Revenge for Nuno as Wolves hit stride
THIS was more than revenge. Much more.
It was Watford who destroyed Wolves’ FA Cup dreams back in April when they turned a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 win in the semi-final with a late surge.
Combat was resumed at Molineux with safety in the Premier League of paramount importance.
Neither side had recorded a three-point haul this season and Watford’s start had been so abysmal that they parted company with manager Javi Gracia.
In came Quique Sanchez Flores and the start was encouraging. Two goals down to Arsenal and a 2-2 draw at the end.
But the wheels came off last Saturday with an 8-0 thrashing at Manchester City. A 7-0 defeat yesterday would have qualified as an improvement.
Something had to give at Molineux and that was the Watford defence.
‘A good performance,’ said Wolves manager Nino Espirito Santo. ‘We were very organised and aggressive. We had a good shape.’
They also have in 19-year-old Pedro Neto a star in the making. The Portugese teenager cost £16.5million from Lazio in the summer and it is looking like money well spent.
Santo gave him the best part of an hour yesterday and in that time he showed more than a few flashes of class — like his intelligent run and cross that brought the opening goal in the 18th minute.
Neto collected the ball on the left wing, his ball into the area was instant and there was Matt Doherty to turn the ball in from close range.
Flores has problems and he knows it. ‘We want to look for a style and way to play,’ he said. ‘The performance should be better than that. We concede easy goals. It is difficult for the players right now.’
And one of those issues yesterday concerned Gerard Deulofeu. On form he can beat anyone and he was the man who transformed Watford on that fateful semi-final day. For the first 45 minutes yesterday, however, Watford played like they were a man short. Flores admitted as much in the most diplomatic of terms.
‘Sometimes players have a good day,’ he said. ‘And sometimes not a good day. It was not a good day for him.’
But there was more to Watford’s downfall than a Spanish winger failing to produce his best. ‘I think the players were confused sometimes because we concede goals,’ said Flores. ‘It is impossible to score two or three goals every week to win a match. The style of this team should be clean sheets.’
Watford are now the only team in the Premier League without a win but Wolves are basking in relief after a comprehensive victory that was sealed with a second goal that Daryl Janmaat will want to forget. On the hour, Watford were dominating in the possession stakes but with little or no cutting edge and Wolves made them pay.
Doherty was again involved with a burst down the right and a cross that was beyond the reach of Ben Foster in the Watford goal. Foster had spent the afternoon on the receiving end of abuse from Wolves fans because of his West Bromwich Albion connection. His mood was not improved as the cross was deflected into his own net by Janmaat.
And Wolves held on. As the match edged towards the 90th minute, there were a few nerves fearing Groundhog Day after Watford’s late, late show at Wembley.
Unfounded fears. ‘The clean sheet is the final result of something,’ said Santo whose men must now go to Besiktas in the Europa League before the unenviable task of facing Manchester City at the Etihad. No complaints from Santo.
‘This is the reality,’ he said. ‘All the managers involved in European football know what is involved. We are embracing the challenge.’