FA Cup: Wolves 1 Brighton 0 - Liam Keen and Nathan Judah analysis
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00:00 [Music]
00:09 Hello I'm Nathan Dewdrive, I'm here at Wolves Report, it is Mr Liam Keane for the second time in a week Liam.
00:14 We're seeing a 1-0 victory, it's Wolverhampton Wonders 1 in the FA Cup, Brighton Hove Albion 0,
00:19 and Wolves have sneakily entered the FA Cup quarter final.
00:24 Wasn't a classic, wasn't a classic baby.
00:26 And we'll start to get a little bit excited in a little bit during this video in the podcast Late Night Love later on tonight.
00:33 But end of the day, most important thing is two clean sheets and they have got the job done.
00:39 They have, let's start with the goal.
00:41 Let's start with the goal.
00:42 I think it was about a minute 19, I think something around that.
00:45 Someone wasn't at their seat yet.
00:47 You definitely weren't quite there yet.
00:49 I know, shock.
00:51 And look, it's a really nice turn from Bellegarde.
00:56 Bellegarde's been outperformed.
00:58 Gary Nilles said publicly I need a bit more from you.
01:01 To be honest, he wasn't particularly informed tonight aside from this opportunity in the first minute or so.
01:07 But it's a lovely turn on halfway.
01:09 Harsh, harsh.
01:10 He was okay, he wasn't outstanding.
01:12 But anyway, a dart into the box or towards the box, down the left hand side, lovely cross.
01:18 He doesn't deal with it, Lamina reacts and gets a little bit of luck and gets the finish.
01:22 Wolves get the perfect start and you're hoping from there for a little bit of momentum, a little bit of intensity from Wolves.
01:28 And it doesn't come.
01:29 Brighton were the better side in that first half and the second half.
01:32 But one thing I can give Wolves is that they had a lot of heart.
01:36 They defended brilliantly and they saw out a very unconvincing and tired performance.
01:43 But one that gives them the result they needed and an absolutely monumental opportunity in front of them.
01:50 You will not get a better chance to go to Wembley than what Wolves have got now in front of them.
01:54 And that, considering the points they put in, is remarkable.
01:58 At 6.45 I text you because I wasn't quite here yet and saying my goodness that is a risk to pick that side.
02:07 With four changes, put some massive changes.
02:10 Dawson out, Neto out, it's Sarabia out.
02:16 Sarabia out and help me with the other one.
02:18 Sameda.
02:20 Sameda, there you go.
02:21 But four changes, look, Brighton made nine but then we were a little bit nervous because we think Gary Neal has obviously been very positive.
02:29 We go for the cup strong and all of a sudden they've started creeping up the league.
02:32 All of a sudden they're in and around the European positions and he's made changes tonight.
02:36 You've got to expect all four of them to come back in at Newcastle.
02:40 Again, we'll talk about this later on.
02:41 Brian made a lot of changes as well.
02:43 At the same time, you think that if they didn't win this game tonight then there would have been question marks.
02:48 And that's the perfect start for them.
02:50 Yes, I think it was a risk, absolutely.
02:52 Not only the changes that were made because you take very key players out.
02:55 I think you made the point to me before kick-off as well that you've taken your two informed forwards out and left the one in who's not informed in the last couple of games.
03:03 And was not informed tonight.
03:04 And was not informed tonight whatsoever and obviously got injured as well so hopefully we'll find out a bit more on that.
03:08 But yes, it was definitely a risk.
03:11 Not only the personality as I say but also the formation.
03:13 Having changed that from what Wolves were so used to.
03:16 Now, Lamina played a slightly adaptive role.
03:18 He was slightly wider, slightly further forward at times but he was also tucking in as well.
03:22 So it was a bit of a hybrid as we're used to with the Gary Neal/Wolves side.
03:26 But it was a big risk, it really was.
03:28 Now look, I know they don't have the draw before the teams make it.
03:31 Sure, but when that draw does come after that you think the magnitude of it just...
03:35 I know, it makes it even more of a risk because of the draw even though Gary Neal couldn't foresee who he was going to get.
03:40 Do you think if they knew it was commentary they would have picked that side?
03:45 No.
03:46 Definitely not.
03:47 I think he'd have made one or two less changes.
03:48 I agree.
03:49 I'm still thinking about a couple but I think he'd have made one or two less.
03:51 I agree.
03:52 And look, obviously there were reasons.
03:54 The players put in a big shift against Sheffield United.
03:56 There's going to be getting into the red zone, the fitness and medical team will be on to Gary Neal saying,
04:00 "Look, this player can't do X, Y and Z because of a worry about getting an injury."
04:05 So I understand the concerns with the fixtures and the schedule and trying to make something work.
04:11 But I did feel that Wolves had a big opportunity tonight to play their strongest team.
04:14 They didn't do that and they've got away with it.
04:17 They have got away with it because the performance wasn't there.
04:19 The performance was gritty, it was determined, it was with a lot of heart.
