RIVALS ACCUSED OF LINING UP TO FOUL WOLVES’ STAR MAN
WOLVES skipper Conor Coady says referees know teams are “spreading” yellow cards in a new – if cynical – attempt to stopAdamaTraore.
Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham underlined the dark practice in the 2-1 win at Molineux on Sunday, having three players booked for fouls on the powerhouse winger.
That made it 17 different players booked in the league for fouls on Traore – making him the stand-out No1 yellow card ‘victim’.
The previous week Brighton had three players booked for fouls on the 23-year-old and Coady says enough is enough.
“Teams are ganging up on him,” said Coady. “It’s one player, then another player.
“Tottenham were clever in terms of how different players were fouling him but it’s hard from our point of view to keep seeing that happen.
“He’s such a handful – so powerful and quick. He has been absolutely phenomenal this season.
“He’s unstoppable at times. You saw him out there against world-class players.
“Tottenham were spreading things out. That’s what’s disappointing from our point of view. It was obviously something they’ve said and then carried out. It’s hard to take because he beats his man every time.
“We speak to referees every game. They say they can’t do much about it because they are booking them but they’re not red cards, but at the same
WOLVES boss Nuno Espirito Santo will warn his men not to underestimate crisis-club Espanyol when they clash in the knockout stages of the Europa League.
Nuno’s side were first out of the hat when the draw was made yesterday and they were paired with the team rooted at the bottom of La Liga.
The Spanish side are bottom for the first time in 16 years with only two wins from 17 time it’s so frustrating for us because he’s creating so much and when he gets past players, to get brought down like that is disappointing.
“But I can see where the referees are coming from, where the actual fouls aren’t red-card offences.” games. They will meet Wolves over two legs in February – Molineux first on February 20 followed by a trip to Barcelona a week later.
Nuno wants to go the whole way having played 12 games in the tournament already, and says no team can be taken lightly, no matter what their form. He will tell his team there is a job to be done and to treat it merely as the next stage of a journey that he hopes will take them all the way to the final in Gdansk on May 27. Nuno said: “There are no such things as favourites in
VFIRST LEG – February 20 SECOND LEG – February 27
Players on whom fouls have resulted in most yellow cards in the Premier League this season Player Fouled Cards Drawn Adama Traore 17 Wilfried Zaha 14 Miguel Almiron 11 Richarlison 10 Daniel James 9 Jack Grealish 9 Diogo Jota 8 Jordan Ayew 7 football. I never look at league tables either.
“It’s not about momentum going into these competitions. If you expect to play when you have good momentum, then you will have problems.
“It’s all about preparing yourself correctly. This is what we work for, to give joy to the fans. I’m very proud of the players because we have embraced the competition.”