For the last six weeks or so, Wolves have been outstanding, and Toti Gomes’s assimilation has been crucial to their comeback.
After a difficult start to the new campaign, the Wanderers have recovered to climb to 12th place in the standings. Their thrilling 2-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur over the weekend thrilled supporters.
Earlier in the season, it was evident that the Wolves were giving up goals far too readily. Max Kilman and Craig Dawson weren’t performing to the same level as they had under Julen Lopetegui.
Gary O’Neil made the decision to alter things on September 30, the day Manchester City showed up at Molineux. He added Toti to the backline and went to a back five.
That turned out to be a wise choice, as Toti has begun every Premier League game.
His impact has been undeniable, with Wolves having lost just once in the league since he came into the side, and if there is any justice, he will now finally make his Portugal debut this week.
Toti Gomes stands to make Portugal debut this week after being brilliant for at Wolves
With the Wolves, a lot of the talk has been about Hwang Hee-chan and Pedro Neto. The duo has been on fire and has mainly been responsible for the improvements in the final third.
But the Wolves may not have had the upturn they’ve had without Toti.O’Neil decided to give him a chance against City, and he was excellent against the Premier League champions that day.
Toti’s level has not dropped since, and he has deserved to remain in the starting XI. He looks really comfortable operating on the left side.
When the Wolves are out of possession, he tucks in, and it becomes a three. When the Wolves have the ball, he almost becomes a left-back, with Rayan Ait-Nouri pushing high.
The role really seems to suit him, and it is allowing him to shine.
It hasn’t just been all about defending Toti. Against Newcastle, he showed real flair with his assist for Hwang’s goal, prompting Conor Coady to brand him ‘sensational’ after the game.
Quite possibly, his fine form at the Wolves of late could now lead to a very proud career moment this week.
Toti has been called up to the senior Portugal team once more in preparation for the forthcoming matches against Iceland and Liechtenstein.
Roberto Martinez may be able to examine some of the peripheral players in these matches, as Portugal has already guaranteed their spot in the Euro 2024 finals.
The £10k-per-week player has been included in the last few squads but has not yet been given any playing time.
However, Martinez has been keeping an eye on this player. Toti played “some good matches at Wolves,” according to the Spaniard, who also described the player’s “interesting profile” earlier this year.
At this point, Toti deserves nothing less than to make his debut internationally.
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