Nuno admits ‘biggest challenge’ as pressure mounts on Wolves boss

Nuno Espirito Santo Wolves TEAMtalk

Nuno Espirito Santo admits he is going through his toughest time as Wolves manager after Saturday’s loss to Crystal Palace.

The Eagles won 1-0 at Selhurst Park, with Eberechi Eze bagging the only goal of the game on 60 minutes. It means Palace move above Wolves into 13th spot, with 26 points to their name.

The West Midlanders have taken 23 but just three from their past eight games. And Nuno confessed that his men did not cover themselves in glory, with much still to work on.

“First half, the organisation was good but not so much offensively,” he told the BBC. “The second half was not so great. We did not move the ball well. Not a good game.

“We were organised but we didn’t threaten enough like we should do. We should have defended well. We had a few chances also but we didn’t recover the ball like we should do.

“It takes hard work and commitment from all of us. It’s something we have to sit down and talk about. We must improve fast.”

And the Portuguese tactician made no bones about just how difficult it is to deal with the current situation.

When asked if it was his toughest period as Molineux chief, he replied: “For sure, yes. Not only for us but for all the teams.

Nuno Espirito Santo bemoans Wolves lack of bite

Nuno Espirito Santo bemoans Wolves lack of bite

Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo says his side moved the ball too slowly and didn't create enough chances during their 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace.

“The edge the atmosphere that gives you. But honestly, is it the biggest challenge ahead of us? Yes it is. We should step up for it.”

Hodgson happy with Palace mindset

Palace had not won a top-flight match since beating Sheffield United on January 2. They have had a tough tun of fixtures but emerged well clear of the relegation zone.

It seems as though they will have no issues with the drop this term. The veteran manager was delighted with the three points and praised the patience of his charges.

“Our attitude was good from the start,” Hodgson told the BBC. “We played against a well organised team. We knew we would find it hard.

“A good goal opened it up for us. We held out and if Wilfried Zaha’s shot had gone in we might have had a quieter last few minutes than we had.”

And the former England boss seems content with how his side are operating in 2020-2021.

“I think we are fairly stable with the performances that we give,” he added. “It’s very rare I stand here saying ‘we need a response’.

“I don’t feel like doing it today either just because we had a bad first half against a good West Ham team in the last match.”

 

READ MORE: Wolves not done in transfer market