three league outings. Doherty looked knackered by the end, hence why over for the RWB position is essential. Douglas was finding it tough against Mendez-Laing who's quick, powerful and strong. He beat the Scotsman quite a few times but he's flying at the moment and when someone is that confident, they can be very hard to stop.

We move onto Southampton Wednesday where I'm sure there will be a number of changes considering it's only the Carabao Cup. It'll be interesting to see how we can do against a premier league side who will no doubt want to pass it about themselves. I'm more focused on Brentford on the Saturday which is more important than Southampton, getting into the third round and another three points next weekend going into the international break would be an unbelievable start.

Rob Cartwright

What's your verdict on the match? Well, I think we all secretly felt that it may be "fans' favourite" Warnock's team which forced a step back on us. I was pleased that Dave Jones was there to remind Warnock of our play-off victory, for which he has never forgiven us.

My observations were...Cardiff play it dirty. They "roughed us up" both on and off the ball.

– The referee was very poor and was not decisive with either fouls or time wasting.

– A few defensive mistakes crept into our play.

– Douglas and Doherty were given no room or time on the ball, which cut out a large part of our attacking threat.

– I felt we should have introduced Cavaleiro and Dicko sooner than we did.

Cardiff's first goal was very well made and taken. Their second should have been cleared well before the danger. As we were struggling to get the ball wide into space, I think we should have changed our forward formation sooner, as we had become predictable and struggled to get behind their defence.

That said, with the game at 1-1, I did think we would go on to win.

Who played well – and who didn't impress? There were a few off days evident. I was pleased to see an unchanged team but maybe some legs out there were tired.

Miranda and Boly both looked vulnerable and allowed shots from distance. Douglas and Doherty did not enjoy the amount of possession they had previously.

Saiss looked stretched on occasions and Neves/Jota just did not click.Bonatini and Enobakhare had to be content with scraps.

Our best players were Ruddy and Coady.

Let's call it a bad day at the office. I'm happy with the start we have made this season and think we will bounce back. I expect changes at Southampton and it will be interesting to see what team starts at Brentford next weekend.

Clive Smith

What's your verdict on the match? Foreign managers – ok, but they don't know the division do they? Ok, let's ignore the Huddersfield chap, he must have watched some videos. Although, didn't Solbakken watch videos?

Whatever, unbeaten British opposition with a very experienced manager, that was the next test. Bring it on, we are loving it so far, I say we are loving it. And, we'd love it to continue.

Cardiff and Warnock had other ideas however. Their direct and physical approach was evident right from the start and we failed the test. Long throw-ins and crosses into our box were usually met first by a Cardiff head and any half chances there were in the first half, were theirs.

They successfully took our game plan away from us. Where we had previously an outlet ball to our wing backs or wide front men, these options were restricted.

We found it harder in this game to retain the ball than in any other. Our passing was not so crisp and not so accurate – often it was played behind the player rather than to his feet. This meant our momentum was lost.

Enobakhare did find some time on the ball but his decision making was again flawed. My highlight of the half was seeing a run by Jota that had Bamba trying to stretch both ways at once, pull his shirt and then try to trip him - all of which failed and ended with Jota having a shot.

If Nuno had previously watched a Cardiff video then it needed to have been wide angle. Several times there was player contact made seemingly well away from where the ball was. Our man was the one on the floor.

The significant threat in the game was the pace and strength Cardiff showed. Enobakhare had been out-muscled in their final third and their counter attack saw Hoilett against Miranda.

The missed challenge and resultant pass inside our box saw a straightforward shot go inside our far post. Our defender was at fault. Too often each of our central three defenders had been lined up one on one. This time we came off worst and it proved costly.

As an attacking force we had been poor so it was hard to see us bounce back. Cav replaced Enobakhare and injected more pace and rotation up front. Chances and attempts on goal were still too few. We had no choice but to try and force the game to be played in the Cardiff half and risk being caught on the break.

It was while Dicko was waiting to come on that we got back into the game. Jota drifted to the right after Cav had gone onto the left. He managed to work the ball to the by-line and cross beyond the far post. Douglas made good contact with a shot towards the centre of the goal. Bonatini was Johnny on the spot to get the equaliser.

With a quarter of the game to go our hopes were raised. Ten minutes later they were dashed. What seemed a routine high ball up the middle was misjudged by Boly. We failed to gain possession and a neat pass fed Mendez-Laing. He shot hard and low, through Ruddy and we were behind again and eventually lost for the first time this season.

If you learn more about you team following a defeat then lesson one is now complete. Nuno has set us up to play with this 3-4-3 formation so that is unlikely to change. The concerns noted momentarily in previous games were more starkly on show today and exploited well by Cardiff. Our three central defenders were exposed at times and needed the additional cover of the two wing backs. Too often this cover was not there.

Many think that a goalscorer is the missing link. Our formation does not lend itself to playing the ball directly to a striker in the box. We do not flood the box with players, and we do not play the ball into the box quickly. This leaves the forward, currently Bonatini, severely outnumbered on the occasion the ball is crossed. The best goalscorer in the world needs the ball to do his stuff.

Despite our extensive recruitment we still seem short of options. Our 11 starters plus Dicko and Cav have been our nucleus. During the game I thought, could Batth, Bennett, Price, Ronan turn this game round? If we had Graham, Mason, Zyro, Gibbs-White, Hause available would they have helped? Are Costa and Marshall the only two that fit offer improvement? Is that enough? Is the squad deep enough at the level we need, or is this a slight over-reaction to a single defeat?

Perhaps other teams are indeed envious that we do actually have a squad of that depth and quality.

So we lost. We knew there would be days like these. Those who 'know' the league will expect Leeds, Millwall, Sheff Utd, Ipswich to have a similar style against Wolves. Whether they can execute it as well, or whether we can respond better is all part of the season's tapestry that lies ahead.

