HAVE WE EVER WITNESSED CHAMPIONS SO SUBLIME?
Imperious Wolves seal the title
WONDERFUL Wolves waltzed to the Championship title with a ruthless demolition of relegation-haunted Bolton.
Promoted last weekend, the men from Molineux looked every inch a Premier League side in waiting as goals from Barry Douglas, Benik Afobe, Diogo Jota and Conor Coady served up a Macron massacre.
The visitors were a class apart, so much swifter in thought and deed than their shattered, bedraggled opponents that at times, it seemed they were playing a different sport. So, it has been all season.
Few sides in Championship history have laid waste to the division like Wolves and the fact their players barely broke sweat in winning 4-0 was testament to the vast gulf in class. The title may have been clinched at the Macron but its ultimate destination has long been inevitable.
“I am so proud,” said manager Nuno Espirito Santo, whose side will be presented with the trophy after next weekend’s home game against Sheffield Wednesday.
“Today, we knew we were promoted but wanted to win the game to become champions. And we did it with credit, playing good football. It was fantastic how the boys played.
“I had belief from the moment I
found myself in a group of men who wanted to improve. They all believed we had to do good work. Today was again a proof of character. The team showed no matter what, that they keep on going, keep on playing and keep enjoying themselves.
“It will be special at Molineux because it’s our home, it’s our pack of people we care about and love us.
“We’ll get the trophy but the trophy isn’t for the players. It’s for the club, the city and our fans. It will be a special moment.”
And this was another special 90 minutes. Briefly, Bolton competed.
Sammy Ameobi hustled. Filipe Morais dispatched two fine deliveries and a vicious strike that narrowly cleared the bar.
But once Douglas struck, capitalising after Ben Alnwick spilled a tame shot from Afobe, all resistance ceased.
Controlled, as ever, by the metronomic passing of £15m man Ruben Neves, Wolves passed over, through and around opponents who looked like they were stuck on a waltzer.
Moments before the break, Coady showed the vision of Andrea Pirlo to pick out Afobe, who deftly rounded Alnwick to fire home from an angle.
Moments after, the effervescent Helder Costa dinked a beautiful ball through to Jota, who in turn chipped the onrushing Alnwick.
Wolves even had time to bring out the party pieces. When Afobe was felled by a frustrated Karl Henry, Coady – the only Wolves player on the pitch who hadn’t scored this season – was comically summoned from his own half to take the penalty.
To the delight of a vast travelling supporters, the popular defender thumped it into the bottom corner. Mercifully for Bolton, their tormentors then brought on the kids and took their foot of the gas.
“Sometimes, you have to hold your hands up and say we’ve been beaten by an outstanding team,” said philosophical Bolton boss Phil Parkinson, whose side remain one place above the relegation zone ahead of next-week’s crunch six-pointer against resurgent Burton.
“We were playing a side who came here with 5,000 fans, no pressure to get a result. As much as we always look at what we could have done better, we have to acknowledge that Wolves are far and away the best side in this division.
“Now we’ve got a great game at Burton next week. With their win against Sunderland today, there’s even more on it.
“They looked dead and buried a couple of weeks ago but they’ve produced back-to-back wins.
“There’s no reason why we can’t do that and save our season.”