Wolves 11th premier league game of the 2022/23 campaign ended in a narrow defeat in the capital at the hands of Patrick Viera’s Crystal Palace. Hugo Bueno was the stand out performer on his full league debut for Steve Davis’ side who once again looked short of ideas in front of the opposition goal. Adama Traore opened the scoring in the 31st minute thanks to a brilliant cross from Bueno but a fragile-looking Wolves conceded early in the second half and subsequently failed to secure any points on the road.

Jose Sa

Somewhat wayward with his distribution, Sa made a few simple saves but was powerless to save either of Palace’s second half goals. Playing through his injury cannot be easy, however the Wolves keeper is still struggling pick up the rich vein of form he was in throughout last season.

6

Nelson Semedo

Semedo started the game well against Palace and had a robust first half. However, defensive frailties crept in from the outset of the second 45 minutes as he was at fault for both goals that Wolves conceded.

5

Nathan Collins

Collins struggled in his first game back after his recent suspension, the Irishman looked slow in possession and struggled defensively to deal with Palace’s attack, particularly in the second half. However, Collins did find himself with a chance towards the latter stages of the game but could only poke the ball wide from a few yards out.

4

Max Kilman

Max was the better of Wolves two centre halves but still showed signs of weakness, particularly in the second half. He covered space well within the Wolves back line but showed little progression with the ball.

5.5

Hugo Bueno

The 20 year-old Spaniard had a stellar debut for Wolves, he looked tidy in possession and dealt with his defensive duties well. The full-back played with composure beyond his years and provided an excellent assist for Wolves only goal of the game.

8

Ruben Neves

The Portuguese midfielder put in another strong performance for Wolves, showing the passion and fight that is needed with the captain’s armband. Neves covered a lot of defensive work throughout the 90 minutes, but also rattled the post with a free-kick and forced Guaita into a good save with a well-struck effort in the second half.

7

Matheus Nunes

Playing in a more advanced role than the other two central midfielders, Nunes struggled to get into the game at times but did show flashes of promise in the transition. Subbed off rather prematurely in the second half due to concerns over a head injury, Nunes didn’t get to impact the game as much as a player of his quality would’ve liked to.

6.5

Boubacar Traore

On his first full debut, Traore battled hard in the heart of the Wolves midfield. The loanee won the ball back on a number of occasions but struggled to retain the ball at times. Traore gave away a number of free kicks in the first half and subsequently received a yellow card.

6

Adama Traore

The main attacking threat for Wolves in the first half, Adama scored his much-deserved first league goal of the season with a bullet header from Bueno’s cross. Traore was subbed off 13 minutes into the second half, preventing him from creating any further attacking opportunities for Wolves. After returning from his loan last season, Traore is quickly adapting back to life in the Premier League and is becoming one of the first names on the team sheet.

7.5

Daniel Podence

Podence struggled to impose himself on the game during the first half, having a minimal contribution to the team. Daniel was more involved during the second half, however he gave the ball away much too easily on a number of occasions and provided little attacking threat.

5

Diego Costa

Despite his best efforts, Costa failed to make a significant impression on the game. An early chance saw Costa one-on-one with the Palace keeper, however he failed to find the back of the net. The rest of the game left Costa with little chances to feed off and he was subbed off in the 75th minute.

5

Substitutes:

Goncalo Guedes (Replaced Adama Traore 58′)

After coming off the bench, Guedes failed to impress the travelling Wolves fans as his lack of quality in the final third shone through, failing to retain possession on a number of occasions.

5

Joao Moutinho (Replaced Boubacar Traore 58′)

After not being named in the starting XI, Moutinho put in a solid perform in the centre of the park for Wolves, retaining possession and offering a solid level of composure, although struggling to progress the ball further up the field at times.

6

Joe Hodge (Replaced Matheus Nunes 58′)

Hodge showed some of the passion and desire that Wolves were lacking previously, however his isolation in the number 10 role meant he struggled to impact the game heavily during his time on the field.

