Howler for Wolves
Wolves boss proud of his players as marathon season ends with defeat
Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Nuno Espirito Santo is proud of his side’s achievements given the size of their squad but the Portuguese admits the English Premier League club will need to bring in new faces in order to remain competitive.
Wolves’ 1-0 defeat by Sevilla in the Europa League quarter-finals on Tuesday brought an end to their season that lasted 383 days and 59 games.
Wolves used just 21 players in English Premier League matches this season – fewer than any other team – while as many as eight players featured in at least 50 games in all competitions.
“It’s a small squad and we must be really proud, but now we need to make good decisions so we do not make mistakes like we did before. We need more players that can help us,” Santo said.
“It’s a short break, you cannot stop and start again. We now have to prepare well for this period, we have to rest. This is the best way and we will look at how we did things.”
Arsenal’s FA Cup triumph means Wolves will not be a part of the Europa League next season despite their seventh-place league finish.
Santo also refused to blame striker Raul Jimenez for a costly firsthalf penalty miss in the quarter-final.
Up against a Sevilla team who won three Europa League titles from 2014-2016, Wolves gave a good account of themselves.
However, Lucas Ocampos’ late header ensured the Midlands club’s season ended more than a year after it had begun.
“The disappointment cannot take away from all the good things we’ve been doing,” said Santo.
Wolves had a golden chance to open the scoring at the MSV Arena but Mexican Jimenez, normally so reliable from the spot, saw his penalty saved by Bono.
“Raul is an amazing player, all the things he does for the team,” Santo added. “The work, the goals, the talent he has is amazing – Raul is a fantastic player.”
Sevilla have made the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup/Europa League for the seventh time – only Inter Milan have reached the same stage on more occasions – and will face Manchester United next in their last-four clash in Cologne on Sunday.
“I think we deserved the win,” Sevilla manager Julen Lopetegui said. “The key was to chip, chip, chip away, have patience and wait until the right moment.
“We are going to play against Manchester United in the next match.
“They’re the biggest team in the world but we’re going to be prepared for them.”