Joining Mikey Burrows was co-commentator and Wolves Hall of Fame full-back Andy Thompson, as well as play-off final hero Lee Naylor as they analysed the gold and black securing a well-earned victory over Leeds United at Molineux.
The trio also spoke about Connor Ronan’s first senior start since August 2017, Steve Davis trusting the club’s young talent and how much the win will lift the team ahead of facing Premier League leaders Arsenal at Molineux on Saturday evening.
On players looking to impress Lopetegui
Thompson said: “At the weekend as well, I’m sure he would’ve had recordings of the game, he’ll be interested in this game tonight and what’s happening in that.
“He’ll have a bit of time with the break coming up after the weekend to work with some of the players, but he’ll get a chance to assess the club, the atmosphere and everything that’s going on. In a good way, it’s given him that bit of time to see how things run and how things happen around the club.”
Naylor added: “What they can take away is that they know the boys have got fight in them. I’m sure they’ll want to improve certain areas of the pitch, but I don’t know whether than would be a change of formation, or whether it’s a change to personnel.”
On Ronan’s first Wolves start in 1,920 days
Thompson said: “It’s taken perseverance. He’s gone out to many a club on loan and sometimes that can knock you about, but what he’s done is go out on loan, played well and performed. He knows his opportunity at Wolves would come.
“It’s hard work being a player sometimes when things go against you and it looks like you’re not going to get your opportunity, but fair credit to him. He’s stuck in there and he’s waited his time when other people might have thought they need to move on, but he’s always belonged here and he’s always wanted to come back here, so you take your hat off to him.”
2️⃣0️⃣ minutes gone at Molineux.
— Wolves (@Wolves) November 9, 2022
Ruben has gone close curling a free-kick wide early on and Adama has just lashed a strike inches past the post.#COYW pic.twitter.com/6MnbBTWEzh
On prioritising result over performance
Thompson said: “The changing room is going to have a much different atmosphere today after a victory. You’re going into a game at the weekend against a team who are playing really well, top of the league, but what this has done, has given our players a little bit of confidence and a little bit of belief that they can actually win a game!
“The longer it goes on, the harder it becomes to win, so to win it 1-0, scoring a goal in front of the South Bank, keeping a clean sheet, you saw the smiles and the reaction of the players when they went down the tunnel, it’s a totally different atmosphere.”
Naylor added: “There were changes to both teams, obviously more for Leeds, but at the end of the day, there’s 11 players out on the pitch for both sides and you’ve got to go and beat the other team, and that’s what we did. We didn’t start great in the first couple of minutes, but we grew into the game, battled well in midfield – Hodge being a highlight, I thought he was magnificent in there – and going forward, getting the win, it’s really important.”
On Boubacar’s first goal in gold and black
Thompson said: “What I liked about it as well, when we speak about people taking the initiative and having that shot without having a touch, that’s exactly what he did. The ball’s come to him and he’s hit it first time beyond the keeper, and that’s what you want to see.
“You could see what it meant to him, you could see what it meant to the players as everyone celebrated with him down just in front of us. It’s great to see. Football is all about winning games, it’s all about scoring goals and playing together. You saw the fans’ reaction to the goal and that’s what you want.
“You want to get the fans behind you, you want to get your teammates behind you, but what it’s given them is that belief and a pride back into the way things have gone, because they’ll be hurting about how things have gone, especially losing games here in front of their home fans, and you’ve seen what it meant to everybody around here, including ourselves.”
A big night for Boubacar 🙌 pic.twitter.com/R2IdRROV3C
— Wolves (@Wolves) November 9, 2022
On Davis giving youth a chance
Naylor said: “They’re coming into the team with an open mind having come from the 21s or that background, and they bring in a different mentality to the rest of the squad.
“That sort of freedom can free up a bit of play on the pitch. A lot of the first-team have looked nervous at times, but the youngsters that have come into the team over the last few games, I think they’ve been magnificent and it’s given the squad a fresh lease of life and we’ve seen the change.
“Wolves, over the years, have been built on their youth foundation. I think we’ve gone away from that in recent years, so it’s good to see some new youthful faces out there.”
Thompson added: “With the young lads coming into it, you win over a lot of the Wolves fans because they like home grown talent coming into the team, and I think Steve has done particularly well with it, by bringing players in and playing them on, because you will get the backing.”
On taking confidence into Saturday
Thompson said: “It’s massive. The atmosphere’s changed by a result. It’s changed by the way they’ve come off the pitch just from a result, and it shows you just what a result does to teams and the confidence that it gives them Don’t get me wrong, we’re coming up against a very good side at the weekend in Arsenal.”
Naylor added: “I think it’s so important that we try and keep it nil-nil for at least the first half an hour. As long as you do that, you can get the crowd on your side, get them chanting and you give yourself a chance. You get Arsenal annoyed and that’s what you have to do in these big games, because they’re flying.
“We’ve had a good win, we’re feeling good about ourselves, so the longer we can annoy them, it’ll be better for us and then, who knows!”
You can watch Matchday Live Extra 45 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.
