Football Season Review

№20: Wolverhampton Wanderers

Wolverhampton endured an absolute and unmitigated disaster of a season that saw them finish bottom of the table. They were unquestionably the worst team in the league all the way from September to May and their relegation was fully deserved at the end of the day. It all started very well for Mick McCarthy and his men as they won two of their first three games in the league. However, a 2:0 loss at home to Tottenham in September started a run of five consecutive league defeats. It quickly became clear that all the sprit and dedication that the players put will not be enough to compensate the lack of defensive solidity and overall quality in the side. They were struggling for goals and leaking ones on the other end freely. They claimed a couple of wins in November but overall lost nine out of 13 games and won just two out of 20 games. They were stationed at the foot of the table from December onwards and very rarely looked like getting out of trouble. There was obviously lack of leadership in the side with new captain, Roger Johnson, looking dreadful at the back and a shadow of the player who did so well at Birmingham in the previous couple of seasons. McCarthy oversaw some gutting defeats at home in January when his team deserved more and even a lucky 2:1 win at rivals QPR proved only an olive branch for him. The gas after that against rivals West Brom proved the last of McCarthy's reign as the Baggies ran riot for a 5:1 win at Molineux. The Wolves board were made to look like complete fools in their search of replacement and after a number of candidates rejected the chance, assistant Terry Connor was handed the reins. He started with an encouraging draw at home to Newcastle but the team lost the next seven games and it became very clear that the new appointment only made things worse with Connor badly out of his depth. Some painful thumpings suffered during this run sapped the confidence of the squad and by late March relegation was all but confirmed. Wolves finished the season miserably despite drawing three of their last five games and a record of just three wins in 36 league games tells the story of a squad that utterly lacked the necessary quality to survive.


Player of the Season: Wayne Hennessey