Adrian Clarke looks at key tactical points and players who can be decisive in Matchweek 13.
Manager analysis: Gary O’Neil
Gary O’Neil’s positive tactical approach has breathed fresh life into Wolverhampton Wanderers.
After 12 matches in 2022/23, they had scored just five goals, but despite facing seven of the top eight already, Wolves have struck 16 times at the same stage this time around.
On the back of beating Tottenham Hotspur with two late, well-deserved goals, they travel to Fulham on Monday with tremendous self-belief.
Able to adapt
Wolves’ 40-year-old head coach is versatile in the formations he deploys.
By using two left-sided defensive players, Toti Gomes and Rayan Ait-Nouri, O’Neil can seamlessly shift between a back three and back four.
This is something he does on a game-by-game basis, mixing up the shape of his side to keep opposition managers guessing.
Wolves’ formations used under O’Neil
| Formation | Times used |
|---|---|
| 3-4-3 | 3 |
| 4-4-1-1 | 3 |
| 4-4-2 | 3 |
| 4-2-3-1 | 2 |
| 3-5-2 | 1 |
Ait-Nouri can play anywhere down the left side, and in attack, the likes of Matheus Cunha, Pedro Neto, Hwang Hee-chan and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde are all versatile enough to drop into midfield or take up wider positions too.
This allows the Wolves to transition between different formations in-game with ease.
In possession, O’Neil likes to create 3v2 and 4v3 overloads, and his fluid system helps to manufacture those situations.
Difficult to play against again
After gaining promotion from the Championship in 2018, the Wolves quickly earned a reputation as a team that was difficult to play against. Well organised but also hostile in their approach, they rarely let opponents settle on the ball.
This aspect of their play faded a little across the last two campaigns, but O’Neil has brought it back in abundance.
Perhaps it’s time for Wolverhampton Wanderers to get concerned about Gonçalo Guedes’ physical situation.
Last season, the winger didn’t have enough playing time at Benfica, being forced to have knee surgery, and that’s why his loan was renewed. It turns out that this season, he hasn’t been able to get enough time on the pitch either.
Back on Saturday, he missed the cup match against Famalicão, with manager Roger Schmidt only claiming “he had a small problem” in training. Now, as revealed by O Jogo today, that was a ‘discomfort in his left knee’, the same he had surgery for.
Guedes is set to return to training today after being evaluated by doctors, but the situation certainly raises attention from Wolves and Benfica about his fitness.
Since agreeing to the new loan with the Eagles, the winger has only made seven appearances, with 160 minutes on the pitch, and only played for a full half in games of little importance.
The situation makes it therefore unlikely that Benfica will want to get his permanent signing, and that may be a problem for Wolves, who have him under contract until 2027.
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