Wolverhampton Wanderers are in a “pretty depressing place” following two defeats from their opening two Premier League fixtures this season.
Wolverhampton Wanderers are in “a pretty depressing place” following the events of the summer transfer window as journalist Dean Jones drops his verdict on what could lie ahead for the Molineux outfit this season.
Wolves manager Gary O’Neil has been in the role for less than two weeks but will hope for some backing before the transfer window shuts next Friday.
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Wolves could hardly have wished for a worse summer transfer window if they tried, with their preparations for the new season delayed for a variety of reasons.
Due to the departure of important players such as Ruben Neves, Joao Moutinho, Adama Traore, and Raul Jimenez, the club has only been able to add two players on free transfers.
Tom King, the club’s third-choice goalkeeper, has joined from Northampton Town, while former right-back Matt Doherty has returned following stints with Tottenham Hotspur and Atletico Madrid.
To make matters worse, former head coach Julen Lopetegui agreed to a mutual contract termination in the week before Wolves’ Premier League opener against Manchester United.
With O’Neil in charge, the ex-Bournemouth manager now has the burden of maintaining Wanderers in the Premier League amidst a slew of squabbles behind the scenes, while the fans grows increasingly disgruntled.
While the West Midlands club made a decent attempt in their 1-0 defeat at Old Trafford, last weekend’s 4-1 setback at home to Brighton & Hove Albion has sealed the club’s relegation to the Championship.
And Jones feels that O’Neil faces the same challenge in keeping Wolves in the Premier League as he had at Bournemouth last season.
What has Jones said about Wolves?
Jones told GIVEMESPORT: “To be one of the favourites to go down, your manager has just walked out, most of your best players from recent seasons have left, and to know you might only be able to sign someone useful if you sell one of your current assets is a pretty depressing place to be for a Wolves fan.
“They have to have an ‘us against the world’ mentality for anything good to come of the situation. I think O’Neil will seek to create something like that because, currently, everyone is writing them off as relegation fodder.
“He produced a magical turnaround at Bournemouth, and I think this task is every bit as big. There is a longer period of games to get things right. He’s got an entire season to turn around this relegation scrap. But, it’s a very strange and worrying time for Wolves.”
What next for Wolves?
Wolves have the opportunity to earn their first points of the season when they go to Goodison Park on Saturday to play Everton, who are also nil coming into the weekend’s match.
Wanderers then host League One Blackpool to Molineux for a second-round Carabao Cup clash, having reached the competition’s quarter-finals last season.
They then have the remainder of the week to complete any transfer deals, although given the club’s present messaging, this is doubtful.
Following the 1st September window deadline, Wolves are again on the road, this time going south to face Roy Hodgson’s Crystal Palace on September 3rd, as they wrap up their opening matches before the first international break of the season.
