By Terry Wills.
What a Difference a Day Makes was a hit in 1959 for Dinah Washington, winning a Grammy in the process.
Useless information I know, but after watching the Baggies’ performance at Molineux and comparing it with the display against Villa I found myself wondering what a difference a week and a day makes.
I always felt this would be a difficult game bearing in mind the relative situations facing the teams, especially in the case of Mick McCarthy’s side, who realised only too well that defeat against Albion, possibly coupled with an eventual relegation, would spell disaster.
Well, Mick needn’t have had any real worries on that score until Peter Odemwingie scored his 14th goal of the season, from the penalty spot. That offered a toe- hold back into the game, reducing the arrears to a ‘respectable’ 3-1, and if the remaining 35 minutes had been reproduced earlier, Baggies supporters would have returned home celebrating a result.
The first 55 minutes was as poor a performance as I’d witnessed all season. It was back to Roberto Di Matteo days. The ‘defence’ lacking any sense of purpose, failing to mark any old gold and black shirt, caught in possession far too often and seemingly unable to raise the tempo needed to avert a messy defeat.
But at least there was a minor consolation – if any defeat against the Wolves could harbour such a thing. After that goal it was the Wolves fans who were forced to wait and wonder if they could possibly not gain the desperately needed three points to climb out of the bottom three relegation spots.
Chances were created and missed. Hennessey pulled off a wonderful save from a Simon Cox volley. Jerome Thomas managed to hit the bar and numerous promising situations sadly came to nowt. We’d lost and overall one couldn’t deny Wolves their win. They played for 95 minutes while Roy Hodgson was forced to sit and stand in turn as the Wanderers proved it was they and not Albion who realised the importance of the game.
Not many players emerged with real credit although again, inevitably, Odemwingie gave the impression that once in possession he could cause any defence problems.
So it was bragging rights for the Molineux fans who thoroughly enjoyed the win, but it was interesting listening to a post-match radio interview when Steve Bull said, abridged, “We needed those three points but during the last 15-20 minutes I was chewing my fingernails down to the quick as Albion threatened danger.”
Honest words from Bully but he needn’t have worried. Wolves had the points, in the process most probably saving their Greed League status, and THAT was really all that mattered.
One sad note that’s now synonymous with Black Country derbies – the usual hate-filled chants and gestures from fans, before during and after the game, summed up as Albion fans left, to be met with the sight of an untold number of police officers suitably prepared for anyone stupid enough to cause trouble.
Protective clothing, riot shields, dogs straining at the leash. A reminder of just how the attitude of certain supporters hasn’t moved on from the dark ages.
Last home game of the season on Saturday as the revitalised, enthusiastic, Everton, under the management of David Moyes, arrive hopeful of avenging their 4-1 home defeat suffered when we travelled to Goodison Park back in November.
Prospects? A return to our best and three points are a real possibility; but anything remotely resembling the overall performance at Molineux….
Need more be said?
