Remembering Richards 15 years after his deathpublished at 07:56 GMT 26 February
07:56 GMT 26 February
Image source, Getty Images
Thursday marks the 15-year anniversary of the death of former Wolves,Southampton and Tottenham defender Dean Richards.
Richards died on 26 February, 2011, aged 36, following a long illness. He had been forced to retire six years earlier because of ill health.
Richards, a cultured centre-back, began his career with his hometown club Bradford City before joining Wolves for a club-record fee in 1995.
After a four-year spell at Molineux, he moved to Southampton in 1999 and then Spurs in 2001.
A week after his death, Wolves and Tottenham met in a Premier League fixture at Molineux.
His widow and two sons, as well as representatives from his four former clubs, were present as the football world paid tribute to a player affectionately known as "Deano".
Gossip: Titraoui unlikely to move to Wolvespublished at 07:51 GMT 26 February
07:51 GMT 26 February
Sunderland's hopes of signing Algerian midfielder Yacine Titraoui from Belgian side Charleroi have received a boost as the 22-year-old's representatives are reluctant to sanction a move to Premier League rivals Wolves because of the likelihood of the club being relegated. (Sunderland Echo), external
'These games do make a difference... any victories will be valuable'published at 15:02 GMT 25 February
15:02 GMT 25 February
Mike Taylor BBC Radio WM reporter
Image source, Getty Images
It will be a few weeks yet before the most dreaded label in football – (R) – will be appended to Wolves' name in the Premier League table, but the feeling that the credits have begun to roll on this season was hard to shake after Sunday at Selhurst.
They did a lot of things better than Crystal Palace, had a discernible plan both with 11 men and with 10, but failed in the most important moments, so lost.
So what? Wolves fans have seen this movie before, many times. Losing the game rather than taking a least a point cannot be said to make any significant difference to the outcome of this season.
These games do make a difference, though, far beyond deciding on which date relegation becomes mathematically certain. The anger of last autumn may have subsided somewhat, and there have been surges of excitement, like in the final moments against Arsenal. It is better. But each failure to win still saps the hope fans feel for the future.
With only one win in the 17 Premier League games since Rob Edwards replaced Vitor Pereira, the calls to BBC Radio WM from fans thinking it might be time to change again have started to re-emerge.
"I think there's a split in the camp," said former Wolves winger Steve Froggatt on Tuesday's WM Phone-In, assessing the feelings of the fanbase.
However, Froggatt believes Wolves are unlikely to heed the calls to replace another coach: "They're not going to get rid of him. The reality is, they've set it in. Matt Jackson, who I know, knows his football. [Edwards] is cemented into that position for next season. They know they're going down. He's been put there to get them out of the Championship, and they'll do whatever is necessary to put a team together to do that. So nothing's going to change."
Wolves are keenly aware that supporters are, understandably, disillusioned. The only way to ease that tension, though, and create a more hopeful atmosphere, which would help next season, will be to win a few games.
For that reason, even if many of the players involved may end up moving on before August, the remaining league and cup games this season really do matter.
When you're bottom of the league, all the fixtures look tough, but any victories will be valuable, even though far too late to change this season's outcome.
'If you are bottom of the table, you do not get to waste gifts'published at 12:31 GMT 24 February
12:31 GMT 24 February
Emma Milton Fan writer
Image source, Getty Images
Wolves did not lose at Crystal Palace because of being outclassed. We lost because we failed in the moments that decide Premier League games. That is why Wolves need to stop talking about "fine margins" and start fixing them.
For 40 minutes, Wolves looked like a team with a plan. The press was organised, we carried the ball well and we created enough to make Selhurst Park nervous.
Then the match handed us a lifeline. A penalty just before half-time. This is the point where bottom clubs have to be ruthless. Instead, we made it easy. Dean Henderson saved, and the momentum swung.
People will say "it is just one kick", but it is not. It is a pattern. Wolves can do a lot right, then one action turns a decent performance into another defeat. If you are bottom of the table, you do not get to waste gifts.
