Kenny Jackett: Rajiv van La Parra's proved his passion for Wolves
Kenny Jackett believes Rajiv van La Parra proved how much he wants to play for Wolves during the 3-2 win over Fulham on Tuesday.
The Dutchman's future at the club was in some doubt when he spent time on loan at Brighton recently.
But Jackett has started him for two matches in a row, and he looked back to his best about the Cottagers.
Jackett explained his thinking behind bringing Van La Parra back into the fold.
"Looking at our team, we've gone from having a lot of pace along our front line, to minimal," he said.
"It was a big feature for us last year, and a strength of ours.
"Rajiv, from being one a group of quick strikers, now is the only one at the club really with Benik going.
"I knew that gainst Fulham, tactically I could play either 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 with Ravjiv on the pitch and be able to swtich from one to the other.
"There's a strong attraction in his pace. I felt he showed a good work rate, he was unlucky not to score, and on Tuesday night he showed how much he wanted to play for Wolves.
"The crowd responded to him well and hopefully he can follow up on that.
"If he shows the same work rate and desire again, everybody will go with him.
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"He's had spells here where he's done very well. I'd never say he doesn't apply himself, he's always had a good work ethic.
"It's his second year in English football and however it works out he's got some major strengths that I do like."
Jackett, who said Bjorn Sigurdarson has a slim chance of featuring tomorrow, feels the Cardiff game won't be as open as the Fulham victory.
He said: "I was quite open minded on the Fulham one, until I saw the team sheet, and once I did see their team I thought we could perhaps surprise them. We did, and got a couple of goals up."
"We did need to change things, we needed a different approach, certainly our crowd needed to see more attacking intent, off the back of addressing any problems of getting dragged into the bottom group, which at one stage looked a possibility.
"I was quite open minded on the Fulham one, until I saw the team sheet, and once I did see their team I thought we could perhaps surprise them, we did, and got a couple of goals up.
"I don't think it'll be quiet as open against Cardiff."
Wolves lost 2-0 in Wales last August in what was one of their meekest displays of the season.
They didn't have a shot on target against Russell Slade's side.
But differing fortunes of late mean Wolves have caught up eight points on the Bluebirds since Christmas and are behind them on goal difference only.
With one win in six for Cardiff, a run that has included a shock FA Cup exit at home to League One side Shrewsbury Town, the pressure is on Slade to turn results around.
Jackett said: "He's somebody I know very well. He's a very good manager, and has been for a number of years and will continue to be, in my opinion.
"He's been a good friend and a successful manager.
"Cardiff have some very good players. For that majority of this season they've been up there.
"Cardiff away was a poor performance by ourselves.
"We went behind to a mistake and then fell away as the game went on and didn't make it difficult for them.
"We do want and expect a more upbeat, fighting, positive performance than the one we had down there."
