QPR 1 Wolves 1 - Report and pictures
So the big question is what on earth did Wolves boss Kenny Jackett say to his players at half-time today?
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Whatever is was, it made a huge difference, because two Wolves teams showed up at Loftus Road.
One, in the first period, was drab, dull, nervous at the back and frighteningly devoid of creativity.
The other, from the 45-minute mark onwards was dynamic, fluid, positive and forced several saves from Queens Park Rangers goalkeeper Alex Smithies.
The contrasts were stark. And they duly resulted in QPR winning the first half and Wolves the second for a 1-1 stalemate.
It wasn't as clear-cut as that, of course. Wolves still had some very nervous moments late on, not least when substitute Tjaronn Chery hit the post with a free shot from 10 yards in the dying minutes.
Despite their vast improvement after the break, Jackett's side were still indebted to a huge slice of fortune.
James Henry's equaliser took no fewer than two deflections as it bobbled almost embarrassingly into the net. A point was what Wolves deserved and it's what they got.
Now attention turns to social media, to newspapers, to websites, to television and to radio as the rumour mill goes into overdrive.
QPR (4-2-3-1): Smithies; Perch, Onuoha, Hall, Konchesky; Luongo, Karl Henry (Chery, 73); Phillips, Fer, Hoilett (Washington, 83); Polter.
Subs not used: Lumley, Angella, Hill, Faurlin, Mackie.
Wolves (4-3-3): Ikeme; Iorfa, Batth (c), Ebanks-Landell, Doherty; Coady, McDonald; Van La Parra, Edwards (Saville, 82), Henry; Le Fondre.
Subs not used: McCarey, Golbourne, Rowe, Price, Byrne, Enobakhare.
Referee: Andy Woolmer (Northamptonshire)[/breakout]
Supporters will frantically wait and see who exactly they are going to sign in the remaining nine days of the transfer window.
It may be the most important period of the season, because Jackett's squad looked as threadbare as it has for a while, and they surely need at least three new additions.
As expected Jackett made two changes to the side that had lost 3-1 at Cardiff, with Jordan Graham now out for up to a year and Michal Zyro missing out with a calf injury.
In came Adam Le Fondre and James Henry in a re-jigged 4-3-3 formation.
There was no place for Bjorn Sigurdarson, who failed a fitness test on a calf injury, meaning Tommy Rowe was named on the bench for his first involvement with the first-team since last September.
But Wolves' hopes of a clean sheet went up in smoke inside just two minutes, as QPR took an early lead.
Matt Phillips swung a left-wing free kick into the box and Sebastian Polter easily evaded Ethan Ebanks-Landell to head past goalkeeper Carl Ikeme.
It was the worst possible start and sooner after QPR rattled Wolves again, with Polter just missing a cross thanks to the close attention of Danny Batth.
Wolves were struggling to get a grip and hesitancy from Batth almost let Phillips through on goal, but Dominic Iorfa cleared Wolves' lines.
At the other end of the pitch, quality was in desperately short supply.
Van La Parra instigated Wolves' first attack of note, haring past Paul Konchesky and driving a low cross into the six yard box, which was cleared just ahead of Le Fondre.
Danger-man Phillips, who scored twice at Molineux back in August, then whistled a free kick just past the post as QPR threatened once more.
Dutchman Van La Parra was Wolves' best outlet and, after David Edwards nodded his free kick at Smithies for Wolves' first effort on goal.
The winger stormed down the right flank on the break before his cross was again cleared.
It was a recurring theme in the first half, with the 24-year-old having the beating of his man but failing to produce an end product.
He span past former Liverpool left-back Konchesky on the turn and drilled a low shot comfortably wide, before Polter beat Batth in the air to head a cross at Ikeme.
Jackett's team were seeing plenty of the ball in midfield but, Van La Parra aside, doing little with it, with Le Fondre starved of service and working hard for no reward.
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After that dreadful start, though, Wolves at least had a foothold in the game, even if the half was devoid of entertainment.
The second-half was a different story - and within minutes Wolves were level thanks to some incredible fortune.
Henry, anonymous in the first-half, took aim from 20 yards and his effort took two deflections before apologetically bouncing past Smithies.
QPR continued to look dangerous from set pieces, with Polter guilty of wasting a decent chance after the ball fell kindly to him.
But Wolves began the threaten on the counter, with van La Parra suddenly finding his range and delivering two menacing crosses, the second nodded wide from a good position by Edwards.
Edwards then nearly picked out Le Fondre with a header - the ball broke to Van La Parra, whose shot struck the top of Grant Hall's arm, but the referee turned down Wolves' pleas for a penalty.
Then Coady drilled a 25-yarder wide, as Wolves piled on the pressure in what was a drastically improved performance compared to the first-half.
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QPR sporadically threatened at the other end, with Polter continuing to make life uncomfortable for Batth and Ebanks-Landell.
But back Jackett's team came - and they should have taken the lead.
First Matt Doherty went on a spellbinding run, skipping inside and unleashing a piledriver that Smithies tipped over. The corner came to Coady, who again let fly and Smithies pushed clear.
Then the ball came back in for Edwards who looked set to bury a free header, but the goalkeeper got down low to produce an excellent save.
It was breathtaking stuff compared to that drab first-half, but Wolves just couldn't find a way past Smithies.
With time running out Edwards was forced off after appearing to turn his ankle. George Saville replaced him for his first Wolves appearance since September 22.
That curtailed Wolves' momentum and it was QPR who looked the more likely winners late on.
Batth made a crucial block from a Leroy Fer header and then Chery missed a sitter, striking the post when it looked easier to score.
