Joining Mikey Burrows was co-commentator and Wolves Hall of Fame full-back Andy Thompson, as well as former gold and black striker Chris Iwelumo as they analysed Bruno Lage’s men continuing their 100 per cent start to 2022.
The trio also spoke about Daniel Podence continuing to show his class, much-needed goals for Raul Jimenez and Adama Traore, Conor Coady’s first Premier League goal at Molineux and where they believe Wolves can end up this season.
On Gomes making his debut
Thompson said: “I’m sure he’s looking forward to it. He’s been away from the club for 18 months on loan and he’s finally been called back during this window and the manager’s had a look at him because of certain circumstances as well.
“But that’s how football is. Opportunities drop into you and sometimes you get the opportunity to drop into the team and I’m hoping he shows the people actually what he can do today.”
Iwelumo added: “This is the Premier League and we’re probably going to see him more defensively, and that pace will definitely come into action, but he’s a smooth controller and nice on the ball.
“Bruno’s watched him, he’ll have seen the reports, he’s seen him in training and he’ll know exactly what he’s about. The players will know, but it’s about going out there and feeling at home straight away. In front of the fans, the atmosphere, it’s something that he’ll be excited about as well, but he has to use that and control it, if he wants to make a positive impact on today’s game.”
On another impressive win
Thompson said: “Watching the Wolves as their games go by and what you’ll see is that they’re in control for most of their games. They seem to be confident, they seem to know what they’re doing against teams.
“We had Man United the other week, we’ve had Sheffield United and we had Southampton, who were on good form as well, but with this team, the confidence they’ve got, they’ll give anybody a game. But what we like now is that we’re starting to threaten the goal more – two games where we’ve scored three goals.
“And credit to them, because they’re not going to give too much away – it took an absolute worldie from Ward-Prowse to get that goal back for them. It was some strike, and if somebody’s going to hit a strike like that, there’s nothing you can do about it, but they bounced straight back, went up the other end and got a goal, after nearly conceding that second.
“The one criticism of the team before was that they weren’t clinical enough, but now they are starting to be. We’re keeping the clean sheets, which is a team effort, but there’s nothing better than knowing you’re not going to concede goals as well as being a threat up front.”
That goalscorer embrace ☺️ pic.twitter.com/KhDw8ThwHO
— Wolves (@Wolves) January 16, 2022
On notching six in two games from five scorers
Iwelumo said: “There seems to be an expectation that the players have put on themselves to be that one to get on the end of the ball. For any team to have success, goals have to come from all over. It’s not just the responsibility of the front three or the front four or five.
“The defenders, when they come up for set-pieces, they have a responsibility. Conor Coady had only just had one knocked off, but how many times is he in that position because he knows he needs to do more and he wants to get goal. It’s the best feeling, putting the ball in the back of the net.
“I’m absolutely delighted with the way things are going at the minute, but football is a brutal sport and it can very quickly change, so you have to make sure you work on the negatives, but there’s so many positives. There’s a great feelgood factor around the place. It’s a fantastic, united dressing room and that’s from top to bottom, but they’re all fighting and playing for each other.”
On players improving under Lage
Thompson: “It’s a great start to 2022 with the way we’ve played, but you can see this squad just growing in confidence, you can see the longer they keep going, they keep getting victories, they keep getting results, and it’s all about that.
“You can see the players coming off the pitch with a smile on their faces because they’re enjoying their games as well. But you’ve got players coming in like Podence who was struggling for form, he was struggling for injuries as well, in and out of the team, but the last three games, I’ve seen a difference in him.
“He seems like he’s enjoying his game and there’s no doubt about the quality he’s got on the ball. It’s become a mentality thing, he knows he’s got to work for the team, and not just about him. We’re not a team who can afford to carry players, we’re a team who has to have a work ethic. If you’ve got that as a team and a squad with players working with and without the ball, you won’t go far wrong.”
😘⚽️ pic.twitter.com/j0acHfItXm
— Wolves (@Wolves) January 16, 2022
On much-needed goals to breed confidence
Iwelumo said: “He took his penalty so well and he looked confident in front of goal. There’s big goals today that just sets the players up for the next few games, and if they can nick a couple in those games, it’s just about looking up.
“I get a little bit carried away some times when I’m looking at the league and I’m looking at the players who can come back into the team, how competitive and the quality of depth within the whole squad of players, but the way they’re playing, the brand of football, the goals they’re scoring, at the minute, they’re ticking all the boxes, so it’s just about how long can it continue for.”
Thompson added: “I was looking at the reaction of the fans behind the goal when Traore hit his shot, and he probably struck it too cleanly, he could have scuffed it and he’d have scored. Him getting that goal has helped his relationship with the fans. I think he should be scoring more goals anyway, assisting more as well, but there’s no doubt about the talent he’s got and what he offers this team.”
On an impressive performance from Gomes
Thompson said: “I tell you what, he didn’t look out of place, did he? He looked comfortable on the ball, and his choices of defending and playing it out from the back were good, his one-on-one defending was like Kilman’s who’s been outstanding this year, so it’s good to have another player who can replicate that.
“Saiss has been a big loss to us with the way he’s been playing in that back three, but Gomes has come in today and you would never have believed that he’s never played here before, he’s never made his debut before, with the way that he played. He looked confident, he didn’t panic and wasn’t flustered by the situation and he defended well. But what I liked most about him was that he was willing to come out from the back, willing to play the ball out, and that’s what you want from your team.”
Iwelumo added: “He’s just another player on the list that the manager can rely on now. He showed fantastic technical ability on the ball, positional play was very good, he made decent blocks, good crosses, and never looked out of place at all. The question now would be can he show that again? Can he progress? Can he show enough that when Saiss comes back, he’s got to fight for the shirt?”
You can watch Matchday Live Extra 30 minutes before every Wolves kick-off this season, on Twitter and on Wolves TV, before heading over to the Wolves App following full-time for all the post-match reaction.
