Wolves Head Coach Kenny Jackett is urging his players to sign off in style when they take on Sheffield Wednesday tomorrow (12.30pm).
The match at Molineux is the team’s final fixture of the season, and Jackett has made it clear to the players what he expects from them.
He said: “A high energy, positive performance where we can challenge our opposition, take the game to them and then ultimately do well enough going forward to get us the goals that can sign off on a frustrating season, which we have needed to improve on with some promise for the future.
“It’s been frustrating - we’ve been looking for better, that’s a definite and as a club we have to learn our lessons and improve.
“That assessment is always the most important thing, how you come out of it and put it to good use to improve in the future.”
Wolves go into the match in 14th position, which is not where they would like to be after narrowly missing out on the playoffs this time last year.
A win would bring to an end the run of four consecutive 0-0 draws, a sequence of results that has frustrated the supporters and Jackett himself.
Jackett said: “Our home record hasn’t been as good as we would have liked it to be this season and we’ve had a succession of 0-0 draws at home.
“We have been competitive, there have been good defensive displays, but that’s not ultimately what we want.
“We want to be going forward, creating chances and scoring the goals that can get us the wins that we want.
“I can understand the fans frustrations, they come in their numbers home and away and they do back the club very well – I do appreciate that.
“And being able to go forward, score goals and ultimately win games is everybody’s objective.
“We have one more chance at home and we want to finish on a strong performance and strong result.”
Jackett was also clear in where he felt things have not gone as well he and the players had hoped for this season.
He said: “The balance of the team, lack of quality players that are say right on top of their game or at a time developing.
“At times we’ve been unbalanced, our service from full back hasn’t been enough and then obviously going to the forward positions, some people have had spells of looking like they can do well in the division, but we haven’t had ultimately two, three, four players across the frontline that can consistently give defenders trouble.”
The Wolves Head Coach also confirmed that plans are in place to improve on things during the summer.
“The summer is always a key time for squad building and getting your assessments right for that particular period is very important,” he explains.
“Last summer we working on Dicko and Afobe and really building around that and that, for various reasons, fell away from us.
“So yes the summer is a key time and it will be again for the club to plan, to make adjustments and to improve on the halfway team that we have been for the vast majority of the season.
“I don’t think we’ve looked like we are going to be troubled by relegation, but we’ve not been consistent enough to get into the top six either.
“It is important, if you look at the second half of our season the balance of our team, the competition for some places is very strong and in others it’s not, and that’s vital.
“The summer is always vital and with the changing of the loan system (next season sees the removal of the emergency loan system) squad planning is vital.
“In an ideal world, if there can be two players for every position that is a very good one and can leave – at the right time – space for some young players to come through, because every year there has to be that scope.
“But the balance is between leaving enough space and being strong, for a league that is continually improving and has been strong this year, and will be strong again next year.”
Despite this season’s frustrations, there has been no change in Jackett’s enthusiasm levels and he remains very much committed to Wolves.
He said: “I think Wolves is a fantastic club, it’s a privilege to be in the position that I’m in and the responsibility to try and improve it is something that drives me on.
“At the moment, I’m looking forward to Saturday, I see it as a good opportunity to put on and finish with a good performance for our supporters and for our players to show there’s optimism for the future.”
