Wolverhampton Wanderers legend Steve Bull has praised the performances of midfielder Joao Moutinho and goalkeeper John Ruddy against Bristol City on Sunday.
The two players were standout performers as Nuno Espirito Santo’s eased to a 1-0 win over the in-form Championship outfit, with the team’s FA Cup run going from strength to strength.
“It was a classic game of two halves. We played some good stuff early on, Joao Moutinho absolutely ran the show and we looked like the Premier League team,” Bull wrote in his Express & Star column.
“John Ruddy was solid between the sticks after his mistake against Shrewsbury in the last round and that was great to see. He came in from the cold and it can be hard to grasp the pace of the game. Ruddy has his doubters but he did himself justice.”
OPINION
Bull is absolutely spot on, here. Moutinho, in particular, was phenomenal against Lee Johnson’s side. The Portugal international looked every bit the classy operator as he dictated the pace of the game and ensured that Wolves were the dominant team in the middle of the park. He has been unbelievable ever since he joined the club last summer and Sunday’s game was merely a continuation of his excellence. Ruddy, too, put in a strong performance as Wolves moved one step closer to FA Cup glory. The ‘keeper has struggled at times in cup competitions this season, perhaps understandably considering his lack of Premier League action, but he was terrific on Sunday. He needed a big game after falling flat on his face against Shrewsbury in the previous round, and he did extremely well in difficult circumstances and against a very good second tier side. Credit to him for bouncing back from adversity.