Express & Star

Wolves Fans' Verdict v Swansea: A missed opportunity

Our fans rue a missed opportunity but are confident for the replay after an FA Cup draw with Swansea.

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Rob Cartwright

What's your verdict on the match? This was an entertaining game, with both teams trying, without success, to steal the spot light from the “Premier League” referee.

He brandished two red cards when both deserved yellows. His stop watch also ran fast twice – criminally, for the minute's applause for Foz and then again when calling time on four minutes added.

It was not surprising to see six changes made by Nuno. Also, not surprised that all were able to slot into the team as though they were regulars.

Wolves started on top and created a number of scoring opportunities. Bright, Costa and Bonatini could all have broken the deadlock. N’Diaye also had a header well saved, before Swansea had had their first shot which was a direct free kick which Norris saved well.

The sending off of Vinagre just before half time changed the balance of the game. You have to be impressed with how we have coped being one man short recently.

A tactical switch, this time Douglas for Gibbs-White, and then other players stepping up to fill any gap. On this occasion, Gibbs-White had played really well for 40 minutes.

No doubt we will see him again, soon. N’Diaye was left to run the centre of midfield on his own and stood up impressively to that test.

I can’t think of a single Swansea shot while they had the player advantage. Certainly, Norris didn’t need to make another save until towards the end of the game.

Wolves could have won it when Hause headed over when a goal looked more likely. We then enjoyed a 15 minute debut for Wanderers new no.9. A promising glimpse of Rafa Mir who certainly looks the part.

Overall, a good game but a result neither team really wanted. It’s good to be in the draw and we’ll go to Swansea expecting to win.

Who played well – and who didn't impress? Norris, Hause, Gibbs-White and N’Diaye can all be satisfied that they made good of their opportunity. Bright and Vinagre may have some regrets.

The regulars all did well. I was pleased to see Costa have a good game. We did miss the ‘sparkle’ of Neves, Saiss and Jota but Gibbs-White in particular added some flair. Hause also had a very good game.

Bright has all the skill needed, but again, his decision making means there is a lot of improvement required. I’m not convinced. Cavaleiro came off the bench but didn’t really impact the game this time.

Mir did have an impact with three goal attempts and I’m hopeful that he will justify the number on his back. I thought Bonatini had a very good game.

Man of the match for me was Alfred the Great.

Natalie Wood

What's your verdict on the match? Overall I thought it was a very entertaining match that included lots of chances and controversy.

Nuno was always going to make some changes with the run of games we had and have coming up there was no way he could put out the same 11.

If most teams had made six changes you would expect fans to be sitting there trying to work out who the players were. But the players in our second string would walk straight into most championship teams. It was great to see the likes of Kourtney Hause and Morgan Gibbs-White get a chance. I went into the game quite confident!

In the first half I thought we were by far the better team, controlling the midfield with some great chances. Gibbs-White in particular impressed in midfield.

Vinagre’s red card was the biggest talking point of the half, it was a bad tackle but I think you could see from how he went into it that he wasn’t trying to be aggressive or cause injury, it’s perhaps something in a normal Championship game would have received a yellow card and a last warning.

I wouldn’t say though going down to 10 men really had an impact, the only downside was Gibbs-White having to give way, it would have been nice to see him get a full 90 minutes.

Second half was quite even, with some chances for both sides. Again Enobakhare did everything so well except for the finishing! I think it is quite clear there is a real confidence issue with him, if he can crack that he is going to be a superb player.

Probably the strangest moment of the half was the Swansea red, at the game it looked a lot worse that it actually was after seeing replays – I would be very surprised if that one isn’t overturned.

Who played well – and who didn't impress? Man of the match for me was Alfred N’Diaye, very strong performance, always chasing the ball down, controlling the game and always looking to move the ball forward.

It was also great to see Rafa Mir make his debut, obviously he was only on for a few minutes so hard to really have a solid impression on him but so far he looks sharp – looking forward to seeing more of him in the next few weeks.

We could really do without a replay (and the 300 mile trip midweek!) but at least our name's in the hat, however I think we could of and should have won first time around.

