It was telling Rob Edwards referenced the importance of his players showing more character during their home games in the build-up to Brentford. In his eyes, Wolves' best performances since taking charge have come during away defeats at Aston Villa and Arsenal. The reality is draws won't get Wolves out of their current predicament.
It was telling Rob Edwards referenced the importance of his players showing more character during their home games in the build-up to Brentford.
In his eyes, Wolves' best performances since taking charge have come during away defeats at Aston Villa and Arsenal. Both were tight matches where you could argue, on another day, they could have earned a point.
The reality is draws won't get Wolves out of their current predicament. Wins, and I stress the plural, are the only way mere talk of survival isn't greeted with laughter.
We all know teams are more likely to win at home. However, we also quite often see struggling sides can feel more comfortable on the road.
Jorgen Strand-Larsen's missed penalty was a clear example of a player fighting against the 'weight' of the gold and black shirt. Four months ago Newcastle had bids of £50m and £55m for the striker rejected. In the here and now he has one Premier League goal to his name this season, ironically, a spot kick he managed to convert two months earlier against Burnley.
The limited confidence the Norwegian currently has will have been further eroded after he was mocked by some sections of the home support who chanted in anger following his failure to convert from 12 yards. Molineux at times felt like a roman colosseum, with bloodthirsty fans desperate for a scapegoat, even more so following the departure of Jeff Shi.
At the other end of the fan vitriol scale is Mateus Mane. At 18-years of age, with just a handful of Premier League appearances to his name, Edwards said to me post-match he clearly lacks the "scars" some of his older and more experienced team-mates are currently carrying.
After coming on in the 65th minute, the academy product was always positive - not only willing to test defenders and showcase his skill set, he also chased down a lost cause down near the corner flag, which resulted in not only winning the ball back but his subsequent cross led to Wolves a chance.
Understandably keen to impress, I was struck by the frequency in which he raised his hand to receive the ball. He wanted to make a difference, and it was his first-time delivery into the box which led to Wolves being awarded a penalty.
In stark contrast to the treatment dished out to Strand-Larsen, once the full-time whistle had blown, Mane stood and applauded the Sir Jack Haywood stand as the small number of fans still in their seats sang his name back to him.
Edwards told me afterwards supporters can expect to see more of Mane in the coming weeks but Wolves will need much more than the innocence of youth if they want to fend off the inevitable comparisons to the infamous Derby County Premier League campaign of 2007-2008.
Category: General Sports
