Wolves' fans verdict vs Burnley: Utter dominance of the Clarets

Natalie Wood

What's your verdict on the match?

Our performance against Burnley was probably the most dominating 1-0 victory I’ve ever witnessed.

When I looked at the fixtures before the season begins this was one of the key games in my eyes. The sort of game that we needed to win but would be a challenge. I definitely wasn’t expecting it to be as easy as it was!

From kick-off we were in the driving seat of the game and never really looked back.

We played some exceptional football with Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho bossing the centre of the park again.

We created so many great chances in the first half it was quite unbelievable we went into half time 0-0.

Joe Hart undoubtedly pulled off some great saves to stop the likes of Willy Boly and Raul Jimenez but we really should have scored at least two of our chances.

Second half we continued to dominate the game with Burnley just unable to control us. As Diogo Jota broke free in the first few minutes I think the crowd had started to celebrate as he squared it to Jimenez who surely couldn’t miss a practically open goal... But no, still 0-0.

As we missed chance after chance I started to think it just wasn’t going to be our day. But we finally got our reward for a fantastic team performance, following a great run by Matt Doherty, Jimenez finished well for a very well deserved lead.

After that we should have doubled our lead at least but we just didn’t have that final touch. Thankfully Burnley were absolutely woeful and never really looked like equalising so our three points were safe!

Who played well – and who didn't impress?

It was a fantastic team performance, if you had to guess which team had just come up and which had won a place in Europe last year I know which way round I would guess!

We played with such confidence and our creation of 30 chances... That shows the level of domination we had.

Imagine a few years ago when we created 30 chances in half a season that we would one day create 30 chances in one game!

Wolves are such a delight to watch these days, the current team is easily the best team I have ever seen. They are always looking to drive the ball forward and when they loose the ball they are instantly looking to win it back.

There were many options for man of the match but the two stand out players for me would be Helder Costa and Matt Doherty.

Costa had one of the best games I’ve seen him play in a wolves shirt, he was strong and key in creating many of our chances. Doherty had another superb performance... If only he would push forward more, eh Martin?

The fact we scored one goal from 30 chances though can not be ignored. Some of the chances missed were awful and against a better team we would be punished.

If we can’t start scoring these chances we will be in trouble no matter how well we play.

I really hope it is a confidence thing for the likes of Jimenez and Bonatini who were the culprits of some of the worst misses but whatever the issue is it needs to be addressed quickly!

If we can sort out the issues we are having up front we have a serious team on our hands, a team that I really think will give any side in this league a run for their money.

Two wins in our first five games is a great position to be in.

Aside from the fact we should have won the game by a lot more, it was a great performance.

We have really started to settle in the Premier League and instead of the usual conversations of “Man Utd next week....if we can keep it to 2-0 that will be a success” the conversations are more along the lines of “we could go there and win” and if we can replicate this performance we have a good chance!

Russ Evers

What's your verdict on the match?

29 May 1988 at Wembley.

Two sides trying to resurrect former glories as 80,000 plus turned up to see Ally Robertson lift the cup for Wolves.

Fast forward 29 years and Burnley are an established Premier League side and have qualified for Europe.

Finally, Wolves have reinvented themselves and won the Championship at a canter. And just a couple of months later Wolves rip Burnley a new hole and despite being at only 75% of our devastating best, we win 1-0 which should have been 5-0 and could have been 10.

If anything shows our clubs complete turnaround, surely this does. Ninth place and the best is yet to come.

To borrow a classic comment from big (but getting smaller) Pete Davies, we are that close to Europe, we can smell the croissants!

Who played well – and who didn't impress?

Man of the match-all of them with extra special mentions for Doherty and Jota.

Old Trafford? Easy....

Chris Hughes

What's your verdict on the match?

Utter dominance. From start to finish there was only one team winning this game.

It was a travesty that we only scored once. 30 attempts but only seven on target summed up how wasteful we were in front of goal.

That’s definitely something to work on but the rest of our performance was phenomenal.

We were again driven by the two midfield maestros Neves & Moutinho, who revelled in the space they were afforded by Burnley setting up in a 4-4-2 formation that set them against Cork & Hendrick.

There was only one side winning that battle and we exercised total control over possession. And that was before we unleashed the beast for 25 minutes.

