Wolves boss sends powerful message after Stoke demolition as Boubacar Traore future becomes clear
Wolves remain unbeaten in the Championship and moved to the top after the victory.
Wolves boss sends powerful message after Stoke demolition as Boubacar Traore future becomes clear
Cesar Peixoto has praised the “personality and character” shown by his Wolverhampton Wanderers players after they produced an emphatic 4-1 comeback victory over Stoke City at Molineux.
Wolves could hardly have made a worse start on Saturday afternoon when Sam Gallagher stunned the home crowd with a brilliant strike inside the opening two minutes. But rather than allowing the early setback to derail them, Peixoto’s side responded with four unanswered goals to complete another impressive result.
And for Peixoto, that reaction was arguably more important than the scoreline itself.
The Portuguese head coach has repeatedly spoken about changing the mentality of a Wolves squad that endured a difficult previous campaign. Against Stoke, he finally saw the kind of response he has been demanding.
“We conceded a goal but the reaction was very important for us,” Peixoto explained after the match.
The Wolves boss was particularly pleased with the way his players refused to panic after falling behind.
“We showed personality and character to fight,” he added, with the response eventually producing four goals and opportunities for even more.
That reaction was significant because Stoke had threatened to make the afternoon extremely uncomfortable for the hosts.
Gallagher’s spectacular effort gave Stoke the lead and the visitors had further opportunities to extend their advantage. Sorba Thomas was unable to take advantage of two excellent openings, leaving Wolves alive in the contest.
Instead, Rodrigo Gomes changed everything.
The Portuguese winger struck twice in a devastating three-minute spell, turning the match around before half-time. His first came after Viktor Johansson could only parry Raul Jimenez’s effort, with Gomes reacting quickest to level the contest.
Moments later, Gomes was in the right place again after Mateus Mane created the opportunity, allowing Wolves to go into the break ahead.
For Peixoto, Gomes’ performance was another indication that the winger is ready to make an important contribution this season.
The Wolves boss had spoken about wanting another left-footed right winger before the transfer window closes, but Gomes gave his manager a timely reminder of exactly what he can offer.
“It’s important that Rodrigo has the confidence to play after playing a lot in pre-season,” Peixoto said.
And it was not simply the goals that impressed him.
Peixoto highlighted Gomes’ work away from the ball, explaining that the youngster contributes defensively as well as offensively and helps the right-back.
That could prove particularly important as Wolves attempt to build a squad capable of sustaining a promotion challenge.
The second half then belonged to Wolves.
Jimenez won a penalty after being challenged by Ben Johnson at the far post, and the Mexican calmly converted from the spot to make it 3-1.
Then came another moment for one of Wolves’ summer arrivals.
Jordan James, who replaced Gomes late in the game, completed the scoring on his home debut after combining with Fer Lopez. The midfielder finished from inside the box to put the result beyond doubt.
The result means Wolves have now made a strong start under Peixoto, following the 3-1 victory at Preston and the midweek Carabao Cup win over Sheffield Wednesday. The official Wolves report described Saturday’s victory as their third win in eight days.
But while the result has given supporters plenty to celebrate, there is another issue around the squad that remains particularly interesting.
Peixoto’s Boubacar Traore decision
Boubacar Traore’s Wolves future has been a talking point heading into the final days of the transfer window.
Wolves recently rejected an offer understood to be worth around £3.5 million from Anderlecht for the midfielder, with reports indicating that the club currently expects Traore to remain at Molineux.
Traore has already featured under Peixoto this season, coming off the bench during the win at Preston before starting the full 90 minutes in the Carabao Cup victory over Sheffield Wednesday.
He was again among the substitutes against Stoke and replaced Andre in the second half.
His situation is therefore one to watch as the transfer deadline approaches.
There is a case for keeping him. Traore provides a more defensive-minded option in midfield and offers Peixoto additional depth alongside Andre, Marshall Munetsi and Tommy Doyle.
With Wolves aiming for promotion, having competition throughout the squad could prove crucial over the course of a long Championship campaign.
And Saturday’s performance may have reinforced exactly why Peixoto wants a strong squad rather than simply a strong starting XI.
The mentality Peixoto wanted is finally showing
Perhaps the most important development from the Stoke victory was not Gomes’ brace, Jimenez’s penalty or James’ debut goal.
It was the reaction.
After Wolves conceded so early, there was a genuine opportunity for the old problems to return. Instead, the players responded aggressively and took control of the game.
Peixoto also praised the team’s organisation, saying they defended well while creating enough attacking opportunities to have scored even more.
That is exactly the identity the Wolves boss has been attempting to establish.
Before the season, Peixoto spoke openly about changing the mentality of the group and bringing in stronger personalities. The club’s recent return of experienced goalkeeper John Ruddy was also partly motivated by that desire to develop a stronger dressing-room culture.
Against Stoke, however, the manager saw that mentality translated onto the pitch.
Wolves were tested early.
They responded.
And they eventually destroyed their opponents.
That is why Peixoto’s comments after the final whistle could be more significant than the four goals themselves.
The Championship campaign is still in its early stages, and there will undoubtedly be tougher tests ahead. But if Wolves can consistently reproduce the character, personality, organisation and attacking quality they displayed against Stoke, the promotion ambitions around Molineux will only become louder.
For now, Peixoto has exactly what he wanted: a Wolves side that does not fold when things go wrong.
And with Boubacar Traore increasingly looking set to stay, the manager could soon have even more depth at his disposal as Wolves’ promotion push gathers momentum.