Lopetegui's solid start continues as Wolves pull out of last place

Wolverhampton Wanderers' Hwang Hee-chan in action against Everton at Goodison Park in Liverpool on Monday. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Woverhampton Wanderers climbed out of last place in the Premier League on Monday, scoring in injury time to beat Everton 2-1 on the road.

Monday’s game marked a rare start for Korean midfielder Hwang Hee-chan, who fell out of the starting XI after a run of bad form saw him fail to score in the league since February. Hwang started his last Wolves game before the World Cup break on Nov. 5, sat out the next game with a hamstring injury and made it back into the lineup this week.

Although Hwang did not directly contribute to either of Wolves’ goals — scored by Daniel Podence in the 22nd minute and Rayan Ait Nouri in injury time — he looked constantly threatening in the 60 minutes he spent on the field.

Hwang’s problem, perhaps, may be that he has spent so much time on the sidelines for Wolves this year that he has not entirely secured the trust of his teammate, with a lack of service often leaving him outside the play on Monday.

The win on the road marked Wolves’ first away victory of the season and second in 15 games, both coming at Goodison Park against Everton. The three points is an encouraging sign for new manager Julen Lopetegui, who took the helm at the midlands club in the middle of November.

Lopetegui’s Wolves career couldn’t have got off to a much stronger start, beating Gillingham 2-0 in the Carabao Cup last week to advance to the last eight for the first time since 1996 and beating Everton to rise out of last place in his first league game on Monday.

“We must enjoy the three points but we have a hard task in front of us and we have to continue working and improving. We’ve not done anything yet,” former Spain manager Lopetegui said after the game. “We are aware of our position. I’m happy for our fans and above all the players who have suffered a lot. They need to believe more in themselves. But this is only the first step and tomorrow morning we have to be ready to think about Manchester United.

“It is going to be a long race and we have to be ready for the good and bad moments.”

Lopetegui’s early success could mark a crucial turning point for Wolves, who have just three wins, four draws and nine losses so far this season. The win pushed the club from 20th to 18th place in the Premier League, passing Southampton by a single point and trumping Nottingham Forest on goal difference.

The Spanish manager’s repeated willingness to give Hwang a chance is also a good sign that things could turn around for the struggling Korean midfielder with the right kind of leadership. Hwang was involved in both goals against Gillingham in the cup clash last week.

Hwang’s long dry spell for Wolves has always seemed like a reflection on how he fits into the club, rather than his personal potential, especially because he has continued to perform well for Korea throughout the year.

Hwang is a Taeguk Warriors regular, appearing in almost every game as either a starter or a fresh pair of legs in the second half.

He had made four appearances for Korea this year before the World Cup, appearing for at least 60 minutes in every game he was available for and scoring two goals; against Chile on June 6 and Costa Rica on Sept. 23.

In Qatar, Hwang was only able to appear in two games as he struggled with a hamstring injury going into the tournament. He made those appearances count, coming on as a substitute against Portugal to score an injury time goal that carried Korea out of the group stage and into the round of 16.

Hwang also played the full 90 minutes against Brazil and tested things a number of times but was unable to add to the score line.

Hwang may well get another chance for Wolves at the weekend as the club hosts Manchester United at Molineux Stadium in Wolverhampton, England on Saturday.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]