Liam Keen & Nathan Judah pick out four important talking points that they’ve noticed during Wolves’ start to the season.
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00:00I think Gary Neal is very, very strong on this back four,
00:03whether people might think he should go to a back three,
00:06maybe certain people's best positions might fit a back three.
00:11It's not, it's going to be a back four moving forward into it,
00:13unless it's very much a horses of a course,
00:16his one-off, you think, in the near future.
00:20Yeah, I'm sure there will be some one-offs for sure.
00:23Perhaps a Manchester City game, for example,
00:25at some point is the obvious option, isn't it?
00:28The obvious example, and I think those moments will happen.
00:31I think Wolves will have, whether it's a run of games
00:33or a singular game at some point this season with a back five,
00:37because they'll see tactical reasons to make that switch,
00:40tactical reasons that Wolves can go and get a performance,
00:43whether it's to nullify the opposition
00:45or to enhance Wolves' strengths.
00:48And we have seen in pre-season as well,
00:50moments when Wolves will play back four,
00:52but occasionally defend in certain situations in a five.
00:55I think it was a West Ham game over in America,
00:57Chiquinho was dropping deep in the second half
01:01to nullify Koufal, who was getting so far forward from right back,
01:04and it became a five at times.
01:06The Como game in Marbella, as you mentioned there,
01:08it was a bit of a hybrid system where it became a five.
01:12And it was all really reliant on Ryan Aitnouri
01:14playing as a very deep-lying left-back
01:18who would join the game a bit later on,
01:20where some of his strength to do live
01:22is entering the attacking phase or the attacking area
01:26a little bit later than his teammates,
01:27picking the ball up a little bit later,
01:29being able to dribble and take players on.
01:31And that has been the game plan moving forward.
01:34That's changed slightly.
01:35The Nottingham Forest game, as you mentioned,
01:37it was a back four, but it was Aitnouri as a left winger
01:39rather than a left back.
01:41But Gary O'Neill, as it stands,
01:42regardless of the occasional game here and there
01:44where it may change,
01:46it's sticking with this back four.
01:47And it seems like he's going to be very strong
01:49on that moving forward.
01:50Now, I understand why some people or some fans
01:54feel a little bit uneasy about that
01:55because it feels like it's within Wolves' DNA
01:58to play a five because of all the success under Nuno
02:00that carried through into other managers
02:02and other managers have tried before.
02:04Bruno Large being the obvious example
02:07who attempted to play a back four in his second season.
02:11It didn't go well.
02:13There was a lot of parallels with this year
02:15in the sense that it was a tough start,
02:18a experienced defender not starting.
02:21Connor Cody under Bruno Large's reign
02:25completely bombed out and obviously moved on.
02:27Craig Dawson certainly left out to start the season,
02:30but has now come back with a vengeance,
02:32come back strong and played so well against Forrest.
02:34But I don't think people should be too scared of change.
02:37Change can be, you know,
02:39you can be wary and anxious of change at times,
02:42but I don't think it necessarily is a bad thing.
02:44And if Gary O'Neill, who I think is an excellent coach,
02:47finds reasons to believe that the back four
02:50is the way Wolves should play moving forward,
02:52then there's no reason right now
02:53that we shouldn't have faith in that.
02:55If we come to six weeks down the line
02:58and Wolves are still struggling,
02:59perhaps there's more questions to be raised,
03:00but right now it's the direction they're going in
03:03and it doesn't seem like they're going to make
03:04a change anytime soon.
03:06It's the longest answer you've given in three years.
03:08It's unbelievable.
03:09Don't have to do my job.
03:10Just detailed stuff, mate.
03:11You know what I mean?
03:11Absolutely insane.
03:12It's almost like you've made notes.
03:15For once, yeah.