The Wolves loss...

[Mr Popodopolous]

Given results, this maybe an obvious post on one level.

However, our drastic decline all stems back to this IMO. I don't even mean the fact we lost instead of drew, I mean the fact we didn't win!

Injuries, cup run and similar have all played their part, and we given the calibre of opposition, played 2 great games v Man City. However, Fielding getting sent off and banned wrecked the chemistry we had- the harmony. We had hit upon a great formula and it is worth recalling that at approaching 5 to 7 on 30th December we were a goal to the good and a man to the good at home to Wolves...we were poised to end an unbeaten run which stretched back 2 months, we were poised to halve- in a week- their lead at the top from 10 points to 5 points. I know I have banged this drum in a few places, but it was so so fundamental to what has come in the resultant 2 months that it is I would say worth a thread of it's own. We pulled Paterson for Steele, one of our most creative players in the season to date (he had got our assist that day too), maybe we could have used someone else as Steele's replacement. Suddenly after Douglas scored, we were down to 10, and one of our most creative, threatening players had been pulled. Could that have helped his confidence? I dare say perhaps not, albeit it was understandable on tactical grounds.

Worth a reminder though, of the table at 10 to 7 and close to 5 to 7 on that evening though. (Not in detail but a brief summary). Top 10 is a pretty useful indicator. All teams would have played 25.

1. Wolves 55 +25
2. Bristol City 50 +16
3. Derby 48 +18
4. Cardiff 47 +12
5. Leeds 42 +9
6. Sheff Utd 41 +9
7. Aston Villa 41 +9
8. Preston 40 +5
9. Middlesbrough 38 +8
10. Brentford 37 +7

As we can see from this incidentally, Fulham were nowhere. Down in 12th on 36 points. 

That would have put real pressure on Wolves. Real pressure with us and the chasing pack. On the flipside, it would have boosted us immensely. Some of those gaps too in real terms, in psychological terms- yeah it's only 3 more points, but would have looked huge for the likes of Boro, Preston, Brentford and daunting for Villa and Sheff Utd. Fulham too would have been 14 points off with over half the season gone- more pressure, less margin for error. Then Wolves with Brentford at home next- AFTER us, Derby, Cardiff, Leeds, Sheff Utd, Villa had all played on the Monday...yeah that would have been a worry for them and a whole new level of pressure wouldn't it.

However, the way it panned out:

1. Wolves 58 +27
2. Derby 48 +18
3. Bristol City 47 +14
4. Cardiff 47 +12
5. Leeds 42 +9
6. Sheff Utd 41 +9
7. Aston Villa 41 +9
8. Preston 40 +5
9. Middlesbrough 38 +8
10. Brentford 37 +7

Huge huge gap, real clear blue water between themselves and the chasing pack. Less pressure. Play with less pressure=more relaxed game, quality can come through and more likely to win.

That was an enormous opportunity for us to move forward, and to drag Wolves right back into it too. Our confidence would have gone through the roof, some doubt would have kicked in for them.

[BRISTOL86]

When the ref blew up that night I turned to the guys I go down with and said “this will be so much bigger than just this one game”. 

It just had that devastating feeling about it that it would mean so much more in the context of the season. Before Frankie got sent off we were - with not a hint of sarcasm - singing about ‘coming for Wolves’. 

I belive 100% that had Frankie not done what he did and we won that game, the result at Villa doesn’t happen, and our season takes a different trajectory. 

It is what it is now, but it was by far and away the most damaging night of our season. 

[ZiderEyed]

Can't remember the last time I came away from AG so angry. Was the manner in which we lost which was utterly infuriating.

[Mr Popodopolous]

Entirely agree with you both. Was a needless loss in so many ways, and yeah it was huge- as @BRISTOL86 said by far the most damaging loss of the season.

I think had it been a draw. it would have been okay in some ways but still not entirely. We were bossing the ball at 11 v 10 and a goal up, the crowd was up, we WERE coming for Wolves. Think of the pressure on them had their gap over us been halved in a week in which their 2 month unbeaten run at AG would have been ended.

