Former Premier League Golden Boot winner, England international and now pundit Kevin Phillips has come out and made a claim that the club has a genuine chance of winning the Europa League.
Nobody in Wolves will want to be saying it too loudly, but when you look at their current team, form, draw and the competition left in the Europa League, they will be quietly confident that they can a real shot of winning the competition.
Obviously, considering that Wolves were in the third tier as recently as 2014, less than six years on from that date they are now being considered as one of the favourites to win Europe’s second-largest club competition.
Phillips spoke to Football Insider about the club’s opportunity in Europe, to which he thinks they’ve got everything to give it a really good go.
He said: “They have got a fantastic chance.
“Over two legs they are capable of beating anyone. We have seen it in the Premier League this year. When they have played the big teams they have always given them a tough game.
“Any team coming to Molineux now – the atmosphere, the way they play, the goals they score they are a match for anyone.
“I am sure, with relegation not an issue, Nuno will go full-strength when those ties come around.
“The Europa League for them would be fantastic. Why would you not want to go for that when you started that early, to get this far, you are not going to chuck it. They have certainly got every opportunity of going all the way. Definitely.”
Everything is falling into place for Wolves, and Nuno Espirito Santo is showing once more just what a capable manager he is.
Many of the fans were largely concerned about the lack of business that they did in both the summer and January, yet given the campaign they are having, there can simply be no complaints.
They’ve been lucky with injuries. But now the squad looks to have a perfect balance and their best players are coming good at the right time.
How will we get on against Brighton?
Win
Lose
Draw
Yesterday’s beating of Spurs in their own back garden is only going to do even more wonders for their confidence. In Raul Jimenez, they have a top-class striker who not only scores goals – 13 of them – but brings others into play so well too, as his six assists suggest.
Either side of them you have the constantly threatening Diogo Jota who is both brilliant with the ball at his feet and in front of goal, while on the other flank you have arguably the most dangerous runner in all of English football in Adama Traore. He has seven assists this season and makes 5.2 dribbles per game, more than anyone else in the division.
The Portuguese pairing of Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho may not have the best legs in midfield, but their solidity, decision making and passing range allow the top three to cause the kind of mayhem they do, as well as offering big threats from set-pieces and long-distance.
In defence, the return of Willy Boly has made them look much more assured at the back, recording four clean sheets in the six games since he has returned, and Connor Coady and Rui Patricio are obviously great options too, so they’re well-stocked in all positions.
