The fairy tale and the non event
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 v Sheffield Wednesday 1
Had you tuned into BBC R4 first thing on Tuesday morning you might have been forgiven for thinking that you were on the wrong wavelength and that it was Talk Sport to which you were listening. The normally sober Today programme, where coverage of long term economic plans and the Westminster bubble dominates affairs was being presented by Nick Robinson, from – of all places - Leicester City’s King Power Stadium. Every so often his delivery was interrupted by the sound of honking car horns celebrating the most unlikely of triumphs. With Tottenham only managing a draw against Chelsea the previous evening it meant that Leicester’s closest rivals for the Premier League Championship could no longer overhaul them and thus, for the first time in their 132 year history, Leicester City had been crowned league champions.
Earlier in the year I had considered the relative merits of two contrasting articles on how best to motivate a sports team. The first by Matthew Syed on Leicester City read “It is wrong to single out individuals. More than any other team I have seen this season the Foxes exceed the sum of their parts. They run for each other and they protect each other. They are a group of mostly decent players assembled at just £55m; yet as a team, lead by their kindly manager Claudio Ranieri, they have grown to improbable stature”.
The second by Oliver Holt on Eddie Jones the new coach of the England rugby team read “Let’s not kid ourselves. This was the same old England, dour and mediocre. Eddie Jones has made few alterations to the side he inherited. The core is essentially the same. What has changed is the team’s philosophy. Jones’s predecessor, the schoolmasterly Stuart Lancaster, believed ardently in teamwork and respect. But Jones, a fierce man who exudes a need for control, has little time for that sort of thing. He doesn’t care how England play provided they win.”
Well now we know. They both work but of the two Leicester City’s is the more remarkable. As 5000 to 1 outsiders they had crafted the fairy tale to end all fairy tales with a squad of cast offs playing a form of Blitzkrieg football that goes against the current obsession with possession. They seem to delight in giving the ball away, if only to motivate them into working even harder to get it back again. And when they do they attack with such pace that opposing teams seem genuinely shocked when, in the blink of an eye, they concede. Barely a week on the talk now is whether Manager Ranieri can keep his squad together, the larger clubs circling the likes of Riyad Mahrez and N’Golo Kante. I hope he can if only to see whether Blitzkrieg football can prosper in Europe.
Not that long ago Leicester City were plying their trade in the Championship which gives hope to all those who escape its clutches. Back in October, following their 3-1 defeat of Wolves, I stuck my neck out and said that Middlesbrough would gain automatic promotion. Well today they achieved it, a 1-1 draw with Brighton ensuring they go up on goal difference from the Seagulls, who must now enter the lottery of the play-offs. As for Brentford, the team selected on the basis of mathematical modeling (players who rank highly by most number of passes completed, successful headers/tackles made) they finished 9th, nine points off a play-off slot. They don’t spend a lot and today defeated Huddersfield 5-1 away. So maybe there is more to Matthew Benham’s theory than I had previously given it credit for.
Which leads us on to Wolves and their non event of a season. Yes they were hit badly by injuries to Nuoha Dicko, Jordan Graham and to a lesser extent Ethan Ebanks Landell. But their signings have been disappointing not helped by odd team selections which at times have defied logic. Today for example, Coach Jackett introduced both Adam Le Fondre and David Edwards. What does that tell us that we don’t already know?
That said today’s performance against Sheffield Wednesday was a lot better than it has been of late which is not saying a lot, given the previous run of four goalless home draws. Matthew Doherty did well in having a hand in both goals and would make a better midfield player than Conor Coady. Jack Price, when he puts his mind to it, can pick out a pass and in Carl Ikeme they have a solid goalkeeper. His save from Lewis McGugan’s free kick, which pierced the Wolves defensive wall leaving him a split second in which to react, was top drawer. But bar those three and the return of Dicko and Graham there’s little which currently points to a dart at promotion next season.
As for Sheffield Wednesday only Aiden McGeady looks like he could cut it in the Premier League. Their laudable support may be looking forward to possible promotion via the play-offs. But if it happens it will be a dead cat bounce. They are just not good enough.
Enjoy the break.
Wolverhampton Wanderers: Ikeme 8, Iorfa 6, Batth 6 Hause 6, Doherty 8, Coady 6, Price 7, Saville 6, Henry 6, Wallace Sub Le Fondre, Mason 6 Sub Edwards
Sheffield Wednesday: Wildsmith 6, Palmer 6, Sasso 5, Turner 6, Helan 6, McGeady 7, Semedo 6, McGugan 5, Matias 6, Joao 6, Nuhiu 5 Sub Stobbs
Referee: Darren Bond 8
Attendance: 25,488
©Mark Brennand