Nuno: Wolves need to find solutions to Raul Jimenez absence
Nuno Espirito Santo has highlighted the need for Wolves to 'find solutions' while Raul Jimenez is out – the Mexican striker now having left hospital.
In their first full game without the 29-year-old, who has returned home after good early signs following surgery for a fractured skull, Nuno's pack fell to a 4-0 defeat at Liverpool.
Mo Salah, Gini Wijnaldum and Joel Matip scored before Nelson Semedo's own goal wrapped things up in front of 2,000 fans at Anfield, and Nuno – after a particularly poor second-half showing – said: "We miss Raul, there is no doubt about what he means to us, but we have to find solutions.
"We have to occupy the space with different players, so we have to work on it and be fast – starting this week – because we cannot repeat this performance again."
Wolves showed some flashes of quality in the first half and, correctly, had a penalty chalked off after Conor Coady went down in the box, but they were outplayed in the second.
Nuno was honest in his assessment of the display, too, as he said: "It was not a good performance.
"We were not comfortable in the game. We were not organised in the second half, it was a poor second half.
"We didn't create clear chances, so it was a bad performance and a bad game – no doubt about it.
"We didn't play good. We allowed them too many spaces. We had gaps and Liverpool took advantage as they have speed and talent.
"It's difficult if you don't keep your defensive organisation. You have to be stronger in defence, but we were fragile and made mistakes which cost us.
"We have to look at the game as there are tasks which we should have done better – clear tasks that we assigned that were not OK.
"Now, it's up to us to work and look at the many negative things we did, so we can improve for the next one. It'll require a lot of work from everybody."
On the condition of Jimenez, Nuno added: "Yes, he's home and he's recovering.
"It takes time but we are very pleased that he's back home again.
"I suppose he has to be regularly checked by the doctors, but we've spoken and we're going to see each other soon.
"He's back home, it's very good news for us, so we must give him time to return healthy and stronger.
"He's been in contact with his team-mates. He's going to return, for sure he's going to come back."
