Paul Lambert praises Conor Coady but it is bad news for Wolves teammate

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Dominic Iorfa may be an England Under-21 international but that counts for nothing in a relegation battle.

Wolves boss Paul Lambert has praised the performance of, among others, stand-in right-back Conor Coady in Saturday’s vital 2-0 win away at Nottingham Forest, the Express & Star reports.

Emphatic finishes from Portuguese duo Helder Costa and Ivan Cavaleiro secured only the second win of Lambert’s tenure at the City Ground, with Wolves putting some welcome distance between themselves and the relegation zone.

And the former Blackburn Rovers boss warrants plenty of praise for showing faith in his fringe players, giving the likes of fans favourite midfielder Jack Price and teenage striker Bright Enobakhare a chance to impress from the start.

However, the introduction of former Liverpool youth captain Coady in an unfamiliar right-back role will have garnered the most interest, the versatile midfielder stepping up with Dominic Iorfa removed from the firing line after an alarming drop in form.

And Lambert says he is thrilled with his side’s efforts, particularly those of the 23-year-old Coady.

“I think Bright is a terrific talent, only a young kid but when you watch him he makes things happen,” Lambert told the Express and Star.

“He’s exciting, he’ll get better as he gets older. And the other lad who went on Connor Ronan is going to be a top player. Jack Price dominated the ball for us, I thought he was excellent.

“Coady was excellent. He was unlucky to be left out against Cardiff.”

England under-21 international Iorfa had started 18 of Wolves’ Championship games prior to Saturday and his removal from the starting XI proves that Lambert will not be accepting substandard performances from a side who have underachieved throughout the season. Form over reputation is the order of the day, and it should be, too.

Iorfa was particularly poor in the 2-1 midweek loss at Cardiff and, with Coady impressing in his absence, there is no guarantee of a return to the line-up in the coming weeks.

Lambert’s hard-lined approach, meanwhile, could be exactly what Wolves need, the proverbial rocket-up-the-backside to the club’s frequently below-par performers.