Wolves end January with back-to-back defeats following a 2-0 loss at home to Bournemouth, finishing the month in the opposite way to which they started. An early goal from Mateus Mane was ruled out for an offside, yet Wolves continued their high tempo football and had Bournemouth on the back foot for the first 25 minutes. However, a mistake from Andre led to Bournemouth getting an undeserved first goal midway through the first half, from which Wolves never truly recovered.
A mixed second half saw Wolves treated with a plethora of chances, none of which could find the back of the net. The nail in the coffin came in the 90th minute when a player Wolves pursued heavily a few years ago, Alex Scott, tapped in to double the Cherries’ lead.
With that in mind, here are my player ratings.
Jose Sa – 5/10
Although not at fault for any of the goals, there were a few shaky moments from Sa.
Rodrigo Gomes – 5.5/10
Compared to the usual suspect at right wing-back, Jackson Tchatchoua, this performance could warrant a 10/10. In reality, Rodrigo had a few decently placed crosses but didn’t do much else, finding it tricky to defend against the Bournemouth left side of Truffert and Adli. Having returned from injury and started his first Premier League game since October, there are no complaints on my behalf.
Yerson Mosquera – 6/10
As per usual, Mosquera was the best out of the back three. He also looked comfortable when played as a right back in a back four, which may be useful in the future.
Santiago Bueno – 5/10
A few dodgy passes put Wolves under pressure towards the end of the first half. Considering his other performances this season, this certainly wasn’t one of Santi’s finest.
Emmanuel Agbadou – 4.5/10
He looked disinterested at times. I wonder if the speculated move to Besiktas is accelerating behind the scenes. Like Santi, there were a few misplaced passes and he randomly kicked the ball out for a corner towards the end of the match.
Hugo Bueno – 6/10
Hugo defended well for the most part and put in a few good crosses going forward. He should’ve been replaced earlier as he was struggling from around the 70th minute.
Andre – 4/10
He gave the ball away for the first goal and was outplayed in the midfield. Not a match to look back fondly on.
Joao Gomes – 5/10
Incredibly one-dimensional play from both Andre and Joao Gomes epitomised the problems that Wolves have faced in midfield this season. He got around much more than Andre and offered some support going forward.
Mateus Mane – 6.5/10
Another decent performance from Mane, playing with no fear and taking on a few shots that were not far from hitting the target, heading in well for the offside goal. He offered much more than the rest of the front line.
Hwang Hee-Chan – 5/10
Surprisingly, Hwang was one of our best players in the first half, dropping deep and receiving the ball on the turn whilst retaining possession on most occasions. However, he regressed as per usual in the second half and was therefore hooked at 70 minutes.
Tolu Arokodare – 5.5/10
Tolu missed one too many chances in the second half, including a header that was directed straight at the goalkeeper from an incredibly dangerous position. Good hold up play as per usual helped Wolves to get forward, but unfortunately, it was not enough to warrant anything more than a 5.5/10.
Substitutes
Jorgen Strand Larsen – 5/10
An okay cameo; not much else to say, apart from the miss (albeit from a tight angle) that could’ve drawn Wolves level.
Jean-Ricner Bellegarde – 5/10
A welcome return from injury for the Haitian was highly anticipated. However, he rarely received the ball when he entered the pitch and certainly not in any positions of danger.
