Vitor Pereira made wholesale changes ahead of Wolves’ Carabao Cup clash with Everton, and his decision paid off.
The team produced arguably their best football of the season to secure a 2-0 victory over an in-form Everton side.
Wolves’ defensive solidity and fluid attacking play highlighted just how effective the Portuguese manager’s adjustments were.
Pereira had been urged for weeks to drop underperforming starters, and he finally made the brave call.
New data has now emerged that suggests he was right to leave out one £16m star, who has made a poor start to the season.
Emmanuel Agbadou tops Premier League charts for errors leading to goals
Emmanuel Agbadou joined Wolves in January and immediately made an impact, helping the club avoid relegation last season with a series of strong performances.
However, this season the defender has been a shadow of his former self.
According to WhoScored, Agbadou has already made more errors leading to a goal than any other Premier League player this campaign.
Pereira attempted to defend his £16m signing, highlighting that the player had done many things well in the 3-1 defeat to Leeds United.
Despite the manager’s support, the statistics underline why dropping Agbadou for the Everton clash was a justified decision.
Agbadou needs a break from Wolves’ starting line-up
Agbadou has been under intense scrutiny following costly errors against Leeds, including giving away possession that led to their third goal just before halftime.
The defender has struggled to reproduce the form that helped Wolves avoid relegation last season.
While he clearly possesses ability, as shown last season, he needs a break from starting every week to regain confidence and focus on the basics.
Taking him out of the spotlight could allow him to rebuild mentally and physically without the pressure of constant first-team action.
This weekend, Pereira is likely to persist with Matt Doherty and Santiago Bueno, who have shown greater stability at the back.