Raul Jimenez: Wolves will fight for European spot
Wolves can qualify for Europe this season, striker Raul Jimenez believes.
Seventh place has been good enough to quality for the Europa League for the past four seasons and Wolves are currently only three points off seventh, albeit now down in 11th place.
Ahead of tonight's game against Manchester City, Jimenez admits Wolves' targets are shifting this season – qualifying for Europe is a possibility.
"We’ve talked about it," he said. "We know it’s going to be difficult when you see the other teams in the league but we know we can achieve it if we are focused and concentrate.
"It’s not (far away), we know we’re a good team who can be there so we are going to try and fight to the end.
"Our goals at the start of the season was to stay in the Premier League. We are near to achieving that so we have to think we have to be in the top 10."
Wolves have already held City this season, as well as Arsenal and Manchester United, while they've beaten Spurs and Chelsea in the league and Liverpool in the FA Cup.
Their impressive performances against the country's top teams, though, has been counteracted by some indifferent display against those they have been expected to beat, including recent failures to take three points against Crystal Palace or Fulham.
Jimenez added: "Maybe the ‘smaller’ sides know we are a very difficult team to beat so they wait at the back of the pitch – that’s when we have some problems.
"We have kept doing the same things we do at the bigger sides. Our performance against the smaller teams has to be better now, we know that.
"It’s going to be a very difficult match, they have players who know each other very well. We have our mentality and levels of performance to go there.
"It’s interesting to see City playing. When you see them on the pitch you think they have a lot of years playing together. Every pass they do is with an idea to create danger for the other team."
Jimenez has netted seven times so far this campaign and provided another five assists.
Wolves are considering taking up their option to buy him for £30m next summer – but the 27-year-old again said it was too early for decisions to be made on his future.
"I don’t know, that’s the decision of other people upstairs," he said. "I’m happy here, happy with my play and happy in the team. We have to wait until the end of January or the summer."
