Wolves Fans' Verdict v Spurs: Bittersweet night at Molineux

Rob Cartwright

What's your verdict on the match?

I have an overwhelming feeling of injustice today.

We deserved to take at least a point and would have done if Jimenez's ‘goal’ at the end of first half was not wrongly denied for offside. Not one, but two Tottenham players were playing Doherty on side.

Apart from that, fans left Molineux feeling very proud in defeat, after a stirring performance in the second half and in particular the last half hour when Wolves really took the game to Spurs.

They were unable to make amends for a sloppy first half when our defending was caught short twice in a matter of three minutes.

I was unhappy with our first half performance in general. Yes we played good football, but I felt it was a lazy performance; playing our usual way without adapting to the changing tactics of the opposition. We were locked in our comfort zone.

Meanwhile, Tottenham changed to playing four up front and moving the ball quickly to them. Their one-touch football was too quick for us and they were able to stretch our defence which not only caused gaps there but curtailed our wing backs.

Lamela and Moura were given the Freedom of Wolverhampton in our box and both scored.

Wolves came out fighting at start of the second half.

Jimenez went close with a good effort, just over the bar. Neves kept a long range effort low for Lloris to push wide.

When Nuno made his first two subs, Kane had added a third.

Both Bonatini and Gibbs-White made a positive difference. Gibbs-White had his best time in a first team shirt and was rightly picked out by the panel on Match of the Day. It was his energy and positivity with the ball that inspired our comeback.

Bonatini was involved too, providing the assists to both penalties.

When Gibbs-White put Costa through on goal with a perfect pass, he must score. He put it wide. A terrible miss.

Wolves were well on top now and the atmosphere inside Molineux was electrifying. We kept going forward, hopeful of an equaliser. We had a Tottenham rattled, but they had both the quality and the style to see the game out.

Disappointing, but a fantastic evening of entertainment.

Who played well – and who didn't impress?

Patricio had a mixed night – parrying shots and some wayward kicks.

Jonny had a poor first half but recovered well in the second. Doherty was good throughout. Coady was the pick of the defence for me. Bennett was looking stretched. Either he or Boly should have cut out Lamela for the first goal.

Neves and Moutinho both played too deep in this game. There was space further forward in midfield as Spurs pushed men up. We did not fill the gap until Gibbs-White came on.

Jimenez was excellent and deserved his ‘two’ goals. Costa played well but really should have scored. Traore didn’t really get long enough. I think he could have come on 10 minutes sooner to impact more.

Man of Match was Gibbs-White, who had a fabulous half hour and instigated our comeback. Overall, a highly entertaining game with more positives than negatives to take away.

Natalie Wood

What's your verdict on the match?

Another game where we played very well but got absolutely nothing out of it!

Before getting into the match itself I think it is worth highlighting the superb remembrance commemoration before kick-off. The lights dropping, the poppies in the Steve Bull highlighting the loss from our city and the single fire work at the end were all just perfect – a really special moment.

Going onto the match, I was really looking forward to this one. Spurs are a great team and one I had been looking forward to seeing down the Molineux... they also felt like a team we could nick something from!

The first few minutes we matched Spurs really well and it looked like it could be quite an even game, we held midfield well and our defence looked organised, Boly especially looked sharp and very confident.

We created some good chances with Jimenez and Doherty both going close. But after 25 minutes Spurs highlighted the difference between the two teams...clinical finishing!

Yet again two goals in very quick succession pretty much ended the game in my eyes!.Both goals were really too easy, especially the second. How the smallest player on the pitch managed to score with an unchallenged header I will never know.

There is a worrying trend emerging of us conceding and our defence just losing the plot for the next few minutes... a trend we could do with stopping quite quickly!! We then did manage to get the ball in the back of the net but it was flagged offside, it is always very difficult to tell live if decisions were right or not but obviously in hindsight it was the wrong decision. Yes it may have been a completely different game if we had gone into the second half 2-1 down but what can you do?

The second half I had hoped Wolves might come out with a fresh outlook and we did for the first 10 minutes. Jimenez and Neves both had great chances saved. But shortly after that we just crumbled again so easily to let Kane make it 3-0. You felt Molineux completely deflate, at times we were completely toe-to-toe with Spurs but a lapse in concentration cost us again – it felt like game over!

We undoubtedly battled hard for the rest of the game and probably did deserve to get a point but only due to our hard work, not because of the chances we created!

There is such an underlying issue that people just don’t seem to be mentioning, we are not scoring goals! We are doing absolutely everything right in the build-up and playing some lovely football but then just seem clueless once we get near the box. A prime example being Costa's miss during the second half... there are no words! Jimenez is still struggling to be our out-right goal scorer and I’m just not sure he ever will be.

Our biggest threat at the moment is Traore and while I don’t think he should be starting each week I think he is the first substitution in the second half we should be making the opposition is beginning to tire and when we need a goal....not Bonatini.

