Hindsight is such a useful commodity...

PERSONAL VIEW:

MANAGING after the event is a popular pastime these days.

Anyone can do it. Observe a defeat, kick back and put on 20/20 hindsight goggles to boast on Twitter or Facebook how things could and should have been tactically different.

“The manager got it wrong. He should have played a Christmas Tree formation with the full-backs bombing forward. He should have picked such-and-such. Leaving such-and-such out was a disgrace. What was he thinking?”

There is nothing wrong with such opinions and many are well-argued. But in the real world, in real time — where decisions that are made really matter, with livelihoods potentially on the line — a strong case can be made that despite the controversial line-up at Wolves, manager Lee Johnson almost got things spot-on.

The charge that there was a lack of attacking ambition sticks. But up to the point that they took the lead, Wolves — still paying out Premier League wages, thanks to continued parachute payments — hadn’t looked too dangerous themselves.

Johnson wanted to get to the hour mark with no score on the board. Then, as Kenny Jackett’s side inevitably pushed on, space would theoretically open up to exploit them on the counter-attack.

Was it a conservative tactic? Undoubtedly. And were Adam Rooney and Kirk Millar unfortunate to miss out on starting the game? Without a shadow of a doubt.

But it is not too outlandish to suggest that despite Athletic losing by two clear goals for the first time in 2013-14, small margins were in play once again.

Had Cristian Montano buried his first-half header when unmarked from a corner, for example, Johnson may have been left explaining quite how he managed to mastermind a famous victory.

As it was, his tactics on the night attracted criticism. Some was fair, some unfair. But all of it was after the event.