04:23 They were great in defence and Max Kuhn I thought was absolutely wonderful in that second half.
04:26 But as a free-flowing, exciting, attacking display, it was anything but.
04:32 And Wolves took that risk and got away with it because of that early goal.
04:36 I think in some elements it was very similar to what we saw against Sheffield United on Saturday.
04:40 And it's not side by the way.
04:42 Yeah, absolutely.
04:44 They had some great players.
04:46 I might be wrong but I think when Gary Neal comes in post-match press conference this time,
04:50 he was quite critical of them on Saturday.
04:53 I think he'll be glowing with the job that they've done tonight, even though it wasn't the best performance.
04:57 But look, they've done it.
04:59 Kwan-Yi Chang, like you say, is going to be a concern.
05:01 We've got to see it.
05:02 And he's going to go back now to January.
05:04 And if they have lost him, hopefully it's not for a long period of time.
05:07 Hopefully he's back on Saturday.
05:08 But you've got to think that he's a doubt going forward.
05:11 Have this team, because they've come this far, got enough in the tent to do something,
05:16 to finish this season off in spectacular style, whether that's in the league or in the cup?
05:20 Well, that's what concerns me now.
05:22 And it has done for a little while with the size of the squad.
05:24 You start to pick up the odd injury or two, and Wolves' injury record over all this season has been very good.
05:29 You've had Neto fairly long-term with two months, Kunio obviously at the moment,
05:32 playing potentially, we'll have to wait and see what happens.
05:35 But small niggles and little injuries here and there, Wolves have been fairly good
05:38 and fairly consistent with keeping most of their players on the pitch.
05:42 But they always ran that risk because they didn't bring a player in in January for obvious reasons.
05:46 They've gone over financially.
05:48 And having ran that risk, there's always that concern of burnout.
05:52 Players picking up injuries, players feeling the fatigue,
05:55 feeling the intensity of what is a difficult, long slog of a season.
05:59 So I think they've got enough based on the kind of togetherness and attitude of this squad.
06:06 But I think they're going to have to patch a few up to get through the next few weeks and months, to be honest.
06:10 And you've now got, as we say, a quarter-final here against Coventry, and that becomes a huge game.
06:15 And I'd be surprised. Me and you, we have to look at the pictures around it.
06:19 But I'd be very surprised if Gary Neill takes as many risks as he did tonight.
06:24 Yeah, no, I completely agree.
06:26 Even though it's against, in inverted commas, an inferior position in the league below.
06:29 I completely agree with you there.
06:31 But look, I guess on the plus side is, they've beaten Sheffield United, they've beaten Brighton,
06:36 which are the most important things.
06:37 And on another season, they just wouldn't have won those games.
06:40 They've found a way to win.
06:41 They've rested, arguably, four of their best players, ready for Newcastle now on Saturday, which is great.
06:47 I know they came on towards the end, but, you know,
06:49 they've obviously had more minutes than the rest of them.
06:51 But that's some fresh legs, hopefully, going into Saturday,
06:54 and another big game against Newcastle side, who were very dodgy at the back at this moment in time.
06:58 Yeah, I think in hindsight, it looks like a massive stroke from Gary Neill, doesn't it?
07:01 Because you win the game.
07:02 You can't do anything wrong.
07:04 You rest some players and you go again for Newcastle.
07:06 I described this week before the Sheffield United game as a season-defining week for Wolves,
07:11 but also a season-defining seven weeks because of the games and the fixtures they've got running up until mid-April,
07:16 where they've got a really good chance of getting into the Europa League,
07:18 and of course the FA Cup action, which of course they now made the quarter-final.
07:22 This is not particularly entertaining performance-wise, it starts to the week or mid-part of the week,
07:30 but it's two huge results that take Wolves that massive leap forward into where they want to be.
07:35 Now, Newcastle's a whole different kettle of fish.
07:39 Regardless of where they're at, they're a difficult place to go, a difficult side to play against.
07:44 But Wolves have got themselves through in the Cup, they're in and around the European places,
07:49 and they've got fixtures to come.
07:51 Regardless of Newcastle, regardless of that game, they've got fixtures to come that give Wolves a big chance to go far.
07:56 And it's exciting. These next few weeks are going to be really, really, really big for this football.
08:00 Look, you've also replaced Bournemouth with Coventry City for a chance to get to Wembley.
08:06 Bournemouth's going to get moved back, which means that Cunha's probably going to be back for that game as well.
08:10 It's another winnable league game at home, where hopefully you're going to have your main striker back, your main number 10 back.
08:16 I tell you what, it's incredibly exciting, and we'll continue this conversation on in a little bit,
08:23 in a bit of midnight love at the old Wolves' poddy.
08:25 It's Wolves 1, it's Brighton of Albion 0. Full post-match reaction.
08:30 I want to try and catch you out now, you know, because it's so inevitable when I do it.
08:38 Come!
08:39 [BLANK_AUDIO]