Trending topics | Wolves 2-0 Palace

Friday night’s impressive 2-0 win over Crystal Palace, a debut goal for Rayan Ait-Nouri, and the importance of Ruben Neves were just some of the topics discussed on the latest episode of Wolves’ Matchday Live Extra show.

Joining Mikey Burrows this week was regular co-commentator and ex-Wolves full-back Andy Thompson, as well as fellow former old gold players in goalkeeper Carl Ikeme and striker Chris Iwelumo, who analysed the Premier League victory over the Eagles.

Also joining the panel were special guests and fellow old gold heroes Geoff Thomas, Rob Edwards, Jack Price and Neil Emblen, as the team discussed the tactics employed to overcome Palace, breaking teams down, and VAR sending Palace down to 10-men.

On a scintillating opening half an hour

Ikeme said: “It was a really good start from Wolves. I liked the way that we were putting the ball in the box a lot earlier, Dendoncker was racing forwards and getting in the box, we’ve had attacking players in the box, Podence and Neto were brilliant, and Palace looked dangerous towards the end of the first-half, but apart from that we looked really good.

“We moved the ball well and were a real threat going forward. The way Palace play, they allowed us to have the ball, but it’s been the crispness of the passes which has been impressive, right from the start.

“You could probably see it as ex-pros that the passes are being played with intensity, the touch is right, and it just started to flow straight away from the off. It’s not just that Palace were letting us have it, but we’ve been doing the right things with it; getting it wide, getting it in the box, nice little passes, and we looked dangerous throughout the first-half.”

On the importance of Wolves overloading the wings

Iwelumo said: “I thought Semedo and Ait-Nouri were outstanding, Neto and Podence were amazing, and the rotation of the front three really caused problems to Palace. With Dendoncker, the engine that he’s got getting into the box, his two attempts from outside the box with one being struck so well, but it was always going away and if he hadn’t have hit it so well it would have probably ended up in the back of the net.

“They played with a purpose, really put Palace on the back foot and didn’t allow them to get into the match at all. They were clinical, and we spoke about Podence needing to do that, but from the first-half, it was probably Neto who was the main man.

“We’re not only putting good balls into the box and getting bodies into the box, but we also had players like Dendoncker who was picking up balls that were falling to the edge, we were on our front foot, we were anticipating and we were taking the game by the scruff of the neck.”

On Neves dictating the team

Ikeme said: “He was my man of the match. He’s been brilliant since he came back into the side. His range of passing, the way he dictates the game for us from the middle and his energy going forward and getting back, winning interceptions from their midfielders, he’s been brilliant.

“He’s been really good since he came back in, but his passing out to the wings was brilliant tonight, but that’s what you want from your central midfielder, to take the game by the scruff of the neck, and he was dictating everything and he was the best player on the pitch by far, in my opinion.

“There were some great performances, but I felt that everything went through him. I know Podence and Neto were brilliant, but it was because Neves kept getting the ball and doing diagonals to put Semedo in wide, and really made us tick.”

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Neves on victory over Crystal Palace | Matchday Live Extra

On a debut goal for Ait-Nouri

Iwelumo said: “It’s a difficult thing to do, but he decided very early on that he’s going to take the shot on, and he struck it into the ground, so to get that accuracy on it as well was a fantastic finish. He also broke his neck to get there as well as he arrived late, the ball was perfect, but to get the connection he did was great.

“He did everything right; got around the ball, hit it into the floor and made it very difficult, but a fantastic finish.”

Thompson said: “He grew into the game for me. His first few touches he was making sure he found his player with the pass, but as the game went on, he grew into it, kept going forward and got the goal – a great strike which just kicked up nice for him, but the keeper had no chance. It just goes to show the quality that we’re beginning to bring into the side as well.”

On breaking down teams when Wolves have more possession

Edwards said: “If you go back to Nuno’s first year in the Championship, they were dominating most of the games then, but moving to a higher quality of opposition, they’ve had to find a way of playing a bit differently, the shift to 3-5-2 made it a more counter-attacking game they had to play.

“With a 3-4-3 tonight, they wanted people who could operate in those pockets of space because Palace are going to sit behind the ball, so we’ll have to be a little bit cleverer in what we do and how we play.

“We won’t change what we do, but it’s more about personnel changes and seeing which players fit better against the opposition, and for this game the need players who can find the spaces on the outside, but it will be individuals, it won’t be a shift in the direction of how we play.”

On the red card decision made by VAR

Thompson said: “For me, he’s going for the challenge, he’s going for the ball, and I don’t think there was any malice in it, but we saw the replay and he’s gone over Moutinho’s ankle, who’s fortunate he was able to come back on. It did look like it was a leg-breaker, but I don’t think he meant it. It was just the momentum when he went in for the tackle that’s took him through.

“If you go in with your foot raised, you’re always leaving yourself open for that kind of decision from the referee.

“Initially, the referee didn’t give anything. I know he’d have probably given a foul, but if he’d thought it was a red card straight away, he’d have stopped game and given him the red. The replays made the intention look a lot worse.”

To rewatch the latest Matchday Live Extra show from Friday, click here.