Wolves drew 1-1 with Stoke City in an underwhelming pre-season friendly at the Bet365 Stadium.
Underwhelming is the feeling around Wolves at present, as Vitor Pereira’s side continue to work hard over pre-season.
After losing to CD Santa Clara in a training match, the Old Gold have since recorded two draws in friendlies against English opposition Burnley and Stoke City.
Wolves aren’t worried about pre-season results, but it’s becoming clear that a lot of work is needed to get the squad up to speed, both on and off the pitch.
Having made only two signings so far and letting a handful of star talent leave, the remainder of the transfer window holds a new level of importance.
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Emmanuel Agbadou had to apologise to Vitor Pereira
One thing Pereira will want to do is replenish his defence, particularly in the wide areas.
Wolves lost out on Marc Pubill at the final hurdle, and shortly after, Samuel Lino drifted away after the West Midlands club showed an interest.
Though the wing-back positions are a concern for Pereira, the Wolves manager might also be wary of central defence.
During Wolves’ clash with Stoke, one player stood out for performing far below his usual standard, as Emmanuel Agbadou had a poor game.
Express and Star reporter Liam Keen was at the Bet365 Stadium as the action unfolded, where he spotted Pereira airing his frustrations at Agbadou.
“Pereira likes his team to have the ball and play out, but Agbadou was making unforced and unnecessary errors,” Keen said.
“On two occasions in quick succession, he took one touch too many and tripped over the ball, giving Stoke a chance to go on the attack.”
The Wolves expert then revealed that Agbadou felt the need to apologise to Pereira after the boss was yelling at him on the touchline.
“After the second, Pereira was screaming over to him from the touchline, seemingly asking him to pick passes much quicker. The defender raised his hand in apology.”
It was a rare poor performance from Agbadou, who played a huge part in Wolves turning things around last season.
Wolves’ best back five is very unclear
It was nothing more than a bad day at the office for Agbadou, but the match as a whole would’ve alerted Pereira to how much his defence needs clarity.
As expected after the departure of Rayan Ait-Nouri and the absence of Nelson Semedo, Wolves’ best back five is incredibly unclear.
| Player | Position |
| Matt Doherty | CB/RB |
| Santiago Bueno | CB |
| Emmanuel Agbadou | CB |
| Yerson Mosquera | CB |
| Toti Gomes | CB |
| Pedro Lima | RB |
| Ki-Jana Hoever | RB |
| Rodrigo Gomes | RB/LB |
Agbadou and Toti Gomes have secure spots in central defence, with Matt Doherty and Yerson Mosquera there to battle to partner the duo.
The wing-back areas are where things get complicated, as new signings are needed.
Ki-Jana Hoever has impressed in pre-season and could stay at Wolves, leaving Pereira’s other options as Hugo Bueno, Rodrigo Gomes and Pedro Lima.
The four players above have two things in common: they’re all extremely talented but have limited Premier League experience.
There’s no time to waste in the transfer market as pre-season ticks on, with a clear starting back five needed ahead of the start of the competitive action.