Having already had enough chances to win three games prior to Traore’s arrival, he put to be any opinions that he has no end product by laying three chances on a plate for team mates in a ten minute spell that were all frustratingly wasted.

Back to back wins and clean sheets leaves us all feeling not only happy but also strangely optimistic about getting a result at Old Trafford next week rather than our usual trepidation at visiting the Theatre of Dreams.

Who played well – and who didn't impress?

The goal from Jimenez was a lovely finish and made up somewhat for the fairly easier chance he’d earlier spurned, though even that could’ve been made easier for him had Jota’s pass been better.

Both wing-backs got forward well, with Doherty particularly impressing, and the wide men both performed well as a pair for the first time this season.

Adam Virgo

What's your verdict on the match?

Back-to-back wins, first home win of the season, another clean sheet and a fantastic performance all round. The only thing that was missing were a few more goals which would have been fully deserved.

Having 30 attempts compared to Burnley’s seven along with having 59% possession shows how much we dominated the game. Even only being one goal up, we never looked in danger of conceding, it just felt like a matter of time until we’d score a second goal.

In future games we do need to take more chances if we get golden ones like we did yesterday, otherwise against better sides we will get punished for not doing so. The performance was so pleasing to watch though, for a newly promoted side like ourselves to dominate a Premier League game like we did shows how far we have come under Nuno.

No one had a bad game and everyone who started got at least a 7/10. I thought everyone played their part and on another day, the game could have been at least 5-0, easily, although Rui Patricio could have sat down all game and Burnley still wouldn’t have scored.

If we can put a similar type of performance in next weekend at Old Trafford then there’s no reason why we can’t get a result there, providing we take any big chances we get.

Who played well - and who didn’t impress?

Matt Doherty has proved to a lot of people in his last few performances that he is good enough for the Premier League. Man of the Match was a tough one to call but he was in the top three players I thought.

He got up and down that right wing with success more often than not, he created the most chances in the game, got the assist and probably should have scored which was the only negative in his performance.

Defensively he had no problems and dealt with Gudmundsson comfortably.

Jonny on the other flank, had a very good game too. When he bombed forward, Burnley had no answers, they couldn’t deal with our wing backs all afternoon, never mind anyone else. Had Aaron Lennon in his back pocket too.

Coady, Boly and Bennett were all solid and they’ll have so much confidence gaining back-to-back clean sheets in the league.

Coady’s switching to the flanks was top drawer all game, Boly was a beast, this guy is just so calm in possession and when he has the ball, you play by his rules and time is under his control, well that’s what it feels like anyway.

Bennett is that no nonsense defender but very assured in what he does, he has done fantastically well in the Premier League so far and fair play to him, remember when the Norwich fans laughed at us for signing him on a free?

Moutinho and Neves really are a dream partnership. I’m still in awe at the fact we have both of them playing for us.

Moutinho has so much control in the game and you rarely see him misplace a simple pass or take a bad touch. Even that dinked pass into Adama was class. Same goes for Neves, mistakes for him are rare and when you’ve got two maestros in midfield, the game looks a lot simpler.

Jota had his best game so far this season, could have easily had a couple of assists but his pass to Jimenez early in the second half wasn’t the best and we really should have capitalised on the opportunity better. He looked confident beating players and destroyed Phil Bardsley constantly, he had no clue how to stop him.

Costa full of running again, when you’re a left back it’s hard dealing with him as it is but when you see Adama Traore coming on to replace him, you probably wish you weren’t on the pitch because that must be a nightmare to deal with.

Jimenez once again played well, got his goal, deservedly so and on another day he could have had a hat trick. The chance in the first half he could have done better with but Joe Hart kept them in the game. The Mexican played to his strengths all game, aerially he won so much, full of running and he was still linking up play to bring Costa/Jota into the game as much as possible.

Traore is such a good player to bring on, his pace is deadly and the way he beats players for fun is so enjoyable to watch. I’m sure that sometimes he doesn’t know what he’s doing himself but I guess if he doesn’t know, then how is anyone else supposed to.

Bonatini’s all-round game wasn’t that bad, he did link up play quite well and he was unlucky with the chance Tarkowski blocked because that was goalbound, but that chance which Traore cut back to him was golden and as a striker you simply have to score or at least hit the target from there.

Gulraj Kular

What's your verdict on the match?