[Andy082005]

8 minutes ago, BRISTOL86 said:

When the ref blew up that night I turned to the guys I go down with and said “this will be so much bigger than just this one game”. 

It just had that devastating feeling about it that it would mean so much more in the context of the season. Before Frankie got sent off we were - with not a hint of sarcasm - singing about ‘coming for Wolves’. 

I belive 100% that had Frankie not done what he did and we won that game, the result at Villa doesn’t happen, and our season takes a different trajectory. 

It is what it is now, but it was by far and away the most damaging night of our season. 

Funnily enough I said the exact same thing

Up until that last 20 minutes of that game, everything had gone our way and we were almost playing with a 'we are invincible' attitude. We were fearless

Not only the red card, but also the late Wolves winner....I just knew would have a devastating effect.  Marlon Pack trying to play his way out of the defence like he did in the last minute....that all stemmed from the 'we are invincible' attitude.  They genuinely felt that they  still had time to go on and win that game, as had been happening all season up until then.  Really we should have kept a cool head, killed the game, and taken a point.  That's not me slating them for that by the way...it was great to see a team play without fear and really go for it.  The way we lost that game knocked the stuffing out of the whole club, that was quickly followed by the  Aston Villa walloping....you could just sense the 100% belief had been sucked out of some players

[Major Isewater]

 We need to find another turning point and PDQ if we want a tilt at the play offs.

 

[One BCFC]

I was absolutely devastated when they scored and could sense that this was more than 1 result too. That was the only weekend this season where I completely ignored all things Football from there. Gutted and we were all over them beginning of 2nd half

[BRISTOL86]

15 minutes ago, Andy082005 said:

Funnily enough I said the exact same thing

Up until that last 20 minutes of that game, everything had gone our way and we were almost playing with a 'we are invincible' attitude. We were fearless

Not only the red card, but also the late Wolves winner....I just knew would have a devastating effect.  Marlon Pack trying to play his way out of the defence like he did in the last minute....that all stemmed from the 'we are invincible' attitude.  They genuinely felt that they  still had time to go on and win that game, as had been happening all season up until then.  Really we should have kept a cool head, killed the game, and taken a point.  That's not me slating them for that by the way...it was great to see a team play without fear and really go for it.  The way we lost that game knocked the stuffing out of the whole club, that was quickly followed by the  Aston Villa walloping....you could just sense the 100% belief had been sucked out of some players

Yeah....there was a series of errors that resulted in the outcome we got that night but for me Fielding’s decision making was utterly appalling in coming for the ball.

Marlon’s mistake was much smaller in the grand scheme of things, and at this level happens all over the pitch for most teams throughout games. But if you’re a keeper, and you’re out of your area, and you don’t get the ball, then you’ve FUBAR.

Why oh why didn’t he just let him have a shot. Even if the worst happens, at 1-1 I would have put money on us winning the tie. It was one way traffic. 

You could see the utter devastation amongst the players when the ref blew up, it just had the air of a result that would be much larger than the one game. 

[WelshRobin]

18 minutes ago, Andy082005 said:

Funnily enough I said the exact same thing

Up until that last 20 minutes of that game, everything had gone our way and we were almost playing with a 'we are invincible' attitude. We were fearless

Not only the red card, but also the late Wolves winner....I just knew would have a devastating effect.  Marlon Pack trying to play his way out of the defence like he did in the last minute....that all stemmed from the 'we are invincible' attitude.  They genuinely felt that they  still had time to go on and win that game, as had been happening all season up until then.  Really we should have kept a cool head, killed the game, and taken a point.  That's not me slating them for that by the way...it was great to see a team play without fear and really go for it.  The way we lost that game knocked the stuffing out of the whole club, that was quickly followed by the  Aston Villa walloping....you could just sense the 100% belief had been sucked out of some players

Exactly my thoughts, would have been OK with Frankie letting it in for 1-1, with plenty of time left to play with a 11-10 advantage and I think in that scenario we would have gone onto win.

