Wolves all but sealed their fate as a Championship club with a dismal defeat away at West Ham.
Coming into the game, it was clear that three points were vital to keep any slim hopes of survival alive and Wolves started on the front foot. A few good chances in the early stages of the game left supporters cautiously optimistic of picking up a result. This bright start was quickly extinguished as Wolves were hammered by the Irons in the second half. Three dreadful goals left Wolves 4-0 down, signifying a shocking turnaround from the first half. They now sit 15 points adrift with only six games left to play.
Good: Andre’s first half performance
It’s incredibly telling of our performance that I’m praising half of a game, but here we are. Off the back of seemingly confirming his intentions to stay at Wolves, Andre ran the show for Wolves in the first half and stood out as their best player. An ever present in midfield, he did well to cover significant ground and helped build momentum for chances at goal. As Gomes was fairly poor alongside him, Andre was forced to step up and lead his team. While it wasn’t the evening he and Wolves had hoped for, he can be proud of a fairly strong individual display.
Good: Bright opening to the game
As mentioned earlier, Wolves started the evening really positively. With numerous players back from positive run-ins during the international break, Wolves seemed the more confident of the two sides early on. While a few chances were more than speculative from the likes of Bellegarde and Andre, they created a good attacking foundation that they spectacularly failed to build on. In truth, it was very hard to find a second positive for this game, so let me have it.
Woeful: Second Half Collapse
Wow. Quite frankly it was an embarrassing final half hour in London, as West Ham swept Wolves away with remarkable ease. A deflating second goal was quickly succeeded by a nightmare third that seemed to take an age to dribble past Sa in goal. The last 10 minutes didn’t prove much better, as Wolves conceded yet another poor goal to send them crashing down to their harsh reality. On the bright side, I think it may be a game or two late for the goal difference to matter *too* much.
Bad: Mosquera suspended for the next two games
During a drab and brutal season, Mosquera has been one of the few bright sparks in the Wolves squad. His protests following a decision from the officials led to a yellow card, his tenth of the season, which will see him miss the next two games. Alongside his suspension, he was part of a dreadful defensive display which has crippled any momentum the squad may have had heading in. In games which could see the club officially relegated, it’s a major blow for a team who already have a lot to look at in the mirror.
Wolves’ abysmal second half will surely see them play Championship Football next season. With Leeds in the next game, it will be interesting to watch Edwards and Wolves’ reaction to such a spineless display tonight.
