Wolves cling on for valuable win
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 v Everton FC 1
According to the rules of football a game lasts 90 minutes and occasionally slightly more. Just ask Dean Smith. Wolves would have done well to remember this against Everton last night, for had the done so the margin and manner of victory might have been more emphatic than ultimately played out.
In the first half the home side were superb, playing with a degree of cohesion and dominance last seen in the spring of 2019 when they were advancing to Wembley. But for some acrobatic goalkeeping and VAR Wolves would have gone into the half time break five to the good, Ruben Neves and Francisco Trincao both denied by the dexterity of Jordan Pickford and a marginal offside ruling out Hwang Hee-chan’s potential opener. As it was they had to make do with a fine header by Max Kilman – his debut goal – and a sublime finish from Raul Jimenez.
The break however did Wolves no favours as they began the second half sloppily. Referee Martin Atkinson had barely restarted the game when Conor Coady nearly deflected a right wing cross into his own net. And in minute 54 Jose Sa lost control of the ball in his own six-yard box before desperately retrieving it. For the visitors, half-time substitute Fabian Delph provided greater control in midfield aided by Wolves who appeared to consider the game won and simply took their foot off the pedal. Thus did we enter England v Croatia (Word Cup Semi Final) territory and as a consequence it came as little surprise when in the 65th minute Marcus Iwobi fired home with the Wolves defence in a mess.
One might have thought this a wake-up call. But no, as Wolves continued to play deep allowing the visitors to dictate affairs and had not Sa produced a brilliant save in the 85th to deny Everton youngster Anthony Gordon there would have been much grinding of teeth. As it was the Old Gold held on to record their fourth victory in five, a win which took them up to a more than creditable 7th league slot.
Aside from the Molineux hosting Monday Night Football the day’s other news was the dismissal, after barely four months in charge, of Nuno Espirito Santo as manager of Tottenham Hotspur. Following what seemed like a dream start to the season, matters quickly regressed into a run of five defeats in the last seven outings. That plus the turgid football was the last straw as Daniel Levy called time on Nuno’s short reign. A generous compensation package will help but that won’t diminish the inward hurt of a proud man.
So where did it all go wrong, Nuno?
Where once we thought him a coach without equal the last eighteen months have proved otherwise. For his tactics to work he needs a quarterback centre half, two roving wing backs, a midfield libero, a goal scoring centre forward and a fast inside forward. When he lost Matt Doherty, Castro Otto, Raul Jimenez and Diogo Jota his game plan started to suffer. The current Tottenham squad doesn’t possess players of this ilk and it should therefore not surprise that his modus operandi wasn’t working. One minute you are riding high, the next you are yesterday’s man.
Will he find another job? Ask Eddie Howe.
Wolverhampton Wanderers: Sa 7, Semedo 7, Kilman 8, Coady 7, Saiss 7, Ait-Nouri 8, Moutinho 7, Neves 7, Trincao 7 Sub Podence, Jimenez 8 Sub Dendoncker, Hee-chan 8 Sub Silva.
Everton FC: Pickford 8, Coleman 6, Keane 6, Holgate 6, Godfrey 5, Townsend 6, Gbamin 5 Sub Delph 7, Allan 6, Iwobi 6 Sub Gordon, Richarlison 6, Gray 6 Sub Rondon
Attendance: Not stated.
Referee: Martin Atkinson 8
©Mark Brennand