[Mr Popodopolous]

My thoughts on how the League would have panned out had we beat Wolves. Some of these predictions maybe a bit conservative.

Villa away- Loss but not by that margin.

Norwich home- Draw

Derby away- Draw

QPR home- Win

Bolton away- Draw

Sunderland home- Win

Leeds away- Draw

Fulham home- Draw

Cardiff away- Draw

My predictions contain a fair few draws...but Leeds and Fulham games a draw is okay in, Norwich have a strong away record v the footballing sides while away to Bolton and Cardiff, we would have been less desperate so could perhaps have played for the draw a bit more readily.

[redysteadygo1]

Still think it was all about game management against ten men and one nil up.

Surely from Reid scoring we should have seen the game out. But no Flint is left up front, yes Frankie could have let their forward shoot and the game went level. We would have still been 10 v 11. But no we go down to 10 and a poor defensive wall and  the game is all square.Pack pratts around with the ball instead of safety first. Unmarked man at the back post gets the winner.

[swanker]

52 minutes ago, ZiderEyed said:

Can't remember the last time I came away from AG so angry. Was the manner in which we lost which was utterly infuriating.

At least Wolves are a very good side. Sunderland was unbelievable, I was lost for words after that game. How on earth did we let a three goal lead slip against that mob?

[Laner]

3 minutes ago, redysteadygo said:

Still think it was all about game management against ten men and one nil up.

Surely from Reid scoring we should have seen the game out. But no Flint is left up front, yes Frankie could have let their forward shoot and the game went level. We would have still been 10 v 11. But no we go down to 10 and a poor defensive wall and  the game is all square.Pack pratts around with the ball instead of safety first. Unmarked man at the back post gets the winner.

For me that was the key moment. First of an ever-increasing list of incorrect 'game management' decisions we've made since. 

[Show Me The Money!]

What has happened has happened? You move on and try and win the next game but we are in a very very competitive league and I think most of us would agree are punching above our expected so keeping the momentum we had going for the whole season is even harder to do, but the season isn't finished yet so why get down in the dumps about how it all went so wrong now.

[Super]

52 minutes ago, BRISTOL86 said:

Yeah....there was a series of errors that resulted in the outcome we got that night but for me Fielding’s decision making was utterly appalling in coming for the ball.

Marlon’s mistake was much smaller in the grand scheme of things, and at this level happens all over the pitch for most teams throughout games. But if you’re a keeper, and you’re out of your area, and you don’t get the ball, then you’ve FUBAR.

Why oh why didn’t he just let him have a shot. Even if the worst happens, at 1-1 I would have put money on us winning the tie. It was one way traffic. 

You could see the utter devastation amongst the players when the ref blew up, it just had the air of a result that would be much larger than the one game. 

I do agree with all of that but think you have to give credit to Wolves a little bit. They didn't sit back they did still try to attack even a player light. 10 v 10 they battered us.

[GrenadaRed]

I agree that if Frankie hadn't charged out things would look very different now. However surely this is just torturing us!   Somehow we're still in the play off zone and the performance against Fulham gave me some optimism that we can still play well against good teams.  We've had some tough fixtures and can still do this, although now sadly it will have to be via the play offs. 

[BRISTOL86]

7 minutes ago, Super said:

I do agree with all of that but think you have to give credit to Wolves a little bit. They didn't sit back they did still try to attack even a player light. 10 v 10 they battered us.

Yeah absolutely. They’re a great side and it took having 11 v 10 for us to get on top.

But had Frankie not had his rush of blood, even at 1-1 I think we’d have won the game. 

[BRISTOL86]

4 minutes ago, GrenadaRed said:

I agree that if Frankie hadn't charged out things would look very different now. However surely this is just torturing us!   Somehow we're still in the play off zone and the performance against Fulham gave me some optimism that we can still play well against good teams.  We've had some tough fixtures and can still do this, although now sadly it will have to be via the play offs. 

