Shambolic Wolves hit new low

Wolves produced a Molineux horror show to destroy all hopes that the two home games over the Christmas period would see them propel themselves into the top half of the table for the new year. It was a game that Wolves rarely looked likely to get anything out of as we saw another day of slow ponderous build up play, very few attempts on goal and none too effective defending. And any innocent viewer would certainly not have identified the visitors as the team bottom of the league with a poor defensive record.

Wolves started with the same 11 that won at Blackpool on Friday;

ikeme
Foley, Johnson, Berra, Ward
Pennant, Henry, Doumbia, Sako
Ebanks Blake, Doyle

Posh were starting with a 3-5-2 formation and they had the first attempt on goal with Gayle shooting over. Johnson had an effort for Wolves from a Sako corner before Gayle brought a good save out of Ikeme after 10 minutes. There wasn’t much zip about Wolves play and Peterborough made them pay after 16 minutes. Newell got in on the left and pulled his cross back to Tomlin whose shot was pushed onto the underside of the bar by Ikeme but the ball rebounded into the net. Sako and Pennant wasted free kicks before Wolves finally created some pressure on the visitors goal as we moved into the last ten minutes of the half.

Doyle’s shot was pushed out for a corner by the keeper and from the corner. Ward also had a shot saved as did Sako and then Doyle. But just as Wolves fans were warming to their team getting on top in the game Peterborough scored a second. Boyd set up Rowe who easily slipped past Pennant and scored from the edge of the box. Two goals down to the bottom team meant Wolves were inevitably booed off at the break.

Sigurdarson replaced Ward at the start of the second half with Wolves copying Peterborough’s 3-5-2 line up. But the second half performance was if anything even more lethargic than the first for Wolves and against a team that have a poor defensive record they never seriously looked like scoring. The build up play was ponderous rather than patient and the lack of pace in the build up made it easy for the visitors to defend what Wolves had to offer. At the other end of the field although Peterborough were only attacking occasionally all their attacks ended with an attempt on goal to show Wolves how it can be done. And with 20 minutes left they put the game to bed when former Wolves reserve Mark Little crossed for Gayle to get his 6th goal in 6 games.

With 15 minutes left Pennant and SEB were taken off to be replaced by Davis and the returning O’Hara but it was far too late to change the pattern of the game and the match faded out tamely although in truth the Wolves had looked pretty tame from the word go.

Ikeme – no real chance with any of the goals
Defence – none of them looked comfortable against a Boro attack that showed good movement unlike their Wolves counterparts
Pennant – roundly booed when he left the field but not the worst of the bunch on the day
Henry – not able to make his mark in a crowded midfield
Doumbia – a few good runs forward but not involved enough
Sako – very disappointing on the day and wasted some good crossing opportunities
Doyle – the only Wolves attacking player to make runs off the ball but made little impact
SEB – never troubled the defence but got little service
Sigurdarson, O’Hara and Davis came on as subs to little effect

Its hard to think of many more ineffective and uninspiring Wolves performances at Molineux for many years. This was a team that didn’t defend well, lacked creativity, never seriously looked like scoring and did not look as good a team as their opponents who are favourite for relegation. We have been saying for some time that the jury is still out for Solbakken but much more of this and they will be making a judgement he will not like. Wolves have only once finished in the bottom half of the second tier of English football since they were promoted to that level in 1989 but there will be few who saw this display that would confidently predict they can make the top half this season.

Category: Team News