Wolverhampton Wanderers were eliminated from the FA Cup on Friday night, with Liverpool avenging their defeat at the same ground in the Premier League earlier this week.
As for the first half, it was pretty much the same. With Casey and both teams lacking fluency in the attacking areas, Liverpool’s quick-fire double after the break meant Rob Edwards’ side were never able to get a foothold in the game.
The FA Cup begins. But Wolves have reconnected with their fan base, brushed off the rust of their old gold and reignited a feel-good factor that belies the precarious Premier League position they still find themselves in.
The wolves will fall, but with determination and newfound understanding, they can fall fighting tooth and nail, and they showed that.
What the Wolves vs Liverpool match will teach us
Even with back-to-back wins against Aston Villa and Liverpool in the Premier League, the chances of Wolves pulling off a great escape are slim.
However, as the top league matches progress in their favor, Edwards is also conceding just as many goals, but no one knows. Either way, no one can deny that the performances have improved and Liverpool put in a huge performance on the night, but it was only two easily conceded goals that kept the home side close.
Several players qualified twice last week. Joao Gomez is a real threat in the middle of the park and Tolu Arokodare continues to be a force to be reckoned with for opponents. Neither will be easy to maintain if the Wolves slip up.
However, there is another Molineux talent whose signing will be even harder to retain next season, with Liverpool’s Rio Ngmoha garnering plaudits in the FA Cup, but the prospect also has an equally exciting future.
Edwards discovers Wolves’ unique Ngumoha
Ngmoha, 17, is the hot topic at the moment, but Wolves could have an equally exciting talent in Matheus Mane.
The 18-year-old has joined Wolves’ first team. Although he has only scored two goals in 19 appearances in the Premier League this season, he has been praised for his physicality, athleticism and technical talent.
Neither of Mane’s performances against Liverpool this week showed the strongest aspects of his skill set, but there is no doubt he has the potential to be a revelation, with pundit Paul Merson even declaring he “could be a superstar”.
Ngmoha’s name has received even more hype, but he is on the richer turf at Anfield and in a system that promotes such talent.
On the contrary, Wolves have faced that this season and the youngster has shown flashes over the past few months as well. After all, Liverpool and Manchester United have both expressed interest in the £50m-valued forward ahead of the summer transfer window.
Mane, a Portuguese-born England Under-18 international, is fast, ferocious and undeterred by this tough relegation. He still has a lot to prove, which is why he needs to stay and continue to develop at Wolves.
Wolves – Youngest Premier League goalscorer | ||
|---|---|---|
player | they will object | year |
Matthew Main | west ham | 18 years, 3 months, 18 days |
Fabio Silva | burnley | 18 years, 5 months, 2 days |
Rayan Ait Nouri | crystal palace | 19 years, 4 months, 24 days |
Tom Edsey | arsenal | 19 years, 9 months, 0 days |
Pedro Neto | watford | 19 years, 9 months, 23 days |
The hawks have already started circling, with a £50m offer mooted and there is little chance of Wolves breaking up if they are relegated to the second tier, but Mane would be perfect to develop thrilling potential under Edwards.
Liverpool already have a fleet star, but Mane has done nothing to suggest he doesn’t have a similarly fortunate future and could realize his goals by staying in the Midlands.
Worse than Gomez: Wolves should never do it again after making zero tackles.
Wolves’ failure this time, which was even worse than Angel Gomez’s against Liverpool, must never be repeated.
