Wolves fans have been really impressed with Emmanuel Agbadou since he joined the club in January.
After struggling defensively under Gary O’Neil, Wanderers were always going to try and bring in a new central defender in January.
In the end, Vitor Pereira got the two defensive recruits Wolves planned to give him, with Emmanuel Agbadou and Nasser Djiga joining.
We have not seen too much of Djiga so far.
But Agbadou has made seven appearances for the club, and was getting better and better before he suffered an injury against Liverpool.
Fans really can’t wait until he’s back, which will hopefully be sooner rather than later.
For Dave Edwards, there has been one thing about Agbadou so far that has been pleasantly surprising.
Dave Edwards praises Emmanuel Agbadou’s ability to break the lines for Wolves
Agbadou has made a big impression already at Molineux.
Agbadou won Player of the Month for Wolves in January, underlining what an impactful signing he has been, and the reaction from fans to Agbadou’s injury said it all.
He is a key player already in this team, and the sooner he is back playing, the better.
There has been a lot of focus on Agbadou’s brilliant defending and how physically strong he is.
But Edwards has been struck by something else about the Ivory Coast international – and that is his ability to break the lines with his passing.
Speaking to Wolves’ official website, he said: “We speak about Conor Coady, what he was like, how he started attacks for Wolves. Santi Bueno, I think that’s why he’s played the central role, because of how good he is on the ball, but Agbadou has brought another dimension to it in a really positive way. He knows he can kick the ball a long way, he’s been seen to take goal kicks and big diagonals, but it’s more the calmness he’s shown and the progressive nature of his passes.
“I watched the [Liverpool] game back two or three times, and there were so many occasions he made a forward pass, and difficult forward passes, where you’re able to break a line, getting past [Luis] Diaz, [Diogo] Jota and [Mohamed] Salah. He did it with clever passes to Toti who moved ahead, he did it to [Rayan] Ait-Nouri, he fired it into Cunha, finding the attacking midfielders in space, knowing where that pass is. It makes us look more secure at the back, because we’re not panicking, and we’re getting a lot more success from attacks by the way he plays.
“Whilst it’s only a yard or two more [than the other defenders], over the course of hundreds of passes, it’s a lot. That shows his intent when he gets the ball – can I start an attack? Can I move the ball forward? I’ve been really surprised with the manner he’s been able to do it, and it has such a positive effect on the team, because we want to get our best players on the ball in good areas.”
Edwards recently branded Agbadou a ‘revelation’ for Wolves, and few would disagree with that verdict.
Agbadou is already crucial for Wolves
He’s only played seven games so far but Agbadou’s impact has been clear.
Prior to his arrival at the club, that backline looked so shaky. Like it would concede at any given set-piece opportunity.
But the signing of Agbadou has really helped Pereira solidify things back there, and the recent return of Toti Gomes from injury has also helped.
Him being out at the moment is not ideal.
Once he’s back, it will be so vital for him to stay fit – Agbadou playing the rest of the games for Wolves this season could genuinely help the club stave off relegation.