Shropshire Star

Kenny Hibbitt wants more goals from Wolves' midfielders

Club legend Kenny Hibbitt has urged Wolves’ midfield trio to show more attacking intent and get back among the goals.

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Ruben Neves of Wolverhampton Wanderers (AMA)

Hibbitt, who scored 114 times in 574 Wolves games, is a big admirer of each of Ruben Neves, Joao Moutinho and Leander Dendoncker.

But with none of them having scored or set up a goal yet this season, the two-time League Cup-winner said: “You can have a dry spell, everyone goes through it. Maybe it’s been a case of allowing players like Pedro Neto to push on instead and help Raul Jimenez.

"When me, Willie (Carr) and Steve (Daley) used to play though, we’d take it in turns to go forward.

"I’d like to see a bit more of the midfielders breaking their necks to get into the box when balls go wide.

“Nuno sets up the team very well, organised and sound defensively – and it works. But the goals have to be shared and everyone needs to work a little bit harder to get in those dangerous areas in the box.

“The likes of Neves need to break their necks to get in the box and support the striker.”

Neves is on a lengthy barren run in the Premier League, having last scored more than a year ago.

It is a similar story for Moutinho, too, while Dendoncker is 11 without a goal.

“Dendoncker is more box to box. He’s the one with the legs who does a brilliant job,” said Hibbitt.

“Neves is a great striker of the ball, and I’d like to see him get forward a bit more – Moutinho the same.

“I know it’s a bit of a different era than me, but the midfielders could still do with coming up with some more goals.

“They’re brilliant players and I still think we’ll be right up there again, but if they could score a couple more goals, that would be great. And Nuno will know that.”

Yesterday, meanwhile, marked 52 years since Hibbitt joined Wolves from Bradford Park Avenue for £5,000.

On that milestone, he added: “Wolves will always be my second family. I spent 16 years there as a player and it was amazing.

"It was so sad to see the club drop to the Fourth Division after I left, but now it’s truly back where it belongs. Absolutely brilliant.”