WOLVES FANS TALK DEFEAT TO BRENTFORD
DAVE
I don’t even know what there is left to say anymore. Another afternoon at Molineux, another reminder that this season has slipped beyond frustration and into something far darker. Brentford didn’t so much beat us as wait for the inevitable, and when it came, it felt painfully familiar.
Keane Lewis-Potter – a player who hadn’t scored in the league since January – turns up and suddenly looks like the difference. Of course he does. We allowed a hopeful ball to bounce in our box like we were strangers to each other, and from there the game was gone. Two second-half goals settled a match that had drifted along with all the energy of a pre-season friendly, except this one carried the weight of history being rewritten for all the wrong reasons.
Ten straight top-flight defeats. Seventeen games without a win. Club records tumbling one by one, each more embarrassing than the last. Fourteen points from safety, two points on the board, and even Derby’s infamous 11-point season doesn’t feel out of reach anymore – and not in a good way. That’s where we are now: clinging to the hope of not being the worst.
Jose Sa actually tried. He made saves that kept the score respectable for a while, but it didn’t matter. It never does. When you’re this bad, resistance just delays the collapse. And when we finally get a lifeline – a late penalty, a rare moment where fate might show a bit of mercy – Strand Larsen steps up and it’s comfortably saved. Even our last roll of the dice feels preordained.
Six games under Rob Edwards, six defeats. Liverpool and Manchester United to come before the year ends. No momentum, no belief, no sign of a corner being turned. Just fixtures to endure rather than look forward to.
Brentford walk away to mid-table comfort, ten points clear of trouble. We walk away wondering how much lower this can go, and whether relegation is no longer a question of if, but when.
This isn’t anger anymore. It’s resignation. And that might be the most worrying thing of all.
KARL WHITEHOUSE
Before kick-off, Rob made a few surprising calls in his starting XI. I was still worried about some of the choices, but once the whistle went it was clear we needed discipline and intensity to make it work.
We started on the back foot. Brentford had more of the ball, controlled the tempo, and kept us chasing. We had a couple of moments, but we barely created anything that really tested them.
As the half went on, we did start to put a few passages of play together. The problem was the same one we’ve seen too often: the finishing was not at the level we need. On top of that, we gave Brentford far too much space, and they kept finding gaps between our lines. They looked sharper than us in every department.
It’s so frustrating to watch because the standards are slipping. We keep saying we want to improve, but the same issues show up week after week.
In the second half, we did at least withstand a spell of heavy pressure. Brentford created more and pushed us back, but we held on for a while and stayed in the game.
Then it happened again. Another costly mistake in our own box, and we gift them the opener. Why are we still trying to play out from the back in those moments? Just clear it. These errors have been a constant this season, and they are deciding games.
We needed changes to get back into it, but it feels like we’ve been saying that all season. We all know where the problems are. Is it confidence? Is it the players? Either way, it keeps costing us.
For their second goal, we made things even easier for them. More poor defending, more hesitation, and not enough fight in the key moments.
And then the penalty. I hate saying it, but Strand Larsen should not be taking it. Give it to someone who will hit it with conviction. The effort was weak, the keeper saves it, and that moment summed up the day.
Right now, it feels like we’re making history for the wrong reasons. It’s painful to watch, and even worse because it’s so familiar.
Rob has a real issue on his hands. Has he found the right balance or a clear identity for this team? For me, the answer is no. And the worrying part is we’ve been saying the same things all season. Wins feel further and further away, and the talk about points totals and records is starting to feel far too real.
PAM WELLS
Five changes were made, some unavoidable, others chosen by the manager.
After all the hope we felt at home against Arsenal, we were back to the familiar heartbreak.
For about 30 minutes near the end of the first half, we showed real fight and looked the better side. The problem, as usual, was that we could not make it count. We had moments, but no end product.
Brentford came out for the second half with far more energy and put us under serious pressure. Sá made two excellent saves to keep us in it, but then a mistake from Krejci handed them the opener.
After that, heads dropped and the performance dipped again. We only really looked like reacting once they scored a second. By then, some fans were booing. I understand the frustration, but I do not agree with it. It spreads negativity and it does get to the players.
When Mané came on, we played with more intensity and a bit more attacking flair. We created chances and should have taken one. Then we were given a lifeline with a penalty, but Strand Larsen missed.
He struggled again, and I think Tolu should have been introduced earlier. Hoever was poor at times, and Hwang, while better than in recent games, still did not offer enough.
It’s a tough one, because fans pay a lot to travel and support the team. The frustration is real. But booing and leaving early does not help the players or the atmosphere.
Two very difficult away games are coming up, and right now it’s hard to see where a win is going to come from.
Man of the Match: João Gomes (Doherty was close)
Performance Rating: 5/10
SCOTT DRAME
I’m disappointed with that result. It should have been so much better.
The overall performance was poor. Our play lacked quality, and we did not create enough. Even a draw would have felt like the bare minimum, but we did not do enough to earn it.
I understand Rob Edwards has had to experiment with the lineup because of AFCON, but the changes did not work today. The setup did not feel like our best option, and the tactics did not help us grow into the game.
Man of the match for me has to be Matheus Mané. He worked hard and looked dangerous. He was unlucky not to come away with a goal or an assist.
Match performance: 2/10. It’s been too poor too often lately, and I’m honestly just upset.
JOHN TARAS
Rob Edwards made several changes after the Arsenal game, where Wolves actually put in a good performance.
The biggest change was in goal. Sa came in for Johnstone. He was not to blame for either goal. In fact, he made four big saves that could have turned it into a 6-0 defeat.
The back line was also reshuffled, but they faced wave after wave of Brentford pressure. Brentford’s long throws were a constant problem. They clearly targeted those situations and used them like a set piece. It is a real weapon, and Wolves do not have anything similar.
In midfield, Andre and Joao Gomes could not get control of the game. They struggled to win the ball high up the pitch or create enough forward play to feed Larsen and Hwang. Gomes was booked again, this time for a late tackle. Brentford also picked up several bookings, which showed how tight and aggressive they were in stopping Wolves.
Wolves spent about 40 of the first 45 minutes defending. The second half opened up a bit, but Brentford looked fitter and could have scored several more. Wolves even had a chance to change the game, but they missed a penalty. Larsen summed up a rough day with a very weak attempt.
The bigger picture is even worse. Wolves are now in a terrible position, 16 points from safety (fourth from bottom).The next two games are Manchester United and Liverpool, so it is hard to see where points come from. As it stands, Wolves look set to end the year stuck on two points.
Relegation now feels close to certain, and a full rebuild looks unavoidable.
And the club’s leadership has to take responsibility too. The executive chairman who has now been replaced has plenty to answer for. His comment that relegation is “just a technical word” and not important shows a complete lack of empathy for the players and the fans.
Right now, the future feels uncertain, and Wolves supporters have every reason to be worried about what comes next.