Part of me thinks it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world if we lose the replay, there are enough games coming up without throwing in cup games as well however I think it would do the club good to have a cup run, beating some Premier League clubs to really gain some credibility.

Russ Cockburn

What's your verdict on the match? The scoreline doesn’t suggest it, but yesterday showed how far we have come as a team and as a squad.

Yes Swansea are bottom, there’s no disputing that. However, they still have enough genuine quality in their squad and the team they put out yesterday to boss the Championship.

Our XI yesterday featured just four regular players and we controlled the game for large chunks of it, even when the ref decided to give the Welsh a chance by sending off Vinagre for a clumsy reach.

Alf was the pick of the players for me. Fuelled by a pre-match trip to KFC, he did the job of two players in the second half when he ran the midfield on his own. He offered great protection for the defence, as well as forcing the play going forward. What an abundance of riches we have when you consider the Senegalese midfielder doesn’t normally start.

Hause was another who impressed, fitting seamlessly into Boly’s position. He was strong, read the game well and showed why his future career should be best spent on the football pitch and not in some grimy recording studio in Digbeth.

I think what yesterday proved was how everyone is buying into Nuno’s approach. Regardless of whether it is the first team or the cup side, they all know each other’s role, they all keep their defensive shape and they all try to play football.

It’s a joy to watch after so many years of rubbish and I can’t wait for the replay in rainy Swansea…well sort of.

Who played well – and who didn't impress? As mentioned Alf was my man of the match, but we shouldn’t forget the impact Will Norris is having on proceedings.

I am pretty much convinced he will our no. 1 for many years to come, maybe from as early as next season.

Then we have the enigma that is Bright. If he was in charge of a firing squad he’d still miss, but there is a talent there and I’m loathed for us to ship him out and then some other club benefits.

His recent sub appearances have proved that he is using the ball better and I think that will only continue under the watchful guise of Nuno. We need to be patient…he’ll frustrate, he’ll do our collective nuts in and he may well have a moment of brilliance to seal a game we are faltering in.

Russ Evers (Hatherton Wolves)

What's your verdict on the match? I love the FA Cup and probably my biggest football wish would be to see us lift the trophy at Wembley.

Luckily we are still in the hat for the fourth round having been held by a Premier League side to a goalless draw meaning Will Norris still has not been beaten by a top flight player – or any player – this season.

We should have won having had several good chances to do so but had to settle for a replay in the deep south of Wales.

Enobakhare should be kicking himself as he had the best opportunities but unfortunately failed – but the dream is still alive. If the first team had started it could have been a rout. Lets hope we get a good draw and the incentive is there for the replay. Abide with me

Adam Virgo

What's your verdict on the match? A lot different to when we played Swansea in a friendly 18 months ago, that’s for sure.

Whether it was 11v11, 10v11 or 10v10, we looked the better side and had far more chances than Swansea to win the game.

The ref was shocking all game, he made so many weird decisions throughout. Vinagre’s red, looking back on it was the correct decision, however there was no malice in the challenge, just unlucky the way he caught Nathan Dyer.

Leroy Fer’s red was ridiculous to say the least. At the time I thought it was a yellow and looking back I stand by that. He stopped a counter attack but no way was it worthy of a red card.

We had enough chances in the first half to win the game, too many spurned chances along with some excellent saves from Nordfeldt.

Swansea seemed to play for a draw in the end, which to me is surprising considering it’s the FA Cup, you may as well try to win the game. With the position they’re in, in the Premier League, a replay is the worst scenario for them.

For us it won’t matter as much because of the gap we have over the sides below plus I doubt that many of our ‘main’ first team players will be involved, let alone starting.

Who played well – and who didn't impress? Alfred N’Diaye was man of the match for me. When Gibbs-White was taken off due to Vinagre’s red card he had to play in central midfield on his own. He was a huge presence and nullified the likes of Leroy Fer, Tom Carroll and Renato Sanches. Even though the latter got taken off for pulling his hamstring after attempting a ridiculous long shot, which was rather funny at the time.

