Wolves were unable to lift their international break curse, but a big opportunity still lies ahead for Cesar Peixoto’s team.
The defeat to Middlesbrough on Saturday means Wolves have now lost 10 of their last 14 games that came immediately after the international break.
It was a sluggish and frustrating performance for the most part, and a brief second half resurgence once changes were made could not force an equaliser.
Peixoto’s reaction after a win and a defeat - both publicly and privately - appears to be the same. He is measured, parks his emotion and attempts to take a logical view.
In many ways, that is a sensible approach. Losing to Middlesbrough was not a disaster, but equally there are questions the team needs to answer when it comes to competing against promotion rivals.