Former Wolves midfielder Dave Edwards feels Wolves really miss former defender Matt Doherty.
He wrote in his Express and Star column that Doherty’s goal threat at the back post and driving runs have been missed.
Wolves have not scored in their first two Premier League matches but the floodgates opened in the EFL Cup at Nottingham Forest last night.
“Wolves need more players affecting the opposition box,” he said. “If Adama’s crossing the ball, Trincao won’t be winning headers, he’s waiting for something to drop. The opposite wing-back is getting to the back post.
There’s not enough penetration from someone hitting the box. Usually it’d come from a midfielder, but the responsibility of midfielders in a 3-4-3 is to back play up.
“Wolves were so lucky to have Matt Doherty. Not just as a wing-back to arrive at the back post, but to make penetrative runs between lines, they miss that person, whether it’s a midfielder or wing-back.
“It is lacking that person who is going to make that run and challenge the centre-backs, they haven’t got that. Raul is easier to mark for two centre-backs, he needs someone else disrupting that line with him.”
It’s fair to say Doherty’s move to Tottenham hasn’t panned out as planned.
He currently finds himself behind Japhet Tanganga in the pecking order at right-back.
Of course, the man who sold him in the first place is now his Spurs manager.
It was reported last month that Doherty could already be on the move again.
This writer doesn’t quite agree that Wolves lack of league goals is because they’re lacking Doherty at right wing-back.
That’s a strange conclusion for Edwards to draw. Maybe some supporters would agree with it, but Nelson Semedo and Ki-Jana Hoever have replaced the Irishman well.
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