6

Hwang Hee Chan (Replaced Diego Costa 75′)

Hwang only managed a handful of touches after taking to the field and had very little impact from the bench.

5

Steve Davis’ Wolves side just about held on for a crucial second win of the season against 20th-place Nottingham Forest, thanks to a penalty from returning captain Ruben Neves. Despite dominating possession for much of the 90 minutes, the home side once again struggled to create significant chances. However, the three points and particularly Jose Sa’s huge penalty save will hopefully provide the side with a major morale boost. With a new managerial appointment surely not far away, fans will be hoping the team can take some momentum from this result and push themselves away from the relegation zone in the coming weeks.

Jose Sa

Apologies to the rest of the game, but Sa’s rating here is based almost entirely on one instance. His save against Brennan Johnson’s penalty felt like a mightily important moment for Wolves’ season. It will also give Sa a big confidence boost after his form has not quite matched what he showed in 21/22, and with the keeper recently revealed to have been playing with a fractured wrist fans will be heartened to see last season’s breakout star make such a crucial stop.

8.5

Rayan Ait-Nouri

The young Frenchman certainly showed off more of his undisputed talent than we have seen for much of this season with a dangerous attacking display. Despite wasting a couple of decent goal-scoring opportunities, Ait-Nouri was arguably Wolves’ most consistent attacking threat for most of the game, while being solid defensively when called upon.

7.5

Toti Gomes

Gomes’ second successive start was an extremely mixed bag. Although he made a few important defensive players and was able to physically dominate Forest’s diminutive front three, his on-the-ball quality left a lot to be desired. On multiple occasions his wayward passing gave the ball away in dangerous situations, and he often looked panicked in possession. At times it felt like Forest’s best chance of scoring would come through being handed the ball in the attacking third.

5.5

Max Kilman

Wolves’ defensive stalwart has looked more uncomfortable without Nathan Collins next to him, and once again did not turn in his most standout display in the black and gold. However, while he wasn’t spectacular he was still solid and made no notable errors.

6.5

Jonny Otto

The decision to start Jonny over Nelson Semedo was questioned by many when the line-up was released, and the pre-game concerns proved to be valid. The Spaniard was uncomfortable in possession, giving the ball away in dangerous positions on several occasions, and offered very little going forward. As long as Semedo is fit, he must surely hold the starting right-back spot from now on.

5.0

Ruben Neves

It was not the club captain’s most vintage Wolves’ performance on his return from suspension, but Neves stepped up when it mattered most – burying his penalty with precision, power and composure to give his team the lead. And it is very much his team right now. Even when not at his best Neves’ presence alone gives a huge boost whenever he’s on the pitch, lifting the team like no one else can. It is impossible to overstate his importance to the club, his teammates and the fans during a period of such turmoil. Plus, he gets bonus points for his outstanding Instagram post after the match.

7.5

Joao Moutinho

His influence is clearly waning, but Moutinho is still a smooth operator on the ball. Unfortunately, his tidiness in possession does not make up for a lack of real creativity or defensive presence, and the veteran at times felt like a passenger in the game.

6.5

Matheus Nunes

Wolves’ record signing did not produce his most eye-catching display, but not for lack of trying. Nunes is constantly looking to move the ball forward, whether through his exceptional dribbling ability or by passing it – it was the latter which let him down against Forest. Far too wasteful in possession, Matheus tried a lot but not much came off this time round. Considering what he’s already shown this season however, one below-standard performance is not much to complain about.

6.0

Daniel Podence

A similar performance to Moutinho in many ways from the diminutive winger. Podence was tidy on the ball but offered little real incisiveness or creativity and failed to have a major impact on the game.

6.5

Adama Traore

Simultaneously the most exciting and most frustrating player on the pitch, Adama turned it a thoroughly familiar performance. He had much joy on the right-hand side and took advantage on a couple of occasions – most notably with an inch-perfect cross to Max Kilman, who hit the post with a header. However, far too often his crosses ended up in the stands behind the goal and his one major scoring chance was blazed over the bar. On a positive note, his constant threat stretched Forest’s backline to no end, and it was his shot which hit Harry Toffolo’s arm and earned Wolves’ game-winning penalty.

