Wolves boss calls for rule change after Liverpool’s treatment of Adama Traore

Wolves boss Bruno Lage calls for a rule change after Liverpool’s treatment of Adama Traore when the two sides met at the weekend.

The 45 year old Portuguese manager has called for automatic bookings for tactical fouls after watching Traore repeatedly targeted by Jurgen Klopp’s players.

Wolves surprised many by holding Liverpool to what looked to be a goalless draw, but up came Divock Origi with a last-gasp winner to snatch all three points.

The hosts endured plenty of pressure and tried to hit the Merseyside outfit on the break using Traore’s blistering pace.

However the flyer was taken down four times with Andy Robertson and Fabinho both booked for targetting Traore when he went on solo runs.

However other players who did the same thing, including Thiago, got away without punishment for similar crude challenges.

Lage was not directly critical of referee Chris Kavanagh, after all, you can’t say anything about officials without getting into trouble or handed a fine.

He insists found another way around it, demanding that all cynical fouls to deliberately stop players should warrant a yellow card.

“I don’t believe in tactical fouls,” said the Wolves boss as he calls for a rule change after Liverpool’s treatment of Adama Traore.

“For me, to break transitions a tactical foul is every time a yellow card.

“Sometimes if the player pushes another, it’s a yellow card. Sometimes the player kicks the other one, it’s nothing and it’s a tactical foul. I don’t believe in that.

“Every time, for me, the fouls in that moment is a yellow card because it breaks the transition.

“If you look at the game, what do you want? We want goals, we want chances, we want people in the stadium.

“I’ve been saying it since I was at Benfica. Every time a player does that I think they should get a yellow card.”

Traore is great when it comes to being on the run as we all see, he uses it to the best of his advantage, and he started the last two fixtures after becoming a big threat for Wolves, however his finishing is poor and they’ll want his efforts to be turned into goals especially for when they face leaders Manchester City on Saturday.

The Spain international smashed the crossbar against Burnley last week and is working hard to get his first goal or assist this season.

Paul Merson slammed him when talking about the chance to fellow pundits in the Sky Sports studio at the weekend. However Clinton Morrison felt sorry for Traore and defended the player.

Lage, whose side sit 8th in the Premier League table, added: “It is very hard to do what he did, go past three or four guys and put the ball against the bar.

“He’s been unlucky in those situations.

“You can imagine if Adama scored five or six goals from the situations then we have more points and he is doing something fantastic.”

Traore is yet to sign a new contract and will have just a year left on his deal next summer.

This has of course sparked speculation Wolves could cash in on him, who was brought in from Middlesbrough back in August 2018 for £18m.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has spoken highly of Wolves winger Adama Traore on BBC Sport after playing against him on Saturday.

“They defended deep with a lot of players and go for counter attacks and it’s really difficult as there’s no-one as quick as [Adama] Traore.”

Liverpool are said to be interested in the player and former footballer Kevin Phillips told Football insider that Traore would jump at the opportunity to join the club.

“I think that deal will happen,” Phillips said.

“Traore would jump at the chance to join Liverpool. You do not turn that opportunity down, even if you are going to sit on the bench a little bit. Traore has been at Wolves a while now.

“From Liverpool’s point of view, £20million is a good price for player who can hurt teams from the bench. He is what he is though, he can also frustrate the hell out of you.

“As an impact player I think he’d be a good signing though. I think for £20million it is a good deal all round.”

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