Then came the red card. Two quick yellows and suddenly we were trying to manage the game with ten men. That is not bad luck. That is discipline, and discipline is a choice.
That said, the officiating discussion will not go away. Will Hughes looked fortunate to still be on the pitch after a couple of challenges that, on another day, could have brought a second yellow. In comparison, Ladislav Krejci's second booking felt harsh. But the honest truth is you cannot give referees an excuse to make a decision. It is a silly mistake, even if the standard felt inconsistent.
After the red, Wolves actually defended the box fairly well. The job became simple: stay compact, slow the game and get out with a point. But the margins shrink with 10 men. We nearly did it. Nearly is not enough.
The late winner at the near post was the final punishment for dropping a yard and switching off for a second. Late goals happen when focus drops, legs tire and belief is fragile.
The frustrating part is this: there is a team here. Wolves played well enough to get something, yet confidence and composure are missing.
Adrian: Another woeful performance I'm afraid. This team is a shadow of the one that played before Christmas. Whether or not it's Glasner's impending departure that's having an effect I don't know, but what I see is a disjointed team: no fluidity, no composure, no ideas and playing at a snail's pace. So far, Johnson is a huge disappointment, Pino likewise, with Canvot and Riad - despite no little potential - needing to stop committing unnecessary fouls. Personally I have written off the rest of this season.
Steve: A win is a win, but Palace were dreadful; shapeless and without any structure. Their one decent move produced the winning goal. Continue to perform like this, and it is difficult to see where the next win will come from. Time for Glasner to go in spite of this fortunate win. However, I fear he will be given a reprieve.
Rich: Hardly inspiring performance but a good shift put in by all the players, five more points and then a reset with a manager that wants to be in charge of a team with real potential - with the right leadership - we can go forward. But, who ever comes in needs to be realistic about our financial capabilities - I think OG was in dream land if he thought a midtable team like Palace with midtable funds could challenge the likes of Man City with their never ending pots of gold.
Ron: Glasner has completely lost it. Pino was hopeless and yet he was kept on for over seventy minutes. We were all shouting for Guessand to come on and at last he did and scored. This squad has no clue how to play forward. We are fed up with the boring play and the boring attitude of this team. Let's get a new manager in now and finish the season off with a bit of pride.
Wolves fans
Norman: Was expecting a much better performance after the game against arsenal but we just don't know how to win a game. Why on earth Tolu took the penalty is beyond me, he can't hit a barn door. What could have been had we gone into half time 1-0 up.
Tony: Wolves looked the better side for a time but both sides looked flat. As for our penalty, I think that I could have done better and I am 85 years old and have supported since 1949, come on boys wake up!
Mike: An even, entertaining game with both sides having chances was spoiled by a poor decision by the referee. If anyone deserved a second yellow card it was Will Hughes for 2 poor challenges, both of which could have caused an injury to his opponent, but he was allowed to get away with a 'don't do it again' from the referee. Krejci was shown his second yellow card for kicking the ball away a split second after the whistle went, there is no logic to the decisions. Wolves defended well with only 10 men and deserved a point from the game. Tolu should have scored the penalty but his effort was more like a back pass to the keeper.
Tony: In curling, when it's obvious a side can't win they shake hands and call it a day. I wish Wolves could do the same with this season after spurning a penalty chance of a goal, then recklessly collecting a red card.
Wolves analysis: Bottom club impressed despite defeatpublished at 17:55 GMT 22 February
17:55 GMT 22 February
Ben Collins BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty Images
Despite the result, Wolves manager Rob Edwards should be happier with his side's performance as they were the more competitive side before Ladislav Krejci's red card on 61 minutes - and frustrated Crystal Palace after it.
While Palace had marginally more possession in the first half, Wolves spent more time in the home side's final third, with Mateus Mane and Andre providing a spark in midfield.
They had more efforts on goal too, and it felt like a goal was coming when they earned their penalty on 41 minutes.
