Edwards has already found his own Rio Ngumoha in Wolves' £50m "superstar"

Wolverhampton Wanderers were knocked out of the FA Cup on Friday evening, with Liverpool avenging their defeat at the same ground in the Premier League earlier this week.

For the first half, it was much of the same. Cagey and lacking fluency in attacking areas for both sides, Liverpool’s quick-fire double after the break ensured that Rob Edwards‘ side could never get a foothold in the game.

There goes the FA Cup. However, Wolves have won back the connection with their fanbase, wiping the rust off that Old Gold and rekindling a feel-good factor that runs counter to the imperilled Premier League position they still find themselves in.

Wolves will go down, but by dint of determination and newfound understanding, they can go down fighting tooth and nail, and they showed

What Wolves games vs Liverpool tell us

Even with back-to-back Premier League wins against Aston Villa and then Liverpool, the chances of Wolves pulling off the greatest of great escapes are negligible.

Edwards has conceded as much, though, with a favourable run of top-flight fixtures forthcoming, who knows? In any case, no one can deny that the performances have improved, and while Liverpool were too much on the evening, it was only because of two cheaply-conceded goals that the home side were sent packing.

Several players rose to the two occasions last week. Joao Gomes is a real menace in the middle of the park, and Tolu Arokodare continues to be more than a handful for opponents. Neither will be easy to keep, should Wolves be pushed down the slide.

However, there’s another Molineux talent whose signature will be even harder to retain next season, and while Liverpool’s Rio Ngumoha drew the plaudits in the FA Cup, this prospect has a similarly exciting future.

Edwards has found Wolves’ own Ngumoha

Ngumoha, 17, is the talk of the town right now, but in Mateus Mane, Wolves might just have a talent who is every bit as exciting.

The 18-year-old broke into the Wolves first team. He has played 19 times in the Premier League this season, only scoring twice but earning plenty of praise for his physical, athletic and technical talents.

Neither of his performances against Liverpool this week showcased the strongest aspects of Mane’s skillset, but there’s no question that he has the potential to be a revelation, with pundit Paul Merson even asserting that he “could be a superstar”.

Ngumoha has more hype around his name, but he stands on richer grass at Anfield and is in a system that promotes such talent.

Wolves, conversely, have been up against it this season, and the youngster has still shone over the past few months. After all, Liverpool and Manchester United have both registered their interest in the £50m-rated forward ahead of the summer transfer window.

Mane, a Portugal-born England U18 international, is fast and ferocious and unflappable against this harsh tide of relegation, and while he’s got much still to prove, that is exactly why he must stay put and continue to develop at Wolves.

Wolves – Youngest Premier League Scorers
Player	Opponent	Age
Mateus Mane	West Ham	18 years 3 months 18 days
Fabio Silva	Burnley	18 years 5 months 2 days
Rayan Ait-Nouri	Crystal Palace	19 years 4 months 24 days
Tom Edozie	Arsenal	19 years 9 months 0 days
Pedro Neto	Watford	19 years 9 months 23 days

While the hawks have already started circling and are hardly likely to disperse if and when Wolves are yanked down into the second tier, with a £50m asking price having been mooted, Mane would be best suited to foster his thrilling potential under Edwards’ wing.

Liverpool already have their own fleet-footed starboy, but Mane has done nothing to show that he doesn’t have a similarly auspicious future, and he could realise his goals by staying in the Midlands.