A word about the ref. It was a difficult game to control. He needed eyes in the back of his head. As I followed the ball I often failed to see clearly what had happened 'over there'. Certainly I was not sure about the contact on Saiss just before half time. The ref does have three assistants however and it would be interesting to know what conversations were exchanged.

We did not lose because of the ref. and it is another lesson learned for those new to this league. I wonder how distracting our players found the physical contact of this game (and the ref) compared to other games they have played.

They seemed to stay calm and have lower blood pressure and heart rate than me.

Who played well – and who didn't impress? Ruddy - again he was required to make a couple of decent saved. the second goal went right through him, but he was not given much chance to make a block.

The three central defenders probably all had their hardest game of the season and struggled to cope at times. Both goals needed better defending but at other times Boly and Miranda looked to be doing well on the ground but less so in the air. Cody lacked the upper body strength in some of the challenges. His position as the central back means he can not get away with this happening as easily as when he was in midfield.

Hopefully they will not have many games like this. It was good to see that most of the time the familiar calmness and composure on the ball was still there and they retained a willingness to carry the ball forward when there was a gap in front of them.

Douglas and Doherty were less effective in this game. At times I just wanted them to be full-backs! Sorry, I still need to be patient and buy 100 per cent into the 'Nuno Plan'. An assist from Douglas shows he did something right while Doherty made a challenge for a header in our box that might well have saved a goal. I guess they can't be fullback, wingback, overlap up front and be ready at the back post for the over hit cross all of the time. Mostly this season the balance has been right.

Neves looked neat and tidy on the ball. Cardiff tried to give him less time but he still looked at ease. He appeared frustrated - join the club! - but always under control. Saiss seemed to be off the pace towards as the game wore on. He had been chasing down the ball a lot more than Neves and paid the price near the end as we chased a late equaliser. Would like to see more of him at the edge of their box.

Enobakhare – he never hides and always wants the ball. He takes up good positions too. He was closed down quickly and when he took an extra touch or tried a flick it invariably meant we lost the ball.

Jota – he was often on the end of some of the underhand challenges but played on regardless. Some excellent footwork and looked our most creative player.

Bonatini – glad he got his goal as he has worked hard over the last few games for little reward. He runs a lone furrow into the crowded box at times and has to work hard off the ball to get open when we are slow at constructing a move that leads eventually to a cross.

A 30 minute Cav cameo seems to work. I think he can offer more in that role than starting the game. Maybe midweek we will be able to make that comparison.

Dicko, on for Douglas, but not as a wing back, was a bit leftfield! We were chasing the game and it looked last throw of the dice ... only to be followed by another throw – Ronan on for Saiss. Jota gets my man of the match.

Lets not beat ourselves up about the defeat. Heads did not go down and I thought we stood up to, as Mr Warnock said, the 'typical Championship game' (aka provocation) well. Other teams/players, might well have lost it.

The club shop may also have a new marketing opportunity...a fourth strip. One that is either skin tight, so it can't be grabbed, or made in a cheaper fabric so it comes off in the hand when pulled.

Russ Cockburn

What's your verdict on the match? Some of the football Wolves have been playing this season has been nothing short of fairytale.

However, yesterday had a dose of panto about it and the Welsh Widow Twankey put our boys through the wash with cynical effect.

Let’s make no bones about it, Colin and his Cardiff deserved the victory. They were on top from minute one and, despite a few off the ball antics and spending more time on their backs than an Amir Khan boxing career, they played some good football in the final third…especially the impressive Zohore and old boy Mendez-Laing.

Importantly, they stifled our full-backs/wing-backs getting forward and, in essence, that restricts the outlet for Neves and Saiss to pull the strings. When this happens, you’re looking for inspiration elsewhere and Jota/Bright (in some instances) provided it.

For me, what was lacking was a striker that really scared the opposition. Bonatini was tidy and is decent with his hold-up play. However, he doesn’t get in behind, he doesn’t run at defenders and he doesn’t…well…do anything that Zohore did so well.

That’s not a criticism, that’s just fact. He’s a different player and two goals in five games is the sort of ratio that would have had us combusting last year and thinking we’ve got the next Gerd Muller playing for us.

Defensively we also had a nightmare, making life too easy for Cardiff. Most of their chances came from lapses of concentration or individual errors

I’m also not sold on zonal marking. According to my mates on Twitter, everyone now does it…just not as badly as we do. We look like we’re going to concede every time the ball comes into the box and I’m not a fan of not having an outlet outside the box. If nothing else that stops two of their defenders from coming forward. In Nuno we trust I suppose…

There were positives though. Mainly through the talented feet of Jota, who took a battering but got up to show quick feet and an incisive attacking mind. Neves, although not as effective as Derby or Hull, also didn’t shy away and he will have learned a lot from yesterday’s battle.

The other positive was not having to listen to the Cardiff lot harping on about the win, thankfully many of them deciding to swap the green grass of Molineux for stroking the slots at Barry Island or showing their partners a good time in the numerous fields of the Rhondda Valley.

Four games in, nine points out twelve. That’s beyond most fan's wildest dreams and puts us in a good position to really attack the rest of the season.

You can learn more in defeat than you can in victory sometimes and I fully expect Nuno to have soaked up the experience and channelled it into honing his ever evolving Wolves team.

Southampton away and then old fashioned terrace against Brentford. Thanks to Network Rail we’re bringing out the Batham Party Bus for the occasion so the match report will probably be late again next week!

Who played well – and who didn't impress? Miranda put in the sort of performance that would have got his female comedienne namesake a BAFTA, whilst Willy proved that you need more than length and girth to fill the hole of a Championship defence.