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Finding themselves at the foot of the table at Christmas need not mean relegation. A few seasons back, Wolves were in such a position, the difference being they began on Boxing Day with ten points rather than a mere two. Their present situation is one of historic incompetence, the most prolonged defeat streak in the team's annals. Keane Lewis-Potter’s brace after the interval, compounded by Caoimhín Kelleher’s save of Jørgen Strand Larsen’s penalty rubbing salt in the wound, left them 14 points adrift the safety line. Only three teams have previously suffered ten consecutive top-flight games on the bounce. All of those sides finished in last place come May.

A Week of Change and Tragedy at Molineux

The preceding days had seen a period of transition and loss at Molineux. The club's chairman, a figure who had drawn fan criticism who recently described relegation as a “technicality”, stepped down at the week's end, succeeded by an interim appointee, a temporary successor sharing a surname but no relation. Ahead of the game, a minute’s silence was held in memory of Ethan McLeod, the academy prospect and Macclesfield player who lost his life in a traffic collision. His brother, Conor McLeod, presently in the under-21 setup, was alongside relatives at the match.

Stripped of assets, plunging to historic lows, there will be no great escapes here.

Brentford's Crucial Task

If their opponents’ position is near-terminal, Brentford’s run of form has sparked worries about the drop. Securing victory at Molineux was absolutely essential. Keith Andrews had dropped the scorer from the previous match, the experienced midfielder, for the younger legs of Yehor Yarmolyuk as he pursued a much-needed victory after a winless run. His team began in the usual fashion, with a Michael Kayode long throw.

Andrews’ team were having, though not necessarily enjoying, a share of possession. Where 44% is their average it rose close to seventy percent. This is not their customary approach.

Wolves' Survival Tactics

In attempting the near-impossible, with the initial target being the eleven-point mark recorded by Derby County in 2008, Wolves' boss is battening down the hatches, deploying a system that resembles a back five more than a back three. Frequently becoming a back seven. With entertainment in short supply, the paying public turned their focus toward the boardroom, with calls for the owners to leave and banners declaring “our club” brandished.

Despite Brentford’s command of possession, Kelleher made the first save, when a delivery from the Wolves player almost deflected past him, providing only a momentary break from the gloom among the home fans. The initial attempt on target was not registered until the thirty-first minute, Wolves’s André driving a free-kick straight at the defensive barrier. That represented the longest wait for a opening attempt in the Premier League for six years. The long throw remained Brentford’s chief creator until, finally, the winger dribbled into the area to force a save from the Wolves goalkeeper.

After the Break of Limited Encouragement

Could the second half improve on such limited ambition and effort? A Wolves player's wayward clearance of the ball into the Jack Hayward Stand indicated otherwise, though almost immediately the keeper made a fine reflex save from a headed effort, followed by a less convincing fumble of a shot from the same Brentford forward.

Spirits and volume rose during a spell of home-team attacking that was full of running though bereft of quality. Full rancour arrived when the opening goal was netted, after Vitaly Janelt’s chip and a misunderstanding between two defenders handed a golden opportunity.

Prior to the goal, Wolves fans, long resigned to their fate, sought solace in history, chanting the names of Sylvan Ebanks-Blake and Rúben Neves, stars from happier, less hopeless times.

Completing the Win and Inflicting Final Insult

The Bees possess an unfortunate tendency of conceding points from winning positions, and hopes were momentarily raised when a headed chance stayed too high. The Danish midfielder, on as a substitute as Andrews sought control the center of the park, might have sealed it from Lewis-Potter’s diagonal. Instead, he, from the left, provided the assist for the second goal, a crisp volley.

Following a save from Kelleher on Strand Larsen’s late spot-kick, awarded for the Irishman’s challenge on Matt Doherty, songs questioning the players' commitment grew louder. Stripped of assets, sinking to record depths, a dramatic rescue act seems utterly improbable.