7.0

Diego Costa

To no-one’s shock, Costa’s off-ball antics have made him an immediate fan favourite at the Molineux. What has proven to be more of a pleasant surprise is that he’s actually still pretty good on the ball too. His movement in the box caused a multitude of problems for the Forest defence, and his link-up play was outstanding. Looks like the old dog’s still got a few tricks.

7.5

Substitutes: N/A

All coming on after the 80th minute, none of Boubacar Traore, Hwang Hee-chan, Nelson Semedo, Joe Hodge or Hugo Bueno had enough time to make a real impression. Traore showed flashes of his dribbling ability but also put Wolves in a couple of awkward positions with some wayward passing. Academy starlet Hodge earned the approval of the Molineux crowd with a take-one-for-the-team foul late on to stop a Forest counterattack.

Wolves endured another frustrating afternoon as they lost 3-0 to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. James Collins and Steve Davis, the latter a boyhood Wolves fan, were in the managerial dugout following the departure of Bruno Lage. Despite a positive start, Wolves rode their luck for much of the first half and Chelsea eventually broke the deadlock on the stroke of halftime thanks to a Kai Havertz header. Second-half goals from Christian Pulisic and Armando Broja condemned Wolves to their third successive Premier League defeat.

Jose Sa

Not at his best. The Portuguese goalkeeper made an uncharacteristic mistake for the opening goal and seemed perplexed when Havertz’s header lopped under his crossbar. It looked like Sa had initially decided to come and claim the cross before quickly realising it was not his ball to win but by that point, it was too late.

5

Nelson Semedo

On the rare occasion that Wolves ventured into the final third, Semedo often found himself in promising positions but lacked the composure or directness to make an impact. Defensively, Christian Pulisic bested him on a few occasions, most notably for the second goal.

4

Max Kilman

An unusual performance from one of Wolves’ most reliable defenders. Kilman was often indecisive and erratic on the ball and lacked his trademark composure. The absence of Neves, a true number six and a competent Chelsea press may explain some of that.

5

Toti Gomes

His exclusion from last weekend’s line-up was, for many, the final nail in the coffin for Bruno Lage. His decision to deploy Ruben Neves and Jonny as makeshift centre-backs left many fans baffled. Toti, although sometimes uncomfortable on the ball with fewer passing lanes than he is used to when previously playing in a back five, did provide some defensive stability. According to Sofa Score, he won 5/5 of his ground and aerial duels.

6

Jonny Otto

His defensive strengths were made largely redundant due to Conor Gallagher often drifting inside and looking to link up rather than facing up the full-back for a 1-1, a scenario where Jonny excels. Consistently wasteful in the final third but was often pinned back under sustained Chelsea pressure.

4

Matheus Nunes

His best performance in a Wolves shirt thus far. The 23-year-old was at his press resistant best in the first half and provided the dynamic run that led to Wolves’ best chance. Nunes’ effect on the game understandably dwindled in the second half with the game out of sight but he showed more than a few flashes of what is to come.

7

Joao Moutinho

At 36, his ability to dominate midfield battles has diminished. As much as he provided his typical elegance on the ball, without it he was often run over by the youthfulness of Mount, Gallagher and Loftus-Cheek.

6

Goncalo Guedes

The Portuguese International was hooked at halftime and deservedly so. Guedes has not been able to showcase his undoubted talent since his £27.5 million move from Valencia this summer. And as much as the current predicament the club finds itself in can’t be helping, he simply must do more.

3

Adama Traore

Adama is Adama. Equally capable of sheer brilliance and frustrating mediocrity, often in the same sequence. His presence still causes chaos for opposition defenders, but his lacklustre final product and defensive effort leave a lot to be desired. Despite that, the Spaniard was still Wolves’ most dangerous attacking outlet.

