FA Cup 'mud bath' likened to 'a game of headers and volleys, tactics out the window'

"The Mariners had beaten Manchester United in the League Cup earlier in the season and smelled more top-flight blood going into the fourth round tie. This would have been less of a scalp than their August win over United given Wolves' problems this season, and the treacherous conditions at Blundell Park were a definite leveller as the quagmire pitch made it impossible to play any quality football."

"It was an interesting day for some of our Brazilians that they won't forget. We talked a lot in the last few days about mentality. It's great that they were able to do what they did against Manchester United earlier in the season because we used that to respect the opposition, the conditions, the game, the competition. To do things that were in our control, and do them well. That's what we did."

Wolves won 1-0 at Grimsby in the FA Cup as Santiago Bueno's second-half strike settled the tie. Blundell Park was waterlogged with puddles and strong sideways wind, turning the pitch into a quagmire that made quality football impossible. The match became an aggressive contest dominated by headers and volleys, with tactics largely discarded. Grimsby had beaten Manchester United earlier in the season and were the better team in the first half, but Wolves improved after the break. Two pre-match pitch inspections took place, and the win owed to professionalism, focus and an emphasis on mentality and controllable actions.

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