Wolves Fans' Verdict v Newcastle: A disappointing loss

Gallant failures count for absolutely nothing and our statistics are alarmingly bleak, but there can’t be much complaint regarding the levels of effort and commitment displayed by Wolves in this match.

To be undone by two screamers from distance after defending with genuine resolution against highly-rated opposition really is hard to stomach.

Newcastle increasingly found space to pressurise us as they chased the game and although Wolves could never claim to be repelling the attacks comfortably, there was none of the abandoned ill-discipline that blighted the performance against Chelsea.

Instead, the defence retained their shape with Dawson again inspirational and Joao Gomes acting as a monumental barrier in midfield encompassed by a prodigious work-rate that was truly inspirational.

He was well backed by Mario Lemina who similarly pushed himself to the limits of energy and physicality.

Complementing the two workaholics was Andre; the debutant never wasted a ball and displayed an uncanny ability to find a gold shirt every time he passed to a colleague. But ultimately, it all counted for nothing; Newcastle never approached their best yet the feeling festered all game that if they couldn’t fashion a way to beat Wolves, we would find a way to beat ourselves.

The dismal ending of last season and the unconvincing start of this campaign offer damning evidence. We are in a winless rut; hard to see any immediate change of fortune.

Clive Smith

Plenty of familiar cliches spring to mind describing this game. Unfortunately though, we ended up with no points despite being ahead with just 15 minutes to go. After a poor opening we clicked into gear and played our best football of the season so far.

MOTM Gomes was hugely impressive in midfield, matching the aggressive approach from Newcastle. Larsen’s role as a number nine target man was helping us retain possession beyond halfway while Mosquera also started to look the part.

Howe’s housery was in evidence as usual, while we let Gordon see far too much of the ball, putting Semedo under lots of pressure. We’d survived a couple of close shaves but following a fine passage of play we took the lead. It was a well crafted goal with Larsen and Gomes both deserving an assist for Lemina’s goal.

Three subs and a flea in their ear saw Newcastle start the second half stronger but we defended well while also looking good when we were able to attack. Larsen had two good attempts which would most likely have won us the game had either gone in.

We later made three changes, at least two looked to be due to injury, but we continued to mostly be on defensive duty. Protecting our box stubbornly however was not enough. Two long range shots saw all of our good work undone. With Semedo replaced, the match up between Doherty and Barnes always looked like an accident waiting to happen – so it proved.

A hard fixture, yes, with nothing to show from all our hard endeavour, despite leading for a long period. Plenty of good signs though, both from individuals and collectively.

Our obsession with playing out from goal kicks is an approach that has yet to convince me. Three or four times Johnstone came close to allowing Gordon to dispossess him. Once we started kicking long to Larsen we often got possession on halfway and my nerves improved. Why we continue to start home games passively also puzzles me, it takes away any ‘home advantage’ and crowd input.

Adam Virgo

1-0 up with 15 minutes to go against a Newcastle side that had Isak off the pitch and looked rocky for large parts of the second half is a game we absolutely cannot lose, but we somehow manage to.

The subs from O’Neil were all wrong to begin with. I felt some subs could have came on earlier as players were looking tired and Newcastle had made four before we had even made one.

I didn’t get the Hwang sub at all, surely at 1-0 it would be much better to bring on someone like Forbs or Rodrigo Gomes who are quicker to be effective on the counter.

How Pedro Lima isn’t on the bench over Doherty is genuinely beyond me. We saw what Lima is about in the cup and how good he was and it’s not as if Burnley are a dead weight team in League Two.

The way he allowed Barnes to come inside for the second goal is nowhere near good enough.

Andre was outstanding and so were Dawson and Mosquera. As a team we played well and definitely should have scored a second with the chances we created after half time.

The first goal was a pot shot and it’s deflected into the top corner, not much we can do about that but at 1-0 there’s always a risk they can equalise from anything.

The second goal was a fantastic strike of course but showing him inside on his right foot is disgraceful defending, Doherty was so slow trying to catch him as well which is another reason Pedro Lima needs to be ahead of him.

The run we’re on is very worrying and we really need a win ASAP to stop the rut. Villa away is going to be difficult of course but we have to go there and try to win, especially as they have Champions League this week.

Cameron Smith

It is difficult to come away from this game with any emotion but frustration. After being in the ascendency from the early stages of the second half, yet again a disappointing collapse cost Wolves not just three points, but any points at all.

An argument can be made that nothing could be done for Newcastle’s first goal, with the wicked deflection. This is just football at times and Wolves have provided plenty of away performances similar to that of our visitors; not necessarily being the better side on the day but coming away with the points.

However, to essentially show Harvey Barnes on to his stronger foot is inexcusable considering how lethal he is in and around the positions in which he netted from. A simple mistake from Doherty can cost so dearly at this level.

On a more positive note, Strand Larsen and Andre were both excellent, and I believe that the former will definitely find the back of the net for us given the right service.

However, as I have mentioned multiple times this season, naïve mistakes led to Wolves taking nothing from yet another match this season.

