Football News: Team Review - Wolverhampton Wanderers

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Team Review - Wolverhampton Wanderers

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League Position: 13th

Goalkeepers:

Jose Sa
John Ruddy
Andreas Sondergaard

They have already made what looks, at least on paper, a shrewd move in replacing Patricio with Sa. While Patricio had been an excellent goalkeeper for years, last season he showed alarming signs of decline. Whether that was genuine decline or just a player who was not focused on Wolves any longer, there was definitely a need to move on from him. Sa does look to be a good replacement for his compatriot, though he will need to adapt to the English game.

Defenders:

Conor Coady
Willy Boly
Romain Saiss
Max Kilman
Yerson Mosquera
Rayan Ait Nouri
Jonny Otto
Marcal
Nelson Semedo
Ki-Jana Hoever
Oskar Buur

Wolves were badly disrupted last season by injuries to the defence, with key men Boly and Otto missing large chunks of the season. This season looks to be starting in the same vein and that is something that needs to be sorted. There is a lack of strength in depth to cope with the injuries, and a number of their players are suspect defensively if Lage does elect to go to a back 4. The club must have seen something in Ait Nouri, to make his loan permanent, though I have to admit what it is escapes me. Semedo is an excellent footballer, but a woeful defender that will need to be on the front foot to help Wolves gain results. It is going to be a difficult job for the new manager, unless he can keep his main men fit and healthy.

Midfielders:

Ruben Neves
Leander Dendoncker
Owen Otasowie
Morgan Gibbs-White
Joao Moutinho
Bruno Jordao
Connor Ronan

The Wolves midfield is troubling these days. Neves has regressed alarmingly, Dendoncker is a workhorse but is not going to provide creativity and Moutinho is ageing. Beyond that, it is a bunch of unproven young players who have a lot to do to force their way into the team on a consistent basis. They really lack mobility in there, with neither Moutinho nor Neves being the most mobile of players, meaning they are often too far back when Wolves attack to really make a difference. When they do get forward, they can be caught out and lack the pace to get back. They could do with more legs in there to get across and cover in behind the full-backs as well.

Forwards:

Pedro Neto
Adama Traore
Daniel Podence
Francisco Trincao
Raul Jimenez
Fabio Silva
Rafa Mir
Patrick Cutrone

If Jimenez is back to their best, then they will be fine, but without him they were shown to be lacking in ready quality. Neto is still young and raw, as is Silva, while Podence and Traore flatter to deceive and offer little actual end product. Mir looks likely to leave, so that leaves Cutrone, who could be a good alternative to Jimenez if he can find his feet and the unknown quantity of Trincao. It does look a decent enough set of forwards, but Jimenez is the key to their hopes this season.

Manager: Bruno Lage

The new manager comes in at a difficult time, as the team seems to have slumped after the initial euphoria of getting into the Premier League. He will have to restore morale and try and implement his own style on a squad that was built to Nuno's specifications. One thing is for sure, it was the right time for a change, the club needed fresh impetus. Only time will tell if they chose the right man, but even the right man could struggle with a squad in dire need of a refresh and heavily reliant on a man that is coming back from what could easily be a career-ending injury.

Conclusion:

A team in dire need of a rebuild, with far too many players that are injured regularly added to a large number of inconsistent talents. They do have some young talent to be moulded, but will they be able to hold onto them long enough to reap the benefits when they reach their peak? If they can, then their long term future is looking bright, but it is going to be a struggle while those youngsters gain experience.

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Written by Tris Burke August 08 2021 15:59:22