With Wolves set to take on Brentford Friday night, here are three key decisions that Gary O’Neil needs to get right if Wolves are to get a result.
Wolves travel to the Gtech Community Stadium for an FA Cup third-round tie with the aim of progressing into the next stage of the competition.
Last campaign, the Molineux side crashed out of the cup early on as they lost to Liverpool in the replay after some VAR controversy in the 2-2 draw at Anfield.
However, there are high hopes in the cup this season. Wolves come into the game on great form and have won their last three games on the bounce. This also includes a 4-1 win against Brentford at their ground with in-form Hwang Hee-Chan grabbing two of the goals.
Unfortunately for O’Neil, the attacker alongside Rayan Ait-Nouri and Boubacar Traore are all unavailable for the game due to AFCON and Asian Cup call-ups.
Now, going into the tie, here are three key decisions that the manager has to get right if Wolves are to get a positive result.
Pedro Neto to replace Hwang Hee-Chan?
With Hwang away on international duty with South Korea, Pedro Neto may be the perfect replacement for the attacker.
Neto came back from his two-month-long injury in the 3-0 win against Everton with a positive cameo from the bench. The winger was unlucky to score with one attempt being ruled out for offside late in the game.
The Portuguese international had been one of Wolves’ best players before his injury against Newcastle and was vital to the club’s early success in the Premier League.
However, the major question for O’Neil is if Neto is ready to start his first game since his injury. The 23-year-old would undoubtedly help Wolves get a positive result if he played but with the club not playing for another 17 days after the FA Cup, the manager might not see it as worth the risk.
Gary O’Neil to rotate against Brentford?
There are plenty of players who will be looking to get some game time against the Bees. Santiago Bueno has struggled for minutes this season and Dan Bentley will be looking to come in for the cup.
Joe Hodge also called for more time on the pitch earlier this season and has now returned from his injury.
However, the obvious risk of rotating the side is that it increases the likelihood of Brentford getting the result if they play their first team.
Some changes are undoubtedly expected due to Hwang and Ait-Nouri’s absence but O’Neil needs to ensure that he gets the blend of the side right on Friday night.
Gary O’Neil can’t underestimate Brentford
There is no doubt that Brentford are on a poor run of form at the moment. The Bees have lost six of their last seven games and were dominated by Wolves two games back.
It is unclear how Thomas Frank will set up the hosts at the moment as he may look to rotate his side to concentrate on the league. Recent form has seen the capital side slide now the table and are now only four points above the drop zone.
However, no matter how Brentford choose to set up Wolves cannot be complacent. O’Neil’s side have struggled against out-of-form opposition all season and gave Sheffield United their first win back in November.
If Wolves want to get to the fourth round, they have to be at their best or they will risk another early exit.