Nenad Milijas is hoping that he has done enough to hold down a regular role in Wolves' starting XI.
Serbian midfielder hoping Spurs showing will keep him in the side
Nenad Milijas is hoping that he has done enough to hold down a regular role in Wolves' starting XI.
The Serbian midfielder was recalled by Mick McCarthy on Sunday in place of the ineligible Jamie O'Hara, who saw the terms of his loan deal prevent him from turning out against parent club Tottenham.
Milijas repaid the faith of his manager with a starring performance in the 3-3 draw at Molineux.
He won the penalty which Kevin Doyle converted shortly before the interval, hit the post with a long-range effort and sent over the free-kick which caused controversy near the end when Richard Stearman saw an effort ruled out for a foul on Heurelho Gomes.
The 27-year-old feels he could have done no more to convince his boss that he is worthy of a place, with McCarthy having thrown down the gauntlet to him ahead of the game.
Milijas is, however, aware that O'Hara will be available again when Wolves go to local rivals Aston Villa on 19th March, meaning he could be returned to the bench.
He told the
Express and Star: "I can only do what I can - it's the gaffer's decision and it's his responsibility whether I play. I was really happy with my performance on Sunday.
Denied
"I hit the post, I won a penalty, I made one goal and we were denied another from my free kick, so I was really happy.
"I feel I just need to give performances like I did against Tottenham to try to help the team get better and better.
"I only made one big mistake and it led to [Jermain] Defoe hitting the post, but I was very tired by then and we were chasing a third goal."
Much has been made of the penalty incident involving Milijas, with many feeling that Spurs full-back Alan Hutton was fortunate to stay on the field.
On his tangle with the Scot, Milijas said: "There was no doubt it was a penalty - he grabbed my arm and my shirt and I know what I felt. Whether he should have been sent off isn't down to me.
"That's down to the referee to sort out and the gaffer to talk about. Whether it was enough for the player to be booked and us getting a penalty, I don't know.
"But we scored from there and we have to be happy about that because I wasn't thinking about him being sent off."
