Wolves Fans' Verdict v West Ham: Marvellous win at Molineux

Rob Cartwright

What's your verdict on the match?

This was the most complete performance by a Wolves team during their five seasons in the Premier League.

Great play, loads of scoring chances created, a clean sheet and the goals they deserved.

The fact that the goalkeeper was West Ham’s busiest and best player on the night and we had two very strong cases for penalties gives an indication of the gap between the two teams. All in, a comfortable 3-0 win for Wolves, which flattered West Ham.

Fabianski made four excellent saves to add to Jimenez hitting the bar and Dendoncker’s header being disallowed for offside. Johnny should also have scored with a header.

It was a cagey affair for the first half hour. With both teams cancelling each other out. West Ham were finding some space between Dendoncker and Doherty but were creating nothing. Indeed, Patricio will never have played 90 minutes with so few touches of the ball.

Wolves were growing in confidence, mounting attack’s down both wings and getting plenty of balls into the West Ham box. By half time, I had a strong feeling that we would win the game.

In the second half, from first kick until last, we were awesome. We upped the tempo by maybe 15% and West Ham could not cope. We controlled every part of the pitch.

Neves, Moutinho & Dendoncker controlled the middle, picking up every ball there. Saiss was dominant at the back. Johnny and Doherty were attacking and breaking forward with every passage of play. Jimenez and Jota were simply awesome.

This was the game when it all came together.

Moutinho was the orchestrator. When he took the corner on 66 minutes, I’m not sure how Saiss got free in a crowded box but he did and had a simple header for the first goal.

Wolves were well on top but waited 15 minutes for the second. Another Moutinho cross, this time from a free kick near the corner. Jimenez scores with a shot from 7 yards, even though the much-praised Declan Rice was ‘marking’ him.

Moutinho then played the ball from our half to Jota, who played in Jimenez slicing the three defenders apart. He scored with a smart left foot and celebrated his 10th goal of the season in the crowd. Molineux was rocking again.

Who played well – and who didn't impress?

So many good performances and a few fantastic ones too.

It would be easy to pick Jimenez as Man of the Match, for his goals and general play; probably harsh not to, but the standout player for me was Moutinho, who set up all 3 goals and was pulling the strings throughout the second half. He was aided very well by Neves and Dendoncker.

Johnny and Doherty were excellent throughout.

Jota and Jimenez were fantastic too. They are developing into a great partnership with an understanding about each other’s position and capabilities.

If they both stay injury free from now on, it’s going to be some end to the season! Bring it on.

Clive Smith

What's your verdict on the match?

Having seen WHU twice now, you wonder why they are not in the bottom three. Maybe tonight we just made them look so ordinary.

In truth, we were not brilliant, but at the same time the result did not flatter us at all. When did we last feel like that after a 3-0. Shots on target were 9-0, Ok, that is perhaps a little greedy, but it shows we still have more in the tank.

For the lovers of sound solid defensive play - I give you the first half. Starting at the front with Jimenez we closed down everything heading out way, WHU did not come remotely close to having a decent attempt on goal. Moutinho was doing a great job stopping anything going through our midfield.

Actually, the second half was much the same, although we did fail once when a shot looked dangerous - dangerous for the linesman by the corner flag!

All the excitement was at the other end. By the interval Otto, Doherty, Dendoncker and Jimenez might all have done better with attempts on goal.

The second half saw us play even better and look increasingly likely to score with an improved tempo. Surprisingly over an hour had gone before Saiss placed a header skilfully into the net. You felt the floodgates might open, and had their keeper had an off day, then they would have been.

Doherty was unlucky not to score, when he tried to put the ball and the keeper into the net, unfortunately, neither would oblige.

Soon though Moutinho had his second assist when he crossed for Jimenez to score. The same player got a deserved second goal when Jota unselfishly passed on a fast breakaway - just how much ground had Jimenez made up to get they! A lovely finish too.

So, at last we have a convincing home win to savour, in a game where we looked more dominant than at any time this season. Yet again, we have raised the bar, and yet still there looks areas we can improve. (Apologies if that comment is Nuno copyright).

Who played well – and who didn't impress?

You and I could probably have done what Patricio had to do. Ping a few kicks to Doherty and keep warm.

Otto was in full flight tonight and could easily have scored a couple. His first-half header was so nearly a beautiful finish to a perfect cross.

Doherty was at his attacking best. The most forward of all our 'midfield'. Could easily have scored and assisted on more than one occasion. He did not neglect his defending either and was solid there too.

Saiss was impressive defensively, especially in the air, but a first-half booking made me nervous, if not him. Played some Neves style long balls too.

Coady took a knock and was down for a long time - not like him. Helped cover and organise the defence well enough and passed the ball well, long and short.

