Wolves having a ball
MATT DOHERTY knew Wolves were going to be a big bang in English football when boss Nuno Espirito Santo’s golf ball blew up.
Goalkeeper John Ruddy played the prank on his manager a year ago while on a club trip to Marbella. Rather than go ballistic after his ball exploded, the Portuguese fell about laughing with the rest of the squad.
Now Wolves have returned to southern Spain for a training camp in great form after climbing to seventh in the top flight and reaching the FA Cup fifth round.
It is 18 years since a promoted team finished seventh or better in the Premier League, when Ipswich came fifth in 2001. Wolves are on course to buck the trend with their three-man defence and attacking wing-backs.
Portuguese internationals Joao Moutinho, Rui Patricio and Ruben Neves are all flourishing and Doherty says no one in their dressing room is the least bit surprised.
The Irishman, who has been at Wolves since 2010, said: “I wouldn’t say we are over-achieving. We are where we should be in terms of the quality of players we have.
“Other people might be surprised at the type of football we play but confidence is really high.
“In the changing room it’s not a shock. We know the system, each other and how good some of the lads can be. Everything is going in the right direction.”
Full-back Doherty scored twice to take his tally to six this season as Wolves knocked Shrewsbury out of the FA Cup on Tuesday night.
The Molineux club have lifted the FA Cup on four occasions, the last time in 1960, and Doherty added: “Considering we are seventh and there are not many Premier League teams left in the cup, we’ve got to back ourselves to go and win a trophy.
“If we beat Bristol City we are one game away from Wembley. It is important to us.”
The Wolves players are training in Spain ahead of Monday’s visit of Newcastle as they eye a fourth consecutive league win. Doherty has taken his golf clubs and expects Nuno to again join in after falling victim to that sting the previous trip.
“On the last one John Ruddy said, ‘You should use this ball’. Nuno hit it and it blew up,” Doherty recalled. “The gaffer was the one laughing the most. It was really funny.
“He was the only staff member who played with us and stuff like that makes the bond stronger. He wants to get involved.
“I am not sure he will fall for it this time but we might get somebody.”
Despite the fun and games Doherty knows the business end of the season is fast approaching. After Monday’s clash with the Magpies they visit Ashton Gate in the cup before facing Bournemouth, Huddersfield and Cardiff.
Both the squad and ambitious Chinese owners Fosun, who have close ties with top agent Jorge Mendes, sense that something big is brewing for the club.
Those upstairs certainly mean business after investing £18million in January to make Jonny Otto’s loan permanent, taking their spending since promotion to £100m.
Doherty said: “The next few fixtures are against teams all below us. If we win two or three on the spin there’s going to be a biggish gap below us and we’d back ourselves to keep it.
“We’re playing good stuff but we know football can turn quickly. That’s why you have to enjoy here
and now.”