Not every Wolves player had an outing to remember at Craven Cottage on match week 12.
After a long nine months, Wolves recorded an away win in the Premier League.
Gary O’Neil was impressed with his players and how they conducted themselves to win 4-1 against in-form Fulham.
Matheus Cunha was the man of the moment against Fulham on what was a joyous day in the capital for the Old Gold.
- READ MORE: Three things we learnt as Wolves demolished Fulham to move out of the Premier League relegation zone
Rayan Ait-Nouri criticised for Fulham display
The mood around Compton was significantly lifted as Wolves dismantled Fulham although, some players certainly had a better afternoon than others.
Speaking in reaction to the big win, journalist Liam Keen took aim at defender Rayan Ait-Nouri, who was partly at fault for Wolves conceding Alex Iwobi’s opener.
“He gives the ball away so needlessly. He’s turning into danger consistently which I find bizarre. He’s almost trying to take on the same player two or three times,” Keen said on The Keen & Judah Show.
The Wolves expert noted how losing the ball in dangerous areas has become a common occurrence with Ait-Nouri, proceeding to call the Algerian ‘frustrating’.
“It’s frustrating because he is such a talented footballer but he’s struggling at the moment to get back to form, to be consistently making these errors is going to make it more difficult for those around him.”
After being one of Wolves’ best players last season, Ait-Nouri’s form has struggled this term, being an inconsistent performer when playing on the left side.
Gary O’Neil is partly to blame for Ait-Nouri’s form
The time is never right to see a key player lacking form however, due to current transfer interest in Ait-Nouri, Wolves will be hoping that his quality can pick up.
While losing the Algeria international would be a nightmare, the Old Gold could make a significant profit on the 23-year-old, but that can only happen if he ups his game.
O’Neil must take some responsibility for the left-backs fluctuating form, as Keen alluded to when discussing the vibrant defender.
| Fulham | Southampton | Crystal Palace | Total | |
| Possession lost | 10 | 12 | 16 | 38 |
| Duels won | 8 | 9 | 1 | 18 |
| Successful dribbles | 1 | 4 | 1 | 6 |
“He’s changed between a five and four and that does change his role. I do think that will play a part and impact him because he’s desperate to play further forward, I think he’d love to be a winger if you gave him that option.”
Wolves started the season with a back four and reverted to a back five after being unable to find success, which has impacted Ait-Nouri’s understanding of his role.
Keen’s comments ring true as the way that the Algerian plays at times suggests that he’d like to be released from his defensive shackles.
It’s up to the manager to decide whether Ait-Nouri’s position can be altered, with a lot riding on his form until the summer.