Wolves Fans' Verdict v Norwich – A shocking display

Clive Smith

The winter break did not help then. It was a shocking game and we were as disappointing as we have been all season. After four wins on the bounce hopes were high, and we had a perfect opportunity to go a long way in the cup, given the number of non-Premier League teams that could have been our next victim.

Norwich had a predictable game plan and it worked a treat. They will take their six yellow cards on the chin and move on at our expense. The game was less about them though, or about a lenient referee, but revolved around our overall poor performance.

Our lack of creativity in attack, our lack of composure near goal and the lack of touches in their box contributed to the result, alongside our general lack of intensity.

Ruddy made a couple of good saves, including one that looked a certain goal. However he nearly cost a goal with his poor footwork, while the conceded goal looked a little too soft. He is not a sweeper keeper though and I wonder if that led to us playing more like we did last season, with our central defenders much deeper. That invited the Norwich press and we struggled to play through it. Instead, everything went down the flanks, with MOTM Semedo, and to a lesser extent, Ait-Nouri seeing lots of the ball, but failing to find the key pass into the box often enough.

Podence had one good effort but he and Silva offered very little and I do not appreciate how they both went to ground more than once, fooling no-one that they had been fouled. The role Dendonker was given seemed to suit him far less than it did at Brentford.

Hopefully it will be a long time before we see such a passive home performance again.

John Lalley

The paucity of the performance rankles almost as much as the result; we were inexplicably ordinary, unrecognisable, sluggish, lacking the verve of recent weeks and morphing into nondescript mediocrity.

An inviting opportunity to extenuate the positives of an excellent run of form carelessly chucked aside. Big attendance, big expectations, big let-down. The fact that the dire first-half was irredeemably dreadful might just have been bordering on acceptable until that wretched final minute.

Go in all square, regroup and go again was paramount. Instead, we conceded horribly and were left to chase the game. And apart from a more energetic flurry after the interval, we didn’t make much of a job of it.

Norwich’s part-time goalkeeper was rarely troubled as we reverted to our early season malaise of failing dismally in the opposition penalty-area. It was depressingly familiar; inviting crosses into the box with no striking response; an absolute void instead of a finishing touch.

Much talk recently about the perceived improvement of Fabio Silva; but here was another opportunity unfulfilled. He’s racked up over fifty appearances for us and I repeat, he simply doesn’t possess the guile or the instinct of a natural finisher.

Quality strikers, the likes of Richards, Keane and Bull had that innate sense of being in the appropriate place with just the whiff of an opportunity. They were cunning, opportunistic and ruthless like blue-chip rat-catchers. They hunted with an arrogant swagger, totally convinced in their own abilities and all three of them were absolutely insatiable.

They sniffed chances like a predator smelling the first drop of a victim’s blood. Killer instinct in their DNA. This bloodthirsty aroma just doesn’t find its way to Fabio’s nostrils. Maybe he is a more physical specimen these days, possibly his touch and awareness has improved but ultimately, he has to be judged on numbers and currently the arithmetic is appalling.

We are on tenterhooks with each moment Fabio spends on the pitch, desperate to see him succeed. We rapturously applaud any minor contribution he might make and feel his disappointment as he draws yet another blank. Massive investment; meagre return. Too often his body-language appears almost apologetic as if he doubts his ability to succeed in such a testing environment. Would like nothing more than seeing my scepticism completely scuppered; I really would.

Since that heart-breaking collapse against Watford at Wembley when we were almost walking down the tunnel for The Final, there has been a sense of unfinished business for the club. With the team giving such a good account of themselves of late, this defeat is hard to swallow.

But in no way does it undo what Bruno Lage has achieved in less than perfect circumstances. If he can sustain similar levels of performance in what appears to be an intensely challenging month and maintain a challenge for a tilt at European qualification, he will have exceeded all expectations.

Needless to say, all the cliches about the curse of coaches named manager of the month have been trotted out in the light of this mishap. But instead let’s reflect how much Lage merited the award in the first place. I suspect he felt intensely frustrated post-match just as we all did, but I reckon he will be hell-bent on reasserting our progress and I think he will deliver.

Russ Evers

No “Abide With Me” for yet another year then.

The great winning run had to end sometime but we did not do ourselves justice here and it was not the way Conor Coady would have wished to celebrate his 300th game.

The ridiculous winter break did us no favours and too many starters appeared lethargic but I can’t agree with the fans blaming John Ruddy for the loss as he made three or four saves to keep us in it.

On to Thursday now with this game put down as a warm up for the second half of the season.

Rob Cartwright

Oh dear. The FA Cup continues to haunt and frustrate us.

This was a winnable game and perhaps the players underestimated the battling qualities of Norwich. This is twice they have come out on top, this season, after we were fortunate to get a draw at Carrow Road.

A full house, at home with Bruno almost picking his strongest available team – we should have known better; it’s the hope that kills you.

It was a dire first half. Wolves had all the possession but were very slow paced and to be honest we’re creating nothing in front of goal. The gap between midfield and attack was too big and although Semedo and Ait-Nouri were getting forward they had few options when looking to release the ball.

I’m not sure why Neves and Moutinho were playing so deep, after doing the exact opposite in recent league games.

Norwich went in front, just before half time, with a fluke goal. A free kick was given, which wasn’t a foul, and the headed flick on went over Ruddy when it was really was intended to set up a chance for another player. Ruddy looked confused. In fairness to him, he had already made a good save and would make another two in the second half to keep us in the game.

The writing was already on the wall. If we could score in the second half I was confident of going on to win, but it was a big “if”. The best chance fell to Podence who did well to get the shot in a crowded box, but the ball bounced back off the post straight to the keeper. The only other effort I can recall was from Neves plus a couple of long range efforts from Silva.

Jimenez was given half an hour but didn’t get a sniff of goal.

Chiquinho came on for the final 20 minutes and looked promising. I think we will see more of him than Bruno has suggested in last weeks press conferences. He looks fast and skilfull in possession with a good cross. If only we can get players into the box to meet them.

Dendoncker had a poor game, but at least he was making runs to get into the box. It was very clear where the squad is currently lacking.

Norwich were doing their best to spoil the game with fouls and time wasting galore. The referee lost control and although he booked six Norwich players, he did not add on the time wasted. He added four minutes in second half after six subs, five yellow cards, numerous free kicks and warning after warning about time wasting.

No excuses though. We could have and should have done so much better.

Man of the match was Ait-Nouri.

Congrats to Coady for his 300th appearance.

Roll on Thursday.

Adam Virgo

Terrible performance, too many players playing way below their normal level along with us setting up incorrectly all had a part in the end of our “cup run”.

Seeing as Norwich drew Liverpool away, maybe it’s not the worst thing ever that we lost, however it means there’s now a lot more pressure on the league and us pushing for a top seven finish.

The first half we looked lost, I don’t remember us creating anything. Dendoncker was absolutely useless and the fact he was being used as a makeshift winger is questionable, would have rather started Chiquinho there.

We’ve been solid from set pieces this season so it’s frustrating to concede from a corner, especially when he had time to loop the header up and over Ruddy because no one was near him. Podence probably should have scored early in the second half when he hit the post.

The effort levels were so much better from then but we couldn’t create anything clear cut and whenever a good ball was played into the box, there was no one to get onto the end of it.

Chiquinho looked good when he came on, lively, wanting to have the ball and try to create something with it.

Semedo and Ait-Nouri also did what they could, they’re our most important outlet in an attacking sense currently. We need to be much better against Arsenal on Thursday, which I’m sure we will. The recent league performances and results have been incredible so hopefully we can continue with that.