Wolves were comfortably beaten by Crystal Palace in Rob Edwards’ first game in charge of the club. The game was void of any real quality from either team, with Palace jumping on two Wolves mistakes to seal their tenth league defeat of the season in just 12 games. The club now sit nine points adrift of safety and eight points adrift of 19th. If Wolves are to stay up, it’s going to take a Herculean effort from the squad and manager. Written by Tom Davison.
2 Good:
Sam Johnstone’s return to form
The Wolves keeper had an unfortunate run towards the end of Vitor Pereira’s tenure, last shipping three away at Fulham. However, the Englishman seemed back on form as he commanded the box well and made it a challenge for Palace to beat him. His distribution also ushered Wolves into counterattacks on numerous occasions, especially in the first half. Going forward, it’s hard to see Johnstone losing his place in the starting lineup.
A fresh start under Rob Edwards
Following the volatile end to Wolves and Vitor Pereira’s relationship, the club felt in turmoil. The supporters made their feelings known on social media and in the stands, even penning an open letter to the board demanding change. The appointment of Rob Edwards can only be seen at this point as a fresh start, giving Wolves a chance to reinvigorate their team and club operations. The new manager was serenaded proudly by the Wolves fans before kick off. Despite a losing start, Edwards has time to make his mark at Molineux.
2 Bad:
Creativity going forward
Starting with Strand Larsen and Tolu seemed a bold move before kick off. A strike partnership with a combined height of 13 feet looked to be a dangerous idea, considering the two players’ goal contributions in the last few seasons and the number of crosses Wolves tend to put in the box. However, Wolves failed to capitalise on the two big men. In the first half, Wolves created next to nothing. The biggest chance came when Joao Gomes’ free kick bobbled into the path of Krejci. Things didn’t improve in the second half, with the chances created being thoroughly wasted. Wolves never really looked like scoring and the game became comfortable for Palace. Going forward, this has to be top of Rob Edwards’ priorities heading into the January window.
Nervy defending
Despite a promising back five in the team sheet, Wolves looked nervy from the outset. The usually sturdy Ladislav Krejci was even at the heart of Wolves anxious defending in the first half. As Palace piled the pressure on, it was surely inevitable that they would take the lead as Wolves increasingly fell into danger. Poor marking led to Palace capitalising on a rebound to take the lead. The follow up goal, despite being an exceptional finish, was poorly done by Wolves as they sloppily gave the ball back to the visitors in the build up. Wolves defence has been a problem all season which needs to be addressed very soon.