Robbie Meakin

The wait for a Premier League win continues.

Wolves played well in spells and the goal was a great watch. The megs cross from Larsen, the dummy from Gomes and the finish from Lemina.

Overall, I’d say it was a decent performance but O’Neil’s men threw the game away in five minutes, conceding two avoidable goals. Lemina failed to close Schar down for Newcastle’s first and Doherty gave up trying to defend against Barnes.

I’ve got to criticise a couple of poor subs from the gaffer. As soon as Doherty came on for Semedo, I knew we were in trouble down that side, and I completely forgot that Hwang was on the pitch for 28 minutes.

After the game, Lemina said “We need to change this losing mentality, get back to work and win games.” but I honestly can’t see where the next win is coming from. I’ve got no confidence in Wolves potentially winning a game until Southampton on November 9.

Something needs to change and quick because we’re going to get sucked right into a relegation fight if not.

I’m all for losing to Brighton on Wednesday, so full focus is on the league, with the next Premier League fixture being Aston Villa away at the weekend and I’m absolutely dreading it.

Matt Gallimore

Before this season kicked off, and having had a decent pre-season, I can assume most Wolves fans were delighted when we heard Gary O’Neil had signed a new 3-year contract.

Fast forward four games and there are now murmurings of discontent among some of us fans. The worrying trend of us losing Premier League games continues, and there seems to be no sign of the halt being stopped. We all remember the swashbuckling wins over some of the top clubs at the beginning of his reign, but the final quarter of last season has continued into this.

Now, there were excuses last season, crippling injuries decimating our small squad, and us probably taking our foot off the pedal once we were safe, but that is no longer relevant. Now, we look at the starting XI and the options on the bench, and we see possibly the best squad we have had since Nuno was manager.

But yet the losses keep coming!

In the Premier League, we have won only once in our last 14 , and have lost six out of our last seven games at Molineux. Two alarming stats which cannot be ignored.

The Newcastle game was the epitome of a Premier League football match, where small margins decide which side of the result you come out on. Get the second goal and it’s looking good, but until then you are always a deflection away from losing the lead. And even worse, losing the game!

It’s too early to have any severe worries about relegation yet, but this league is unforgiving and it is down to the manager to get this team performing and getting results. On paper it shouldn’t have any problems doing that, but serious questions will start being asked if this trend continues into October and November.

Harry Lee

Absolutely gutting to lose in that manner!

Is it bad luck to concede those two from long distance, or were we too easily inviting that sort of shooting opportunity on our goal?

There’s no doubt the equaliser is a stroke of luck with the deflection, the sort of luck we aren’t getting at the moment when the impressive Strand Larsen hits the post, or when Pope pulls off a world class save from Cunha.

But, by the time they had scored, there was only going to be one winner, the pattern of the game had swung into their favour and we were too slow to react with our substitutions.

It’s no coincidence that when Andre was struggling with an issue that we looked more vulnerable in there. Considering his starts for Brazil and late return on Thursday/Friday, he was excellent, and will definitely add something to the midfield.

The game could have swung either way, the stats suggest this, the pundits agree, but we have to be on the right side of these games and fast.

We are one of six teams without a win in the first four games, we’d all love a cup run, but the league has to take priority – for now.

William Meddings

To put it simply, this was a game that we should have won, but didn’t.

It was a game of two halves, defined by the substitutions and a slight bit of luck, but these are the fine margins that you are dealing with at this level of football. Newcastle got lucky with their first goal going in of a deflection, but the second one was really disappointing. By all means, it was a great strike from Barnes, but how on earth he was allowed to cut inside so, so easily is beyond me. It just looked like Doherty gave up on the idea of trying to force him out wide as soon as he got the ball, it was just so poor and frankly painful to watch.

I do believe that there are a lot of positives to take from this performance, again, we looked good going forward and the back four was the best that it has been so far this season. The way we created our goal was brilliant, and if we can continue to play like that then the points will surely start to follow. However, I can understand why some people will be worried about only having one point from a possible 12 – there is certainly a lot of hard work that needs to be done.

Matthew Spencer

Disappointed to lose that after going in 1-0 at half-time.

Newcastle are a very good side, but we should feel disappointed that we did not get any points from them at home. All the work done in the first half was completely undone by a drop in quality of players coming on as substitutes compared to those they replaced.

What a player Andre looks to be though! We were a lot better when he was on the pitch and the noticeable drop in levels when he came off led to our downfall. If he can get more minutes under his belt and last full games, we will have a phenomenal player on our hands.

I am concerned about the lack of game time Pedro Lima is getting. I have seen him play both in pre-season and against Burnley in the cup and both times he looked fantastic. In a game like today to not utilise him and instead opt to go with Doherty was a mistake.

I think Strand Larsen looked very solid up top and really gave Burn a hard game. The more he plays, the better he will be.

Points on the board though is looking bleak and with one win in 14 for O’Neil, things are looking very perilous. It may also get worse before it gets better.