It’s testament to the unpredictability and difficulty of this league that we have had the run that we’ve had and are miraculously still in (or within touching distance) of the top six.

Fulham and Villa finishing predictably strongly but no one else can seem to get on enough of a run to capitalise on our downturn in form.

Time to put the bad run behind us and focus on 12 cup finals now. It’s all very much still to play for. There will be more twists and turns yet, and anyone who thinks our season is over can’t have been paying much attention to the Championship in recent years. 

[Mr Popodopolous]

1 minute ago, BRISTOL86 said:

It’s testament to the unpredictability and difficulty of this league that we have had the run that we’ve had and are miraculously still in (or within touching distance) of the top six.

Fulham and Villa finishing predictably strongly but no one else can seem to get on enough of a run to capitalise on our downturn in form.

Time to put the bad run behind us and focus on 12 cup finals now. It’s all very much still to play for. There will be more twists and turns yet, and anyone who thinks our season is over can’t have been paying much attention to the Championship in recent years. 

Cardiff??

They are 13 points ahead of us now...after Villa away that gap was GD only.

[BRISTOL86]

9 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

Cardiff??

They are 13 points ahead of us now...after Villa away that gap was GD only.

Sorry yeah I meant the chasers for playoffs really ie Boro, PNE, Brentford, Sheff U. 

None of them have been consistently good enough to really make us pay for our bad form. In another life we could easily have slipped to mid table on a run like we’ve had. 

[Marina's Rolls Royce]

I thought Wolves looked every inch a Prem team in the making and along with Fulham and Man City - the best team to visit BS3 this season. Even if we'd gone on to win the game I think Wolves would still be where they are. Will they make it in the Prem? It seems like they'll have as good a chance as about ten other teams and a sack full of cash to help out.

Just a thought- they spent more on one player than we spent on our entire squad- they started the season as Promotion candidates and we started the season somewhere between relegation and mid table mediocrity.Another couple of wins for us and we'll be right back in the mix but no way do we look like ready whilst some of the gambles in both signings and tactics are not looking like paying off.

I think we're pretty good but not good enough.Yet.

[Mr Popodopolous]

4 minutes ago, BRISTOL86 said:

Sorry yeah I meant the chasers for playoffs really ie Boro, PNE, Brentford, Sheff U. 

None of them have been consistently good enough to really make us pay for our bad form. In another life we could easily have slipped to mid table on a run like we’ve had. 

Thanks for clarifying. I know  what you mean now.

I'd say of all the chasing pack, Fulham are the ones. Not impossible they could get 2nd either- they were somewhat out of it on Dec 30th, albeit with the latent potential to kick into gear- as indeed they have!

@Marina's Rolls Royce Recent form for Wolves doesn't bear this out- and when I say recent, I mean 12 points from their last 8 games. I agree they are excellent and will surely go up, but form and confidence in football are a funny thing. I am going to revisit a short term scenario just because...Fine team, manager with CL experience, lots of money and could hack it in PL IMO.

However my scenario- continued!

1. Wolves 55 +25
2. Bristol City 50 +16
3. Derby 48 +18
4. Cardiff 47 +12
5. Leeds 42 +9
6. Sheff Utd 41 +9
7. Aston Villa 41 +9
8. Preston 40 +5
9. Middlesbrough 38 +8
10. Brentford 37 +7

Assume it finished 1-0 us. Then we lose at Villa say 2-0, and results around us stay the same:

1. Wolves 55 +25
2. Bristol City 50 +14
3. Derby 49 +18
4. Cardiff 47 +12
5. Aston Villa 44 +11
6. Leeds 43 +9
7. Sheff Utd 42 +9
8. Middlesbrough 41 +9
9. Preston  40 +4
10. Brentford 37 +7

Game changer psychologically...1 point from 2 games, 5 points ahead of 2nd and 6 ahead of 3rd. Still with trips to Cardiff, Villa, Leeds, Boro, Fulham and Preston to come and a home game v a tricky Brentford, as well as a strong counterattacking Derby. No, it wouldn't have been so easy for Wolves thereafter- it couldn't have been IMO!

