Arsenal
Aston Villa
Chelsea
Crystal Palace
Everton
Fulham
Leeds United
Liverpool
Manchester City
Manchester United
Newcastle United
Nottingham Forest
Southampton
Tottenham Hotspur
West Ham United
Wolverhampton Wanderers
News
Garth Crooks says Raul Jimenez looked exhausted in 5-2 home defeat to Chelsea
Garth Crooks has lamented Raul Jimenez’s lack of energy in Wolves’ 5-2 defeat at home to Chelsea on Saturday, coming on the back of the international break.
In his Crooks said that Wolves couldn’t expect much else from the Mexican, and said that the Old Gold can’t handle the demands of European football.
He : “As for Wolves’ Raul Jimenez, it’s hardly surprising their centre-forward looked dead on his feet – he only returned from Mexico City on Thursday morning and expects to bother Chelsea 48 hours later?
“Wolves can’t handle Europe and international breaks. Ditch Europe.”
TBR’s View – How would ‘ditch Europe’ even work?
It can’t be denied that long journeys on international break don’t help £41,000-a-week () Jimenez and that Wolves have struggled with the demands of European football with their thin squad.
Crooks says that ditching Europe is the answer, how would that work? Wolves are now into the group stage of the Europa League and for a club with their ambitions, making waves on the continental stage is the next step.
The club won’t want to field shadow sides in Europe and they don’t even really have the strength in depth to rotate to that extent anyway.
This is a real test of Wolves’ mettle but simply to ‘ditch Europe’ is not a plausible solution – Nuno Santo’s men will have to find another way to get their first Premier League win of the season.