Much as in the days when he still did marvellous things with a ball at his feet, you had to admire Glenn Hoddle for his coolness as much as his cheek.

Hoddle's Wolverhampton Wanderers had just turned in their best performance under him to beat promotionchasing Ipswich Town. And, despite it being only his side's fifth win in 20 games, the Wolves boss nonchalantly acclaimed the victory as really no more than he was expecting.

"It's not as if that's come out of the blue," claimed Hoddle. "We've come close to playing like that before.

"Out of the 14 draws we've had, we could have won ten. Wigan, the one game we've lost, is still the only one in which we've come off the pitch and thought we deserved nothing.

"It's not about one performance. We've shown consistency and proved to everyone we're a good side. "

True enough, out of Wolves' 14 draws under Hoddle, his side have been marginally closer to winning more than they might have lost. But, only in a succession of those three away games a month ago, when they drew 3-3 at Derby County, won 4-1 at Crewe Alexandra and drew 2-2 at Preston North End, have his side looked anything like as vibrant as they did on Monday night.

Surely the question that now needs to be answered is just how capable are Wolves of this sort of performance when it really matters next season.

In a breathtaking first half, taking advantage of a nervous Ipswich side who clearly did not know what had hit them, Wolves were extraordinarily good.

Sporting Ipswich manager Joe Royle, not the first visiting manager to have a pop at the almost too well-watered Molineux pitch, offered praise where it was due. "They're certainly a decent side with good players," he said, "who are better than their league position suggests. They've only lost ten games all season - and that's bettered by only ourselves and Wigan."

Wolves' Academy side take on Southampton in the second leg of the FA Youth Cup semi- final at Molineux tonight (7.30). And, having limited the Saints to just a 1-0 victory at St Mary's last week, John Perkins' side have given themselves a real chance.