Bennett looked a little unsure at times clearing the ball and made a horrid lunge in midfield which, despite making no contact, he got a yellow for.

Neves was somewhat below par in the first half. More poor passes than usual, a rubbish free-kick but he was much improved second half where the only blemish was a yellow card.

It was probably Dendoncker's least effective performance in the first half when he looked just off the pace and full of backward passes rather than forward but he too then stepped up and certainly helped us dominate midfield and the game overall.

Moutinho was excellent throughout. The cog in a well functioning machine. Often a step ahead of the opposition with his closing down and circulating the ball.

Jota was annoyingly just a bit off with his touch and his passing. He did constantly find space and the ball brilliantly, hence the frustration of what might have been. He was also unable to convince the ref he had been fouled.

Jimenez - what can you say? Man of the match, even now he continues to get better. At times it felt like he picked the ball up deep, then went wide to cross, then got on the end of it, had an attempt on goal, only then to go behind the goal to fetch the ball for the goal kick. Is there nothing this lad can't do? He'll be putting in the barriers for safe standing next.

The bench was not needed for once, although Nuno shared the love with Cavaleiro, Gibbs-White and Vinagre for the last couple of minutes.

Adam Virgo

What's your verdict on the match?

Yesterday was the best footballing performance and most complete, emphatic win of the season.

We were the better team throughout and when Jonny’s header went just wide, West Ham looked worried and from then on we just dominated the game.

To get six points from the Leicester and West Ham games is huge because those are teams competing for 7th place with another one this Saturday in Everton.

We should have been leading by half time with some big chances being missed and apparently we got robbed of a penalty too but I’ve not seen it back yet. In the end it didn’t really matter too much but I thought the ref had a questionable game anyway.

It looked like it was going to be one of those days where we couldn’t score after Lukasz Fabianski made two top saves from Jota and Jonny in the second half. The latter resulting in a corner which Moutinho beautifully delivered and Saiss of all people popping up to head home.

West Ham never looked like threatening and it was quite funny when Arnautovic had to go off injured in his first game after signing a new contract. Maybe he should have gone to China, then he could have found his level because yesterday he was terrible and looked disinterested.

Another beauty of a delivery from Moutinho enabled Jimenez to somehow get in front of his man slightly and turn it home. Killing of games was something we struggled to do earlier in the season, then clean sheets were a problem recently but yesterday we got both which really was great to see and hopefully more of the same for the remainder of the season.

To add salt to the wounds, we went and got a third and of course that man Raul Jimenez again. Great work from Jota in all fairness and then the little dink from Jimenez was a naughty finish.

Two seasons ago we had Lee Evans, Jack Price and George Saville in midfield, now we have Leander Dendoncker, Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves. Name me a bigger upgrade, you can’t.

I want to mention as well, this lad who I stand next to at home games had a tenner on Saiss first goalscorer and Wolves to win 2-0 at 225/1. For anyone that can’t do math, that’s £2250. His reaction when Jimenez made it three said it all.

Who played well – and who didn't impress?

Joao Moutinho is probably the best footballer I’ve seen in a Wolves shirt. Still, to this day I will never know how we got him for £5m, one of the best coups you will ever see. Yesterday he was everywhere on the pitch, two assists, winning the ball back, making things happen.

Moutinho, Neves and Dendoncker as a trio in midfield is something else and it gives us so much control in the middle which then allows Jota and Jimenez to play their roles a lot easier.

Jota’s forward play was fantastic all evening. Against Leicester, it was Jimenez setting up Jota and last night the roles reversed. The Portuguese forward is on fire at the moment and he’s handling the Premier League very well, never afraid to battle and unlucky to not score.

Raul Jimenez needs to be signed. I say it on every verdict but it’s true. Eight premier league goals, 10 in all competitions and around seven assists too. He has absolutely everything you’d want from a forward and we are such a better team when he is playing.

Both wingbacks were superb. Doherty marauding forward like he always does and he caused big problems for Masuaku who is one of the worst full-backs I’ve seen this season. Jonny the same, unlucky not to score in either half, one of them down to a top save from Fabianski. £18m you say, sign him up.

Chris Hughes

What's your verdict on the match?

No added-time heroics required here as we put in arguably our most accomplished performance since our top flight return.

All over the park we looked better than the Hammers. It’s amazing that these are competing with us in the ‘mini league’ developing between 7th & 12th place in the table at the moment as the gulf in class was bigger than Marko Arnautović’s ego.

Patricio may as well have had a night off in goal as we spent the majority of it pressing in the West Ham half. Any one of 5 in an Old Gold shirt could have walked off with the Man of the Match award and on another night we could’ve hit 6 or 7.

A comfortable win, in a comfortable position in the league, surely time to go for it in the FA Cup now?

