ADAMA AND EVEN BETTER!
Lage: Add goals and you will be a terror
BRUNO LAGE has given Adama Traore licence to terrorise the Premier League – and told him to up his game.
Wolves’ new boss believes the Spain international is one of his best players, but says he needs to “protect” both Traore and Manchester United target Ruben Neves.
Traore’s blistering pace has caused problems for topflight defenders, but that has not always been shown in his goals return, having scored just three times in 47 appearances for the Black Country club last term.
Last week he was the stand-out performer during
Wolves’ 1-0 loss to
Leicester, but did not find the net.
And Lage (right) says he has told the former Barcelona man he wants to see an improvement.
He said: “The most important thing is to create chances. Adama created a lot of chances. We deserved to score last week.
“He can play in one of the two positions up front. He can play anywhere in the front six. As a winger, one on one, he knows what to do.
“He can improve, playing inside, linking with players and creating chances for others.
“And situations when he goes up against the goalkeeper. He knows what I think. He knows.” Lage says he expects to be “very busy” in the run-up to the closure of the transfer window.
He said goodbye to striker Rafa Mir, who joined Seville in a £13million deal this week. And he says the club is aware he needs to recruit.
He said: “I’ve seen two players leave the club in the past week. We know the profile, the positions.
“We need top players to be more competitive. We need to take that step to be the team we want to build.”
Former Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo is sure to get an appreciative ovation from the Old Gold and Black faithful when he steps out at Molineux.
Lage said the crowd will give him a “big welcome” – and there is sure to be similar for keeper Jose Sa, who will be making his first appearance at his new home following his £6m move from Olympiakos.
The 28-year-old has a tough act to follow.
Fellow Portuguese
Rui Patricio was a consistent performer under Nuno before he moved to Roma earlier this summer to link up with ex-Spurs boss
Jose Mourinho.
But Sa has plans of his own. He said: “We all knew about Rui’s value to Wolves and the affection that the fans had for him.
“But I’m here to prove my worth to them.
“And I also have ambitions to play for Portugal.
“The English
Premier League will be ideal to help me achieve that.”
Sa has moved to a team with strong links to the Iberian country, thanks to the commercial tie-up with super-agent Jorge
Mendes.
And a couple of his compatriots have already brought him up to speed on a couple of important matters.
He added: “Coming from Greece, knowing almost all of the Portuguese players here, of course it has helped.
“As soon as I arrived, Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho explained to me how everything worked – especially the fines system at the club!”