Joe Edwards debrief - Take the Wolves positives

So let’s look at the positives and negatives of the Molineux result.

Extension but frustration

Well, on the bright side, Wolves are now nine games unbeaten in all competitions on home soil.

Nuno spoke a lot about improving at Molineux and trying to make it a fortress earlier in the season, and the fact they have not lost there since January 2 deserves a lot of credit.

Those three straight defeats at Molineux through October and November at the hands of Watford, Tottenham and Huddersfield proved to merely be a blip.

But, unfortunately, this was not the performance fans wanted on the back of Wembley disappointment at the hands of Watford in the FA Cup semi-final, and then a dismal display at Southampton.

Saturday was pretty frustrating as Wolves had the lion’s share of possession, without incision.

Sideways passes were just that bit too frequent and the ferocious strike partnership that is Raul Jimenez and Diogo Jota, who have 19 league goals between them, were never involved in proceedings all that much.

The approach of the Seagulls – defend, defend, and then defend some more – drew chants of ‘boring’ from the Wolves fans.

Goalkeeper Mat Ryan copped a bit of stick for some classic time-wasting too, but, in fairness, they got exactly what they wanted.

Chris Hughton’s confidence-lacking side were desperate for a point to get their survival bid back on track.

Their approach was far from pretty, but it was effective.

Old habits die hard

Brighton continue to be a bogey team for Wolves, then. Just six wins in 32 meetings against the Seagulls, and now winless in four against them. Add in the bonkers fact that just one shot on target against Nuno’s charges has clinched four points for Hughton’s men this season, Wolves really have been under Brighton’s spell.

They will have to wait a while, especially if Hughton & Co end up getting relegated, to buck that trend – but there is a chance to halt another one a week on Saturday.

And that is the failure to shine against the Premier League’s struggling sides.

Fulham will be the visitors once games against Arsenal at home and Watford away are done and dusted, and given Scott Parker’s team are already down, it should – and I stress should – be three points in the bag.

The expectation has often not been fulfilled against the lesser lights, so ending at home by putting the Cottagers to the sword would help convince fans that the theme will not continue as Wolves aim to build next term.

The Traore delay

The debate rages on about the man who Wolves spent £18million on last summer – a club record fee at the time.

Is Adama Traore, the ex-Barcelona speedster, someone who could be a world-beater if given an extended run in the team?

Or is he a squad player at best whose final ball just is not good enough?

The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle – he clearly has potential, but there are obvious flaws to his game too.

Whatever your opinion on him though, you cannot dispute he had little time to make an impact against the Seagulls.

With Wolves chasing a goal to boost their chances of finishing seventh, against a tiring backline short of pace in the first place, you would have thought Traore would have had about half an hour as a substitute.

But he got only seven minutes plus added-on time.

Ruben Vinagre, coming on the 66th minute, immediately lifted the tempo after replacing Jonny Castro Otto on the left flank, and Traore could have done the same down the right if introduced soon after.

Such a late cameo does make you think about Traore’s future and whether it lies with Wolves.

More needed from Morgan

Don’t get me wrong, Wolves prodigy Morgan Gibbs-White did not have a bad outing against Brighton.

He began the game brightly, eagerly retrieving possession of the ball and making decent passes.

But as the clash progressed, his first touch was wayward on a few occasions and his attacking influence waned – to the point where he was replaced by Leander Dendoncker, who went on to have a couple of shots saved, in the 73rd minute.

He was not alone in not doing enough in the final third as midfield partner Ruben Neves carried on his irking habit of almost becoming a fourth defender to get on the ball. Too much of a midfield anchor.

The 19-year-old still has not scored a first-team goal for Wolves though, and one assist from 27 appearances in all competitions this season is not enough for such a forward-thinking player despite his tender age.

It begs the question, could he do with a loan spell next season to get regular football, and perhaps a few goals, under his belt?

Gibbs-White’s calmness when with the ball at his feet and the fact he has apparently not at all been fazed by the bright lights of the Premier League are impressive.

But he can use his talent to greater effect, for him to progress as Wolves do.

Clean sheet at least

Perhaps the biggest thing to be happy about in regards to Saturday is the fact Wolves kept the Seagulls at bay.

In all honesty, that was not too difficult a task as the visitors were as soft as a memory foam mattress going forward.

A clean sheet is a clean sheet though, and they have been few and far between for Nuno’s side as of late.

This was just their third one of 2019 in the league and offers a platform on which to build.

The defensive solidity which has been a regular feature under Nuno’s guidance went out of the window at St Mary’s – they were at sixes and sevens – but Ryan Bennett has returned to the back three, and if one word sums him up it’s solid.

The clean sheet is a feather in the cap of Rui Patricio, whose performance levels have increased over the past couple of months, as well.

Another one against the Gunners on Wednesday and a goal would be delightful.