One Wolves player proved how invaluable he is to Gary O’Neil after his fantastic performance in the 1-1 draw against Nottingham Forest.
Gary O’Neil called for a response from his Wolves players at Nottingham Forest after losing 6-2 against Chelsea last weekend.
Supporters, though, would have feared the worst when Chris Wood put the hosts in front after just 10 minutes played.
Thankfully, a screamer from Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, only his third Premier League goal for Wolves, put the visitors back on level terms and that was how the game ended.
O’Neil made a few changes for this match, handing a debut to goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, who impressed between the sticks, while Craig Dawson, Nelson Semedo and Bellegarde came back into the side.
Wolves looked a lot more solid with these changes, and they can thank one man for that.
- READ MORE: Matt Hobbs drops exciting verdict on Carlos Forbs after Wolves complete Deadline Day signing
Craig Dawson proved he’s undroppable after Nottingham Forest draw
Dawson was left out of the starting XI for the first two games when he arguably should have played. Defensive duo Toti Gomes and Yerson Mosquera lack top-flight experience while Dawson has almost 300 appearances under his belt.
O’Neil was crying out for experience in defence and throwing the 34-year-old into the starting eleven alongside Mosquera saw Toti move to left-back, and Wolves looked more balanced.
This also allowed Rayan Ait-Nouri to play an advanced role down the left, where he had previously flourished as Dawson steadied the ship.
Whether he was winning aerial duels against Chris Wood or using his body to win possession back, the Englishman was as solid as a rock.
As per Sofascore, Dawson won three of his four ground duels, made two tackles, seven clearances and recorded an 83% pass completion.
Previously dubbed ‘incredible’ for his defensive work, the former West Ham titan showed that even in the latter stages of his career, he’s a vitally important player in the squad.
Dawson gets the best out of his Wolves teammates
Last season, Wolves formed a solid back three with Toti, Dawson and Max Kilman.
Dawson got the best out of the former captain Kilman as his solidity in the middle and positional awareness often bailed the 27-year-old out.
Now, he has a new defensive partner to mentor and cover for, and that is youngster Mosquera. The Colombian defender will have been thankful for having such experience alongside him.
Indeed, introducing Dawson into the back line was a necessary change for the league games after impressing alongside Santi Bueno in the Carabao Cup win over Burnley.