After watching their team once again squander chances and waste posession Wolves fans across the country are asking themselves when will it all change?
So many times this season they’ve gone into matches buoyed with confidence and a belief 3 points are there to be taken only to see them dashed over 90 minutes that Wolves could so easily have won.
Glenn Hoddle opted to stick with his 3-5-2 formation, that was such a success in the first half against Plymouth, the only change to the system being Rob Edwards in at right wing-back for an injured Maurice Ross.
Wolves got off to the worst possible start, conceding a soft goal from their old Achilles heel, The set play. Recent results had hinted that the bad old ways had disappeared but today’s facts speak for themselves. Wolves conceded 2 corners and both resulted in goals. They were awarded 13 and went home empty handed.
The first, a McSheffrey in swinger in the seventh minute was headed clear by Joleon Lescott, but only as far as Ade Adebola standing 6 yards out. Stefan Postma reacted well to save his left footed shot, but his parry only went as far as James Scowcroft whose low right foot shot took two deflections, finally off Gabor Gyepes, before finding the middle of the Wolves net.
Wolves huffed and puffed in their attempts to fashion a response with Coventry happy to concede possession for position. Colin Cameron, Mark Kennedy and Kenny Miller all tried speculative efforts on goal from range, but the Coventry goalkeeper was in truth, never troubled. In the 35th minute, with Wolves starting to apply constant pressure, City won their 2nd corner of the match. Another McSheffrey ball swung in high which was harmlessly headed back across the box by Marcus Hall. Confusion between Joleon Lescott and Stefan Postma ended with Lescott slicing the ball right footed into his own net.
After the match Glenn Hoddle said ‘I thought Christmas was December 25 not January 2 ‘
Mark Kennedy did find the net, but his tap in was judged offside. Just before half time Kenny Miller curled a fantastic right foot shot toward the Coventry goal but Fulop, as he was all game was equal to the task.
Wolves again had most of the second half, with Coventry happy to fall back and absorb Wolves passing game, which they were happy to do, restricting the Wolves threat to more long range attempts on goal. When Gabor Gypes found the space to run at the Coventry massed defence they looked less than sturdy, but by then it wasn’t going to be Wolves day.
Glenn Hoddle sent on Seol for Jody Craddock, to liven up the Wolves attack and new signing Denes Rosa for Darren Anderton but neither really influenced the outcome. Hoddles last throw of the dice was to send on Vio Ganea for Colin Cameron. but even with half his outfield team consisting of attacking players Coventry still managed to nullify their threat.
When Vio Ganea sent his 12 yard right foot volley over the bar in the last minute the quotes had already written themselves. Wolves misery was finally completed when deep into injury time Mark Kennedy’s drilled 20 yard shot was tipped away by Marton Fulop for Wolves 13th barren corner kick of the match.
After the match Glenn Hoddle was brutal in his assessment.
‘We gave them two outrageous goals. You can’t do that and expect to win matches. They were ridiculous. Do that and you give yourself a mountain to climb.”
Groudhog Day was complete when he said
Commenting in his his goal shy team Hoddle said
‘They all look too anxious in front of goal. It’s not just one person it’s the whole group.”
On his need for a consistent goalscorer
‘If you have 28 efforts on goal and don’t score that’s not good enough. The players need to start looking at themselves.’
Groudhog Day was complete when he said
‘I am fed up of saying we were the better side. I’ve never known a team to dominate like we do and then give away goals like that. We need results rather than good performances.’
‘On the ball we are as good as many sides in the Premiership but we must put teams to the sword.’
