Wolves face Newcastle United this weekend in the Premier League, and Vitor Pereira is currently trying to work out which players to go with.
It has been a tough start for Wolves in the Premier League so far, with three defeats against Manchester City, Bournemouth and Everton to open with.
Wolves are the only team without a point on the board so far, and fans are desperately hoping for a turnaround.
But the situation doesn’t get any easier, with Newcastle United next up for Wolves.
St. James’ Park is one of the toughest grounds for any team to go to.
The Magpies have not lost to Wolves in the last seven meetings between the two teams, so they’ll head in as firm favourites.
As always, the team Pereira goes with will be fascinating. Fer Lopez potentially deserves a start against Newcastle.
Rodrigo Gomes is also looking promising right now after scoring two goals in the last two games.
But one player who has been struggling might just be a temptation for the Vitor Pereira.
Hwang Hee-chan has a good record against Newcastle
Hwang Hee-chan has been criticised again recently.
The South Korean made his first start against West Ham United in the Carabao Cup, but failed to impress and also missed a penalty.
After the game Pereira defended Hwang, who had sadly been dealing with the passing of his grandfather in the days leading up to the game.
£14 million signing (BBC Sport) Hwang was handed another start against Everton days later in the Premier League, and scored in the 3-2 defeat.
Now, Wolves have signed Tolu Arokodare, meaning some additional support for Jorgen Strand Larsen.
But the new signing has admitted he is not yet fully fit, and so, there’s potential for Hwang to play ahead of him this weekend.
| Hwang Hee-chan record vs Newcastle |
| Appearances – 7 |
| Wins – 1 |
| Draws – 2 |
| Losses – 4 |
| Goals – 4 |
| Assists – 0 |
And he will almost certainly start if Strand Larsen doesn’t recover from his minor injury in time.
But Pereira may be looking to start him regardless, because Hwang actually has a surprisingly good record against Newcastle.
He’s featured against the Magpies seven times since signing for Wolves, and scored four goals. Two of those came in the same game on his first appearance against them in 2021, which was the last time Wolves beat Newcastle.
Wolves need Hwang to find his mojo
Hwang is a very patchy player.
When he’s good, he’s good. When he is lacking confidence, he really does struggle, and his lack of an impact in those moments is far from ideal for Wolves.
The key with Hwang – who had recently transfer interest from PSV Eindhoven and others – is to get the ball rolling with him.
He scored against Everton, and that will have been a great feeling for him after missing the penalty.
Perhaps Pereira – who really wanted to keep Hwang – will give strong consideration to starting him against Newcastle, given his decent record and the notion of letting him build momentum.
Wolves need the 29-year-old to properly find his mojo. He is now one of the most experienced players in the squad, and must stand up and be counted.