Wolves supporters were left in amazement on Saturday as Rayan Ait-Nouri came through big time against Fulham; maybe more importantly, the Algerian’s performance could benefit another player at Molineux.
Ait-Nouri shone in the 2-1 victory at Molineux against the Cottagers.
After switching things up, Gary O’Neil started playing with a back four, starting Ait-Nouri at left defense.
However, the manager switched back to a back three with wing-backs due to injuries to Pedro Neto and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde.
Ait-Nouri was actually playing as a winger, and the young player appeared to be a serious threat on both wings.
Ashley Williams said he was “the difference” between two strong teams over the weekend; one wonders if this could now lead to Hugo Bueno being more well-known.
Ait-Nouri’s excellent attacking abilities have been evident for some time.
His technical proficiency and footwork are incredibly great, and the star’s final output is improving.
Under Gary O’Neil, he has flourished this season after missing several matchday squads under Julen Lopetegui last season.
Right now, he really seems to be playing with a ton of confidence, and his performance against Fulham was especially impressive.
Ait-Nouri appears to be at ease playing in increasingly complex roles.
The former Angers player should be playing higher up given his offensive capabilities, according to Molineux veterans Lee Naylor and Andy Thompson. One wonders if O’Neil is considering doing this when players like Pedro Neto, Hwang Hee-chan, and Matheus Cunha are sidelined due to injury.
If he is considering doing this, Hugo Bueno will undoubtedly be able to play for Wolves for a longer period of time.
Bueno, who has played in just 16 games for a total of 507 minutes across all competitions, has had a somewhat disappointing season.
He had sustained an injury early in the campaign. However, O’Neil has shown a strong interest in Ait-Nouri, thus Bueno has had very few and far between opportunities.
However, this is a chance for the young Spanish player to make an impression on the management and demand a regular starting position.
After his performance against Fulham, Ait-Nouri’s deployment as a winger seems very likely. This might allow the “excellent” Bueno to return as a left-back or left wing-back.
The management might also consider Matt Doherty, but Bueno makes more sense.
It is looking like Neto and Hwang will be out for weeks. That’s two wide options unavailable for selection for O’Neil, so surely Ait-Nouri will be considered to play as a winger in the coming weeks, creating a potential opening for Bueno.
O’Neil recently backed the Spaniard to make an impact for Wolves between now and the end of the season, so perhaps this suggests the youngster is actually in the manager’s mind for more minutes.
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