6

Daniel Podence

A consistent theme of Wolves’ attacks this season has been a lack of quality in the final third. Podence, today deployed as a number ten, was tasked with linking the midfield and attack. The service into his feet was limited but when he did receive the ball in dangerous areas, he was wasteful.

5

Diego Costa

It was a first Wolves start for the former Chelsea star back at Stamford Bridge. It was surely written in the stars for Costa to grab the headlines. Well, not quite. He had little to no service and according to Sofa Score, was limited to only 9 touches. His work rate off the ball was to be admired but was simply not involved for the most part.

6

SUBS

Joe Hodge

A much-deserved first-team debut for the Ireland youth international. The 20-year-old has been one of Wolves Academy’s best performers this season and he did his first-team prospects no harm with a composed second-half display.

7

Hwang Hee-Chan

Costa made way for Hwang on the hour mark and the South Korean did provide some more mobility and was able to run the channels, but a lack of quality let him down on the few occasions where he got on the ball.

4

Chem Campbell

Replaced Adama after 72 minutes. Campbell has become a fixture of the first team set-up in recent weeks and hopefully, his steady progress continues under whoever the new manager is.

5

Rayan Ait-Nouri

Replaced Jonny after 72 minutes. The left-back position remains up for debate as both men continue to put in underwhelming performances.

N/A

In a result that could be the nail in the coffin for Bruno Lage, Wolves sputtered to a 2-0 loss to struggling West Ham and could fall as low as 19th in the table should Nottingham Forest beat rock-bottom Leicester on Monday. Gianluca Scamacca’s first Premier League goal was a major blow to Wolves who had been on top up to that point, and despite continuing to dominate possession the away side conceded less that 10 minutes into the second half and never looked like getting back into the game. Yet another toothless showing has many fans up in arms, and it may not be long before serious changes are made.

Jose Sa

Had a pretty unremarkable game. There was nothing he could do to keep out Scamacca’s superb finish, but he may be disappointed by letting in the second goal. Although the shot was hit with excellent power and accuracy by Jarrod Bowen, conceding at the near post is never a good look for a goalkeeper. Can’t really take much blame for the loss, overall, but certainly not his best display.

6/10

Rayan Ait-Nouri

Another underwhelming performance by the Frenchman. Considering the talent all Wolves fans know he possesses, Ait-Nouri needs to be more consistent. He offered very little creatively against West Ham and was indecisive in possession, which has become a common problem for him. Lacklustre defending allowed Bowen far too much space to shoot on his preferred left foot for the second goal.

5/10

Max Kilman

With increased defensive responsibility as the only natural centre-back in Wolves’ back three, Kilman was solid. He’s been one of the team’s most reliable performers this season and once again rarely put a foot wrong. Although not quite as remarkable as his heroic display against Newcastle for example, Kilman was once again one of the few positives for Wolves.

7/10

Ruben Neves

Played out of position in the middle of a back three, the Wolves captain was as usual in a class of his own on the ball – his passing from deep was one of the few ways Wolves found to move the ball forward consistently. However, his lack of comfort in an unfamiliar role was obvious. On multiple occasions he found himself out of position with West Ham on the attack, in one situation committing a silly foul with resulted in a yellow card and a one-game suspension. Fans will hope to see him back in midfield when he returns against Nottingham Forest.

6.5/10

Jonny Otto

The main talking point when the line-up was released was Lage’s choice to use full-back Jonny as a centre-back rather than opting for a pure CB like Toti Gomes or Yerson Mosquera. Most were skeptical of the decision and were proved right by the Spaniard’s performance. It’s hard to blame Jonny himself for the display, but he struggled mightily against the 6ft 5 Scamacca and offered little on the ball, other than testing West Ham keeper Lukasz Fabianski with a long-range shot early on.

