'Everyone is playing like they have something to prove'published at 12:28 9 January
Dave Azzopardi, Talking Wolves, external
It was a brave and gutsy FA Cup performance from Wolves on Friday, earning a replay with Brentford despite being a man down for almost 80 minutes. Once again, Gary O'Neil's side showed their team spirit and hard work, which is becoming a common occurrence from this squad.
Despite Wolves still sitting around mid-table in the Premier League, the fans have been impressed with the quality of football and work-rate shown in recent weeks.
I'm not saying it was never there - Julen Lopetegui also managed to get similar performances from most of the squad, in particular the 2-1 win with 10 men at Southampton last season. However, I feel this squad are showing it on a consistent basis.
The atmosphere is getting better and the connection between the fans and the squad is improving. Since Nuno Espirito Santo left, we have really struggled to see a relationship between the fans, the head coach and the team. Under O'Neil, this is starting to change.
The supporters are becoming the 12th man again and this is helping performances on the pitch improve. There is a mix of quality and experience in the squad, but everyone is playing like they have something to prove. O'Neil knows how big this club is and he is continuing to prove what he is capable of as a coach.
There is a long way to go this season and, of course, you don't want to make playing with 10 men a habit. However, if Wolves continue to produce this level of performance and carry on digging deep, it could turn out to be a successful year for O'Neil and his squad.