[BRISTOL86]

5 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

Thanks for clarifying. I know  what you mean now.

I'd say of all the chasing pack, Fulham are the ones. Not impossible they could get 2nd either- they were somewhat out of it on Dec 30th, albeit with the latent potential to kick into gear- as indeed they have!

@Marina's Rolls Royce Recent form for Wolves doesn't bear this out- and when I say recent, I mean 12 points from their last 8 games. I agree they are excellent and will surely go up, but form and confidence in football are a funny thing. I am going to revisit a short term scenario just because...Fine team, manager with CL experience, lots of money and could hack it in PL IMO.

However my scenario- continued!

1. Wolves 55 +25
2. Bristol City 50 +16
3. Derby 48 +18
4. Cardiff 47 +12
5. Leeds 42 +9
6. Sheff Utd 41 +9
7. Aston Villa 41 +9
8. Preston 40 +5
9. Middlesbrough 38 +8
10. Brentford 37 +7

Assume it finished 1-0 us. Then we lose at Villa say 2-0, and results around us stay the same:

1. Wolves 55 +25
2. Bristol City 50 +14
3. Derby 49 +18
4. Cardiff 47 +12
5. Aston Villa 44 +11
6. Leeds 43 +9
7. Sheff Utd 42 +9
8. Middlesbrough 41 +9
9. Preston  40 +4
10. Brentford 37 +7

Game changer psychologically...1 point from 2 games, 5 points ahead of 2nd and 6 ahead of 3rd. Still with trips to Cardiff, Villa, Leeds, Boro, Fulham and Preston to come and a home game v a tricky Brentford, as well as a strong counterattacking Derby. No, it wouldn't have been so easy for Wolves thereafter- it couldn't have been IMO!

Fulham could easily get 2nd IMO. Their run in is reasonably kind - just a shame they don’t have Cardiff to play! 

My prediction - worthless though it is - for top six is 

Wolves

Villa

Cardiff

Fulham

Derby

City

[Lew-T]

Without trying to sound too harsh, maybe it’s a case the players and management are mentally weak? It’s another turning point in another season that turns for the worse. When things don’t go our way, we don’t seem to have a answer to it! That’s my worry.

I said to a mate on yesterday that we looked completely weak all over the park and when Cardiff got the goal, our heads completely dropped and again, we had no answer. Mentally weak again, not just physically.

To win promotion, as a football team you need a little of everything in your squad. I think we’re missing a couple of key skills and attributes to challenge if I’m being honest. Grit and determination has gone missing for the last few months of this season, especially the last few results. No doubt we have some very talented footballers but I think LJ missed a trick in the summer and of course January by not bringing the right ‘characters’ in for this particular promotion/play off push.

LJ gambled on Diony, Kent and Walsh and from what I’ve season, it’s not worked whatsoever. They’re not the right ‘characters’ you need for promotion imo. You can’t expect a foreign striker like Diony, short of confidence to come in and score from the off! He will need months to settle in and unfortunately we don’t have that luxury to bed him in.

Feel pretty deflated and disappointed by the club in regards to January. After the heroics of the Cup, we needed quality reinforcements at that time. We were an attractive outfit to players in January and seems we have wasted it.

Onwards and upwards I suppose.

[SedRA]

3 hours ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

Given results, this maybe an obvious post on one level.

However, our drastic decline all stems back to this IMO. I don't even mean the fact we lost instead of drew, I mean the fact we didn't win!