5/10

Nelson Semedo

Another rare bright spark for Wolves this season, Nelson Semedo has consistently shown his quality and did again in this game. Comfortable in possession and making dangerous runs on the right flank, the wing-back regularly found himself in dangerous crossing positions with no-one in the box to pick out. He was also as defensively solid as always, as he proves week in week out that he is one of the league’s top one-on-one defenders.

7.5/10

Joao Moutinho

It is clear now that a 36-year-old Moutinho is less and less able to compete with Premier League midfielders with each passing game, at least physically. Although composed and skilled as ever with the ball at his feet, the veteran no longer brings the tenacious tackling that once endeared him to Wolves fans and offered little resistance to West Ham’s dynamic midfield. It may not be too long before Boubacar Traore begins seeing regular minutes in his place.

5.5/10

Matheus Nunes

Wolves’ record signing is everything fans had hoped for – an energetic, physical, technically excellent midfielder capable of driving the team forward and being a big defensive presence. However, the toothless nature of the squad around him has meant he hasn’t quite unlocked his full potential just yet and is sometimes forced into attempting reckless plays to make up for the team’s lack of dynamism. Was Wolves’ best player on the night along with compatriot Semedo.

7.5/10

Pedro Neto

Sadly, the young winger suffered a potentially serious injury just 24 minutes into the game. He initially played on (much to the chagrin of Wolves fans) before being forced off and replaced by Adama Traore. We can only hope he isn’t kept out for a similar amount of time as his last injury.

N/A

Goncalo Guedes

The new signing has continued to be used as a sort-of striker due to Wolves’ injury crisis at the position and is clearly not able to reach top form in this uncomfortable position. Although he has played as a striker in the past, it was in a much different role within a heavily counter attacking system, where his primary objective was running in behind rather than holding the ball up. He was mostly ineffective today although he did have some decent touches – hopefully the acquisition of Diego Costa will allow Guedes to occupy a more natural role in future.

5.5/10

Daniel Podence

Not for the first time this season, Podence offered the majority of the team’s attacking spark in this game – which isn’t saying too much. The winger at least attempted to score on occasion, testing Fabianski with some dangerous long-range efforts, but ultimately created next to nothing in terms of real chances. He gets a few extra points for ambition though.

6.5/10

SUBS:

Adama Traore

In probably his best showing of the season, Adama provided some life to the stagnant Wolves attack whenever he touched the ball – however this was still not very often. His most notable moments included a slightly miscued volley which went just wide of the post, and a fantastic cross which was headed just wide by Diego Costa, by far Wolves’ best chance of the game.

7/10

Diego Costa

In what was undoubtedly the most anticipated moment of the game for Wolves fans, new signing Costa suited up and took to the pitch in the 58th minute, replacing Guedes, and the team instantly looked more dangerous. The striker was sharper than many anticipated, linking up well with teammates and causing problems with his movement. Although he missed a major chance, he provided enough to make fans cautiously optimistic to see what more he can offer.

7/10

Chem Campbell

Campbell has long been highly rated by Wolves staff, and fans have spent a long time anticipating the time he would finally begin to display his talent at the senior level. This was his best game yet. He provided one of the team’s most electric moments by beating two defenders before cutting in on his right and lashing a shot just wide. Hopefully we will see more of him in the next few weeks.

6.5/10

Boubacar Traore

With the game already over, Traore was unable to have much impact on the game. He looks good in possession though and made a couple of notable defensive plays.

6/10

A game that we all knew was never going to be easy, we didn’t do ourselves any favours though as we went a goal down while the clock hadn’t even ticked over for one minute. A game that was uphill from the very beginning, went from bad to worse when Erling Haaland scored and later on when Nathan Collins got sent off leaving the team in ten with a whole second half to play. Despite this, Wolves didn’t hold back and continued to play out from the back and arguably played better with ten men on the field.

Jose Sa

Not so much he could have done for the three goals conceded today, although there is some room for debate on the second goal as Erling Haaland’s shot slowly rolled into the back of the net. No saves of note to report for him, one sloppy pass in the second half that was almost intercepted and could have easily led to a goal, he did do well to control a slow and short back pass from Jonny but that is it from him.