I really don’t want to sound too negative and I need to keep some perspective because we are 11th in the premier league... 11th! We are playing some great football, the type of football we all dreamed of watching Wolves play, and when you look at our performances so far this season they are mainly filled with positive memories of a newly-promoted team really showing what they can do and looking like an experienced Premier League side.

However, I am getting more and more frustrated that we are not taking our chances. Ultimately we can play the best football ever seen down the Molineux but if we don’t score it just doesn’t matter. Yet again I’m sure next week I will be saying how well we played against Arsenal. I just hope something clicks this week and we can start finding the net!

Who played well – and who didn't impress?

One big positive from the Spurs match for me is Morgan Gibbs-White's performance. Even though he only played 30 minutes, he would be my man of the match. He defended well and moved the ball forward quickly. He brought Wolves back to life and other players who had being struggling and beginning to tire completely changed when he was on the pitch – a real star for the future.

There was sadly a slightly longer list of players that didn’t play the best! Doherty wasn’t up to his normal standard, quite sloppy and lazy at times. Neves again wasn’t up to standard, giving the ball away easily and making lots of lazy passes. Neves continues to be a vital player for us but at the moment he is just fading into the background, something just isn’t right with him.

Clive Smith

What's your verdict on the match?

Sometimes a lot can happen in ninety minutes and this game was one of those where plenty was going on.

For twenty minutes Wolves held their own, just, and had a couple of half chances. The tempo of the game was noticeably quicker than anything besides the City game. Spurs' movement off the ball meant they always had passing options and the ball was played swiftly and accurately.

For the third time this season we were hit with a double whammy. Otto had been caught offside twice which shows where he was playing a lot of the time. It did however mean there was lots of space for Spurs to exploit when they had possession.

You could sense the disappointment in the ground, but not so on the pitch. Some of us may have feared a drubbing but the team rose to the challenge. There was some relief in reaching half time still at 2-0 and it could have been better if a well worked move ending with Jimenez 'scoring' had has not been ruled out.

After the break Wolves started to offer more threat in the final third. Neves and Costa in particular started to be more influential. Jimenez and Costa both had attempts. We had a couple of corners and one fell to Neves. He made excellent contact and his hard low shot looked destined to find the net. Annoyingly Lloris made an excellent save.

Perhaps all was not lost.

A few minutes later it surely was as against the run of play, a chance, a descent save and Kane put away the rebound and 3-0, the result also put to bed. Ironically, we had two subs standing ready to change the game, as that goal went in. Their job just got harder.

Amazingly the game was not over by a long way. Jimenez was brought down in the box and the penalty converted by Neves. MGW played a delicious pass up the middle to give Costa a one-on-one, but his effort was just wide.

Otto, who had continued to be in advanced positions at every opportunity, was then fouled in the box. Not trusting Neves to go in their box twice in a game gave Jimenez the chance get a goal.

Could it happen? Thoughts of the 0-3 becoming 4-3 against Leicester came to mind. We huffed and puffed, holding our breath when they attacked, while no-one dared to leave the game early. It was not to be however.

Kane, in the flesh, looked the real deal. Always strong in every situation, he reminded me of a nicer version of Didier Drogba, using his body to put in a challenge before the ball arrives and hitting the ball so hard and true and with purpose.

At the end of the day we were left with, an extremely sore throat, and without a point. However both on and off the pitch I was proud of my club. We may have lacked quality at times but each player showed good character, desire, commitment and deserved to wear the shirt. There will be similar challenges ahead but we continue to grow as a team and a club.

Who played well – and who didn't impress?

Patricio made three good saves, and was a bit unlucky with a couple of the goals.

As an attacking wing back Otto had a positive impact but when moves broke down (and our crosses were poor today so moves broke down frequently) he leaves the back three very vulnerable and over stretched.

Doherty was on the end of a constant stream of accurate diagonal passes and was good in possession even though he could not get in their box as often as some games. Like with Otto, he also left the defence exposed when possession was lost – the second goal springs to mind.

Both Boly and Coady had decent games. They were able to find that extra couple of seconds on the ball to help rotate it. Against an unbelievably quick attack they covered and coped well. A missed header by Boly contributed to the third goal.

Bennett picked up an early card and looked uncomfortable. When rushed too often he gave the ball away cheaply.

On the ball MOTM Neves and Moutinho played well, Neves in particular, despite the score, played better the longer the game went on. When Spurs had the ball though they struggled. As with Watford, they were second best physically and the speed of passing saw them often outplayed which left the defence lacking that extra cover.

Costa did lots of good creative things during the game but the final ball, or shot, needed to be better.

Again Jimenez ran himself into the ground, his work rate is commendable. He deserved to get on the scoresheet. He lacked the physical presence of 'a Kane' but had neat footwork and was clever with his back to goal.

