Wolves fell to a 3-1 defeat against Crystal Palace in their latest pre-season friendly – but Oliver Glasner was left impressed by a couple of aspects of Wanderers’ game.
Wanderers had been three for three ahead of this game in Annapolis.
But Gary O’Neil‘s side lost this time around, although the manager will not be too concerned.
Despite the defeat, there were a number of positives for Wolves. The performances of the goalkeepers were a little concerning. But there were bright performances from several players such as Chiquinho and Pedro Lima, with Jorgen Strand Larsen also faring well when he came on.
Results are not so important in pre-season, it is all about getting minutes into legs and trying different things on the pitch.
It has been an intense past few weeks for the players, and that intensity has been evident in the games as well – which was something Palace manager Oliver Glasner noticed.
Oliver Glasner praises Wolves for their pressing and pace against Crystal Palace
Something that O’Neil has been very keen to do since he came in at Wolves is improve the fitness of the players.
Shortly after he arrived last year, he had suggested that the levels were not where they needed to be, and he put a big focus on getting them all fitter.
And that has again been a focus for the manager in pre-season.
The fitter the players are, the easier the task becomes on the pitch – especially out of possession.
Recently, journalist Nathan Judah had noted that Wolves had looked very good when pressing against Como 1907 in Marbella.
After last night’s game, Eagles boss Glasner was also struck by the way Wolves worked out of possession. He told their official website: “I told the players before that it is very important to have these competitive games, because then you can see what you have to work on.
“Of course, we gave them too many chances for a goal. We were twice lucky when it was offside. But at the end, because they pressed really well, to have quick solutions, move the ball very quickly.”
Not only are Wolves an energetic and busy side these days, they are also quick, with Glasner noting the pace of O’Neil’s team.
He added: “We also could see that the Wolves had a lot of pace today on the pitch, that we struggled in some moments with this. So therefore, we have to find solutions.”
Wolves’ fitness and pressing will overwhelm teams this season
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It is great to hear this from an opposition manager and clearly, it is something that is going to be really important in the coming season.
It is always important to have a group of players who are going to buy into all aspects of a game plan. That includes the dirty work.
By the looks and sounds of it, the Wolves players really like pressing. Or at least, they give the impression that they do, and credit must go to O’Neil for that.
There is potential here for Wolves to really overwhelm teams in 2024/25, and it is going to be fun to watch.
It is good that Wolves seem to have reached a high level with this side of the game, because it should make life a lot easier.