Wolves 4-2 Colchester United

Wolves extended its lead at the top of League One with a 4-2 win over Colchester United. Wolves raced to a 3-0 half-time lead through goals from Michael Jacobs, David Edwards and James Henry, before Alex Gilbey and David Wright pulled it back to 3-2. Substitute Nouha Dicko wrapped up the three points in injury time.

- With Kenny Jackett making just one change, it struck me that he has settled on systems that he is prepared to use, presumably depending on which personnel are available. Wolves started the nine match winning run with a 4-1-4-1 formation, which sees Kevin McDonald sitting deep, allowing Lee Evans, David Edwards, James Henry and Michael Jacobs to break from deep. Then, came a slight tactical change, with McDonald joined by Jack Price as the double pivot, but with Michael Jacobs playing as a more orthodox Number 10. I think Jackett chooses which system to play depending on whether Jacobs, Henry and Bakary Sako are available. If all three are fit, then you need to double pivot to provide them with the platform. If only two are, then you need the two 'half and half' options in Edwards and Price. Neither are particularly attacking players, but equally neither are disciplined enough to sit alongside McDonald. 

- For a while in English football, rotation was seen as a dirty word. But, the lack of rotation we've seen in recent weeks has frustrated me slightly. After two disappointing results against Shrewsbury and Crawley Town, Jackett made four changes before the Sheffield United game, which in my opinion was our most important result of the season. I don't quite understand why Jackett only made one change for the visit of Colchester; there is a wealth of evidence that teams playing twice in four days struggle, so when the likes of Price, Sako and Nouha Dicko have had a rest, why not play them? Similarly, our back-4 have played an awful lot of football this season, whereas Matt Doherty has had an extended break due to injury. I wasn't 100% sure why he was left out tonight - even if Ricketts was to return, there's no reason why Scott Golbourne couldn't have had a rest, with Ricketts slotting in at left back.

- If this sounds like I'm complaining, then seeing us go 1-0 up after just a few minutes cheered me up no end. We won a throw in high on the left wing, and James Henry ran from the right to left flank to receive it. He laid it back to Michael Jacobs, who whipped an inswinging cross to the far post. In scenes eerily reminiscent of Saturday, Dave Edwards' run across the goalkeeper put him off, and the ball bounced in at the far post. Incidentally, by my count that was the third cross that has bounced straight in in recent weeks (in addition to Henry's against Brentford and Sheffield United), and fourth of the season after Scott Golbourne's fluke v Swindon.

- Colchester played a 4-1-4-1 formation, but with a more defensive midfield quartet that ours. Jabo Ibehre upfront was a handful, and did cause some problems. But, the most noticeable aspect of Colchester's tactics was just how high their defensive line was. There were moments in the first half where our midfield were lining up for the through ball that never quite came. Sometimes, it seems that Lee Evans is the only midfielder we have who will slip a ball through, sliding a lovely pass to send Michael Jacobs on goal, but his effort was struck straight at the keeper with Evans then sending his rebound over the bar. 

- But, in the first half, Colchester were arguably the better team but we looked like we could score at will. Leon Clarke could have played all night without scoring; putting one header too close to the keeper and then trying to knee the rebound home on all fours, then sending a header wide of the far post after a clipped James Henry cross. But when we scored the second, it was definitely against the run of play. Colchester were having a nice spell of possession, but a weak back pass gave Dave Edwards the chance to skip around the keeper and slot into the empty goal. Soon after, Wolves made it 3-0, after a nice long ball from Jacobs to send Clarke through. Clarke used his strength to shrug off the defender, but saw his effort saved, with Henry on hand to finish from a similar angle to Edwards'. 

- At 3-0 at half time, I was calling for changes, wanting Kevin McDonald to be given a rest. Kenny Jackett did make a change five minutes into the second half, taking Edwards off for Jack Price. Price played further forward than he does normally, as a more direct replacement for Edwards rather than sitting deep alongside McDonald. Edwards' last action was to send a half volley embarrassingly wide when one on one with the keeper when he really should have scored. But, it was Colchester's substitutions that changed the game, switching to a diamond 4-4-2 formation. Dominic Vose who had been on the periphery on the left wing was switched to the tip of the diamond, and was able to double up on the left flank. First of all, Danny Batth was pulled out to right back, and beaten far too easily, with the clipped cross met by Alex Gilbey with a free header. Then, again Vose created the overload on the left, and the cross was emphatically met by Championship Manager legend David Wright to ensure a frantic last 20 minutes. 

- Kenny Jackett responded by bringing on Sako and Dicko, looking to use their pace on the counter. After Colchester almost nicked a point, with a well-struck effort coming back off the inside of the post, Sako and Dicko combined to secure the points. Another frantic piece of defending saw Sako collect the ball near the left hand corner flag, and his long hoof up field was misjudged by the Colchester defender, and sent Dicko through on goal. I thought Dicko had left it too late to finish, but he showed composure to go around the goalkeeper to the right, and despite the defender's best efforts, managed to slide home from a narrow angle. 

- While a win is a win is a win, the way we allowed Colchester back into the game was a worry. Even in the first half, when we were cruising at 3-0 we weren't playing well. I couldn't really put my finger on whether the players were complacent or tired. I think in the first half, complacency was definitely an issue, especially as we were 3-0 up without playing well. But in the second half, the players looked mentally fatigued. I don't think physical fitness was the issue, I thought it was more that they were tired in their minds. There wasn't the snap to the play that there had been earlier in 2014; it seemed like it was taking the likes of McDonald and Jacobs just that split second longer to play the pass, and so often it was the wrong ball that was being played. I don't think is a particular issue; it happens when teams play a number of games in a short period of time. But it is a little frustrating that we have known we would have this sequence, and there was seemingly little preparation for it. Jackett appears to have whittled down his squad to 14 players who he is prepared to rotate, plus the likes of Doherty who will slot in in the case of injury. Maybe our position in the league justifies Jackett's strategy, but I do feel some of our current problems could have been avoided with more careful selection.