The victory by United was so comfortable as to elicit serious worry among the Wolves boardroom. They had fired Mick McCarthy, unsuccessfully sought to replace him with a number of coaches and settled on Terry Connor.
Connor may be a good coach, and may prove a good manager, and it would be unfair to judge him solely on whatever he leads Wolves to in the coming months, but it seems alarming that they are bottom of the league and in danger of disappearing without a trace.
This is a league in which the teams at the bottom are fighting for their lives. Bolton, Blackburn, and Wigan, are all producing results and getting crucial points, whilst Wolves are sinking after a series of thrashings.
It was mooted on one website last week that a return to McCarthy may be the most sensible solution to the problem. This is a team who have shown in their time in this league that they are capable of good things. They have produced good performances and played some impressive football at times. Victories over Chelsea, Man City and Man Utd last year prove that. But they seem to have lost what it is that brought them into this league. Maybe it is the player’s hunger, maybe it is something else. But whatever it is, McCarthy is likeliest to know.
He is a man too, who for all his views, seems to be a decent one at heart, and not one to bear a grudge .Could going back to him admitting fault be the solution here? Wolves need something and fast, and Connor seems unable to steady a fast sinking ship. They face crucial games coming up now against Norwich and Bolton. Connor insists they will keep believing, though it is hard to know whether his team will show the same resolve he is.
“Has this defeat weakened my resolve? No, I said to the players I’m more determined than ever,” said Connor. “Everyone will be writing us off but we’ve been in these situations before. The message to the players and to everyone is: ‘Keep believing’.”
One point from 12 is not enough. After Bolton they travel to Stoke, host Arsenal, travel to Sunderland, host Man City and travel to Swansea. Outside the top teams who fight for the Champions League, there are few harder trios of trips in a row than Stoke, Sunderland and Swansea. The fight could go down to the last day and a clash with Wigan. And they are seasoned survivors at this level. Wolves are not. Connor has it all to do.