For all the world I thought this game would be a slog. I had visions of stodgy Burnley defence, our attack running through the proverbial treacle of a rearguard staunchly defending its goal in the manner Burnley have built a whole reputation on.- a reputation which feels a little bit mythical right now.

Maybe I'm doing us a disservice, but we seemed to create chance, after chance, after chance.

It was a pleasant surprise and some of our fluidity and enterprising football was a joy to behold, as good as anything we produced last season.

What I really enjoyed was the speed at which we move the ball and the speed at which me maintain counter-attacks. We don't allow defences to settle back into their shape too quickly, but we need to compose ourselves better in the box.

We consistently snatched at very good opportunities and it seemed to me as if another one had gone begging when Jimenez scuffed one towards goal but we had earned the luck of a scrappy finish.

What will no doubt grate on fans' minds is how it wasn't more. 30 shots is an exorbitant amount for any Premier League fixture, let alone newly promoted side vs last season's 7th best team.

But we should also take solace from the fact we can almost afford to miss chances because our structure and knowledge of our own system is the perfect foundation defensively.

I remember one ball flashing across our goal, but other than that it was dressing gowns and carpet slippers for our goalkeeper and defence.

Who played well - and who didn’t impress?

I was pleased to see Diogo Jota have his best game this season. He reverted to his rugged self, taking his fair share of hits but he was consistently more direct than he has been recently. His relationship with Jonny is a real strength of ours.

Talking of the wing backs, they were the key to our threat yesterday.

It's so important that attacks do not fizzle out because a player slows the tempo of a move and Doherty - contrary to Martin O'Neill's opinion - and Jonny are both very good at keeping up the pace of a move.

Aaron Lennon may be a diminished figure these days but he simply wasn't allowed to be a part of the game as an attacking force.

It's also important to consider the relationships of our wide plays and the Costa-Doherty pairing were the key to our goal.

Adama Traore may be the glitzy and glamorous option right now but if he doesn't have the same understanding of his role in conjunction with Doherty as Costa, he should remain the option from the bench for now.

Raul Jimenez may not be the ice-cool finisher we'd all love to have in front of goal, but he is another who really oils the wheels of our attacking football.

He's more agile and mobile than people imagined he would be and his effervescence will trouble most defences this season. He's yet to have an ineffective game.

Leo Bonatini also appears to be reaping the rewards of his recent upturn in form, even if he should have done better with a couple of chance.

I'll be exhausting my copy and paste function for Neves and Moutinho this season I imagine.

CliveofBurton

What's your verdict on the match?

Not as exciting as the Sherpa Van Final but it was pleasing to watch. Our performances to date have raised the bar, so for the first time this season we went into a game expecting to win. It's good when a plan comes together.

We played well for all the ninety minutes and thoroughly deserved the win.

Our high tempo was maintained the whole game and with tactical substitutions in the last quarter of the game it was a good day at the office.

To mimic Nuno, it was all about the pack.

There is an uncanny knowledge of where a colleague is, and a willingness to work together. It helps us move the ball quickly and from side to side.

We often won the ball back in advanced positions, as we did for the goal at WHU.

Defensively we looked in control and only on set pieces did Burnley offer a threat. Burnley too defended resolutely with Hart in form and bodies being there to block several of our shots.

Our play was inventive. We often played the ball inside the full back to a willing runner and varied our corners to try and evade their big guys.

Player movement was impressive throughout with Jimenez, Costa and Jota frequently swapping positions, running the channels and exchanging passes.

To have so many attempts on goal was impressive - only the end product could be criticised.

Apparently we are the only team in the PL who line up 3-4-3. We have adapted well to this formation and it works for us with and without the ball.

There is a concern that with a couple of exceptions, changing our starting eleven, means our level of quality drops significantly. I guess we can worry about that another time.

Having a decent points tally now, to compliment our performances, is reason enough to be optimistic.

Who played well - and who didn’t impress?

Rui Patricio had probably his easiest game so far. Hardly involved at all.

Meanwhile Jonny Otto had his best game of the season. He is becoming more of an attacking threat with each game but also looked solid in defence. With his good tackling in advanced positions, he gets my MOTM just ahead of a few others.

Doherty had so many touches in the final third where he played as a winger. He made overlapping runs, inside runs, one twos and provided an assist. He should however have scored when Jimenez laid it on a plate for him, just as happened in reverse at West Ham.

Bennett did well to manage the aerial attack aimed in his direction. His form continues to be solid.

