Perhaps the joy of Old Trafford generated some unrealistic expectations amongst the Fulham fanbase. The Whites have had a pitiful away record for almost the entirety of their time in the Premier League, with last season’s relative success under Marco Silva an anomaly. Beating Manchester United felt totemic, but given how far the ‘world’s richest club’ have slipped in recent years, it actually isn’t all that comparable to the seismic shock that Chris Coleman’s charges delivered in 2003.

Fulham’s second away league success of this season had plenty of the hallmarks of what became a frustrating afternoon at Molineux. Silva’s side, without Joao Palhinha and Willian in their starting line-up, dominated the first half whilst failing to take several presentable chances and Alex Iwobi scored a superb goal deep into the stoppage time. But whereas the Nigerian’s fine finish sparked sensational scenes at United, his instinctive flick in the Black Country only generated a serious sense of what could have been.

Silva was quick to credit Wolves for their indefatigability as Gary O’Neil’s side battled through an extension to their crippling injury crisis and being outplayed in the first period to claim a precious three points that boosts their European bid. The hosts certainly were worthy of praise, especially for the way they adapted to adversity with teenage forward Nathan Fraser a particular pest on his first start and Rayan Alt-Nouri fulfilling a forward role after two of Wolves’ most potent attacking threads had departed early, but Iwobi’s identification of ‘a missed opportunity’ to procure a rare away win felt even more accurate.

It is no surprise that Fulham are not as potent in the final third without a certain Saudi Arabian-based Serbian. Rodrigo Muniz has put together a series of stunning showings that nobody outside Motspur Park saw coming and, whilst the Brazilian troubled the Wolves defence at times, others in Silva’s starting line-up were culpable for Fulham’s failure to make the most of some enterprising attacking play. Harry Wilson might still be shuddering at the way he passed up a presentable chance created by a gorgeous through ball from Iwobi, whilst Tosin Adarabioyo produced a centre half’s finish when he found himself in a centre forward’s position.

Silva was seething that his side ceded the initiative to their under-par opponents in the early stages of the second half. It looked like complacency had set in, but that might be a projection of the disappointment that emanated from the away end as the Whites went from a position of complete control to digging a real hole. That it was Tosin and Calvin Bassey, who have forged a fabulous understand at the heart of the back four, who were responsible for the sloppiness that ultimately cost Fulham so dearly was desperately disappointing. Bassey’s tame header presented Ait-Nouri with a chance he simply couldn’t miss, before Nelson Semedo’s second deflected in off the behind of Tom Cairney – who couldn’t influence proceedings in the manner that Silva had hoped when he summoned the skipper from the substitutes bench after the opening goal.

The head coach surprisingly endorsed the old adage of never changing a winning side, which would have been good for morale after the wins over United and a desperately poor Brighton and Hove Albion, but the same starting eleven eventually ran out of road. Silva’s selection would have looked shrewder had Wilson and Tosin stroked the visitors into a comfortable lead, but Harrison Reed’s impersonation of Joao Palhinha eventually conceded the free-kick from which the visitors went behind. Palhinha’s tenacity couldn’t tilt the contest back towards his side when he came on, whilst Willian’s own arrival felt belated.

As Peter Rutzler reflected earlier, Silva and Fulham have done wonderfully well to move well clear of a relegation scrap that seems far less cut and dried than it looked in the earlier weeks of the season, but realising the head coach’s ambition of writing a new chapter in the club’s history depends on the Whites finding consistency that is currently all too elusive. Tim Sherwood, summarising the Molineux match on Soccer Saturday, pointed to the strength of Silva’s bench and, whilst Iwobi is also right to suggest that his team-mates can feel confident of beating everyone on their day, success depends on this side hitting their stride.

Flattering to deceive on the road has been a Fulhamish characteristic for much of the club’s history. The Cottagers could justifiably head to Bramall Lane at the end of the month with confidence, given how Sheffield United have slumped to the bottom of the table, but you certainly couldn’t rule out a capitulation to rank alongside the way the Whites succumbed on the final day of the 2021/22 season having secured the Championship title by smacking seven goals past Luton. Between now and then there is a stern test in the shape of Tottenham Hotspur, who thrashed Aston Villa on their own patch yesterday. Upsetting Ange Postecoglou will need Palhinha back at his best from the beginning and for Fulham to take their chances. Moving on from a miserable Molineux experience swiftly is absolutely essential.