Wolves are facing a challenging season, with the club’s sporting director, Matt Hobbs, charged with misconduct following a tunnel row after their 2-1 defeat to Man City. Meanwhile, on the pitch, Wolves’ £10m star, Rayan Ait-Nouri, has been outperforming expectations, including surpassing Liverpool’s Diogo Jota in key Premier League stats. Despite a tough start to the campaign, Ait-Nouri’s impressive performances offer hope as the team looks to turn their fortunes around.
Wolves Chief Charged After Tunnel Row with Man City
Wolves’ Matt Hobbs faces misconduct charge following 2-1 loss to Man City.
Gary O’Neil’s team endured a tough defeat to City on Sunday, as John Stones netted a disputed 95th-minute winner.
The defender’s header was initially disallowed for offside, but referee Chris Kavanagh overturned the decision after reviewing it, determining that Bernardo Silva wasn’t interfering with Jose Sa.
This sparked an angry response from Wolves, with O’Neil suggesting that referees may have an unconscious bias favoring the top six, a statement the FA has requested him to clarify.
Wolves’ frustration continued, with Hobbs later facing trouble for allegedly behaving improperly and/or using abusive language towards the match officials.
An FA statement said: “Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Sporting Director, Matt Hobbs, has been charged with misconduct following their Premier League game against Manchester City on Sunday, October 20.”
‘Matt Hobbs allegedly acted in an improper manner and/or used abusive words towards the match official/s around the tunnel area after the final whistle. He has until Monday, October 28, to respond.’
This is not the first instance of Hobbs, who became Wolves’ sporting director in November 2022 after joining the club in 2015, facing issues with the FA.
Only last season, Hobbs received a one-game ban for calling referee Anthony Taylor “absolutely f***ing useless” after Wolves’ 2-2 draw with Newcastle on October 28, 2022.
This followed a disputed penalty decision, where Hwang Hee-chan was judged to have fouled Newcastle’s Fabian Schar, allowing Callum Wilson to convert the spot kick.
Taylor claimed that Hobbs passed by him on his way to the tunnel and said, “Absolutely f****** useless as usual.”
Taylor and his assistants, Adam Nunn and Gary Beswick, claimed that the Wolves chief then remarked, “We look forward to your apology again.”
Hobbs was later charged with misconduct and fined £4,000 in addition to his suspension.
Wolves, still without a win in the Premier League this season, will return to action on Saturday as they face Brighton away.
£10m Wolves Star Outperforms Diogo Jota in Stat
The odds were heavily against the Old Gold as the 2024/25 season began, with Wolves facing a tough fixture list.
In their first eight games, Gary O’Neil’s team faced six of last season’s top seven, highlighting the challenges the Midlands club has had to face.
With only one point from their efforts and sitting at the bottom of the table, Wolves have a lot of work to do to avoid a relegation fight, though their talent at Molineux gives them hope.
Wolves’ Rayan Ait-Nouri is Outshining Diogo Jota
O’Neil is fortunate to have a number of key players in his squad who possess the ability to help turn things around at Wolves. With a wealth of top-quality talent at his disposal, the manager has a solid foundation to build on, even in the face of early-season struggles.
One of the standout performers under O’Neil has been Rayan Ait-Nouri, who has continued to be a major influence on the pitch. The defender has seamlessly carried over his impressive form from last season, offering stability and creativity down the left flank.
Although the start of the campaign was challenging for Ait-Nouri, with Wolves struggling to find their rhythm, he has grown into his role more and more with each passing game. Despite the team’s disappointing results, Ait-Nouri’s development and consistency provide a positive sign for the future, demonstrating his potential as a crucial player in the club’s efforts to turn things around.
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