Cavaleiro maybe lacking match fitness but he looked out of his depth today. Too many flicks were wasteful and he looked out of sync with his team mates.

Bonatini and Gibbs-White came on with thirty minutes to go and the game just at 0-3. They put in contrasting performances. Bonatini continues to look off form (how long has it been?!).

MGW (ahead of Saiss in the pecking order) however put in a hugely encouraging effort. Busy, and wanting the ball constantly, he helped to slightly shift the momentum of the game our way.

Traore had just a few minutes to try and engineer the comeback but was too much head down when on the ball when what we wanted was just a couple of decent crosses.

Russ Evers (Hatherton Wolves)

What's your verdict on the match?

So three bogey teams in a row and the usual three defeats.

We pushed Tottenham but they won it, like Watford and Brighton, by being more clinical.

Spurs' purple patch came after a good opening 20 minutes from Nuno's men. The Champions League quality of their passing seemed to create gaps in our system that had not appeared before and their final touch was class.

There is a difference between the top six and the rest, nicely summed up by Kane's goal – having a right-footed shot saved by Rui but smashing in the rebound with his left foot – and Costa poking a one-on-one wide for us from a similar distance.

Fine lines, which cannot be said about the appalling offside decision to rob us of starting the comeback earlier.

In the end, we battled and fought, possibly deserving something but this is an unforgiving league. Just Arsenal next, but we are still looking good and they still make me proud.

Chris Hughes

What's your verdict on the match? Another frustrating night.

For 25 minutes we controlled the game and restricted a very average-looking Spurs team to one chance but then, for the second successive game, we conceded a quick fire double to give ourselves another mountain to climb.

The two wing-backs will be disappointed with themselves for the goals. Jonny allowed Lamela to run free off him got the opener while Doherty’s ambling back into position left Lucas Moura unmarked at the back post for the second. Bennett’s positioning was also questionable for the second.

That sparked a spell of good pressure for Spurs as they picked up with the increased confidence of a couple of goals but we still managed to create a great chance for Raúl to pull a goal back, only for it to be chalked off for offside.

The linesman must’ve joined the rest of us on all-day drinking sessions and puddled his brain on real ale to have thought that Doherty had strayed offside. Alas, our opportunity to have gone in at half-time with just a one goal deficit was denied.

For the first 15 minutes of the second half we were again the side doing the pressing and making Hugo Lloris work hard, with Raúl, Costa and Neves all testing the Frenchman.

Annoyingly we then conceded again to what was a pretty basic route one goal. The back three got themselves into all sorts of a positional mess as Boly challenged Kane for the initial header and left Lamela free.

When Coady moved to close him down Bennett got touch tight to Kane but the inexplicably dropped off and left him in space on the edge of the 6-yard box to finish at the second attempt.

We could’ve conceded a fourth within a couple of minutes but Patricio pulled out another great stop to tip a Kane effort wide.

Our way back into the game came when Trippier foolishly tried to nutmeg Bonatini near the corner flag to give away possession & Raúl was brought down in the box. Neves finally converted a penalty after having missed two last season to give us a lifeline.

The impressive Gibbs-White played a World Class through ball to slip Costa in with 15 minutes left but the finish belonged more on a Sunday morning park pitch than a Saturday night Premier League game.

We did get a second goal when Spurs debutant centre back Foyth conceded his second penalty of the day when shoving Jonny down in the box. Raúl, rather than Neves, stepped up to take this one and sent Lloris the wrong way to roll a beautiful penalty into the bottom corner.

A worried Pochettino immediately threw on Sanchez to play as an extra centre half for the last ten minutes and, arguably, he could’ve conceded another penalty within two minutes of his arrival as he tugged Bonatini down off the ball.

Getting two decisions from Mike Dean was the best we could ask for though.

We were unable to test Lloris in the last ten minutes despite pressing hard. Bonatini trod on the ball in the box and Adama wasted a good position by floating a cross straight over the bar when hitting it low across the box may have been a better option.

Overall there were signs of encouragement again but we still had the chronic failure to convert good play into good chances in the final third and made more basic errors in our defending that are creeping in worryingly more frequently.

Still, just over a quarter of the way into the season, and not having yet played anyone among the division’s current bottom four, we can be happy to sit nestled nicely in mid table.

Who played well – and who failed to impress? Raúl led the line well again, went close with an early effort, was unfortunate to see his goal chalked off and took his penalty well.

Neves showed good control in midfield and often switched the ball well. He looked even better when Gibbs-White joined him for the final half an hour.

The youngster was very impressive and outshine England international Harry Winks in midfield opposition. His pass to Costa deserved a much better finish.

Cavaleiro didn’t make the most of his first start of the season. Often his touch let him down and he went to ground a bit too easily at times.

The back three got themselves into trouble a few times with some poor positional awareness and didn’t get a lot of help from the wingbacks at times either.