Yerson Mosquera intercepted a Palace pass in their own half and although he was fouled, referee Thomas Kirk did well to wave play on and moments later Mane was brought down in the box by Adam Wharton.
Tolu Arokodare's side-footed spot-kick was easy for Henderson to save low to his left, though, and was the Nigeria striker's fifth straight penalty miss, a run stretching back to September 2022.
The visitors' five shots on target in the opening 45 minutes are the most they have registered in the first half of a Premier League game since last April.
It was only Krejci's dismissal that forced them onto the defensive for most of the second half, and they actually had the home side hanging on during the nine minutes of stoppage time.
Palace's late winner prevented Wolves reaching 11 points, which would have put them level with Derby's record for the fewest points in a Premier League season, but after avoiding defeat in their previous three games, it is surely just a matter of time before Edwards' side avoid that ignominy.
Crystal Palace 1-0 Wolves: What Edwards saidpublished at 16:46 GMT 22 February
16:46 GMT 22 February
Media caption,
Wolves boss Rob Edwards, speaking to Sky Sports: "Two defining moments, for me. We missed the penalty which can happen. Then the red card is pretty inexplicable then that turns the tide in the game. I thought we were brilliant with 11 men and then were really solid in the main and fairly comfortable with 10. One moment switching off and that's it we're coming away with nothing."
On the red card: "It's two quick-fire yellows and we've got to be better.
I thought we were going to win the game. The message at half-time was we can't accept a point here. We go and win we step forward.
"The final pass, the final bit just needed to be a bit slicker, the weight of the pass or the detail of it. Overall, the performance level was high. It's another step forward for us but the result doesn't feel like it."
Did you know?
Wolves have now failed to win any of their last 16 Premier League away matches, their longest run without a victory on the road in the top flight since a run of 29 between February 1984 and May 2004.
Crystal Palace v Wolves: Team newspublished at 13:04 GMT 22 February
13:04 GMT 22 February
Image source, BBC Sport
Crystal Palace XI: Dean Henderson, Daniel Munoz, Chris Richards, Tyrick Mitchell, Chadi Riad, Jaydee Canvot, Will Hughes, Adam Wharton, Ismaila Sarr, Yeremy Pino, Jorgen Strand Larsen.
Subs: Brennan Johnson, Christantus Uche, Nathaniel Clyne, Daichi Kamada, Borna Sosa, Evann Guessand, Justin DeVenny, Rio Cardines, Walter Benitez.
Wolves XI: Jose Sa, Ladislav Krejci, Yerson Mosquera, Santiago Bueno, Jackson Tchatchoua, Hugo Bueno, Andre, Tolu Arokodare, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, Mateus Mane, Adam Armstrong.
Subs: Matt Doherty, David Moller Wolfe, Joao Gomes, Pedro Lima, Rodrigo Gomes, Toti, Angel Gomes, Tom Edozie, Sam Johnstone.
You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Sunderland v Fulham" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Spurs v Arsenal", for instance.
Sutton's predictions: Crystal Palace v Wolvespublished at 10:05 GMT 22 February
10:05 GMT 22 February
Fair play to Wolves, because they have turned a bit of a corner under Rob Edwards.
Their results have still never looked like being enough to keep them up but they showed again against Arsenal that they are at least being competitive now.
Even so, I can see this game being all about Jorgen Strand Larsen, following his £48m move from Wolves to Palace at the end of the January transfer window.
Palace still need the points and I would not be surprised if he has a say in the outcome - let's go for him to score the winner.
Crystal Palace v Wolves: Key stats and talking pointspublished at 13:15 GMT 21 February
13:15 GMT 21 February
Noel Sliney BBC Sport senior journalist
A team which can't win at home hosts a side which can't win away this Sunday (14:00 GMT). Crystal Palace have beaten Wolves in the past five Premier League encounters at Selhurst Park but this season has become a forgettable one for both teams.
