Wolves edge nervy encounter
Wolves 2 v Queens Park Rangers 1
Ever heard of the tiny Swedish football club Ostersunds FK? Me neither. Seven years ago they were plying their trade in the fourth tier of Swedish club football which by any reckoning is a pretty lowly place in which to ply ones trade. In that year an Englishman named Graham Potter became their manager and over the subsequent three seasons he gained promotion twice. In 2015 Ostersunds joined Sweden’s Premier League and in 2017, and still lead by Potter, they won the Swedish FA Cup. It is through that route by which they secured a place in this year’s Europa Cup and on Thursday 15th February they play the first leg of their Round of 32 tie against mighty Arsenal.
I mention this only in as much that Potter https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_Potter , who played at Birmingham City, Stoke City, Southampton and West Bromwich Albion before going into coaching - notably early on at Hull University - requires that as part of their contract all team members must read the works of Dostoevsky. Furthermore the players must put on a play each year, must engage with their local community and have even written a book together. It’s all part of Potter’s holistic training regime and as Times columnist Richard Morrisson recently posited, the broadening of horizons was a major reason for the Club’s success. He continued “Would that clubs over here tried to do likewise with their intellectually stunted and money obsessed footballers”. As you may know intellect and its influence on sporting success is a chestnut on which I have previously chewed. As I do again now.
If we apply the subject to the current Wolves squad I would find it hard to comment on how bright or otherwise the players who comprise it are. What I do know is that a fair proportion of them are of foreign origin, including the manager. This requires them to live in a foreign country, where they must learn a foreign language and adapt to alien customs and mores. You might argue that the sizeable sums by which they are remunerated, nullify the affects of any adverse experiences that may come their way. But that doesn’t negate the fact that they are essentially young lads living away from home - for possibly the first time in their lives - and that during the course of a long season they will inevitably experience emotional highs and lows. They have to deal with that and it is much to their credit that their performances on the field have been maintained at a very high level. So whilst it is questionable whether intellect on its own is a rationale for sporting success, it might certainly be true that widening horizons does help. Perhaps England might do better if more of their players moved abroad.
Anyway, enough of that. As for QPR they are something of a bogey team for Wolves. Last season at the Molineux they capitalised on a defensive blunder to leave with a win and earlier this season at Loftus Road they got the better of the Old Gold. It could have been the same here for within the first ten minutes they were presented with two guilt edged chances neither of which they took. It provided the necessary wake up call and in minute 11 Willy Boly picked out Ivan Cavaleiro advancing down the left. He cut inside before delivering an inswinging cross which was bundled in off the chest of Alfred N’Daiye. Ten minutes later the home side doubled their tally with a sweeping move, which began with a Cavaleiro, Jota one two. Advancing on goal Cavaleiro then sensibly squared the ball to Helda Costa who side footed into a vacant net. Thereafter Wolves were rampant their only failing, finishing off the many chances that they created.
As half time arrived the game was set up for a comfortable home win. Only Wolves hadn’t counted on a far more resilient QPR prompted by Luke Freeman and the enterprising Eberechi Eze who had been introduced shortly before the break. Moreover Wolves didn’t help themselves, sloppy defending by John Ruddy allowing the ball to go for a corner in minute 51. Taken quickly Wolves failed to clear their lines before Conor Washington’s excellent overhead kick despatched it into the net.
Thereafter it was a game of nip and tuck, QPR having the better of the possession but Wolves making regular sorties upfield. On 62 Jota should have done better when free on goal but was closed down before getting his shot away. Then on 82 Benik Afobe demonstrated why he failed to make the mark at Bournemouth by missing the target following an excellent cross from Jota. That chance should have killed the game but only served to provide more hope for the visitors who nearly equalised at the death when Eze’s shot was kicked off the line by Conor Coady. Then in time added on Josh Scowen’s rasping strike thankfully went wide. And that was just about it.
The win puts Wolves 13 points clear at the top of the Championship. It’s still a nervy watch but every point puts them closer to promotion.
Wolves: Ruddy 6, Bennett 7, Coady 6, Bolly 8, Doherty 6, Douglas 6, Neves 7, N’Diaye 6, Costa 7 Sub Gibbs White, Jota 7, Cavaleiro 7 Sub Afobe
QPR: Smithies 6, Lynch 6, Onuoha 6, Perch 6 Sub Eze 8, Wszoleck 7, Cousins 6 Sub Smith 7, Robinson 6, Scowen 6, Bidwell 6, Freeman 8, Washington 7
Attendance: 30,168
Referee: Geoff Eltringham 9
©Mark Brennand