5/10

Rayan Ait-Nouri

Hot and cold performance could have released the ball or crossed on certain occasions instead of dribbling, although he did have some good touches and dribbles that led to him being fouled and drawing freekicks in interesting areas. Clearly wasn’t expecting Foden’s backheel pass which saw him left dead by De Bruyne as he crossed the ball in the path of Grealish.

5.5/10

Jonny Otto

Hard to figure out how he is starting in front of the likes of Nelson Semedo. Jonny lost Grealish for the first goal, made a very short back pass that could have led to another goal in the second half and seems to be limited going forward while also being vulnerable when defending.

4.5/10

Max Kilman

A difficult game for Kilman and the rest of the Wolves backline. One on One against Haaland saw the Norwegian dispose of the ball in the net for City’s second of the game. Did okay in the second half paired with Neves as they managed to keep the score line down and play out from the back.

5.5/10

Nathan Collins

33 minutes, two goals conceded, a kung fu tackle on Grealish and a red card for Collins. Definitely not a game to remember for the young Irish defender but one he can reflect on and learn from. Wolves now hold the dilemma of choosing the right player to substitute him for the upcoming fixtures.

2/10

Matheus Nunes

His misplaced pass led to Wolves losing possession and City pushing forward and grabbing their first goal of the game. Obviously, the blame can’t be placed on him for the goal as there were other mistakes in the build-up, it is just something worth noting. Drove Wolves forward well without any problems and did well with the ball at his feet without any hesitation.

6/10

Ruben Neves

Quiet in midfield and struggled like his midfield partners. Once Wolves went down to ten men in the 33^rd minute he dropped deeper and took up Collins role which he did pretty well-considering everything. Managed to dictate our play and made some good long passes although he was caught out for Phil Foden’s goal and could have avoided the booking.

6/10

Joao Moutinho

Understandably struggled to contain City’s midfield, the intensity was just too high to handle, his work rate and the yards covered were high as usual. Could have done better with some of the freekicks and set pieces but not much else could be faulted as he constantly tried to push the team forward.

5.5/10

Pedro Neto

A quiet first half, an improved second half but quite clearly, he is still yet to reach the form from before his injury. He often persisted to cut inside the field which in my opinion made himself predictable and on one occasion could have released the ball to one of his teammates in front of the goal instead of keeping it and losing possession.

5.5/10

Daniel Podence

Had some good touches and managed to create some stuff out of nothing as he wasn’t served enough balls and often when served they were high balls against some of the best and most physical defenders in the Premier League, where he had virtually no chance at all. He was taken off along with Guedes at 68 minutes presumably to be rested as the game was already over anyway.

6/10

Goncalo Guedes

A quiet game for him, he fluffed Wolves best chance of the game and was taken off after 68 minutes. He is still yet to settle and find the ground running, which we hope he will be able to do so soon. All you can say is you could have hoped either he or Neto could’ve got a consolation goal to boast their morale and spirits.

5/10

SUBS:

Boubacar Traore

A 20-minute cameo debut for Boubacar Traore, with some good touches and passes from him.

6/10

Hwang Hee-Chan

Nothing of note was done or produced by the Korean international.

N.A.

Nelson Semedo

Had some good touches and his first action of the game was a good one-two with Pedro Neto.

Surely and hopefully he should be ready to make the starting XI after this international break.

6/10

Chem Campbell

Slowly getting more appearances from the bench and being trusted by Lage, his time will come, in the meantime, he battled it out with the city defence for what was around five minutes.

N.A.

And we’re off the mark! Wolves’ first win of the season against a lacklustre Southampton won’t win any ‘Match of the Season’ awards. But having three points on the board will lead to a huge sigh of relief from Bruno Lage and his players, some of who looked rejuvenated following the full time whistle.

