In football terms, as Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink nears his 36th birthday next month, he is entering “Grumpy Old Git” territory. And no one likes a moan or groan more at Ninian Park than the Cardiff City striker once of Holland, Leeds United, Chelsea, Middlesbrough and Charlton Athletic.

Yet David Jones, the Cardiff manager, would not have it any other way. It may come at a price — Hasselbaink earns about £20,000 a week — but it is worth it. If eight goals this season is not exactly prolific, the Dutchman pays his way in application and attitude. “Everyone says he is grumpy and he does moan,” Jones said. “Sure, he can be a pain sometimes. But he moans because he wants things to be right and he does it in a way where there is no animosity or bad feeling.”

Hasselbaink inspired Cardiff’s crash-bang start against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday. He flicked on a pass for Peter Whittingham to guide them in front and launched a missile into Wayne Hennessey’s net after Whittingham had returned the compliment.

Although moving slower than when in his Chelsea pomp, Hasselbaink niggled away at the Wolves defence all afternoon until retiring with a hamstring strain.

A new stadium is on the way but debts of £24 million threaten to undermine Cardiff’s challenge for the Barclays Premier League. “I’m not prepared to add to that debt or mismanage this club,” Peter Ridsdale, the chairman, said. “If we get anywhere near the play-offs, it will be a miracle. Not because we are not good enough, but because we have a small squad and don’t have the cash for new faces.”

It was Ridsdale who “lived the dream” and paid the price when chairman of Leeds. “I was criticised six years ago by everybody for spending money that they believed Leeds did not have,” he said, with rich irony. “Now I’m being criticised for not spending money that we don’t have. It makes me laugh.”

As Cardiff secured their first quarter-final place since 1927, when they won the Cup, Wolves produced a lame display. “We were hopeless,” Mick McCarthy, the Wolves manager, said. “I have to use that word.”

Cardiff City (4-4-2): P Enckelman 5 - K McNaughton 5, R Johnson 5, G Loovens 6, A Capaldi 5 – P Whittingham 6 (sub: T Sinclair, 89min), G Rae 6, S McPhail 6 (sub: D Blake, 90), A Ramsey 6 – P Parry 7, J F Hasselbaink 6 (sub: S Thompson, 77). Substitutes not used: M Oakes, D Purse. Booked: McPhail, Thompson.

Wolverhampton Wanderers (4-3-1-2): W Hennessey 4 – K Foley 4 (sub: D Gibson, 63 5), G Breen 5, J Craddock 5, M Gray 6 – K Henry 5, D Potter 5, J Bothroyd 4 – S Olofinjana 4 (sub: F Eastwood, 40 6) – A Keogh 5, K Kyle 5 (sub: S Elliott, 63 5).Substitutes not used: R Edwards, G Stack. Booked: Craddock, Gibson, Bothroyd.

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