WOLVES AWAIT JANUARY SALES

             An away goal for Wolves! Scratch that. A goal for Wolves!. At long last. Over seven hours since Bruno Lage’s men last found the net in a Premiership match (Raul Jimenez’s winner against West Ham at Molineux) they finally opened the scoring in Sussex, seconds before the referee whistled for half-time. 

        Wolves goals have become such a rarity of late that the unlikely source of the opener seamlessly passed by during the celebrations. With Jimenez suspended for his moment of madness at the Etihad on Saturday and fill in striker Hwang Hee-Chan limping off with an apparent hamstring injury just 16-minutes into the match, Romain Saiss took it upon himself to break the deadlock. Ruben Neves’ inviting dink over the host’s back line found the central defender who poked the ball past Sanchez from point blank range. In an instantly forgettable evening of football Wolverhampton never truly looked under threat of suffering a would be third defeat in a row, and with a limited squad on hand for Lage amidst a congested Christmas schedule these should prove three crucial points in the long run. 

Prior to last night’s victory Wolves’ most recent away goal was a Hwang hit at Elland Road on 23^rdOctober. The side hadn’t scored a single goal, home or away, in over 7-hours of play, their previous four matches. Worryingly, only bottom of the table Norwich have scored fewer than Lage’s side (13 goals for Wolves compared to the Canaries’ 8). Somehow, in spite of their inferior goal record, Wolves crept up to 8^thwith the win, just four points off of West Ham in 5^th whose 28 Premier League goals are more than double that of the boys in gold. 

Although Jimenez will return for the visit of European champions Chelsea on Sunday there remain concerns surrounding the lack of creativity at the Molineux club. Adama Traore’s issues creating opportunities continue, Fransisco Trincao has flattered to deceive thus far, whilst Pedro Neto’s recovery following his serious knee injury remains on track. Now with Hwang Hee-Chan potentially out across the holiday period and into the new year it seems this coming January transfer window will make or break Wolves’ sustainability over the course of the season.

Reinforcements are vital. In the injury to Hwang last night we got a hint of Lage’s concerns with Fabio Silva’s ability to lead the line. The Portuguese teenager has made just eight appearances in the league this season, coming off of the bench for each, and the general consensus is that a loan spell is imminent for the ex-Porto kid. Raul Jimenez is currently tied with Daniel Podence for the clubs most assists with 2, and finds himself just one goal off Hwang’s 4 as their second highest scorer. Wolves’ situation is so dire that even keeper Jose Sa boasts more assists on the year than Traore, Trincao, Joao Moutinho and Hwang combined. There have been several rumours that Hwang’s move to Molineux may become permanent in January. Whilst this would be a fantastic haul for the club, supporters appear in agreement that additional support is a must this window. Dele Alli is the latest to be linked with a mid-season switch to Lage’s group. Moutinho and Neves are two mainstays in the starting eleven who offer solidity in the middle of the park, yet neither venture forward into the attacking midfield/number ten role as Alli likely would. As Wolves continue struggling to manufacture goal scoring opportunities for Jimenez, a player in the number ten role could be the alternative Lage opts for to get his side clicking in the final third. Renato Sanches is another rumoured to join Wolves in the upcoming window. Should the 2016 Golden Boy winner indeed join this may force Lage into a flat midfield three and heave a greater emphasis on the wing backs to progress up the pitch and create chances. Although, with an injury to exciting left wing back Rayan Ait-Nouri during last night’s warmup, perhaps focussing away from wing backs is a wiser approach. Lage and his staff will search for wingers in the window with suggestions such as Ryan Kent of Rangers and saving Allan Saint-Maximin from Newcastle’s potential drop two very doable deals.

A selection of supporters have also called for back-up in the Wolverhampton defence this upcoming window. Only the top three have conceded fewer goals than Wolves in the Premier League this season, and despite Max Kilman settling into the side comfortably and Connor Coady playing some of his best stuff to date, there’s no harm in a little support. 

Bruno Lage wants his side to create more chances, he has a prolific forward in Raul Jimenez who can rack up double figures with ease. He just needs the service. On the flip side, he has one of the toughest defences to break down in the country. Something he will understandably want to maintain for as long as possible. Getting the best of both worlds can be tough, any club who can find the perfect blend are typically title challengers. However, if Lage can get Wolves firing on all cylinders they’ll be able to shake the inconsistency and perhaps win more convincingly. Six of Wolves’ seven league wins this season have been by a single goal whilst all three draws during the campaign have come against clubs in the bottom five, proving just how different things might be had Wolves been scoring more frequently. A winter schedule featuring Chelsea, Arsenal (away) and Manchester United (away) is nightmarish enough without the added headache of a struggling front line and several high profile injuries. Three points at Brighton was a huge boost for Wolves heading into a hectic schedule. Lage will be desperate for his side to hold their own until January comes and he can begin to add to his Wolves pack.