Southampton 0 Wolves 1

Judging by the way I was pacing up and down my living room in stoppage time – those three points were huge.

It wasn’t pretty and I didn’t particularly enjoy Bruno taking a leaf out of Nuno’s negative tactics playbook, but a win’s a win.

The undoubted positive was the return of the Raul we all know and love with that sublimely taken goal. Surely, he’s now going to kick onto another level?

And Hwang continues to impress. With limited service, he still managed to have an impact with a direct and physical approach. 

As for the back three, while it was criminal not to sign Bruno a centre half for his preferred back four system, at least they stood firm against a one-dimensional Saints attack. However, a left side of Boly and Ait-Nouri is much more appealing than Saiss and Marcal.

Regarding the win-at-all-costs approach Bruno took on the South Coast, I hope it was a one-off rather than a sign of things to come.

Against better teams than Southampton, who were poor, we can’t afford to continually sit back in defence and endlessly give the ball away in attack. 

The lack of pressing and movement was alarming. It invites pressure onto us and when we do have the ball, it’s hoofed away. Wolves are a much better team when they’re on the front foot and moving the ball around at pace.

Marcal and Podence were the guiltiest parties when it came to losing possession, and I fail to see how Ait-Nouri and Traore/Trincao don’t replace them for Newcastle.

Frankly, the whole XI was guilty of surrounding possession all too easily, but the sight of Donk and Moutinho chasing shadows and failing to get a foothold in the game was an ugly sight. 

Unfortunately, the midfield conundrum won’t be solved until we a sign a physical midfielder in the Sanches mould to partner Neves, who should be starting every game. It just doesn’t sit right seeing Ruben on the bench while Moutinho and Donk are hopelessly manning the engine room.

I’m ecstatic that we won and I hope we now have lift-off under Bruno. But we’re going to have to produce a consistent run of improved performances if that’s to be the case, which is that much harder to achieve when Bruno hasn’t been given the tools to deliver.