Can Wolves break down teams who ‘park the bus’ after Sunderland take a point away from Molineux?
Chris Coleman, manager of Sunderland, during the Sky Bet Championship match against Reading.
Relegation-threatened Sunderland ended a six-match winning streak in the Championship for leaders Wolverhampton Wanderers with a 0-0 draw at Molineux.
The visitors employed extremely defensive tactics in the Midlands as Wolves had 78 percent of the possession and 23 shots (compared to the Black Cats’ one) but could not make the breakthrough.
Chris Iwelumo is congratulated by fans as they storm the pitch after the Barclays Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Blackburn Rovers.
It is a system that ex-Wanderers striker Chris Iwelumo thinks his former team need to overcome if they are to secure promotion this season.
“It’s something that I think Wolves have got to get used to,” Iwelumo said while acting as a pundit on Channel 5’s Championship programme.
“I think teams will come and know that they’ve got to try and shut up shop or park the bus, as they say, and stay in the match for as long as possible.”
Nuno Espirito Santo, manager of Wolverhampton Wanderers, shouts at his players during the Sky Bet Championship match against Leeds United.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s men have enjoyed a great start to the 2017/18 campaign as they have racked up 15 wins and 48 points from 21 games playing attractive, passing football.
However, as Iwelumo says, this should be a warning sign to Santo as to what he can expect from other teams in the second tier of English football now they know how dangerous his side are.
It now remains to be seen whether the attacking talent of Ivan Cavaleiro, Diogo Jota, Ruben Neves et al have the grit and determination to break defensive outfits down.
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