Wolves legend Steve Bull: We need to perform against the lesser lights
Let’s hope Wolves have learned their lessons from Tuesday night and are not defeated by another side in poor form.
Hot on the heels of losing 1-0 at Huddersfield – a side who had only scored four goals in their last 12 games and were on a 14-match winless run – we are welcoming Cardiff to Molineux today.
The Bluebirds have conceded eight goals in their previous two outings – a 5-1 defeat to Watford and then a 3-0 loss to Everton – and, hopefully, we can add to their woes.
We all know the tricks of Neil Warnock’s side. They are physical, rugged and will try to knock us off balance by putting in some firm challenges right from the first whistle.
We have to stick to our guns as we can outplay Cardiff – all day long.
If we let our football do the talking and don’t fall into the trap which they set up for us, we should return to winning ways.
It is important that we do as well, to shake off the notion that we only turn up and put in the big performances against the Premier League’s heavy hitters.
And we do not want to be entering next weekend’s trip to Stamford Bridge to face a Chelsea side with a point to prove having gone three without winning.
We need all the momentum we can get going into that clash, and then the massive FA Cup quarter-final against Manchester United on the following Saturday night.
Fingers crossed Ruben Neves is back to his usual standards against the Bluebirds.
A few supporters have been saying he has been off the pace a bit over the past few weeks, and I have to agree.
Those 40-yard cross-field passes which have previously looked so easy just have not been coming off – the ball has been flying out of play instead.
Against the Terriers he was just a second or two too slow, playing at the pace he would have been used to in the Championship, so fingers crossed those instinctive pieces of brilliance return this afternoon.
And will we see Adama Traore involved? I was not overly surprised to see him left on the bench against Huddersfield as him, Helder Costa and Ivan Cavaleiro are similar players. I just hope whoever plays today does the business.