Who played well – and who didn't impress?

Everyone did their jobs but the real standout performers were the front two, who are starting to show promise of being a really good partnership the more they’re paired together, Doherty down the right who ought to be sponsored by Duracell the way he gets up and down that flank, and the midfield trio.

Dendoncker did all of the hard work to pretty much nullify West Ham’s attacking threat and allow the Portugeezers to do their thing.

Neves was spraying balls around for fun as usual, with a couple of absolute pings to Jota in the second half especially worth a mention, but it was Moutinho who was really making us tick in that role behind the front two.

He never looks rushed, has an almost perfect first touch, and his simple passing game is amazingly effective.

We gasp at Neves’ raking balls but Moutinho’s ten yard pass-and-move football slices through the defensive lines like a knife through butter. As much as the 3-4-3 was brilliant last season, this switch to a 3-4-1-2 could be Nuno’s masterstroke.

Natalie Wood

What's your verdict on the match?

This was by far the most convincing performance I’ve ever seen by a Wolves team in the premier league- an absolute joy to watch.

Right from the start you could tell we were really up for it and after an even opening to the game we really got into our stride. We looked so confident going forward and were in complete control.

God knows how we didn’t score in the first half! Doherty was causing absolute mayhem down the wing, continually getting behind the hammers defence. Neves was also getting back to his absolute best with some dazzling cross field passes. The best part about the first half performance though was the confidence we showed going forward.

I had started to worry we were slipping back in to our good old days of sideways and backwards passing a few weeks ago but now we are always looking to move the ball forward and quickly.

The chance of the half fell to Jonny who got on the end of a fantastic Jimenez pass but his header was just wide- it would have been a superb goal.

We have got used to watching a lot of lack lustre first half performances so with that on top of my belief that surely West Ham would improve in the second half, it is fair to say I felt we may regret our missed chances. Thankfully though we came out even better in the second half and West Ham…..may have well stayed in the warmth!

Jimenez and Jota are really becoming a powerful strikeforce and their link up play was superb all game, we were doing everything right but that final touch which would continually end in the arms of Fabianski. It did feel like a goal would come in the end but you could sense the Molineux starting to get slightly frustrated.

Our first goal was absolute text book in the end, a fantastic corner from Moutinho and a perfectly placed Saiss to nod it home. A very well deserved lead. After that we were in complete control and to me looked like we should have been given a penalty a few minutes later.

I know we had a couple of penalty shouts throughout the game but this was the one that looked the most nailed on. Jimenez played the ball through to Jota who was in a superb position before seemingly shoved out of the way….I can’t see why Jota would have gone down in that position unless he didn’t have a choice!

Not really a big issue ultimately given the result but still frustrating! West Ham seemed to just crumble with 2 injuries in quite quick succession and a complete loss in any form of composure. We pounced on them at any given opportunity and fully deserved our second (and third goal).

Our second came from another fantastic Moutinho set piece and a great finish by Jimenez. We are becoming quite dangerous from set pieces which is another breath of fresh air from old wolves when a few years ago the crowd hardly even reacted to getting a corner because we knew we had no chance!

After our second goal it became more like a display game, West Ham hardly touched the ball and wolves were just walking it round the pitch but we still found the energy to punish West Ham one last time with Jota finding Jimenez who coolly flicked it past Fabianski. A very well deserved 3 points.

Who played well – and who didn't impress?

Yet again there are so many players that could be man of the match. Defensively we had practically nothing to do but even when West Ham looked like they were heading anywhere near our box we stamped it out quickly, Coady, Bennett and Saiss all played their part well in getting the ball moved.

Patricio even with very little to do still looked quite unconvincing especially with distribution but we will leave that one for this week! Doherty was again fantastic, box to box he is probably our strongest player and fully deserved the praise he was getting throughout the game.

Moutinho also had a fantastic game, really controlling midfield and winning the ball back off west ham time and time again. He is probably one of the best players we have seen at wolves ever, pure class from start to finish and so consistent. Man of the match for me though would be Jimenez.

I remember sitting in a curry House in Cardiff after they beat us earlier in the season just dumbfounded that anyone could think Jimenez was a premier league player……I believe my exact words were “waste of space”.

What a turn around he has had, suddenly £30m seems like bang on what he is worth. Against West Ham he was just fantastic, constantly looking to get the ball, move it into space and most importantly get the ball in the box.

He reads the game so well and aside from scoring some fabulous goals he links up superbly and has great distribution. Very happy to admit I was very wrong about him!!

This run of games were always going to be vital in the success of our season, we have a run of teams who are all around us and probably will become the end of the season. So far after 2 out of 3 I think it’s safe to say we are in a great position in our mini league! Bring on Everton!