It has been a funny old season for Wolverhampton Wanderers. They briefly flirted with a push for the Champions League but ended the campaign only two points ahead of Newcastle United, a team that had initially flirted with relegation.
Before what is likely to be a summer of much change, what to make of how 2021-22 unfolded?
How do you sum up the season?
Right, let’s start with the numbers.
First three games: good performances but three defeats and relegation form.
Next 21 games: 40 points, Champions League form. Only three teams earned more points in this period.
Final 14 games: nine defeats, 11 points, more relegation form.
From one extreme to the other, with the same group of players, the same head coach, the same formation and mostly the same style of football.
Bruno Lage’s high line, his high-intensity pre-season experiment, was quickly abandoned to get some points on the board as Wolves relied on what, for a substantial period, was a pragmatic approach with a freakishly good defence and goalkeeper. Their defensive record was in the top five in Europe at the turn of the year.
Ironically — having been down to the bare bones with as few as 12 or 13 senior players around Christmas when they were still winning — it was around the time that Lage finally had a full squad available, in February, when results began to turn. Too many options? A hard-to-explain five changes to the XI for a pivotal defeat at West Ham suggested so.
But whether they were winning or not, Wolves never really got to grips with the sport’s primary objective: scoring goals. Only 38 all season, nobody scored more than six and Conor Coady was third top scorer, so when the defence (minus the injured Maximilian Kilman and with Romain Saiss out of form) took a dip, Wolves struggled.
There’s a lot to sort out this summer, but buying defenders good enough to cope with a four-man defence and a striker capable of being prolific is paramount.
Best moment of the year?
Has to be the winning goal at Villa Park. Wolves were 2-0 down and playing like puddings with just 11 minutes remaining before producing the most unlikely comeback since Dirty Den with three goals in front of a disbelieving, feral away end. It was their only come-from-behind victory all season and will live long in the memory.
Worst moment of the year?
A 96th-minute defeat at Arsenal was bad. A 95th-minute defeat to Liverpool was worse. But losing 1-0 at Manchester City with 10 men to a penalty given for the ball striking Joao Moutinho’s ribcage was sickening.
Biggest surprise of the year?
Jose Sa had a good reputation at Olympiakos but considering Wolves made a £4 million profit on swapping Portugal international centurion Rui Patricio for him, the logical initial conclusion was that Wolves might be downgrading their keeper. That Sa was probably the biggest difference-maker of any Premier League signing this season was a very big surprise.
He not only prevented at least eight (yes, eight) more goals than he was expected to, according to Opta’s data, but he also transformed Wolves’ style with an aggressive, off-the-line, front-foot approach. All for £6.8 million.
Meanwhile, Lage’s public dismantling of Ki-Jana Hoever after the 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace, calling out the young Dutchman’s professionalism and blaming him for getting injured, was completely unexpected.
Funniest moment?
Probably from another Lage press conference when he, completely out of the blue, threatened to wound his former protege Bernardo Silva before a game against Manchester City: “If he starts to dribble I will shoot him in his knee.”
Goal of the year?
Let’s not mess around here.
Game of the year?
For entertainment and drama, it’s the win at Villa. For high levels of fun and some handbrake-off counter-attacking, it’s the frenzied final day at Anfield. But for a complete Wolves performance and a historic victory it has to be the 1-0 victory at Old Trafford in January.
Wolves amassed 15 shots in the first half (!), the most any away team has ever managed at the stadium since records began in 2003, in a blaze of free-flowing attacking football. It may have only been 1-0 but it felt comprehensive.
Quote of the year?
When The Athletic asked Ruben Neves about his future at Anfield on Sunday he instantly responded with what felt like an answer that wasn’t off the cuff.
“Everyone knows about what football is about, what our lives are about,” Neves said. “Our careers are really short — we need to take the opportunities we have. Of course, all of us have dreams and we need to live those dreams in a short space of time.”
Leaving Wolves would be a wrench for Neves and for the fans. But nobody will begrudge him — he belongs on the Champions League stage.
Piece I most enjoyed writing?
It was a joy to trace the origins of Lage’s career in Lisbon and Setubal and sit down with the man himself for several hours of tactical wisdom.
Exploring Wolves’ relationship with Grasshoppers in Zurich was really interesting, too.
But it’s got to be that man Neves again. Analysing the game of a football genius.
(Other contributor: Mark Carey)
(Top photo: Getty Images)
