Steve Bull: Respect the FA Cup - play a strong side

The players have had a big enough rest over Christmas due to Covid that I think Bruno Lage should put his strongest side out.

I want to see the fringe players get a chance to play, but the team was off for two weeks and came back in a brilliant game against Manchester United, and they need to keep those kind of performances up.

I would take the FA Cup seriously. There’s another week until the Southampton game, so Wolves should go for it!

The FA Cup is somewhat of a distraction because of how well we are doing in the league at the moment, but it’s also a very special competition.

Going to Wembley is unbelievable and so is the prize at the end of it, so Wolves should aim to go far.

Plenty of players will be asking the manager to play, so Bruno has a difficult decision to make. Personally, I would play a strong side.

It is an opportunity to create history. We have been to Europe recently and we want that again.

The FA Cup is an opportunity to get that, alongside winning one of the world’s best cup competitions.

I speak to Wolves supporters now who followed the cup around Europe and they loved every moment, so why can’t we try and achieve that again through the FA Cup.

Looking back at the win at Manchester United – it was one of the best games I have seen in a long time. Neves and Moutinho have a new lease of life. They were a bit stale last year and sometimes all it needs is a freshen up and Lage has come in and done that.

That pair have surprised me this year with how they have rediscovered their form.

I just hope Wolves have as good a second half of the season as the first – usually it’s the other way around! I want this to continue. They have set the tone now playing the way they did on Monday and taking the game to United, it was unbelievable. We have to do that week in, week out. I personally think we should be looking at the top seven.