MY ACCOUNT
After a sensational first half of the season, Wolves have started to stumble.
Three straight Premier League defeats have seen the West Midlands side all but drop out of contention for a top-four finish, just as their supporters were starting to dream of Champions League football.
All is not lost though — and Bruno Lage could yet lead his team to Europa League qualification if he can get them back on track quickly.
As Wolves prepare to host Watford tonight, we take a look at how the Portuguese tactician can turn things around at Molineux.
A streaky side
Wolves have only won two out of seven games in all competitions since the beginning of February, losing the other five.
Previously, they had lost just twice in 11 matches, picking up six wins — beating Manchester United and West Ham along the way, as well as holding Chelsea to a draw.
There is a sense that Wolves have blown hot and cold this term.
After all, they kicked off the campaign with a trio of league defeats before their season really took off.
Lage will be hoping that their recent run is just another blip in an impressive first year in the Molineux dugout.
Toothless Wolves
Lage had some stern words for his players after Wolves were beaten 2-0 at home by Crystal Palace last Saturday, labelling their first-half performance as unacceptable.
He said: “It’s a warning for me and my players.
“I will not tolerate this 45 minutes again. Like I said three weeks ago, we have 40 points and I don’t want anyone to relax.
“They need to understand, if you’re not in a good moment and looking to relax playing the way you used to play, they are out of the team. They need to understand that.”
The ex-Benfica coach went on to criticise Wolves’ weakness in duels, so has a loss of fight contributed to this slump?
That does not seem to be the case — but if there is any hint of slacking, Lage will aim to stamp it out immediately.
Invincibility vanquished
Wolves’ 2-1 defeat at Arsenal last month brought an end to a remarkable run stretching back to November 2018.
They had previously gone 45 Premier League matches without losing after scoring the first goal before the Gunners’ comeback at the Emirates.
Has seeing that streak go had a psychological impact on the Wolves players, who might previously have felt invincible after opening the scoring? Quite possibly, although they have not found the net at all in either game since that loss.
Goals drying up
The easiest explanation for Wolves’ downturn is that their lack of goals has finally caught up with them — and that is probably true to a degree.
While only Premier League top three Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea have conceded fewer times than the Midlanders’ 23, only relegation candidates Burnley and Norwich have a worse goalscoring record than their 24 strikes.
That was unlikely to be sustainable and we are seeing as much now. Creating chances has not been Wolves’ strong suit, with their total shots (282) and total shots on target (92) both the third-lowest in the division.
If they are to stop over-relying on a stingy backline, Lage’s outfit need to find a way to improve their attacking output.
In need of Neto
On the subject of over-reliance, Wolves have also depended too much on Daniel Podence to provide their creative spark.
The diminutive yet devastating winger is averaging 0.25 expected assists per 90 minutes — more than all bar 10 Premier League players. He has created twice as many big chances (six) as any of his team-mates this term too, accounting for over 20% of Wolves’ total.
But help might just have arrived, or more accurately, returned. Back from a nasty knee injury, Pedro Neto made his first start in 11 months against Palace.
Wolves will be hoping that the team’s star man and leading provider from last season can revive their faltering campaign.