Injuries, cup run and similar have all played their part, and we given the calibre of opposition, played 2 great games v Man City. However, Fielding getting sent off and banned wrecked the chemistry we had- the harmony. We had hit upon a great formula and it is worth recalling that at approaching 5 to 7 on 30th December we were a goal to the good and a man to the good at home to Wolves...we were poised to end an unbeaten run which stretched back 2 months, we were poised to halve- in a week- their lead at the top from 10 points to 5 points. I know I have banged this drum in a few places, but it was so so fundamental to what has come in the resultant 2 months that it is I would say worth a thread of it's own. We pulled Paterson for Steele, one of our most creative players in the season to date (he had got our assist that day too), maybe we could have used someone else as Steele's replacement. Suddenly after Douglas scored, we were down to 10, and one of our most creative, threatening players had been pulled. Could that have helped his confidence? I dare say perhaps not, albeit it was understandable on tactical grounds.

Worth a reminder though, of the table at 10 to 7 and close to 5 to 7 on that evening though. (Not in detail but a brief summary). Top 10 is a pretty useful indicator. All teams would have played 25.

1. Wolves 55 +25
2. Bristol City 50 +16
3. Derby 48 +18
4. Cardiff 47 +12
5. Leeds 42 +9
6. Sheff Utd 41 +9
7. Aston Villa 41 +9
8. Preston 40 +5
9. Middlesbrough 38 +8
10. Brentford 37 +7

As we can see from this incidentally, Fulham were nowhere. Down in 12th on 36 points. 

That would have put real pressure on Wolves. Real pressure with us and the chasing pack. On the flipside, it would have boosted us immensely. Some of those gaps too in real terms, in psychological terms- yeah it's only 3 more points, but would have looked huge for the likes of Boro, Preston, Brentford and daunting for Villa and Sheff Utd. Fulham too would have been 14 points off with over half the season gone- more pressure, less margin for error. Then Wolves with Brentford at home next- AFTER us, Derby, Cardiff, Leeds, Sheff Utd, Villa had all played on the Monday...yeah that would have been a worry for them and a whole new level of pressure wouldn't it.

However, the way it panned out:

1. Wolves 58 +27
2. Derby 48 +18
3. Bristol City 47 +14
4. Cardiff 47 +12
5. Leeds 42 +9
6. Sheff Utd 41 +9
7. Aston Villa 41 +9
8. Preston 40 +5
9. Middlesbrough 38 +8
10. Brentford 37 +7

Huge huge gap, real clear blue water between themselves and the chasing pack. Less pressure. Play with less pressure=more relaxed game, quality can come through and more likely to win.

That was an enormous opportunity for us to move forward, and to drag Wolves right back into it too. Our confidence would have gone through the roof, some doubt would have kicked in for them.

2 hours ago, BRISTOL86 said:

When the ref blew up that night I turned to the guys I go down with and said “this will be so much bigger than just this one game”. 

It just had that devastating feeling about it that it would mean so much more in the context of the season. Before Frankie got sent off we were - with not a hint of sarcasm - singing about ‘coming for Wolves’. 

I belive 100% that had Frankie not done what he did and we won that game, the result at Villa doesn’t happen, and our season takes a different trajectory. 

It is what it is now, but it was by far and away the most damaging night of our season. 

 

 

2 hours ago, ZiderEyed said:

Can't remember the last time I came away from AG so angry. Was the manner in which we lost which was utterly infuriating.

Totally had that feeling after that game as well, although I actually felt more due to the last minute winner from them. It felt like a statement that they were the ones who had that 'winners mentality' and we came across as the pretenders.

I was much more disappointed with Pack for giving the free kick away than Fielding. Franks was a rush of blood, had to make a snap decision and got it wrong, Marlon's was so unnecessary. Had done the great work of nicking the ball of their player in a good position by the box in the 3/4th min of injury time. Swings his leg like he's going to clear it and instead does a needless cruyff turn trying to be clever, loses the ball, fouls their man trying to get it back and the rest is history .

Then compounded by the humiliating defeat at Villa, our momentum went well and truly out the window and we have never quite recovered. 