I thought Coady might struggle against the two pronged attack but he coped well. His long range passing continues to impress.

Boly looked like he did for most of last season. Always in control, time on the ball, never ruffled. He also had a decent shot from the edge of the box that was just over the bar.

Neves again looked like he was enjoying himself. His control and touch continue to be most impressive. Only in the last ten minutes did he fade, lost possession twice and got booked.

Moutinho in tandem with Neves hunted down the ball time and time again. The Burnley midfield could not rest in possession and he often created a turnover. He uses the ball so well too, quickly bringing others into the game.

Costa continues to improve but it was two tackles to win the ball rather than his goal attempts that were his memorable highlights. That is something he had added to his game. More composure, as he gets more experience, will help no end when he has the ball in the box.

Again Jota had some excellent opportunities to score. He should have taken the chance just after half time. He was more involved in the game and looked sharp until it came to shooting or making that final pass. His body language looked better than in some earlier games.

I do like the way Jimenez plays. Totally unselfish, he helps the player with the ball and chases lost causes all the time. He directs headers cleverly to keep possession and has an eye for goal. If he can improve his finishing he can be a real asset for us this season.

Traore might not always be a game changer but he certainly changes the mood of everyone on and off the pitch. The expectation in the crowd seems to lift the players too. Even this cameo performance led to several half chances for him and others.

Bonatini had another 'if only' game. At least three times he had the ball inside their box with a great chance to score. He, more than any other player, needs to improve his finishing.

MGW had just five minutes on the field.

Rob Cartwright

What's your verdict on the match?

I’m feeling very satisfied about all things Wolves today.

We are watching exciting and skilful football from some of Europe’s best current and future stars.

We have a manager who is more concerned about his own players than the opposition and plans to attack.

We have seen an unchanged team for the five league games, with other players like Traore chomping on the bit to be unleashed from the start.

We have just seen them completely out-play the team who finished 7th last season.

Sure, with 30 attempts on goal the result should have been more convincing; but I’d take this over a scrappy 1-0 win, against the run of play, any day.

We have arrived at the top table of football and we look very comfortable here.

“Hands up if you love the Wolves” - more of the same for me please!

We took the game to Burnley. We dominated possession and used the full width of the pitch to create a wave of openings.

No kick and rush here, we use pass and move all over the pitch. Burnley looked like the punch drunk heavyweight boxer, incoherently staggering around; not really sure how to respond.

We really should have scored more. The concern at half time was that we may live to regret this. We needn’t have worried, as we started the second half just the same and if anything stepped up a gear.

A glaring miss from Jimenez was soon followed up with his goal, following some fabulous play and pull back from the impressive Doherty.

In the final half hour, we could/should have scored more goals with Jota, Boly, Jimenez, Bonatini, Neves and a Traore all going close from good positions, in and around the Burnley box.

Doherty missed probably the best chance, at the end, following another great move and run into the box.

Who played well - and who didn't impress?

I can see why Nuno is sticking to the same XI. Every one of them is showing improvement and there were a number of very good performances yesterday. It would be difficult to name any Wolves player who didn’t do what was asked of him.

Doherty had a fabulous game. He never stopped running, had lots of the ball and was involved in a lot of our most dangerous play. He got an assist and almost a goal at the end.

I thought both Costa and Jota had their best games of this season. Having Traore on the bench will do them the power of good. They looked sharp and were hungry to get the ball and take on the defender.

Otto had probably his best game, adding an effective attacking dimension to his already solid defending aspects. The back 3 all looked solid with Boly standing out for his ventures up field and a couple of goal scoring chances going close.

Mourinho and Neves are the engine that makes Wolves purr. They dictated the play here again to good effect.

Jimenez contributes a great deal. He’s a very good number 9. We need more goals from him as he appears to miss when he has time to think about his options. With no time he looks more effective when his reaction has to be spontaneous, as with this goal.

Bonatini had a mare in front of goal and could have scored a hat trick during his short time on the pitch. Patricio was unemployed to a large extent.

Traore knocked on the door once more. He had just under half an hour and made his mark on the game with pace taking on defenders and crosses into the box.

This was a 1-0 thrashing. The TV pundits are beginning to take note and noticing the things we were talking about a year ago. Nuno has a challenge to keep a lid on all the hype.

That job will be a whole lot tougher after we go to Old Trafford next week and bring the three points home!