I did actually write something last night, but fell asleep just as I was due to hit the “publish” button.
Seeing as I wrote it, I’ve published it anyway, albeit miles too late.
You’ll see that I thought the only way we could win was to out-work Wolves, which I’m happy to say was pretty much how it panned out.
I only saw the second half and had to settle for the WM commentary for the first, as I drove home from work.
I’d really wanted to watch this game, but we had a job that needs to be completed by 10AM tomorrow.
I think I was expected to stay late to finish it tonight, but you have to draw the line somewhere and I called a halt.
Paying £8 to Sky to watch half a game grieved me, but the game sounded so compelling that I couldn’t resist.
And I’m glad I did, as to my mind we trounced Wolves in that second half.
You can see that Wolves are a classy side and I now realise why some clubs want them looked into, as they’re a cut above, skill-wise. When you consider some of their players have played in the Champion’s league, yet are not on their way down, it does make you wonder how Wolves have got them in.
Whatever, I thought we made them look very ordinary today and what won it for me was the tactics.
We played at such a pace that I thought we’d never be able to keep it up.
The battling and bodies-behind-the-ball attitude is outstanding. How Bruce and his staff have managed to so totally turn this around is beyond me, but you now see a team that look like they’re willing to die for the shirt.
Brucie simply has to be doing something right.
So we played at a high pace, that Wolves matched, but it was our sheer work-rate that did for Wolves, it seemed to me.
We simply stopped them playing and hence dominating.
Don’t get me wrong, they still looked very dangerous on the break, but we stopped everything they tried.
I tried to call the MOTM, but found it tricky.
Adomah got the official award, but there are so many others who deserved it too.
Chester got his second in two games, while being masterful in defence along with Terry.
Snodgrass was excellent with his delivery and I grudgingly add his “chicanery” (cheating).
Grealish, for his pure trickery, that draws fouls, along with one excellent tackle that would have done any defender proud. I really never knew he had that in him and that has to be down to the management again.
Grabban got what? His 4th in 4 games? Outstanding.
In fact, when you’ve beaten the league leaders so convincingly, it’s difficult to not name the whole team as MOTM.
I listened to the after-match chat and one comment from some ex Wolves player summed it up for me.
He talked about how through most of the season, one of our players has always stepped up when other players aren’t doing quite so well.
He spoke about Adomah, then Grealish, then Snodgrass, then Hogan, then Grabban etc.
And he was exactly right.
This is the sign of a very good team.
And to see so many of them punching the air after the game makes even the very cautious me think the title isn’t quite decided yet.
Second place definitely isn’t and it’s going to be some very decent team(s) that finish above us.
Consider that today was probably our toughest game left and I think we look decidedly strong.
All it needs is for Cardiff to drop some points.
I’m off to send my Derby mate some abuse.
