Let's not mention the R word

[BBC]

[Getty Images]

No, I do not mean relegation. That has felt inevitable for a while now. I mean rubbish.

Because that was what Wolves were against Leeds. Rubbish, flat and nowhere near good enough.

There have been games this season where you could at least point to effort, shape or a bit of fight. This was not one of them. The performance was woeful from start to finish and Leeds deserved everything they got. Wolves looked second best in every area. Loose in possession, weak out of it and short of belief when it mattered most.

That does not just happen by accident. Yes, the players have to take their share of the blame. Yes, Rob Edwards has tried to steady a broken side and has at times looked like he is managing a group that is already halfway down the tunnel. But this mess goes far beyond one bad afternoon, one poor squad or one manager who some believe may be out of his depth.

This is the end result of a managed decline that has been building for years.

Fosun have taken a club with real momentum and slowly drained the life out of it. Bad decisions, failed appointments, poor recruitment and a constant sense of drift have left Wolves here. The warning signs were there long before this season turned toxic. We have watched standards slip, ambition fade and the club get weaker.

There are some green shoots of hope with Nathan Shi replacing Jeff Shi. It feels like maybe, just maybe, someone at the top has finally seen the damage being done.

The summer has to bring real change. Not another reset in name only. Not another promise to learn lessons. Real change. Until then, Wolves fans are left with the same painful truth.

The defeat by Leeds was terrible, but it was also familiar. And that is the biggest problem of all.

Find more from Dazzling Dave at Always Wolves