Wolves Fans' Verdict v Southampton: Points dropped or a solid draw?

Clive Smith

I didn't enjoy that at all. I wonder if Conor did. Their keeper was man of the match and we may have had more attempts but we continue to struggle to score, dominate and win games. Points dropped again (as per Newcastle). Failing to beat these sort of teams will prevent us achieving seventh or better.

Obviously our team selection was a surprise and our formation an even bigger one. Change can be unnerving and this very much felt like that. All of a sudden players looked uncomfortable. Dendoncker, Moutinho, Kilman and Boly all seemed nervy and not in their comfort zone.

Despite that negativity we had a host of goalscoring opportunities - enough to have won at a canter by the interval.

The script is a familiar one however. We fail to take advantage of good chances. The referee is compelled to book a Wolves player first. Then we concede a scrappy goal. It feels unjust and our body language reflected that. Maybe we missed the constant scouse chirping but we looked beaten.

Neto and Silva were the only realistic options from the bench and Nuno chose the former. Thankfully he made the right choice and we created an equaliser. The assist from Jimenez was his only significant contribution in the game.

Its tempting to make Coady MOTM because he did nothing wrong, but Patricio didn't either and he was at least on the pitch.

Lets hope we can step up for our next two games. Ait-Nouri looks a long way off being a Premier League player and Dendoncker looked several yards short of an effective box to box player. Moutinho only came into the game once Neves had gone off. Not wishing to harp on about the 'good ole days', but pound for pound Samedo looks a poor swap compared to our previous right wing/fullback.

Adam Virgo

A point against an in-form Southampton side isn’t the worst result at all but the first 60-70 minutes we needed to be better.

In terms of chances created, we could have won with the ones we had but the Theo Walcott chance at 1-0 could and should have killed us off.

We were naturally going to be more open with four in defence, especially when the players were so used to a system but we needed to be far better for their goal. Semedo had absolutely zero awareness and he can’t be letting Walcott have a free shot at goal like he did.

After around 70 minutes when Pedro Neto came on, we improved massively. We were getting more bodies forward and in the 4231 formation, we had a lot of fluidity.

If we decide to use four in defence again then I hope we opt with the 4231 rather than the 433 as we moved the ball with a lot more intensity and with four attacking players on we could cause Southampton problems.

Rob Cartwright

I’m feeling very disappointed with only a draw in this game.

With 20 attempts on goal, we really should be scoring more. The ‘slow start’ first half is becoming extremely frustrating and is difficult to understand. We have lots of attacking players with great pace and we just do not use it during the first 45 - 60 minutes of games.

We need to be playing with high intensity throughout the whole game and this is the difference between draws or odd goal defeats and wins.

Their goal was very poor from a defending point of view. Ait- Nouri was on the floor injured, which pulled Kilman wide. Semedo switched off for a second which gave Walcott enough space and time to pick his spot, when the ball was switched.

Wolves' goal was from the best move of the game. Jimenez collected the ball on the edge of the box and shot against the post. Neto reacted quickly to score from the rebound.

Neto had a positive influence on the game, but only had 20 minutes to show it. It was a good substitution for Neves, as it pushed us further up the field and thus more dangerous. Podence had a quieter game and so the change could have been made earlier. Jimenez was also very quiet, but showed why he is vital in the move for our equaliser.

COVID meant we were without Saiss and Coady. Nuno surprised us with a back four in defence, for the first time. I expected Coady to play. We looked a bit shaky at the back, but apart from the goal there was only one other issue when Walcott should really have scored again.

Traore looked dangerous and successfully took on their full back a number of times. I just feel he needs to see more of the ball. It was good to see us getting more bodies into the box waiting for a cross to be delivered.

Neves had no impact on the game. Dendoncker did well and Moutinho gets my man of the match for his positive play and decisive passing to start attacking moves.

Overall, a decent game to watch.

Russ Evers

A game we should have won, could have lost and made many wonder why that 30 minute second half spell could not have been extended to the full 90.

First half we could have been 2-1 up but for decent saves from both keepers but then the one lapse of concentration and we were one down.

So many times this season I have mentioned the missing spark-it came from that error as we seemed to find an extra gear all coming from the probing and pushing of Moutinho who was instrumental in creating the equaliser.

And in that usual second half dominance, we had three or four good chances to their one and on another day it may have been different.

But if your glass is half full then a good fightback and a more than useful point against a side who could have gone third and who have scored six against us, twice, in my years of Molineux visits.

If your glass is half empty then you may say there were too many sideways and backwards passing and a failure to capitalise on our spells of dominance.

John Lalley

Theo Walcott alone in Wolves’ penalty area wastes a glorious opportunity to clinch the game. Wolves finally respond with some genuine attacking purpose and to their credit salvage something against very decent opposition.

The build-up to this game was shrouded with negativity; Coady crucially missing necessitating an unwanted change of formation, Saiss stricken and even Nuno seeming uncharacteristically downbeat in his pre-match comments.

Without the captain’s long-standing influence, we creaked at the back on occasions and the goal we conceded really was sloppy in the extreme. But forced into adopting a more exuberant approach, Wolves against the odds, might just have sneaked it.

Jimenez had endured a wretched evening, wasting a couple of glorious opportunities and struggling big time to link effectively with his midfield. But like all top strikers he still had the mental strength to deliver and his scorching drive against the upright presented the saver that Neto confidently converted.

Not for the first time, Wolves’ fans were left to ponder just why we only seem to bare out teeth when there is no alternative. Prior to the Saints goal, Wolves meandered along mundanely; no player stood out, nobody excelled, nobody caught the eye.

Once we were chasing the game, Traore stepped up a gear and became a real threat for the first time this season. We stretched Southampton’s right flank with Neto making an immediate impact. Moutinho became increasingly influential resulting in Boly and Kilman assuming control and ensuring that the visitor’s threat was snuffed out.

Suddenly, almost miraculously it was Wolves in the ascendancy, shackles lifted, biting into the tackle and winning the second ball.

Belated and driven by force of circumstance but considering how we had plodded along prior to conceding it was an encouraging response which showed that the players don’t lack character.

We really are searching for fluency right now, struggling to fully express ourselves, but at least we claimed something from a fixture that for many reasons prior to kick-off boded ill.