I quite enjoyed reading these words from Wilder post-match today.
I like the thought of the bulk of Premier League managers getting together, on Zoom probably, trying to figure out a way to counter our play...
I like the thought of the bulk of Premier League managers getting together, on Zoom probably, trying to figure out a way to counter our play...
"You don't say it before but when the draw comes out, it’s a real difficult one to deal with - with the way they are and the way they play.
"It was quite interesting speaking to David Moyes after we played West Ham last week. Everybody has the same problem playing against them.
"I do get the narrative saying let’s go press, go after them, not allow them to play.
"But they’ve worked religiously on it. They’ve been a possession-based football team for quite a number of seasons under Graham Potter and taken it to the next level now with the players they are bringing in as well.
"Obviously one of them, Joao Pedro. 'Not today, Joao', I said before the game but obviously he said 'yes'.
"We know that’s what he can do. For the type of player he is.
"They have more passes in the Premier League than anybody, second most possession – above Liverpool, Aston Villa, Spurs, Man United and all those fabulous teams. Only one team rivals those numbers. It’s a real difficult one for us.
“Especially at home, I was talking to David Moyes about how you stop them. If you do go and get up the pitch and don’t get it right, they go pop, pop, pop and all of a sudden they’re in.”
...and some of our passing and interplay today was sublime. "Pop, pop, pop" is a good way of describing the razor sharp one touch passing that sees us play through and around opposition with apparent ease.