Express & Star

Dave Edwards: Wolves miss some attacking devilment away from Molineux

Wolves are definitely missing their home comforts at Molineux.

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They seem to be a different team playing at home and you can understand why that might be with the atmosphere that supporters generate there.

It was an improvement on the last away game at Crystal Palace, when Wolves were really, really poor, so a point at Norwich isn’t the end of the world.

If they are to take the positives then it’s the clean sheet. Goalkeeper Jose Sa and the back three were the stand-out players on the pitch.

I’ve been really impressed with Sa since he joined. It was always going to be big shoes to fill in Rui Patricio’s, but he’s a different type of keeper, with the distribution he brings out of his hands and off the floor. His starting position is excellent, he’s a fine sweeper keeper.

I know Tony Roberts the goalkeeper coach from my time with Wales and knowing what a terrific coach he is, it seems to be a perfect fit at the moment.

It’s just a shame that Wolves seem toothless in attack away from home and don’t get enough bodies around Raul Jimenez.

At the moment they aren’t finding a way to offer enough in attack on the road, they aren’t working the goalkeeper enough. It’s something the manager will need to build on.

Hwang has so far been the stand-out candidate in support of Raul. Podence did excellently against West Ham and would’ve started again were it not for Covid.

I really like Trincao but I think he’s more of a player for Molineux, with the home crowd behind him, than Carrow Road. He can be a little lightweight at times, albeit his technique is wonderful on the eye.

Traore seems to have lost all of his confidence, by the looks of it. You can understand why, he’s not been getting that game time.

He started at the beginning of the season and I thought he was good in games and he always gives you something no-one else can, but he needed a goal or an assist, something to get his confidence going.

He didn’t get that and now it looks like he’s going backwards, unfortunately.

Norwich really condensed the middle of the pitch, didn’t let Wolves play between the lines where they are so dangerous. Dean Smith did his homework.

So it felt like a game Traore could influence but it wasn’t too be. Ait-Nouri had one of his poorer games and Semedo wasn’t much better from an attacking sense. Decision-making and crossing was very poor.

To turn around those away fortunes they are going to have to find a way of attacking with a little more devilment or force, because at the moment they are a little bit soft-centred, which is amazing after you watch them at Molineux, where every time they go over the halfway line something looks like happening.

Burnley will be well-rested tomorrow with their game off last weekend. Wolves have defended their box well all season, only the top three have conceded fewer goals, that’s why they are still up there in sixth.

Then it’s a very tough December facing all of the top sides. It might suit Wolves, leaving them more space to operate. It’ll be an exciting month, that’s for sure, and after you will get a true picture of where Wolves will finish this season.

They’ve still got to get bodies back. I don’t think they will mind missing Ruben Neves through suspension for this one with big games coming afterwards.

And there is still Pedro Neto to come back in, he will offer something completely different with how good he has been in recent years.

I think everybody would happily snap your hands off if the team are still in the Premier League’s top eight this time next month. It’s going to be tough but enjoyable.