One change that Gary O’Neil put into place against West Ham shows a key shift that could happen at Wolves in 2024/25.
The summer transfer window has been strong so far for Wolves, who have welcomed four players to the club.
As well as making changes in the transfer window, Gary O’Neil looks set to make tweaks tactically too, with a clear indicator on show in his squad’s pre-season friendly win against West Ham,
The Old Gold beat Julen Lopetegui’s side 3-1 to kick off their US pre-season tour, with a formation change hinting at what could be seen across the campaign ahead.
Gary O’Neil makes key formation change during Wolves pre-season friendly win against West Ham
Aside from the encouraging performances from O’Neil’s new arrivals against West Ham, another key thing was spotted during the friendly.
Writing in a column for Express and Star, journalist Liam Keen explained how he’d seen the ‘clearest indicator’ of how Wolves could look in the coming season.
“The game against West Ham was the clearest indicator yet of O’Neil’s plan for his team.
“For most of Saturday evening it was a rigid back four and with an extra attacking player on the pitch, Wolves looked exciting going forward.”
The formation certainly seemed to fit the new signings, as Pedro Lima and Jorgen Strand Larsen secured assists and Rodrigo Gomes netted a brace.
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Evaluating what he saw against West Ham, Keen expressed his excitement about what the formational switch could add to the squad going forward next term.
“They pressed aggressively, created overloads on the flanks and manufactured chances. All three goals showed examples of pressing and playing out from the back with success.
“Although Wolves will need to revert to a back five at times this coming season, if O’Neil can master the back four, Wolves have enough attacking talents to enjoy an exhilarating campaign.”
O’Neil has a clear plan ahead of the 2024/25 campaign
It’s a testament to O’Neil and Matt Hobbs’ work in the transfer window to make a switch to a back four possible at Wolves.
Last season, the manager’s decision to move from a four to a five proved to be pivotal, mostly due to the club’s lack of depth and attacking options in the squad.
Having acquired the target man figure of Strand Larsen, O’Neil can now play with his formation more freely, with the early signs of the back four set-up looking good.
It will be fascinating to see how Wolves perform in the boss’ second season in charge, with the early signs suggesting that the squad could see a vast improvement after their woeful finish to 2023/24.