Adama Traore loving Doc’s remedy at Wolves
Adama Traore is hoping to build on a blossoming relationship with Matt Doherty on Wolves’ right wing this season.
Traore and Doherty had been battling it out for the right-wing-back slot in the 3-5-2 formation earlier in the term.
But the shift to 3-4-3 at Crystal Palace allowed Nuno Espirito Santo to start both on that flank with Traore deployed further forward.
Attacker Traore and defender Doherty have now started Wolves’ last two games on that side, with the duo involved in all three goals at Palace and Watford.
Traore’s cross was diverted home by Diogo Jota – who a big doubt for Thursday’s Europa League clash with Besiktas in Istanbul – in the last-gasp 1-1 draw at Selhurst Park. Doherty scored and put in the cross which forced Daryl Janmaat’s calamitous own goal in Wolves’ 2-0 win – their first Premier League victory of the season.
And 23-year-old Traore said: “Matt Doherty is a great lad, a great player and a player in a good moment. We play good. Any position I play, I have to have a good relationship with them.”
Pedro Neto made his first Premier League start of the season at left forward to tee-up Doherty for the opener.
And for Traore it is important to work on partnerships across the pitch as he looks to form relationships with Neto, Raul Jimenez and the other attacking players.
He said: “Any player around the top of the pitch I have to build a good relationship.”
Traore is also learning to feature as a striker or right wing-back having arrived from Middlesbrough as an out-and-out winger.
And he feels that his hard work with Nuno on the training pitch is paying off.
He said: “I’ve been working in three positions with the gaffer – striker, right wing-back and winger.
“Whatever is the position, every position is a different task and I have to do slightly different things. This makes me a better player if I can improve in different positions.
“That’s how I see these things. I’ve been working so hard and I’m happy to improve and help the team to win.”
And Traore felt that first three points of the league campaign were just reward for hard work across the board.
He said: “Everyone in the team has been working so hard.
“Most of the time you work so hard and the result comes. If you keep pushing one day the result will come.
“That’s how it is. On Saturday we’ve shown hard work and the result came.”