Seville defeat ends marathon season
Europa League Quarter Final
Seville 1 v Wolverhampton Wanderers 0
In the two years since Joao Moutinho joined Wolverhampton Wanderers he has established himself as the hub around which the team revolves. He pulls the strings in the manner of Andrea Pirlo and when he plays well Wolves tend to do likewise. When on Tuesday night he was removed from the fray with twenty minutes of the game still remaining it provided a useful metaphor on where the team found itself. Had he been performing well his continuing involvement would have been assured. But his effect on the game to that point had been negligible and Nuno clearly felt fresh legs were required. That said Moutinho’s expression indicated displeasure whilst his eyes spoke drained. Wolves were physically and emotionally spent a factor only heightened by being totally outplayed by a more than competent Seville unit. The noose was drawing ever tighter and when the Spaniards scored, with barely two minutes of the game remaining, Tony the Tiger had long since deserted the Wolves fuel tank. (For the youngsters amongst you it’s an Esso advert from the Seventies). It was not wholly unexpected given that they were in the thirteenth month of a marathon season.
A mere twelve months ago I was bemoaning Wolves’ involvement in the Europa League regarding it as a distraction from the Premier League where a stuttering start saw an overly long acquaintance with the bottom half of the division. But by Christmas fortunes had thankfully changed and from that point on Wolves finished, what would become the Covid Season, strongly. Had VAR never been invented they would have finished fifth. As it was they finished 7th and thus were denied a repeat run in Europe. Given the small size of the squad, the length of the tournament and this year’s heartache, it is perhaps not a bad thing.
It will at least give them the space to start thinking about developing a plan B. It sounds churlish to find fault with their achievements over the last three years but if there is one area that needs improving it’s changing the way that they play when the opposition has snuffed out plan A; Quarterback Coady pinging precise diagonal balls to wing backs Johnny and Doherty allied to counter attacks involving Jimenez, Jota and Traore. That and creating more chances against sides who come to defend, the home game v Brighton being a case in point.
As of now the squad members need a break. The populace needs a vaccine and VAR needs consigning to the Sinclair C5 Sponsored Museum of Inventions that Failed.
©Mark Brennand