"We played some great stuff in the
first half, but you have to blame me for what happened after. I just wanted a professional
job from my players. I felt it was time to shut up shop and say thank you very much. There
was no need to go chasing a fourth goal."
Wolves Manager Dave Jones.
As top of the table clashes go, this was a real mis-match. In truth,
Burnley turned in one of the most inept and miserable first half performances in many a
year.
Lining up in a 3-5-2 formation with Gnohere, Cox and Davis at the back, a
midfield of Cook, Grant, Briscoe, Weller and Ball with Moore (I) and Taylor in attack, we
were, to put it bluntly, hammered. It could have been worse. We failed to create more than
one chance in the first half, and even then, Gareth Taylor failed to send the ball
goalwards, preferring to hit the Lucozade sign to the right of the Wolverhampton goal. One
can’t help thinking that a certain Andy Payton, whilst perhaps not scoring, would
have at least forced the keeper to make a save.
Managers tend to play five in the middle to stifle the opposition's
attacking play, to flood the area and ensure that the opponent's midfield can’t get
into its stride and run the game. Sadly, Burnley played five in the middle and abjectly
failed to control the game for even the briefest period. Quite simply, we were overrun.
Wolves swept forward time after time, cutting a swathe through our midfield and defence.
We were shell shocked; they beat their man with ease and, admittedly with a little help
from tart referee Joslin, gained free kick after free kick. We quite simply could not put
any sort of passing movement together. We failed to even produce the basic football
skills. We were abysmal.
Were Wolves any good then? It’s difficult to assess. They certainly
looked good going forward, and we never tested their defence or goalkeeper, but our first
half performance would have made a Sunday pub team look competent against us. They had an
impressive player in Colin Cameron. He certainly ran the game from the centre of midfield.
The always impressive and arrogant Kennedy terrorised us for the 25 minutes that they felt
they needed to leave him on the pitch. ‘Thanks Mark, go and have a cup of tea and
save yourself for Tuesday, I’m putting that one legged steward on - even he fancies
his chances against this lot’, must surely have been David Jones’ words as he
took him off. Oh, for a player who can cross the ball with such accuracy and pace as
Kennedy. He may be an arrogant sod, but he’s a fine footballer. David Jones has
signed some quality players, unlike his predecessors at Molineux.
Anyway, the first goal came from a Kennedy cross. He whipped the ball in
with pace and accuracy, and rising like a salmon on the edge of the six yard box was
Gareth Taylor to flick the ball into the top corner of the net. If only he could do it at
the right end.
It is frustrating to see our non-scoring forwards start week after week
when they consistently fail to put the ball away. I would be happy to see Payton and Ellis
given a try. Surely that is the idea of a squad? If players aren’t producing the
goods they can be given the necessary kick up the backside by being left on the bench and
someone else given a chance. Unfortunately at Burnley things don’t work that way. We
have a first XI and that’s that, barring injuries, Ternent obviously doesn’t
feel that his squad is strong enough, and that he has perhaps 14 players who he sees fit
to start games. Remember that he even played Michopoulos when he was injured instead of
calling up Cennamo? If a manager doesn’t trust his second choice keeper to do a job,
what is the point in keep paying his wages? This is a problem throughout the squad. We do
not have the strength in depth to compete in this division. If our first choice striker,
defender, midfielder, keeper is injured, the replacement is not of equal quality, and we
are struggling.
Anyway, back to the debacle. Wolves scored again when the ball was crossed
into the box; the Burnley defence and keeper all stood and watched as Rae acrobatically
scored with an overhead kick. In truth he had time to decorate a small house before anyone
would have moved. We then had the sight of Michopoulos flapping at a cross, which
fortunately bounced just clear of his back post with no Wolves player on hand for once. In
honesty it was a piece of Sunday League keeping, and it’s not the first time
we’ve seen it.
Ternent then decided to change things. Off went Cox, who was having an
atrocious game, replaced by Little, as we reverted to 4-4-2, with Weller going right and
Briscoe left defence. Sadly it was to no avail as Burnley failed to provide Little with
the ball. It was not long after this that referee Joslin (first season in League), all
fancy gestures and whistle, gave another debatable free kick, which was thoughtfully
deflected into the net by Cook, incidentally having another poor game against his former
club. When they leave Burnley, they come back and destroy us; when it’s the other way
round, they are anonymous.
The goal was claimed by Cameron, and that’s that really. The Three
Goal Rule was invoked and we left. We went and had a pint in the Feathers across from the
ground. Strangely, this appears to be where all those who are banned from Molineux spend
their afternoons. It wasn’t pleasant.
Apparently we improved in the second half, not surprising given David
Jones’ comments after the match, but in truth it would have been impossible to have
been worse. I would imagine that Wolves were basically playing out time, having vastly
improved their weak home form. They'd had defeats by Swindon, Crewe and Palace, draws with
Portsmouth and Stockport, and only six goals at Molineux before the Burnley bandwagon
coughed and spluttered its way into the Black Country.
It is difficult to put into words the ineptness of our performance. This
was not a side which should be flying high in the division; this was a side which should
be at the other end of the table - and with performances like that, they soon will be.
How Was
It For You?