How Lopetegui has Wolves finally moving in the right direction
Many of Liverpool’s mistakes were self-inflicted on Saturday, as they went down 3-0 to Wolves at Molineux. But it was the type of performance that the home team would not have been able to produce earlier this season.
Wolves are up to 15th in the Premier League table after that comprehensive victory over Jurgen Klopp’s side. It is the highest position they have occupied since early September, when Bruno Lage oversaw his final win as Wolves boss with a 1-0 defeat of Southampton.
Julen Lopetegui inherited a difficult situation when he officially took charge of the club at the start of the World Cup break. Wolves were propping up the table at that point. Devoid of confidence and struggling to score goals, relegation looked like a genuine possibility for a team that had flirted with European qualification just a few months earlier.
Having a mini-pre-season to work with his new squad clearly helped Lopetegui to get his ideas across. Wolves resumed their season on Boxing Day by winning away from home for the first time since March, as Rayan Ait-Nouri’s dramatic late goal brought them all three points against fellow strugglers Everton.
It has not been entirely plain sailing since then. Wolves lost 1-0 at home to Manchester United and 3-0 at Manchester City. But Saturday’s victory over Liverpool means Lopetegui’s side have taken 10 points from the last 18 available, a decent tally for a team battling the drop. In fact, only seven teams in the division have a better record post-Qatar.
Wolves’ biggest problem for some time now has been putting the ball in the back of the net. Even when they finished in the top half under Lage last term, only the relegated trio of Burnley, Watford and Norwich City scored fewer goals. Wolves averaged only 10.6 shots per game in 2021/22, more than only Watford and Norwich.
They are faring better in that regard this time around. An average of 11.6 shots per game puts Wolves joint-12th alongside Chelsea. Meanwhile a rate of 0.53 goals per match pre-Lopetegui has risen to 1.17 per match since the Spaniard was appointed.
Wolves have become more solid at the back too. They conceded 1.6 goals per game under Lage and Steve Davis; this has dropped to one per game under Lopetegui.
A more general factor behind Wolves’ improvement is their renewed fight. The team was too easy to play against early on this season. They seemed to have lost their belief and hunger. It is to Lopetegui’s credit that Wolves are a much more competitive outfit right now - as Jose Sa recently alluded to.
“[Lopetegui] has made massive changes, to our mentality, our way to work, to press, to be on the pitch and this was very good for us and we are very happy to work with him. Now it’s about fighting for him,” the goalkeeper told the club’s official website.
“We are more like warriors and we are looking for each other. They are protecting me and I am protecting my team-mates. We are more of a family and we are giving all for our team-mates, and this is very important because we are showing character, and we like this.”
Wolves play with greater intensity these days. They had more possession than their opponents in eight of their 15 games pre-Lopetegui. Since his appointment they have had more than 50% of the ball in just one of six matches. But when Wolves do get possession, there is much more urgency to their play.
Lopetegui will have been pleased with the club’s work in the January transfer window. Matheus Cunha and Pablo Sarabia should add some much-needed firepower to the attack. The experienced and underrated Craig Dawson is an astute addition at the back.
In midfield, Mario Lemina will take some of the burden off the excellent Ruben Neves, the only Wolves player with a WhoScored rating higher than 7.00 this term. Joao Gomes, the 21-year-old Brazilian, has a role to play too.
Wolves have two big games coming up, against Southampton and Bournemouth. A return of six points would lift Lopetegui’s side closer to mid-table as they attempt to leave the relegation battle behind.
There is still plenty of football to be played this season, but under their new manager Wolves are moving in the right direction.
