MY ACCOUNT
The early weeks of this season saw Wolves struggle to hit the ground running under new manager Bruno Lage.
Yet since finding their feet, the men from the Midlands have not looked back and now find themselves up to sixth place in the Premier League table.
Excellent cameos by Hee Chan Hwang and the return of fan favourite Raul Jimenez have sent a feel-good factor flying around Molineux and fans are now wondering just how far Lage’s team can go this term.
We take a look at Wolves’ season so far and what their expectations should be for the remainder.
Consistency
Wolves had a below-average campaign with Nuno Espirito Santo at the helm last year.
Wanderers finished 13th and won just 12 matches — conceding 52 goals along the way.
But with Lage in charge, Wolves look to be making progress.
The 45-year-old has already won six matches this term, half of what his predecessor achieved in total the year before.
The consistency that the Portuguese manager has brought to Wolves has enabled them to make steady progress in the domestic standings.
Towards the beginning of the campaign, the Molineaux outfit were putting in good performances but without the end product to match.
The Midlanders have averaged 12.9 shots per game in all competitions this season but with only 18 goals in total, Lage will be hoping to coach his strikers into being more clinical if they are to maintain their hot streak.
Star quality
Wolves have progressed as a team under Lage — but individual star quality has also been key to their recent good run.
Mexican forward Jimenez suffered a horrific injury in 2020, fracturing his skull in an incident that saw him sidelined for just under a year.
But his return to football has meant a return to form for his side with the 30-year-old scoring three times and assisting twice in the Premier League so far this season.
His recovery, alongside the loan signing of RB Leipzig striker Hwang, has significantly increased Wolves’ firepower in the final third of the pitch.
The South Korean has scored four goals in nine Premier League appearances this season.
The midfield dynamic at the Molineux is also something to behold — the likes of Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves have been in inspired form under Lage.
Following their win over West Ham last weekend, Lage hailed the midfield pairing’s ability to control any game they play in.
Lage said: “It’s a good example seeing the way Ruben and Joao controlled the game.
“That’s the thing I want and they need to understand two things.
“Firstly, consistency, which is important for him [Neves] and his career and the other one is to improve his defensive game.
“The way we are defending but also the individual duels. He’s working hard and if he continues to work hard and improve we have in our hands, and in our club, a top player.”
Tactical adaptations
Lage has retained the five at the back formation that Nuno often utilised during his time at Molineux.
The former Benfica boss likes to play with three centre-backs and two wing-backs — similar to how Antonio Conte sets up at Tottenham.
Speaking at the start of the season, Lage highlighted his desire to transform Wolves into an attacking side.
He said: “We want to go forward, to play in a different way. I do not know if it is better or worse, it is just my idea. We need to be a more competitive team, a better team.
“The most important thing is to be competitive. I speak with our chairman one or two times a week, I speak with our sporting director every day and they know I believe players should be competitive.”
When it comes to implementing his philosophy, Lage explained: “In that process, we go step by step.
“We’re creating my ideas and start to link my ideas with the capacity and the abilities of our players.”
In his 3-4-2-1 formation, Lage’s approach allows both Nelson Semedo and Rayan Ait-Nouri to advance beyond the midfield.
The two inside forwards play behind the Mexican, giving him plenty of support and creating as many opportunities to score as possible.
European contenders?
Although Wolves are sitting pretty in the Premier League, just over a quarter of the season has been played.
Tottenham were top in December of 2020 before ending the season in seventh, meaning it is still all to play for in the Midlands.
The four-time FA Cup winners did enjoy a successful campaign in Europe during the 2019-20 season — bowing out of the Europa League in the quarter-finals and only losing to eventual winners Sevilla.
Wolves do have some tough fixtures coming up against the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea, which makes their upcoming clashes with Norwich and Burnley must-win games if they are to challenge the top six once again this term.
Their squad are looking fit and eager to impress their new boss though, which has been reflected in results.
If they were to go on and qualify for Europe next season, it would be a truly remarkable achievement for Lage and his troops.
Time will tell whether or not they have the capacity to sustain their run — but it is not impossible.
