Fabio Silva came in for Raul Jimenez on Sunday but Wolves went down 1-0 against West Ham in a crucial clash at the London Stadium.
The afternoon passing by without a goal may put some scrutiny on Bruno Lage’s decision up front, but former Molineux man David Edwards has defended it.
In his Express and Star column, Edwards suggested that Silva has been offering more than £30 million (BBC) man Jimenez of late, despite his continuing wait for a first goal of the season.
“It’s hard when players come in from the cold,” he wrote.
“It would be better if Fabio Silva was dropped into a team with 10 lads who have been playing every week, but it’s difficult to have the connection and relationship with a changed team.
“In a game where no-one really did anything, Fabio Silva did really well. He looks stronger and fitter and his hold-up play was excellent at times.
“He’s arguably offered more than Raul Jimenez in recent weeks. Not to say he should start ahead of him, but he can be really pleased with his performance. It’s important he keeps getting minutes.”
Jimenez showed signs he was getting back to his best with his goalscoring performance at Tottenham lately but it is fair to say that his season overall hasn’t hit the heights.
That is understandable in the circumstances, but Lage cannot be blamed for throwing in his teenage striker from time to time, especially after the improvement in his application and performances since the turn of the year.
As Edwards said, it might have helped Silva if he had slotted into a more settled side rather than one where half the outfield players changed, but if he keeps working hard, more opportunities will come.
- Jeff Shi set to frustrate Wolves fans even more after setting a new target
- Three things we learned from the first weeks of Wolves’ Premier League season
- Wolves chief makes Jorgen Strand Larsen prediction after ‘very good conversation’ with him
- Nedum Onuoha has his say on whether Wolves’ Jorgen Strand Larsen is actually worth £60m
- Colombia fans furious at what their manager did with Wolves’ Jhon Arias vs Bolivia