The performance of Jose Sa was always going to come under the microscope against Brighton.
Leading up to the game, there had been a lot of talk about him and whether he would start after his fine showing against Manchester City.
Gary O’Neil’s comments about Jose Sa left some fans annoyed, with the perception being that Sam Johnstone would return to the starting XI.
But journalists Liam Keen and Nathan Judah then suggested Sa would start against Brighton, and that turned out to be the case, with Johnstone still not fully fit to play despite training.
So the decision was easy for O’Neil in the end.
Unfortunately, Sa was unable to build on his performance against City, making one mistake to give Brighton the lead.
Gary O’Neil praises Jose Sa despite error against Brighton
Sa made a bright start against Brighton, saving well from a long-range Carlos Baleba effort.
But he then gifted Brighton possession with a poor kick, with Danny Welbeck finishing into the far corner.
Speaking after the game though, O’Neil was positive about the Portuguese stopper.
He said (via E&S): “He’s (Johnstone) trained, he was just not feeling quite right.
“Jose is disappointed with the kick out of his hands, but apart from that he did really well. I’m pleased with how he’s done because it’s difficult to come back in after a break.
“He’s a good guy. He’s refocused and reattached himself to the group and he’s fully buying into everything we want to do, which is not always easy when you’ve been dropped.
“It’s been a fantastic response from him and speaks volumes to what he is.”
As per Sofascore, Sa did make four saves in the game, but was the lowest-rated Wolves player (6.2) due to his error which led to a goal.
Teamsheet against Crystal Palace will now be fascinating
Some fans criticised Sa for his performance against Brighton, and it was a shame to see him make an error after so much clamour for him to start.
But O’Neil sounds very pleased with the levels he’s been showing in training since the arrival of Johnstone at Molineux.
| Jose Sa | Sam Johnstone |
| Appearances – 4 | Appearances – 5 |
| Minutes played – 360 | Minutes played – 450 |
| Clean sheets – 0 | Clean sheets – 0 |
| Goals conceded – 13 | Goals conceded – 13 |
| Save percentage – 56.7% | Save percentage – 65.6% |
| Pass completion rate – 49.1% | Pass completion rate – 66% |
Right now, it sounds as though there is very little between them in the Wolves manager’s mind.
With Johnstone likely to be available against his old club Crystal Palace next weekend, it is now going to be fascinating to see who O’Neil plumps for in goal against the Eagles.
The mistake by Sa against Brighton perhaps makes it a much closer call than it would have been.
But it was a fairly positive verdict from O’Neil on Sa and that perhaps does make him the slight favourite to play against Palace. Although Johnstone could well end up getting the nod if O’Neil deems him to have performed better in training this coming week.