Wolves suffered a disappointing 3-0 defeat against Newcastle United on Wednesday night, with forward Hwang Hee-chan continuing his poor run of form.
The 28-year-old kept his place in the starting lineup despite producing a woeful display against Bristol City, and supporters voiced their anger over his inclusion.
Hwang was criticised by Wolves fans for his involvement in Alexander Isak’s first goal, as he gave possession away cheaply in the opponents’ half, allowing Newcastle to counter-attack and score.
Vitor Pereira was ‘furious’ with Hwang for that mistake, and the South Korean was replaced at half-time for Matheus Cunha, who made a huge difference in the second half.
While Hwang was incredibly poor at St James’ Park and needs to be dropped for Wolves clash against Chelsea, he isn’t the only player who should lose his place in the starting lineup.
Vitor Pereira must drop Goncalo Guedes after woeful Newcastle display
Goncalo Guedes has started all but one of Wolves Premier League games under Pereira, and the Portugues attacker kept his place in the team against Newcastle.
Guedes started on the right of a front three alongside Hwang and Jorgen Strand Larsen but the 32-cap international struggled to leave any class on the contest.
The 28-year-old had the lowest rating of any Wolves player on Sofascore (6.0), and there were no surprises when his all-round performance was shocking.
Goncalo Guedes stats vs Newcastle
- 69 minutes played
- 2 big chances missed
- 18/25 (72%) accurate passes
- 1 shot on target
- 16 times possession lost
- 0 key passes
- 3 times dribbled past
It was a display marred by wastefulness in front of goal and lack of defensive work, with Joleon Lescott questioning Wolves’ clinical edge.
Wolves need to sign a new winger this month
While Guedes needs to be taken out of the lineup, it isn’t clear-cut who should replace him. Pablo Sarabia hasn’t been favoured by Pereira, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde isn’t good enough and Carlos Forbs has also struggled on loan.
The Portuguese attacker doesn’t have anyone truly challenging him for a place in the side, and so Pereira will perhaps select him against Chelsea.
However, this notion only highlights the need for Wolves to sign a winger, especially since Forbs is only here temporarily and Sarabia’s contract expires this year.
Wolves have been linked with Miguel Almiron, although the Newcastle wideman looks likely to return to the United States this month.
Links to Almiron suggest they could sign a winger in January, though Pereira only expects two more signings, and those are expected to be a centre-back and midfielder.