IT is hard to pin down exactly why Wolves have underperformed this year.

My view is that there is not one underlying reason, but a collection.

And I think you have to go back further than 2015 for answers.

Although Wolves got better as the season went on in 2014, the year as a whole did not compare favourably with previous campaigns in terms of playing style, levels of excitement and accomplishments.

It is reasonable, therefore, to seek out explanations prior to that.

I feel there has been a lot of change in a short period of time, perhaps as part of the departure of the old guard and bringing in the new.

Only nine of the 2013 Grand Final 17 have played any part in 2015, with Micky Higham’s involvement ending in May – that makes up half a team.

And when that absent half a team includes the quality of Lee Briers, Adrian Morley, Michael Monaghan, Paul Wood, Garreth Carvell, Mike Cooper, Simon Grix (injured this year) - and chuck in Brett Hodgson who was left out of that Old Trafford showpiece - those names take some replacing even over time, never mind ‘overnight’.

It seems clear that Wolves are still trying to come to terms with those losses, but that sense of absence has been heightened by the amount of injuries over the past two seasons resulting in Tony Smith needing to turn to Plan B, C, D....G on a frequent basis.

Behind the scenes there have been a stack of changes in this periord too, with coaches Willie Poching and Richard Marshall leaving along with head of strength and conditioning Chris Baron.

All of this points to missing stability in core areas that many higher-placed rivals have not had to contend with to the same extent during the same period.

Without the stability that comes with selection and preparation, new faces need to gel, new combinations need to fire, changes to methods need to be executed as planned – and it is bound to take time, in the same way that Chris Sandow is being given seven games to find his feet ahead of 2016.

While it is fair to say other clubs have had their share of injury issues too, there are not so many that can claim to have had up to 10 first-team regulars missing at one time as has been the case for Wolves at various stages.

And then on top of that, due to the lack of numbers, some players have still put their bodies on the line by entering the arena with injuries because, quite literally, there was nobody else to do the job.

Centre Ryan Atkins is one point in case, confirming this week the operations he will need at the end of the season. I expect there will be others in the same boat.

There have been other changes as well as those mentioned above.

Head of youth development John Bastian was replaced by his number two Ben Lazenby, who has since moved on. Chief executive Andy Gatcliffe has gone and Roger Draper taken over, while new board members have been added in Mike Lomax and Stuart Middleton.

Lee Briers has taken on the under 19s coaching reins and is having more responsibility with the first team.

We're going to see a whole load more changes ahead of next season, with the signings of Kurt Gidley, Tom Lineham, Jack Hughes and a likely prop to go along with the recruitment of Sandow.

All of this has occurred since 2013. We're entrenched in a bedding down period, one in which previous approaches are challenged and tested and new ideas are sampled to find successful formulae.

The only guarantee, in my view, until everything settles down is uncertainty and inconsistency. 

It could all come together brilliantly very quickly, or may take a little longer.

But there are quality people involved in this club putting their heart and soul into making it happen.

The important thing is that we can see hard graft is being put in and it's important everyone sticks by the club while the process unfolds.