Four things Wolves fans should look out for in the club’s pre-season tour in the USA.
Wolves are set to take part in their first friendlies in front of the Old Gold faithful this week.
Gary O’Neil will take the club to the USA where they will face West Ham, Crystal Palace and Red Bull Leipzig over the course of the next week and a half.
For many fans, it will be the first time they will be able to see the club since the end of the 2023/24 campaign. Therefore, after a month of training, supporters should be able to see what ideas the Wolves manager has been working on with his squad.
In this article, Molineux News has listed four things fans should keep an eye on during Wolves’ tour in the USA.
Who is the Wolves captain?
One of the biggest questions surrounding the Wolves squad at the moment is who will be the next captain. O’Neil is looking for the club’s fourth captain in as many seasons after Max Kilman departed for West Ham.
While there are multiple favourites to take up the role, it will ultimately be the Wolves manager’s decision on who gets the responsibility.
In the training match versus Como, Mario Lemina was given the honour. However, it remains to be seen if this becomes official or if someone else takes the mantle.
Read more: Four potential candidates to become the new Wolves captain.
Where will Matheus Cunha be playing?
One of Wolves’ star players from the 2023/24 campaign will be unlikely to be playing in the same role for the upcoming season.
Matheus Cunha was often played in the striker role last season despite not being a natural in the position.
However, with Jorgen Strand Larsen now joining the squad, it could mean Cunha is played elsewhere.
Whether he is utilised in a deeper role or played next to Larsen, it will likely become clear over the coming weeks.
Is Goncalo Guedes playing?
For the past 18 months, Goncalo Guedes outcast for Wolves. The winger has been shipped off on loan to both Benfica and more recently, Villarreal.
Guedes has only ever spent six months in the Wolves’ first team where he failed to impress as the Molineux side struggled in their battle against relegation.
When he first joined the club, there were big hopes for the 27-year-old after he signed for £27.5 million.
Now, O’Neil may look to rekindle this ability. Guedes has already played a pre-season match for Wolves and has now been brought to the USA. The Wolves manager may be assessing the 27-year-old in hopes of bringing him back into the fold.
However, only time will tell and the biggest indicator will be how much O’Neil opts to play the winger over the coming weeks.
Read more: What O’Neil should do with Wolves’ remaining outcasts from the 2023/24 campaign.
What formation is Gary O’Neil opting to play?
A debate for the upcoming season is what formation Wolves will play. Since their promotion to the Premier League, the Old Gold have mainly stuck with a five-at-the-back system.
However, it has been reported that O’Neil wants to revert back to a defensive four for the 2024/25 campaign.
The issue with this is whenever Wolves have tried this in the Premier League, no one has implemented it successfully.
Hopefully, if O’Neil does choose to change the system, there are shows clear signs that it could work throughout pre-season.