[handsofclay]

Quite agree. A similar thing happened last season when we could've been 3-1 up at Hillsborough and playing ten men had the Tomlin penalty not hit the post but gone in. Instead, soon after it was 2-2 with ten a side and finished a 3-2 defeat. It was a game we chucked away when calmer heads would've managed the game better and got us three points. The same with Wolves at home this season. It felt exactly the same.

In both cases, the stuffing was knocked out of us and poor results followed having gone into both games with good recent results behind us.

[lenred]

13 minutes ago, RedSA said:

 

 

Totally had that feeling after that game as well, although I actually felt more due to the last minute winner from them. It felt like a statement that they were the ones who had that 'winners mentality' and we came across as the pretenders.

I was much more disappointed with Pack for giving the free kick away than Fielding. Franks was a rush of blood, had to make a snap decision and got it wrong, Marlon's was so unnecessary. Had done the great work of nicking the ball of their player in a good position by the box in the 3/4th min of injury time. Swings his leg like he's going to clear it and instead does a needless cruyff turn trying to be clever, loses the ball, fouls their man trying to get it back and the rest is history .

Then compounded by the humiliating defeat at Villa, our momentum went well and truly out the window and we have never quite recovered. 

Very true. How the Wolves team celebrated that win told you everything you needed to know that day about what an important result it was. They celebrated like that win meant that they would go on to be champions. Unlike Swindle a few years ago, Wolves actually looked as though they would go on to go up and probably as champions and it looks like they will. Was a massively damaging result to us in hindsight.  

[RedorDead BCFC]

Horrible thing is if Cardiff beat Brentford they could either be 7 points clear of Villa or 3 points behind Wolves. 

With Brentford in the chasing pack behind us. 

Who do we want to win out of that lot? 

[BRISTOL86]

25 minutes ago, RedSA said:

 

 

Totally had that feeling after that game as well, although I actually felt more due to the last minute winner from them. It felt like a statement that they were the ones who had that 'winners mentality' and we came across as the pretenders.

I was much more disappointed with Pack for giving the free kick away than Fielding. Franks was a rush of blood, had to make a snap decision and got it wrong, Marlon's was so unnecessary. Had done the great work of nicking the ball of their player in a good position by the box in the 3/4th min of injury time. Swings his leg like he's going to clear it and instead does a needless cruyff turn trying to be clever, loses the ball, fouls their man trying to get it back and the rest is history .

Then compounded by the humiliating defeat at Villa, our momentum went well and truly out the window and we have never quite recovered. 

I’m normally not one for singling out players for criticism but that game turned out the way it did 100% because of Frankie. 

Everything else that came after was a symptom of the problem that his dismissal gave us. It was a staggeringly stupid decision. Hacking down the last man outside of your box is very different to overplaying in a dangerous area (both stupid but FF orders of magnitude more so)

There is simply no legitimate reason as a keeper to be out of your box it you are not 100% going to win the ball. Any doubt whatsoever and you stay put. In a game of that magnitude it’s just doubly stupid. 

[ScottishRed]

1 hour ago, handsofclay said:

Quite agree. A similar thing happened last season when we could've been 3-1 up at Hillsborough and playing ten men had the Tomlin penalty not hit the post but gone in. Instead, soon after it was 2-2 with ten a side and finished a 3-2 defeat. It was a game we chucked away when calmer heads would've managed the game better and got us three points. The same with Wolves at home this season. It felt exactly the same.

In both cases, the stuffing was knocked out of us and poor results followed having gone into both games with good recent results behind us.

Good point about away to Wed last season.

It is interesting to look at the game management aspect, as recently against Sunderland and Leeds it has cost us 4 points.

And, as is pointed out above, against Wolves at 1-1 we should have settled for that rather than try and win it and end up losing.

Despite what some on hear would have you believe we are not that young and inexperienced a team and these things should not be happening as regularly as they have been.