Liam Keen comment: Wolves need real fighters now – and Toti Gomes fits the bill

A tweet championing Julen Lopetegui's decision to play Toti Gomes against Nottingham Forest was met with a surprising amount of scrutiny, for a player who has rarely let Wolves down.

In his limited chances, Gomes has often impressed. When he has made mistakes, it has come down to his attributes.

The defender still has work to do with his skills in possession, and his distribution is sloppy at times, but he is a proper defender.

Some might scoff, but the 24-year-old is only behind Craig Dawson as the most natural defender at the club.

The role of a defender? To stop the opposition from scoring. Toti puts his body on the line, wins duels in the air, is strong and aggressive in the tackle and has the kind of heart and desire that Wolves desperately need to avoid relegation. That, by definition, is a natural defender.

Max Kilman, Nathan Collins, Dawson and Toti all have their own attributes and strengths. Toti is a fighter, and there will be games when that is needed more than anything else.

Forest away was absolutely one of those games, and although he could have done a bit better for the goal (albeit Jose Sa was more at fault), Toti did well at left-back and then at his natural position of centre-back.

He is certainly not the finished product, but he deserves the respect of someone important to this team.

Off the pitch, too, he is an excellent character and Lopetegui has consistently referenced it since arriving at the club.

Speaking before the Forest game, which was Toti's first appearance since January 17th, Lopetegui said: “I’m honest with them and tell them the truth. The truth is, when you have more options to choose from, you have to choose.

“It’s about being ready and when you have the wake-up call, you have to be ready.

“Toti is working very hard and very well. I think he will have his moment and he has to be ready.

“When you have more players you have to choose, depending on the feeling.

“He (Toti) is a good example for us. He comes here every day with a very good and big energy. It’s not easy, I know because I have been a player, but it’s the only way.”

Toti waited patiently for his chance, and without fuss, and should be applauded.

Wolves' options at centre-back are not perfect, either, but Dawson's arrival has helped them improve – and Kilman in particular has done well under Lopetegui, while Collins is another that is waiting for a proper chance.

Lopetegui added: “He (Collins) has been a main actor in a lot of matches and now in the last few matches he has been on the bench.

“He has to be ready because we have a lot of matches and everyone has to be ready to help us.

“Maybe it’s not fair that Collins is out after Craig arrived here, but they have to be ready because they will have a lot of chances in front of them for the rest of the season.

“In one minute they have to be ready to come on and have a big performance.

“We are happy with the commitment of Nathan, Craig, Max and Toti.

“Toti is sometimes not in the squad list but he works very hard and shows his team-mates that they have to be ready. That’s a good thing.

“The inside competition is always a good thing, for all. All of them have to be ready at 100 per cent.

“Craig is a mature and experienced player and he can help his team-mates in different ways, but in the same way Nathan, Max and Toti can compete with Craig.

“This will be a good thing, this kind of competition.”