Rodgers Credits Espírito Santo's 'Outstanding' Wolves Job

First Team
14 Feb 2020
2 Minutes
Brendan Rodgers has praised the work done by Nuno Espírito Santo and highlighted several key threats in the Wolverhampton Wanderers squad ahead of Friday's Molineux encounter.

- Leicester City face Wolves in the Premier League at Molineux on Friday (8pm kick-off)
- Manager Brendan Rodgers has highlighted the 'fantastic' work done by Nuno Espírito Santo at Wolves
- The Northern Irishman also highlights several key attacking threats within the Wolves squad
- Live coverage of the match will be available from 5pm on Friday, courtesy of LCFC Radio

Leicester City visit the West Midlands on Friday knowing a win would temporarily move them up to second place in the Premier League standings after 26 matches.

However, the Foxes will confront a talented Wolves outfit who, as well as impressing in the UEFA Europa League this season, are just six points adrift of the top-four places.

Reflecting on Espírito Santo's three years at Molineux, which has included promotion to the Premier League and European qualification, Rodgers was full of praise for the ex-Porto manager.

"Nuno’s done an outstanding job there," he said. "There was a big investment in the Championship. Players came in, but he’s been able to put them into a structure and a format and a way of working.

"Of course, in the Championship, they were terrific and then they came up, invested again, and then showed that consistency and quality in the Premier League.

"They finished above us last year, going into European football, and again, they coped with that very, very well.

"So, he’s done a fantastic job there, with a really good group of players, who work really hard.

"They play a counter-attacking style, so they’ll be happy to sit a bit deeper and then look to break out with the pace and they have the quality and the understanding to do that.

"He’s done a very good job – him and his staff – and I’m sure all the supporters of Wolves will be delighted with the progress made over that last few years."

Adama Traoré, on the other hand, is one player City must be wary of in Friday's encounter, as well as Diogo Joto and and Raúl Jiménez, Rodgers says.

"He’s (Traoré) a very dangerous player," the 47-year-old continued. "I saw him at Aston Villa and when I look at him now, I see the improvements that he’s made.

"He’s clearly got incredible power and speed and, once he’s away, he’s very, very difficult to stop. I think what he’s done is he’s improved his end product.

"Once he’s got into the final third, you sense that he can create something. He’s a player that we’d obviously have to keep an eye on, but they’ve got other good players.

"Jota’s a good player, Jiménez is a top-class striker at this level as well, he’s got a bit of everything.

"He links the game, he comes underneath, he can spin in behind, he’s good in the box and with crosses, and he’s a very good player.

"Then, they’ve got two players that can pass the ball in midfield, so it’s a counter-attacking style, so we need to be able to counter press really well.

"We need to be able to control the game how we would like and obviously, in the moments you have to defend, we have to defend well."

All times GMT.