Helder Costa looked back to his best, driving at the Swansea defence. He’s had moments this season where he looks like he’s back and then in other games he’s looked uninterested.

Hopefully we can see more of the Helder from yesterday because he caused them a lot of problems, his game is about pace, dribbling and being skilful so he needs to keep doing what he’s good at and I’m sure he’ll reap rewards from it.

Morgan Gibbs-White, in his first senior game for Wolves this season, impressed me massively. It was a shame he got took off just before half time, maybe it would have been better to take Enobakhare off looking back on it. He was constantly demanding the ball, spraying passes out wide and almost got a goal too. I’m confident he will start in the replay at the Liberty.

Kortney Hause, another one who’s had limited playing time this season slotted in perfectly. Comfortable on the ball, won possession for us a lot throughout the game and wasn’t afraid to bring it out from the back when needed.

I liked the look of Rafa Mir when he came on. Two great headers, one just wide even though the linesman flagged for offside and the other was heading for the top corner but Nordfelt had to ruin his dream debut, those foreigners eh. Made some good runs behind the defence too and hopefully we can see more of him next week at Barnsley.

Clive Smith

What's your verdict on the match? A game of opportunities – not least for the six changes in the side. Other than the absence of Jack Price the line up was fairly predictable. Opportunity too for the club to progress in the cup and beat a Premier League team. At the final whistle, although all is far from lost, it felt an opportunity had been missed.

We had sufficient attempts on goal to have won the game. Second best by a long way in the amount of possession in the first half, we still had four decent attempts to score. The best came when Enobakhare shot wide. Bodies were between him and the goal but to not hit the target was disappointing - I am sure others besides me in the 23,000 muttered something about Man City away under their breath.

Besides Swansea having more of the ball it was also noticeable their physical strength was too much for some of our players. Ironic then that we should get a red card for a challenge on halfway. Sad news for Vinagre but also Gibbs-White who had to be sacrificed for Douglas to come on and defend.

Despite that, we held our shape and were far from out of the game. The ref helped our cause by showing an unexpected red card, again near halfway, for a foul on Costa with over 20 minutes to go.

Our best chance came from a set piece – not the usual direct shot, but a cross that Hause met with a header. Swansea earlier had an attempt through Bony, but he wasted it.

We were able to see our latest signing wearing number nine. Thankfully he has not been labelled the final piece of the jigsaw, we wish him well.

The feel good factor from our Carabao Cup games was somewhat lacking at the final whistle. Hopefully the replay will provide us with that.

Who played well – and who didn't impress? Norris was not too busy but looked competent in what he did. Another cup clean sheet for him.

Same old same old with Doherty. Another good game, being positive in his play and looking a threat in the final third.

Vinagre looked inexperienced and out paced before being sent off. It looked innocuous at the time but TV showed it was an understandable decision.

Hause played a very solid game, looking like he was keen to impress, which he did. He could have really capped it had he put away that chance he had.

Coady and Douglas were both consistent and reliable.

N'Diaye looked strong in the middle. He kept winning tackles and breaking up Swansea's play. His good header on goal set up Enobakhare. Man of the match.

Gibbs-White showed some nice touches and threaded through several good passes. A chance with a shot lacked power and was too close to the keeper. Like Ronan, he needs to mature physically and improve his strength to be able to compete.

It was good for Costa to get 90 minutes under his belt. Although looking lightweight at times there was plenty of quick feet and turns that were good to watch. He still looks half a yard off last season's pace – it had been a full yard a month ago.

Bonatini took a while to get into the game. He was second best initially but found a way to contribute. No complaints about his work effort but rarely did he have possession in the penalty area.

Enobakhare played deeper than at Man City. He had fewer chances to run with the ball which is usually his strength. His confidence does seem to have taken a knock.

Cavaleiro failed to be the game changer this time. He was able to improve our corners however which had been poor until his appearance.

Rafa Mir made his debut, it will be interesting if he can make an instant impact or is one who needs to develop further. He had one weak shot and headed wide when offside.