Wolves manager Gary O’Neil has been urged to make a change in midfield by journalist Liam Keen ahead of the Old Gold’s clash with Sheffield United on Sunday.
Wolves are back in action in the Premier League on Sunday, with bottom-of-the-table Sheffield United visiting Molineux.
After the highs of the previous two away wins over Chelsea and Spurs, Gary O’Neil’s side will look to right their wrongs in front of the home crowd following the defeat to Brentford.
Given the Blades’ struggles this season and the impeccable performance levels the Old Gold displayed last week, a win is imperative on Sunday.
Despite the midfield being highly influential in North London last time out, journalist Liam Keen suggested a change that O’Neil could make to break down the challenge that Chris Wilder’s team could present.
Journalist urges Gary O’Neil to start Tommy Doyle against Sheffield United
Speaking on episode 328 of the E&S Podcast, Keen suggested that the manager could be tempted to unleash Tommy Doyle against Sheffield United.
While the journalist admitted that it was “unlikely” for the Englishman to replace either Mario Lemina or Joao Gomes, he explained the impact that the 22-year-old could have if introduced into the squad in a midfield three.
“The reason why I could see Tommy Doyle is I think this game will suit him a lot really, and he played the reverse fixture at the start of the season as well.”
“Wolves are going to have a lot of possession, Wolves need to break Sheffield United down and it’s an issue they’ve had against teams that are going to sit in, like Brentford did and like others have, and Wolves have not dealt with it as well as teams that have come out.”
“You potentially will need Tommy Doyle to unpick and unlock the defence, and that is the biggest reason for bringing him in.”
Starting Tommy Doyle could be a strong idea against Sheffield United
Keen mentioned that the boss could welcome the idea of dropping Pablo Sarabia to the bench to allow Doyle to play in the pocket behind Hwang Hee-chan and Pedro Neto.
Once lauded as “superb” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the Blades will know all too well just how effective the Manchester City loanee could be in midfield after he spent the 2022/23 season on loan at Bramall Lane.
Despite the manager explaining why he has recently chosen to drop the 22-year-old out of the starting eleven, his expertise in playmaking could support Keen’s claims of him giving Wolves an added creative outlet.
Last season, the midfielder averaged 1.1 key passes per game for Sheffield United, a spark of creativity greater than the output from Lemina and Gomes who average 0.5 and 0.4 per game respectively, via Sofascore.
The Blades are fighting for their life and will be set up to attempt to absorb the threat that Wolves present in the build-up, which could call for a playmaker such as Doyle to unpick between the lines.
After the level of performance that was displayed against Spurs, it’s unlikely that O’Neil would risk shuffling his starting lineup, however, Keen’s opinion certainly raises some food for thought.