Michael Kightly believes Wolves have a world beater on their hands in Adama Traore. The Spanish flier destroyed Villa at times in Sunday’s 2-1 win, when he claimed another assist setting up Raul Jimenez’s 13th goal of the season. Head coach Nuno Espirito Santo and his staff have spent hours on the training ground harnessing the 23-year-old’s blistering pace and adding to his game. The results are there to see, with a slowed-down Traore now much more of a threat and contributing far more to the team, and in three positions at different times – wing back, winger and striker.…
Wolves winger Adama Traore has pulled out of the Spain squad through injury – just a day after his first call-up. The 23-year-old was named by Spain on Saturday for the Euro 2020 qualifiers against Malta this Friday and Romania three days later, despite reports suggesting he had decided to represent Mali, the birthplace of his parents. But he sustained a minor injury in Sunday’s 2-1 win over his former club Aston Villa and will not be risked on international duty. “Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend the call of the national team because of an injury in…
Wolves top scorer Raul Jimenez has revealed they worked on Ruben Neves’s goal against Villa all week in training. Neves opened the scoring in the 2-1 Molineux win with a superb first-time shot steered into the bottom corner of the net after Joao Moutinho fooled the visitors into thinking he was going to cross his free kick into the box, instead squaring to his Portugal international team-mate to fire home from the edge of the D. “We’ve been working for the whole week to get those types of goals – it’s just training in the middle of the week and…
Former Wolves managing director Laurie Dalrymple has been appointed as chief executive of Premiership rugby club Harlequins. The 44-year-old left Molineux in a shock departure in July following four-and-a-half years after a breakdown in his relationship with the board. In his time at the club he helped in the transition from previous owner Steve Morgan to current owners Fosun and assisted in stabilising the club in the Premier League following the Championship title win in 2017-18. Since he left, his duties have been largely taken on by chairman Jeff Shi, while sporting director Kevin Thelwell has also shared some of…
On-loan Wolves forward Ivan Cavaleiro has been told he is a ‘matchwinner’ and ‘superb’ for Fulham. Fulham manager Scott Parker has been raving about the 26-year-old, who was back in the West Midlands on Saturday when he starred in the Cottagers’ 1-0 win at Birmingham. Cavaleiro has scored four goals in 15 Championship games so far for the Cottagers and is currently operating on the left of a three-man forward line with Aleksandar Mitrovic in the centre and former Leicester and Brighton winger Anthony Knockhaert on the right. The Portuguese’s loan is due to become a permanent move next summer…
Nuno Espirito Santo has revealed his pride at Wolves’ staying power after they beat Villa 2-1. Well-worked goals in either half from Ruben Neves and Raul Jimenez before Trezeguet’s injury-time consolation saw Nuno’s side climb to eighth in the Premier League table going into the international break. Wolves extended their unbeaten run in the top flight and Europa League to 10 matches while they are five unbeaten at Molineux and beat Villa at home in the Premier League for the first time. Head coach Nuno was delighted at the response to their 24th game of the season – nine more…
Wolves 2 (Neves 41, Jimenez 84) Villa 1 (Trezeguet 90+2) Goals from Ruben Neves and Raul Jimenez clinched a hugely deserved first Molineux win for Wolves over Aston Villa in the Premier League and saw them climb to eighth in the table. Midfielder Neves atoned for his penalty miss in Thursday’s 1-0 win over Slovan Bratislava in the Europa League with a trademark superb effort from the edge of the D four minutes before the break. Deadly Jimenez finally capped Wolves’ dominance when he swept home his 13th goal of the season six minutes from time, before Trezeguet’s angled shot…
Jordan Graham makes a rare start for Wolves today as he has been named in the Under-23s side to face Birmingham City Under-23s in the Premier League Cup at Compton. The 24-year-old winger came off the bench as a late substitute in the Under-21s’ 1-0 defeat at Blackpool in the Leasing.com Trophy on Tuesday night after the collapse of his loan to Bulgarian side Lokomotiv Plovdiv through clearance from FIFA. Graham’s last start for Wolves was in a 1-0 win over Yeovil in the League Cup on August 8, 2017, the last of 17 appearances for the club he joined…
Nuno Espirito Santo believes Wolves have found their European legs – and it has made them better prepared to face Villa on Sunday. The Molineux head coach was impressed by the structure his players showed in containing Slovan Bratislava in the 1-0 win on Thursday night. Nuno believes his side showed an improved economy of movement, leaving the players fresher for the visit of Dean Smith’s side for the West Midlands derby. “I was impressed by a lot of things,” said Nuno. “On Thursday we managed the game better, so the distances that the players covered (were less) and the…
Aston Villa boss Dean Smith is hoping Wolves’ hectic schedule catches up with them on Sunday. Wolves return to Premier League action after their 1-0 win over Slovan Bratislava in the Europa League on Thursday by hosting Villa in a West Midlands derby. For Nuno Espirito Santo’s side it will be their 24th game of the season while Villa have played 14. Smith wants Wolves to feel the fatigue. “People will look from the outside and say ‘is it all going to catch up with them?’ with the amount of games they’re playing. We’re hopeful that it does on Sunday,”…