Palace stripped of home comforts
The mood in the caged away end in Bosnia and Herzegovina on Thursday night was febrile by the end of the laboured 1-1 Uefa Conference League draw with Zrinjski as Crystal Palace fans turned on the players and, in particular, manager Oliver Glasner.
Fan dissatisfaction has been growing over the past 10 weeks, during which Palace have only won once in 15 games, plummeted from fourth to 13th in the league prior to this weekend, exited both domestic cups – including surrendering their defence of the FA Cup to non-league Macclesfield – and sold captain Marc Guehi. Add to that confirmation of Glasner's departure at the end of the season and it's easy to understand the unrest from the terraces.
Glasner's response on Friday was pointed: "Right now, I'm just not good enough to replace the players we sold. I'm just not good enough to integrate the new players in a way to play the same way like we did and I'm not good enough that we can cope with the schedule we had.
"On the other side, I was good enough to play the best season ever, win two trophies and also to look back: 32 points after 26 games…Crystal Palace has been better twice. Once was our season last year, and once in 2021.
"It looks like even now when everybody is completely angry, disappointed, frustrated, we are playing a better Premier League season than eight of the last 10 seasons Crystal Palace has played."
Regardless of the success Glasner has brought to the club, his side will need to significantly raise their level to appease the home crowd against Wolves.
A meagre 37.5% of Crystal Palace's league points this season have come at home, with only Spurs having a lower share. The Eagles haven't won at Selhurst Park in any competition since early November and are experiencing their longest winless home run in the top flight since 1997-98.
Can Wolves remedy their travel sickness?
Wolves finally registered their first away win of the season in any competition last weekend when they overcame League Two side Grimsby in filthy conditions to reach the FA Cup fifth round.
They have drawn three of their past four away league games and need just two more points this season to surpass the lowest overall tally in Premier League history – 11, by Derby County in 2007-08.
Nonetheless, Wolves are in danger of becoming the first club to twice end a Premier League season without an away victory. They went winless throughout the 2003-04 season, while Hull City in 2009-10 were the sixth and most recent side to suffer that fate.
Wolves are also the only team in England's top five divisions without an away league win this season.
Edwards on Strand Larsen, Edozie and 'good energy'published at 14:27 GMT 20 February
14:27 GMT 20 February
Huzaifah Khan BBC Sport journalist
Wolves boss Rob Edwards has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park (kick-off 14:00 GMT).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Edwards confirmed Angel Gomes is fit and available after suffering a back "spasm" and Toti Gomes "could potentially be involved" this weekend after training with the group following his hamstring injury.
On the rest of the squad, he added: "There's a few we have got to check on. We know we have a tight squad. We have got to look after everyone between these games with them coming thick and fast as they are. But the vast majority of the group are in good nick."
On whether he's looking forward to facing Jorgen Strand Larsen for the first time since his move to Palace: "[I] look forward to seeing him again. [I've] only just said goodbye."
On criticism the striker received during his time at the club, Edwards added: "He's a good man, good person and a really good footballer. In life, you're not going to be able to please everybody. He can look himself in the mirror and say he gave everything, he worked hard, and that's all that matters."
Asked about how youngster Tom Edozie has been since scoring on his senior debut against Arsenal: "He's been really good, smiling in training this morning and had a spring in his step."
He added: "It was a really nice story for him. I think his finish was excellent, keeping it down low in that pressurised moment when people are coming to charge on him. Brilliant moment for him."
On his side's recent form following the win in the FA Cup against Grimsby Town and the draw against Arsenal, he said: "I feel like we've been competing well and I feel like there's a good energy around the place. Two good results and we showed a lot of good character in both and that's what we're going to need in abundance going forward for the rest of the season."
Edwards also touched on opponents Palace: "They're good. They're playing in Europe for a reason. I know I said it in the first game, Oliver Glasner is a brilliant manager, done a brilliant job. They've got loads of good players, so it will be a really difficult game as always away from home."
