Molineux torpor
Wolverhampton Wanderers 0 v Brighton & Hove Albion 0
On Wednesday evening, as I was watching Sheffield Wednesday’s Canute like effort to repel Manchester City in the FA Cup, I found my eyes drawn to the unusually dominant figure of Dominic Iorfa. Wolves’ one-time Bambi like full back had, it seemed, been transformed into a none too shabby centre half. And it got me thinking. What are the factors which determine the success or otherwise of a footballer’s career? And where are others, who played alongside Iorfa, now plying their trade?
For my limited research I settled on the team which was selected for the 2016 home game v Brentford and was gratified to see that current first XI stalwarts Matt Doherty, Conor Coady and Romain Saiss all played. Amongst those who also turned out - but didn’t make the grade - were Benfica loanee Joao Brito Teixeira. In his 17 games for Wolves he rather flattered to deceive before going out on loan to Nottingham Forest, where he didn’t get a start. There followed a further loan spell at Vitoria Setubal before a move to Chaves in the Portuguese second tier which is where he remains. Also selected on that day was Prince Oniangue (I don’t remember him either) who played 16 games before being loaned out to Bastia (14 games), followed by Angers (14). In 2018 he signed for Caen where his career appears to have stalled. And then we come to England’s Icelandic nemesis Jon Dadi Bodvarsson. Well thought of as an honest trier, he nonetheless managed to perfect the role of the none scoring centre forward. A less than stellar return of 3 goals in 42 games saw him palmed off to Reading where he managed a more respectable 14 in 53. But even that didn’t prevent another move, this time to up and at ‘em Millwall where he continues to perfect his none scoring credentials. Others whose Molineux career hit the proverbial buffers include Kortney Hause (currently an Aston Villa irregular), Danny Batth (Stoke City) Michael Jacobs, Lee Evans and Nathan Byrne (all at Wigan Athletic), Ethan Ebanks Landell and Dave Edwards (both at Shrewsbury Town), Bright Enobakhari (still nominally on the books but lost in his paypacket) and Alfred N’Diaye who looked like he might make it, but now ekes out a living at Al Shabab in the Saudi Arabian league. About which there’s not a lot to add.
Ability. Attitude. Resilience. Health. Heart. Face did fit. Face didn’t fit. Right time. Wrong time. Wrong place. Wrong position. Poor team dynamic. Who knows. It’s a lottery.
When Wolves last played Brighton & Hove Albion at home in April of last year the starting line up contained eight of those who started today. Which just goes to show the stability that has prevailed since Nuno assumed the managerial reins. Yet despite that stability in recent times Wolves have found Brighton to be doughty opponents and so it proved again today. Invariably playing with ten men behind the ball Brighton is one of those sides whom Wolves find it difficult to break down. Not that the home side helped themselves, playing with a lack of pace and passion that seemed at odds with the fact that they came to this game following a seven day break.
For their part though they came to defend Brighton are a neat side, good in possession. But they won’t hurt you and I lost count of the number of occasions when they, and for that matter Wolves, manoeuvred the ball into the final third only to turn back and return it to their own half merely as an exercise in retaining possession. Just short of the hour the Old Gold did manage to raise the tempo such that the game showed signs of emerging from its slumber. But it proved a false dawn and within ten minutes affairs had been once again enveloped in a comfort blanket a circumstance which prevailed to the final whistle.
Not much to chew on then for the two Wolves fans sitting to my left, as they drive back to Torquay.
Wolverhampton Wanderers: Patricio 6, Boly 6, Coady 6, Saiss 6, Doherty 6, Vinagre 5, Dendoncker 6, Neves 6 Sub Traore, Moutinho 6, Jota 7 Sub Podence, Jimenez 6
Brighton & HA: Ryan 6, Monoya 6, Webster 7, Dunk 6, Burn 6, Bissouma 7, Propper 6, Mooy 6 Sub Stephens, March 6 Sub MacAllister, Maupay 6, Trossard 6 Sub Jahanbakhsh
Attendance: 31,490
Referee: Andre Marriner 9
©Mark Brennand