New faces, same outcome
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 v Burton Albion 1
My match day routine, for I am a creature of habit, tends to follow the same pattern. Arrive at the ground with five minutes to spare. Head for the team sheet. Make a note of the opposition line up. Take seat. Acknowledge fans in close proximity. Work out what positions the opposition players occupy and make appropriate notes – a task usually taking up the first five minutes of the game.
Not to day. During the aforementioned five minutes I realised that the home side was equally unfamiliar to me. There were six new faces so I spent the next fifteen trying to work out who they were. That’s not strictly true. In the heart of the defence was the new yet familiar form of Julian Assange, back from a less than successful spell at Fulham. Of the other five I knew nothing. Manager Walter Zenga has said that his biggest problem is going to be too much choice a circumstance with which he is none too familiar. Well that and controlling his temper, an end of game handbags at ten paces altercation with Burton keeper Jon McLaughlin, diverting attention from what had been a disjointed Wolves performance. Given the permutations on offer it could take the Italian some time to work out which eleven players will form his most cohesive unit.
For opposite number Nigel Clough, creating cohesion from the limited resources at his disposal is not something over which he loses much sleep. His side is well drilled and not lacking in skill, Matty Palmer, Chris O’Grady and John Brayford all looking comfortable in possession and using the ball well. For Burton the highlight, or perhaps lo-light, in a fairly uneventful first half was a somewhat dubious penalty awarded for handball against Richard Stearman in the twentieth minute. Step forward Lucas Akins whose spot kick was so awful that, to parrot the words of a well known Yorkshireman, my grandmother could have saved it. Carl Ikeme is some years shy of taking his pension and thus had no trouble saving the attempt. As for Wolves it took them all of 41 minutes to create an opening, Ivan Cavaleiro’s curling shot being well saved by McLaughlin.
Sensing that his new charges were not really gelling during the second half Manager Zenga rang the changes, Joe Mason and John Dadi Bodvarsson replacing the fragile Joao Teixiera and new face Paul Gladon. Both made an impact particularly Bodvarsson who in minute 77 forced the Burton defence into the error which lead to Prince Oniangue breaking the deadlock. Coming as it did in the final third of the game, the goal should have been enough to have sealed all three points. But Burton are nothing if not resilient and in the fourth minute of time added on substitute Will Miller turned in Lloyd Dyer’s cross. Cue Versace handbags.
The fans admire the manager’s Latin passion. But Walter Zenga will need a clear head if he’s to work out how to make the best use of the myriad players at his disposal.
Wolves: Ikeme 6, Doherty 6, Batth 6, Stearman 7, Borthwick-Jackson 6, Oniangue 6, Coady 6, Teixeira 6 Sub Mason, Costa 6, Gladon 5 Sub Bodvarrsson, Cavaleiro 7
Burton Albion: McLaughlin 6, Brayford 7, McFadzean 6, Turner 6, Dyer 6, Akins 5 Sub Choudhury, Naylor 6, Palmer 7, Irvine 6, O’Grady 7, Ward 6 Sub Miller
Attendance: 22,049
Ref: James Adcock 7
©Mark Brennand