Finding themselves bottom at Christmas need not mean relegation. Three years ago, Wolves found themselves similarly placed, with the key distinction that they began on Boxing Day with ten points rather than a mere two. Their present situation is one of historical underperformance, the worst losing run in club history. The Brentford forward's second-half double, with the goalkeeper's stop of a spot-kick from Strand Larsen rubbing salt in the wound, saw them finish fourteen points behind the safety line. A mere trio of clubs have previously lost ten consecutive top-flight games on the bounce. Each of them finished rock-bottom come May.
A Week of Upheaval and Sorrow at Molineux
It had been a period of transition and loss at Molineux. The club's chairman, a figure who had drawn fan criticism who had lately termed relegation as a “technicality”, departed on Friday, succeeded by an interim appointee, a temporary successor sharing a surname but with no familial connection. Prior to kick-off, a period of quiet reflection was observed for Ethan McLeod, the Wolves trainee and Macclesfield forward who died in a car accident. His brother, Conor, presently in the under-21 setup, was among extended family on the sidelines.
Deprived of key players and sinking to unprecedented depths, a miraculous survival appears impossible.
The Visitor's Imperative Task
While Wolves' situation looks almost hopeless, Brentford’s run of form has given rise to relegation concerns. Winning at Wolves was absolutely essential. Keith Andrews had omitted the scorer from the previous match, the experienced midfielder, in favor of the youthful energy of Yehor Yarmolyuk in seeking a much-needed victory after a winless run. The side began in the usual fashion, with a Michael Kayode long throw.
Andrews’ team were having, though not necessarily enjoying, a large portion of the ball. Where 44% is their average it rose close to 70%. It does not come naturally.
Wolves' Defensive Approach
To achieve mission impossible, initial objective the 11 points Derby went down with in 2008, Wolves' boss is battening down the hatches, tactics less three at the back than five. Often seven. With entertainment in short supply, the paying public directed attention to the club's ownership, with calls for the owners to leave and placards asserting fan ownership brandished.
Despite Brentford’s command of possession, Kelleher made the first save, when a delivery from the Wolves player nearly took a deflection past him, providing only a momentary break from apathy in the Molineux stands. A first shot on goal did not arrive until the 31st minute, Wolves’s André blasting a set-piece straight at the defensive barrier. That represented the longest wait for a first shot in the top division for half a decade. The long throw remained Brentford’s chief creator until, at last, Lewis-Potter dribbled into the area to elicit a stop from the Wolves goalkeeper.
A Second Half of Scant Improvement
Would the latter period offer more than such low-level ambition and application? A Wolves player's aimless clatter of the ball into the Jack Hayward Stand suggested not, though soon after Sá made a fine reflex save from Kevin Schade’s header, followed by a less convincing fumble of a shot from the same Brentford forward.
Hope and noise levels increased during a period of Wolves pressure that was energetic though bereft of quality. Full rancour arrived when the opening goal was netted, after Vitaly Janelt’s chip and a misunderstanding between Ladislav Krejci and Santiago Bueno presented an early Christmas gift.
Before that, Wolves fans, long resigned to their fate, looked to the past for comfort, chanting the names of past heroes, icons from more prosperous eras.
Sealing the Win and Inflicting Further Misery
Brentford have an unfortunate tendency of squandering leads, and brief optimism flared when a headed chance refused to dip low enough. The Danish midfielder, on as a substitute as the manager looked to solidify the center of the park, might have sealed it from Lewis-Potter’s diagonal. Instead, Damsgaard, from the left, provided the assist for Lewis-Potter’s volleyed second.
Following Kelleher saved on Strand Larsen’s late spot-kick, awarded for the Irishman’s challenge on Matt Doherty, chants of “you’re not fit to wear the shirt” grew louder. Stripped of assets, plunging to historic lows, a dramatic rescue act seems utterly improbable.
