Wolves crashed out of the FA Cup on Sunday, losing 3-0 to Manchester United in a lacklustre 4th round tie in front of the Skysports cameras.
The match that had promised so much was effectively ended as a contest in the 4th minute when Joleon Lescott diverted a Louis Saha cross into the path of Kieran Richardson who gave Stefan Postma no chance from 8 yards out.
Shortly before half time and with Wolves playing the offside trap near enough on the half way line, Nemanja Vidic pumped a long ball through the middle of Wolves 2 centre backs for Louis Saha to run onto and holding of the challenge of Gabor Gyepes, poke the ball past the luckless Postma from 10 yards.
7 minutes into the second half United scored their killer third and Wolves were dead and buried. Lee Naylor misjudged a flighted crossfield ball, heading the ball into the path of Park. The left back fought hard to recover, but Park shrugged off his challenge on the bye line and pulled the ball back for Ruud van Nistelrooy. The Dutchmen calmly chipped the ball to the back post where Kieron Richardson ghosted in unattended and nodded the ball past the helpless Postma.
Those are the facts as will be recorded. But they in no way come close to explaining what occurred.
Manchester United had gone into the match in the depths of a midfield injury crisis and the commonly held belief was that it would be a depleted second-string side that would face Wolves.
Perhaps with this in mind Glenn Hoddle opted to revert to a 4-3-3 formation, and selected his most experienced trio of Paul Ince, Darren Anderton and Mark Kennedy to combat United?s expected youth.
Confounding all expectations, and perhaps showing Wolves some respect few had imagined Ferguson fielded a very strong line up, and more crucially, opted for 4-4-2.
Rio Ferdinand partnered Wayne Rooney in central midfield, with Van Nistelrooy and Saha up top. Edwin van der Saar being protected by Gary Neville, Wes Brown, Nemanja Vidic and Mikael Silvestre
With man of the match Kieran Richardson and Ji-Sung Park out wide Wolves must have known the size of the task ahead of them when they saw the team sheet.
Which makes the manner of the United goals that much more frustrating for Wolves fans everywhere. Former European Champions don?t need a helping hand, and United?s goals where all due to Wolves mistakes as much as their own inventiveness.
In the first half Wolves had the ball in the net twice. Carl Cort from an offside position, and at 1-0 Paul Ince found the top corner from fully 30 yards following a Carl Cort knock on, only for Uriah Rennie to pull the play back for a foul on Cort. At that point Wolves fans started to suspect that it simply wasn?t to be their day.
Stefan Postma did all within his power to keep the tie alive saving first from the rampant Richardson, and then Gary Neville, but could do nothing about either first half goals.
Wolves passing went from the ridiculous to the sublime as for every well worked sequence there was a stray ball either going out of play or to a red shirt.
Glenn Hoddle made changes in the second half, withdrawing the ineffective Anderton and Seol in favour of Colin Cameron and highly rated youngster Mark Davies, and both had an immediate impact.
Following some good work from Davies Colin Cameron unleashed a right foot Rocket from fully 30 yards that the virtually redundant van Der Saar clawed out of the top corner. It was to be Wolves only shot on target all afternoon.
Shortly after Richardson netted United?s third and there was no way back for Wolves.
Still they created chances though. On 65 minutes Cameron swept a low cross into the box that eluded Rio Ferdinand, who was by now back in the heart of defence after Alan Smith replaced Wes Brown. The ball fell to an unattended Carl Cort just outside the 6-yard box who, with van der Saar rooted to the spot side footed the ball wide.
It was to be his final contribution. Straight after Glenn Hoddle replaced Cort with new signing Tomasz Frankowski.
All three substitutions changed the face of Hoddle?s side and Wolves finally had some bite, but by then it was far too late. Had this been Wolves starting line up it could have all been oh so different.
With his first touch Frankowski received the ball in the United area, and crowded by defenders chested the ball down before shooting inches wide of van der Saar?s right hand post.
With Wolves now showing the passion they had previously lacked Frankowski then chased down and blocked a United clearance. The ball fell to Kenny Miller who slipped the ball one side of Vidic, then went to run round the other only to be cynically blocked by United?s new signing which brought a yellow card from referee Uriah Rennie.
Typical of Wolves day Lee Naylor?s resultant free kick sailed wide of the post.
Gary Neville joined Vidic in referee Rennie’s book when attempting to rebound the ball from the United goal net he skyed his left foot effort over the bar and into the stand.
Stefan Postma twice dived at the feet to deny Wayne Rooney and in the dying minutes Ruud Can Nistelrooy clipped the bar, but by then Manchester United were guaranteed a spot in the fifth round.
So where now for Glenn Hoddle?s men?
There was more than enough evidence in the second half to suggest that they can still take something positive from this match.
It?s easy for Wolves fans to forget that Sir Alex Ferguson chose not to rest several key players for the match, and that Uniited?s spine amounted to around £80 million worth of talent.
Stefan Postma showed why he continues to keep Michael Oakes out of the side. Mark Davies once again impressed in patches, but at 17 his contribution to this campaign is bound to be limited, and if Tomasz Frankowski can shape chances against United, then he certainly should fair better in The Championship.
One thing sure to baffle fans is why Colin Cameron is having to seek a new club after showing that he is certainly effective at that level.
Glenn Hoddle has said Wolves should draw a line under the performance, and the result that left Wolves fans feeling less than impressed.
Next Saturday his side face out of sorts Leicester City, and a win may go someway to dispelling memories of a disapointing FA Cup weekend.
On new signing Tomasz Frankowski Hoddle added
After the match Glenn Hoddle said
‘We need to draw a line under it now and move on. We have 16 games left to win promotion.’
‘Scoring after just five minutes put them on the front foot but I was pleased how we responded. We had a good 25 minute spell and I was thinking that if we could go in at half-time we could rally the troops and come out and do something in the second period. Then we went and conceded right on half-time with a schoolboy error.’
On new signing Tomasz Frankowski Hoddle added
‘Tomasz has only had one training session with the players but he did ok today and nearly scored. He’s a player where things will happen for him in the box.’
