Former Wolves midfielder David Edwards says Adama Traore was much improved in the second half of Saturday’s late defeat to Liverpool.
In the Express and Star, he wrote that Traore played like a player who was short on confidence in the opening 45 minutes but was transformed after the interval.
Edwards thinks that playing 3-5-2 against Manchester City, with Traore up alongside Raul Jimenez, could be the way for Bruno Lage to go.
“It was a real Jekyll and Hyde performance from Traore. In the first half it looked like his confidence was completely shot, but then in the second half he had a couple of good runs and was completely unplayable,” said Edwards. “You just want him to simplify his game as much as possible, be in a position in space.
“You can almost see his mind working when you watch him, you just want to see him use his running power best and maybe just be a bit more proactive, a few times Jose Sa looked at Traore ready for him to run, he’d play it and sometimes Traore would wait when those two or three seconds makes all the difference.
“I think Traore really has to be persevered with now, because he is unplayable on his day.
“Playing him up alongside Raul Jimenez may help him, and take away less defensive responsibilities, all too often on Saturday he and Hwang Hee-Chan had to track Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson and were too far away from Liverpool’s goal.”
Traore will always divide opinion because of the type of player he is and the continued lack of end product in his game.
We have written this week that the game at the Etihad Stadium provides an opportunity for his season to ignite against a team who will leave space to counter attack into if Wolves can play out past their press.
With Daniel Podence coming back into the frame, Traore faces more competition for his place and of course his contract situation is rumbling along in the background.
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