Here are the ratings:

José Sá

Truth be told, there wasn’t much for Sa to do during yesterday’s match. According to sofascore, he was forced into making just the one save and spent most of his game playing the ball out. A return to the long balls out that strangely went missing against Bournemouth was mostly successful although he was possibly fortunate Che Adams made such a mess of the disallowed goal.

6/10

Jonny

Jonny switched back over to right back for Southampton and was much improved on last week. Solid defensively and an occasional menace going forward, it was a decent display from the Spaniard.

7/10

Nathan Collins

A few stray passes caused one or two sharp intakes of breath but, on the whole, it was much of the same from the former Burnley man. Southampton’s forwards looked toothless for most of the game and that was largely down to the defensive work of Collins and Kilman.

7/10

Max Kilman

Speaking of Kilman, he looks more and more comfortable as part of a back four with every passing week. Imperious in the air and largely unflustered on the ball, it was another very solid performance. Yes, he lost possession a few times but more often than not was the first to win the ball back. With Mings and Maguire frozen out of their respective club line-ups, could there be a late push for an England call up?

7/10

Rayan Aït-Nouri

A return to the starting line-up was rewarded by his best performance so far this season. In the first half, his link up play with Podence down the left side of the pitch caused the Saints defensive palpitations. He also looked mostly solid at the back.

8/10

Rúben Neves

A quieter game for Neves – although with a man of his talents, this still means a very good performance. Comfortable on the ball and mostly playing deeper than his two midfield partners, he didn’t offer another spectacular moment like his goal against Newcastle. Still when he’s this good, he can afford a low-profile game once in a while.

7/10

Mattheus Nunes

Those at the Southampton match got a first real glimpse at what Nunes brings to this team. A fantastic assist in the first half was followed by some of those now-infamous dribbles forward in the second. A real shame Wolves played strikerless in the second half as the team went more defensively minded.

8/10

João Moutinho

I was a bit surprised to see him start against Southampton and it certainly didn’t lead to a vintage Moutinho performance. He didn’t do anything wrong per se, but there’s a small part of me wondering if starting Podence in a central attacking midfield role might be the missing piece this Wolves team needs.

5/10

Daniel Podence

The goal scorer made a real statement of intent yesterday afternoon. Wolves look more exciting and frankly better with him on the pitch. Lost a bit of momentum in the second half when required to essentially play up front but, overall, a great game for Podence.

8/10

Pedro Neto

There’s a small part of me that thinks Pedro Neto is trying a bit too hard. Wolves perhaps don’t have a better player at carrying the ball forward down the wing but yesterday saw some poor decision making from the Portuguese international. Too often than not, he tried taking on one too many players or made the wrong pass.

5/10

Sasa Kalajdzic

A surprising start for our new striker was ruined slightly by his withdrawal at half time. It was clear the Southampton defence didn’t know how to handle the two metre man and, from what we did see, his positioning and link up play look promising. His recently announced ACL injury is a terrible shame.

6/10

Subs:

Gonçalo Guedes (Kalajdzic 45’)

Guedes was brought on at half time and moved into the left-hand side of the Wolves attack. Similar to Neto, there’s sometimes a sense of frustration with Guedes’ play. Not much to report but the work ethic is there.

5/10

Hwang Hee-chan (Podence 82’)

I shall subtitle this section ‘In Defence of Hwang Hee-chan’. Look, he’s had a couple of howlers in the last few weeks, but if you boo a player before he even enters the field it’s going to do nothing for his confidence or his performances. Hwang came on and chased down players and got stuck in which is all you can ask from an 80^th minute substitute. Fans might not rate him (this author included) but to boo one of our own players leaves a real sour taste in the mouth

5/10

Adama Traoré (Neto 81’)

In fact if there was a player who I felt had little interest being on the pitch, it was Adama Traore. We all know his contract situation and, in fairness, coming on for ten minutes week after week must be a hard thing to stomach. But there was little of the old Traore on display and that’s a crying shame.

4/10