Debutant Edozie makes impact on Premier League title racepublished at 13:10 GMT 19 February
13:10 GMT 19 February
Nick Mashiter Football reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Tom Edozie helped Wolves earn only their 10th point of the Premier League season
Wolves debutant Tom Edozie dented Arsenal's title hopes with his late equaliser on Wednesday and in scoring, affected the title race.
The forward's goal - which deflected in via the post and Riccardo Calafiori - saw the Gunners blow a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 at Molineux.
It stopped them going seven points clear at the top of the Premier League - instead they are five points above Manchester City.
Pep Guardiola's side have a game in hand and Arsenal must travel to the Etihad on 18 April.
It means Edozie's name could be etched as a decisive factor in the title race after he came off the bench with six minutes left to make his Wolves bow.
Edozie joined Wolves as a 16-year-old having been at the XYZ Football Academy in London and signed his first professional contract in 2024.
The academy, which helps players who have not been able to secure scholarships, has seen more than 40 players progress into full-time football.
The brother of Southampton winger Sam Edozie has been training with the first team for about two weeks, having been a regular for the under-21 side.
"He's impressed us with some really nice moments, he's technically a gifted player, but we're still learning about him ourselves," said boss Rob Edwards.
"We just had a feeling and sometimes you have a feeling and then that gut is proved right.
"As he was coming on, I just put my arm around him and said, 'this could be your moment, go and take it'."
Chris: I heavily criticised them after the Forest game, but tonight they were totally different. Lacking in skill but they fought hard and deserved the point. We are relegated but I want to see us go down fighting with our heads held high. After going an early goal down they could have folded but they didn't. I am proud of them.
Toby: Wolves are a bit like a mixture of jelly beans. You never know what you're going to get. We didn't do anything special but we did what we needed to do. Well done the Wolves.
Mike: Excellent second half after being far too passive in the first. A well-deserved point but no doubt all the experts will say it was a poor performance from Arsenal. Wolves showed great character to come back from conceding the second goal when we had started the second half on top. Excellent point, great finish by Bueno and no-one should be trying to take the equaliser from Edozie.
Wol: I thought we showed great spirit to come from two down against a team who have quality throughout their team and it was a well-deserved point. Nice to see Edozie have some time on the pitch and hopefully we will continue playing with this new-found fighting spirit for the rest of the season.
Rupert: We have developed some solid shapes and good collective understanding of positions and patterns. We still lack experience and quality in all positions. I still believe Andre and Gomes are very, very good players. Armstrong has surprised me for the better! We seem to have goals from most players. Look at our bench vs Arsenal's!
Steve: A thoroughly deserved point for not giving up, I feared the worst after five minutes. A tiny bit of light in one of our darkest seasons.
Analysis: Strugglers going down fightingpublished at 23:20 GMT 18 February
23:20 GMT 18 February
Nick Mashiter Football reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Despite being adrift at the bottom and 17 points from safety, Wolves are still fighting and will still have a say in how this Premier League season finishes.
With an hour gone it was a very different scenario as Arsenal led 2-0 and looked on course to see out a comfortable victory.
But that is when Wolves relaxed and began to play, Hugo Bueno scoring the goal of the game with a cracking effort.
Tom Edozie's dream leveller - a first appearance in senior football marked by a first goal even if Riccardo Calafiori played his part - epitomised Wolves' spirit.
That is all they potentially had left - and had to find - under Rob Edwards, with the salvage operation already bleak when he replaced Vitor Pereira in November.
They sensed an Arsenal collapse and scrapped their way to a point - something that was denied them at Emirates Stadium back in December when Yerson Mosquera's 90th-minute own goal gave the Gunners a 2-1 success.
This point will matter to boss Edwards, the players and the Molineux faithful. It has been a fractured place for a long time during the first half of an unhappy season.
Unity has returned recently and refusing to give up against the leaders with a gutsy display will hearten Wolves as they prepare for life in the Championship and build for a Premier League return at the first attempt.
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Corbis via Getty Images
