Former player turned pundit Gary Neville expressed his displeasure with Wolves’ tactics as they pursued a goal in their recent 2-1 defeat to Liverpool. Instead of resorting to long balls for an equalizer, the home team chose a patient, build-from-the-back approach, much to Neville’s dismay.
Wolves initially took the lead through Ibrahima Konate, but a mistake by the defender led to a quick equalizer by Rayan Ait-Nouri. Shortly after, a foul on Diogo Jota resulted in Mohamed Salah converting a penalty to secure the victory for Liverpool. Despite the deficit, Wolves still had time to level the score.
Neville criticized Wolves for their lack of aggressive play in seeking a goal. He found their possession-focused strategy frustrating, particularly the habit of passing back to the goalkeeper instead of taking risks. Neville’s exasperation was evident as he expressed his thoughts on the matter, emphasizing the need for a more dynamic approach to goal-seeking.
Wolves managed eight shots with three on target, while Liverpool had 10 shots with six on target. Despite Liverpool’s higher possession and pass accuracy, Wolves displayed competency in ball circulation. The match performance showed a competitive back-and-forth, highlighting the need for Wolves to adapt strategies to enhance their attacking play.
Neville emphatically addressed the trend of teams at the bottom of the table playing out from the back in critical moments, denouncing the lack of urgency and calling for an immediate halt to the practice. He expressed his frustration: “We’re witnessing teams passing the ball back and forth between the goalkeeper and centre-back with minutes ticking away and a crucial need for a goal. This cannot continue – it’s not just Wolves; many teams are guilty of this lack of urgency. The players themselves need to recognize the importance of injecting pace into their gameplay.”
Emphasizing the essence of football, Neville stressed the fundamental objective of swiftly delivering the ball to the feet of the key players up the field with precision. Reflecting on the disregard for this principle, he asserted, “Many teams seem to have forgotten the core essence of football – feeding the ball to the most skillful player as high up the pitch as possible. This season, we have witnessed a departure from this crucial aspect of the game.”
Neville’s perspective was supported by the case of Wolves substitute striker Hwang Hee-chan, who managed only one touch in the final third during a span of 21 minutes. This striking lack of involvement in attacking areas underscored Neville’s argument about the need for a more direct and aggressive approach in crucial stages of the game.
Concerned about the broader implications of robotic positional play, Neville warned against restricting players to predefined roles and urged teams to exhibit greater boldness and attacking intent, even if it results in a more significant goal deficit. Drawing parallels to Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, whom he considered a proponent of expansive football, Neville questioned the universal applicability of such tactics, echoing sentiments expressed by former Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard, who criticized Guardiola for influencing a widespread shift towards a style of play that may not suit all teams.
