There was much disappointment at the end of last week for Bruno Lage’s Wolverhampton Wanderers, a 0-1 home defeat to Norwich ending their hopes of lifting the FA Cup for the first time since 1960 - the first time in a lifetime for most of the Wolves faithful.
For many, to win the FA Cup was the ultimate goal this season, a chance to lift silverware so few are able to get their hands on in the modern game - indeed, only 9 different teams have won England's premier cup competition in the last 30 years.
Nevertheless, even if Wolves had beaten Norwich as expected, the chances of actually emerging victorious in the FA Cup were slim to say the least. Norwich now have to face Liverpool away, while the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur remain in the competition and have all avoided each other in the upcoming round.
More realistic, and still a rewarding and noteworthy achievement, would be to break into the top six and finish above at least one of the established so-called Big Six sides. And Wolves are so well positioned to make a go of it.
There are times when disappointments have their silver linings, and going out of the FA Cup could at least aid Wolves’ chances of securing a Europa League berth - or even, dare I say it, snatch that vacant fourth Champions League place from under the noses of the teams directly above them. After all, only Arsenal among the sides chasing European football are in the same situation as Wolves by having solely the Premier League campaign to focus on. It is testament to the work that Bruno Lage has done at the club since he arrived last summer that it is even considered a possibility, but it is most certainly within the realms of realism and plausibility that Wolves upset the apple cart by finishing 6th or upwards.
How impressive an achievement would it be?
Wolves perhaps still don’t get sufficient credit for having secured successive 7th place finishes upon their return to the English Premier League. A newly promoted side securing the title of 'best of the rest' - and thus qualifying for the Europa League at the first attempt - was a remarkable achievement. To back that up the following season with another 7th place placement - finishing level on points with Tottenham and above Arsenal, all while reaching the Europa League quarter final - is simply extraordinary.
Wolves have, therefore, already managed to finish above one of the established Big 6. But a sixth-place spot has still alluded them, despite having come so close in that 2019-20 campaign. To go one better this season would not only allow Wolves to qualify for the Europa League as opposed to the newly formed Europa Conference League, offering larger financial reward and more lucrative opponents, but it would also be a huge statement. Two 7th place finishes, in addition to a top 6 place, across four seasons would prove once and for all that Wolves have what it takes to consistently compete with the big hitters in the league, season upon season.
Indeed, this consistency would arguably be the most impressive thing about Wolverhampton Wanderers. We have seen in the past teams managing to push the elite level clubs in the league all the way - sometimes even finishing above one or two of them - but it is not unusual for it to prove to be a one-off season of overperformance. Newcastle finished 5th in the 2011-12 season, but followed that up with a 16th place finish the following campaign, only narrowly avoiding relegation. West Ham made 7th in 2015-16, but the following year finished in the bottom half. Burnley also came 7th in 2018-19, but fell to 15th the season after. To have the ability to challenge the big six regularly is therefore a particularly impressive feat.
How likely is it?
One wise man by the name of Nuno Espirito Santo once uttered the previously coined term “dreaming is for free” - a phrase which many Wolves fans still hold dear today. But in many ways, Wolves' aspiration of breaking into the top 6 feels like more than a dream - it’s too realistic a prospect. Top 4 can certainly be considered a fairly fanciful dreamlike target, but top 6 is within reach.
Wolves currently sit 8th place in the table, just 2 points behind London rivals Tottenham and Arsenal. The nature of this season, however, means that everything is a little chaotic in that different teams have played a different number of games. Wolves, for example, are a significant 5 points behind Man Utd, but crucially have 2 games in hand, while in West Ham's case - who currently sit in 4th in the table - Wolves are six points adrift, but with 3 games in hand.
Wolves, therefore, are well positioned, and a top 6 place is well within grasp. They have a truly monumental few weeks on the horizon which will determine whether they are contenders or pretenders though, and it's sure to be a major test, the biggest since Bruno Lage took the hotseat.
League matches against Arsenal - twice - as well as Tottenham Hotspur, Leicester City and West Ham United will all take place this month, making February a hectic, gruelling and ultimately season-defining period for Wolverhampton Wanderers, who will face 3 teams currently sitting above them in the table on 4 separate occasions, as well as a Leicester side who finished 5th in the two most recent campaigns.
If Wolves enter March unscathed, however, having managed to pick up some vital points or at least in some cases having held their opponents to potentially crucial draws to keep them within touching distance, their hopes of playing European football next season will have only been enhanced, with a more manageable set of fixtures, at least on paper, to follow.
Is Champions League football a genuine possibility?
Another wise man, this time in the form of Alex Ferguson, once stated: “attack wins you games, defence wins you titles”. And it feels like there could be some truth to that. Now, a top 6 place hardly equates to a trophy, but Ferguson’s long-standing touchline nemesis Arsene Wenger has previously referred to 4th place as equivalent to silverware, and Wolves’ defensive statistics this season certainly give them a serious chance of securing the ultimate realistic goal - qualifying for next season's Champions League group stage.
In their opening 21 league games, Wolves have conceded just 16 goals; only Manchester City have let in fewer in the English top flight. That's an impressive statistic for a team whose defence looked shaky at times last campaign, and their ability to keep clean sheets - in part thanks to the heroics of José Sá in between the sticks - puts them in a good position heading into every match.
Omitting simply the first three league games of the season - in which Wolves lost all 3 without scoring - Wolves sit 5th in the 'form' table, just 2 points off 4th and ahead of teams that have played one, two, or even three games more than them. It's been an impressive season since Wolves lost those three matches at the very start of the campaign, where they went without reward despite still playing some very good football.
The major potential pitfall for Wolves, however, is their lack of squad depth. The decision to let Adama Traore go out on loan will have divided the fanbase, and with Pedro Neto still a little while away from returning to top fitness and form, Wolves’ attacking options are somewhat limited. New signing Chiquinho, who arrived from Estoril last month and was expected to be given some time to settle in a new league, may find himself used fairly extensively off the bench immediately should Lage be looking for someone to change the game, such is the small number of options at his disposal.
One thing is for sure though; regardless of where Wolves end up finishing this season, it's been a very encouraging campaign for Lage and his side. This was expected to be a bit of a transitional season for Wolves, with many fans a little concerned about the lack of investment in the summer and tempering expectations accordingly. So far, Wolves have exceeded them, and it could still get better yet.
by Alex Gonçalves
Related: José Sá seamlessly steps into Rui Patrício’s shoes
For more from Alex, follow him on Twitter @Aljeeves and check out his website TugaScout.
