Wolves blog: Ten-man opponents are becoming a common sight for Wolves
It seems it’s becoming a prerequisite that football matches involving Wolves don’t end with a full complement of players on the pitch.
Four of the last five matches – including all of the last three – have seen Wolves’ opponents go down to ten men in the second half.
That brings the total up to a remarkable seven games, more than a quarter of the total played, where Wolves’ opponents have received a red card.
But it’s not favouritism by referees or sly tactics – it’s simply the way Wolves play.
They are forcing their opponents into making mistakes, whether it is giving away silly fouls out of frustration or disparity in quality and receiving bookings and subsequent red cards, or penalties.
Look at Bournemouth in 2014/15 – they scored 98 goals as they won the league.
They were impressive in an annoying way for opponents – Wolves lost twice to them that season, the first occasion at Molineux alongside two red cards and the reverse fixture being lost courtesy of a penalty.
They were awarded an astonishing 16 penalties in the league that season.
Naturally, the better teams are usually the ones awarded more penalties – they are more likely to be in the opponents’ boxes for the first place and probably have skilful players who will draw more fouls.
In the last five seasons, Reading (finishing third), Burney (first), Bournemouth (first), Leicester (first) and Crystal Palace (fifth) have all topped the penalties awarded chart.
This season, Wolves and second-placed Cardiff both sit in joint second behind Derby County, who have been given five spot-kicks this campaign.
Wolves have been given four penalties this season – they only had six in the entirety of the last campaign.
Being successful on the pitch certainly seems to create more opportunities for referees to award teams penalties or give opponents red cards.
Of Wolves’ four penalties, three have been awarded at home – and scored – while the one penalty awarded at Sheffield United was missed by Ruben Neves.
By comparison, two penalties have been awarded to opponents.
Similarly, five of the seven red cards given to Wolves’ opponents have come at Molineux.
Millwall, Bristol Rovers, Preston, Leeds, Birmingham, Sunderland and Sheffield Wednesday have all had a player taking an early bath.
Bolton’s manager Phil Parkinson was also sent to the stands, as was Nuno in that game – but Wolves’ only red card has been Conor Coady’s straight red at Bramall Lane for a professional foul on Leon Clarke.
This was one of Wolves’ rare losses this season, but with the exception of Sunderland, who took their red card as a warning siren to head to the bunker in front of their goal, all other ten-men opponents have succumbed to a loss.
In all six of those other games, Wolves were already winning though.
With the exception of Bristol Rovers, all of the other red cards followed a second yellow.
Opponents getting frustrated at the skill on show at Wolves is understandable – three of the red cards have come as a result of fouling Diogo Jota.
The others came after fouls on Matt Doherty, Donovan Wilson and Helder Costa – with Preston’s red card coming during an on-pitch brawl.
If this frequency of red cards carries on, Wolves will have to find a way to get past a team that has shut up shop – if Sunderland managed a successful shutout, other teams may try and do the same.
