Wolves won for the first time in the Premier League this season on Saturday and Matchday Live duo Andy Thompson and Lee Naylor were on hand to dissect the action.
Pablo Sarabia and Matheus Cunha were on target, and while it wasn’t a vintage Old Gold performance, the result, and clean sheet, were all important to the pair of former full-backs.
Joined by Mikey Burrows in the Molineux press box, Thompson and Naylor discussed the two goals, crucial stop out and what else needs to improve for Gary O’Neil’s squad.
On getting over the line
Naylor said: “We've won the game, and it's always been about that for me, and I'm buzzing with it, but it could quite easily have gone the other way, and that's part of the problem. There's still things to work on, and everyone should be working day in, day out, trying to get better. The occasion was massive, and the three points were needed, and we turned up and got them. So, I can't moan at all.”
Back to winning ways 🙌 pic.twitter.com/mBrFeMxu6Z
— Wolves (@Wolves) November 9, 2024
On getting that clean sheet
Thompson said: “I think they got a few blocks, especially the first half. I still think we defend too deep and we just invite too much pressure onto us and too much time and space in areas that are going to hurt us. But, we just seem to get something on the end of everything that was put in, a head, a block, whatever it is, it was just our day, where we got the majority of the stuff. It's about riding your luck and they got that with the goal being disallowed, because it could have quite easily been given.
“We defended well when we needed to, but we can't just keep relying on our back line or our goalkeeper just to keep us out because they put in too many crosses which weren't blocked or we didn't stop the cross, and the amount of corners, it just shows you the pressure that we had to defend. You make your own luck at times, but I think we're still a little bit careless at times.”
On the first goal from Sarabia
Thompson said: “It was good first touch, a good finish. It was just making sure that we got ourselves in front. I know Sarabia has been getting a little bit of stick from social [media] and the crowd, but there's no doubting he's got some quality in him. He’s good on the ball, he's got great feet, great technique, and I was pleased for him that he got the goal, because he was going into that game with people thinking he shouldn't be starting, but he’s given them a reason.”
Naylor said: “With their passing and their movement, they leave massive gaps the minute they lose the ball, especially in mid to high areas, they get found wanting. It just so happened that they made a mistake, and we capitalised on it. Cunha just drove, and we know how fast he is when he gets the ball, hardly anyone can touch him for that sort of pace and that sort of explosiveness. He darted towards the box, he had that positive stride to go say this is what I'm doing, seen the pass, played the pass, and that's what you want from him. This is one question that we've had over him all the time, can you play the right passes at time, with the care in mind of your players and them coming on to it, and then can they take a touch? And then can they play? And in this instance, everything was brilliant.”
On Cunha’s crucial second
Thompson said: “You look at the quality of the players that we've got in those forward lines, and there's no reason why they shouldn't be shooting from long range. We saw Bellegarde have a go when the keeper came out. We should be trying more. We’re trying to score a perfect goal all the time by playing the nice football or passing it around. You look at a lot of the teams, if they've got an opportunity, they'll have a shot. Newcastle when they came here, two shots and two goals from outside of our penalty area. We need to do it a lot more, because we've got the ability and we've got the players who can do that.
“For whatever reason, we try just to get that perfect goal and try and work it where it's on a tee and it's perfect for us to score. Have a shot. I think the reason why it's beat Ramsdale, I don't think he realises, because he's too early. It's a great effort, it's going away from him. But I think he wasn't set, the keeper. It probably took him by surprise that he's actually had the shot.”
A @mathcunha20 🚀 to seal victory at Molineux! pic.twitter.com/zfjEwG7f2o
— Wolves (@Wolves) November 9, 2024
On Sa remaining quiet
Naylor said: “No, I thought that they defended well in front of him. Even though they had opportunities, I think they limited on really good chances to get it. Sa was pretty quiet throughout the game. He didn't really have that much to do. You can tell, Southampton, with all the pretty football at the play, they still struggle in front of goal. They never really created a big moment throughout the game.”
