Nuno: I’m disliked.. so what?
Wolves
v
Derby 7.45pm
NUNO ESPIRITO SANTO insists he doesn’t care if he is disliked and says nothing will tarnish Wolves’ success this term.
The Championship leaders are closing in on automatic promotion, but Portuguese coach Santo’s wild celebrations have irked rival bosses.
Cardiff manager Neil Warnock became the latest to hit out at Santo’s antics after Wolves’ 1-0 win in Wales on Friday, branding him a “disgrace”.
He joins Tony Pulis and Steve Bruce in publicly complaining about the 44-year-old’s excessive celebrations.
Santo ran straight on to the pitch, failing to shake Warnock’s hand at full-time, after Cardiff missed two injury-time penalties. Santo apologised to a livid Warnock via TV afterwards, but yesterday insisted: “What people say or think of me doesn’t distract me because I have only one focus – and it’s the game.
“My conscience is very clear. It hasn’t taken anything away from the season.
“The protagonists of the game are the players. People should look more at what the Wolves players are doing.
“The way they have developed themselves with a young, new squad, with a lot of foreign players mixed with a lot of British players. This is building, nothing else matters.”
Manager Gary Rowett’s Derby team are bidding for a play-off spot and he said: “Hull got a really good result there last week at Wolves (2-2 draw), but they don’t slip up very often, so we have to be at the top of our game.”
Aston Villa
1 0 JACK GREALISH smashed a majestic late screamer in front of the Duke of Cambridge to boost Villa’s faint automatic promotion hopes.
And it knocked Cardiff out of the top two, with Fulham leapfrogging them.
Neil Warnock’s side perhaps deserved better but were repeatedly denied by inspired home keeper Sam Johnstone.
That makes it two defeats on the spin for the Welshmen, who had made two changes after their 13-game unbeaten League run was ended by Wolves. Nathaniel Mendezlaing
Cardiff
and Marko Grujic were recalled after City blew two injury-time penalties against Wolves.
Villa missed crocked skipper John Terry, who has an ankle injury and is doubtful for Friday’s visit of Leeds.
In his absence, Australian international midfielder Mile Jedinak was deployed as an emergency centre-half.
Villa had an early sight of goal when Lewis Grabban fired into the side-netting inside two minutes.
But Cardiff could have taken the lead themselves in the 16th minute when Kenneth Zohore put Mendez-laing clear. The wide-man accelerated away from Axel Tuanzebe but saw his low right-foot shot hit the post.
Albert Adomah, who has 15 goals this term, then hooked a shot past the Cardiff post in the 33rd minute.
But Villa were grateful to keeper Johnstone for going in goalless at the break.
The on-loan Manchester United shot-stopper denied both Zohore, whose header deflected off Glenn Whelan, and then Callum Paterson in quick succession.
Johnstone was called into action again in the 56th minute, saving with his legs from Zohore.
Villa improved late on as Conor Hourihane poked wide, to the obvious frustration of boss Steve Bruce.
Then after Johnstone made another terrific save from Mendez-laing’s piledriver, Grealish became the hero.
Grealish, so important to Villa, fired in his third of the season with his right foot in front of the Holte End six minutes from time.