Same old, same old

Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 v Leeds United 4

All sides self-destruct. Brazil v Germany in the 2014 World Cup. Manchester United v Liverpool just over a fortnight ago. Wolves v Leeds United on the 18th March 2022, exactly a year ago to the day. 2-0 up and cruising at half time the Molineux faithful were in fine voice as they sang “Leeds … Leeds are falling apart …… again” to the tune “Love will tear us apart”. How ironic then that in the second half it was Wolves who did their best to emulate the Keystone Kops allowing Leeds to fight back overhauling the deficit and, in the process, inflict a humiliating 3-2 home defeat.

We didn’t know it at the time, but this encounter probably marked the beginning of the end for the Bruno Lage tenure. Of the nine remaining games in the season Wolves garnered a meagre five points from a possible 27. If that wasn’t bad enough they continued this form into the current season until Lage’s position became untenable. In came Lopetegui together with considerable player spending. We’ve now had the opportunity to observe him up close and if his management style is a reflection of his match day body language, then one senses he is an enemy of complacency. But he is also prone to tinkering, the Spanish for which I know not, and of late it’s not been working. Today’s starting XI were a different to the side to the one that took the field last week v Newcastle and this latest defeat means that Wolves have only claimed four points from their last six games, which is a concern.

With six goals and plenty of end-to-end football no one can deny that game was anything but entertaining. The factor that separated the two sides was that Leeds were clinical and Wolves were not. First half misses by Pedro Neto and Nelson Semedo, the latter of whom also had a decent shout for a penalty were supplemented by second half misses from Pablo Serabia and Raul Jimenez.

It required an outrageous lobbed volley by Castro Otto in the 64th minute for Wolves to open their account but by then they were 3-0 down. You spend the whole week training and take the field for merely five and concede. The lively Wilfried Gnonto had already had the better of Semedo on two previous occasions and it took a third to make it count, when his low cross picked out Jack Harrison who fired home.

One nil down at half time Manager Lopetegui made his customary changes replacing the undercooked Pedro Neto with Serabia and Matt Dawson with Nathan Collins, the latter causing the odd eyebrow to be raised. It remained raised when on 49 minutes an in-swinging corner from the right evaded everyone but Luke Ayling who was unmarked at the back post. With Sa scrambling the Leeds full back headed home. Twelve minutes later Castro Otto failed to deal with a looping cross which bounced awkwardly allowing Rasmus Kristensen to fire home with literally his first touch of the match.

Within three minutes the Wolves left back partially made amends with his fine volley. Then in the 70th minute Matheus Cunha rounded off a beautiful move, his deflected shot evading Islan Meslier to find the net. Wolves had their tales up, but three minutes later Lopetegui made the strangest of decisions by removing Ruben Neves from the fray. The Portuguese midfielder had been the driving force behind their attacking play and once removed Wolves never really threatened again.

Not so Leeds. With the match now in added time Adama Traore ceded possession to Crysencio Summerville by not playing to the whistle. Summerville fed Rodrigo who advanced on goal before lifting the ball over an advancing Jose Sa to claim his eleventh goal of the season. Would that Wolves had a striker with a similar record.

Wolverhampton Wanderers: Sa 5, Semedo 5 Sub Cunha 7, Dawson 6 Sub Collins 6, Kilman 7, Castro Otto 6 (Sent off), Lemina 6, Neves 8 Sub Moutinho, Gomes 6, Podence 5 Sub Traore 7, Neto 5 Sub Sarabia 6, Jimenez 6

Leeds United: Meslier 7, Ayling 7, Koch 6, Wober 6, Firpo 5 Sub Struijk, Roca 6, McKennie 6, Harrison 7, Aaronson 6 Sub Summerville, Gnonto 7 Sub Kirstensen, Bamford 6 Sub Rodrigo

Attendance: 31,570

Referee: Michael Salisbury 5

©Mark Brennand