Wolves travel to West Ham on Sunday as Gary O’Neil looks to end his side’s bad form away with a victory.
Wolves have lost their last three away fixtures in the Premier League. Their last victory came against Bournemouth at the end of October.
Since then, O’Neil’s side have been defeated at Sheffield United, Fulham and Arsenal.
This is much contrast to their form at Molineux, with Wolves now unbeaten in their last seven games at their home ground.
This issue is one that O’Neil is looking to solve. West Ham will other another tough test for Wolves, with the side ninth in the Premier League.
However, they are more capable of losing to Wolves, especially after the 5-0 hammering against Fulham last weekend.
A victory for Wolves and O’Neil would all but confirm that they are not in a relegation battle this year and could well be fighting for a European spot. In order to get to this position, there are three problems O’Neil needs to address if Wolves are going to come away with a result.
Stop conceding early goals
Wolves have conceded within the first 15 minutes in four of their last five games.
This has continually put O’Neil’s side at a disadvantage as they always have to try and pull themselves back into the game. This was most evident against Nottingham Forest where the hosts took a while to reassert themselves after the early opener.
If Wolves are to concede against West Ham early it would put the visitors in a really tough spot. West Ham are unbeaten at home in their last five games in all competitions which includes a 3-1 victory over Arsenal.
An early goal would almost certainly put them in control of the game. However, if Wolves were to keep the scoreline level for longer it may make the home crowd restless.
O’Neil may opt to change the formation in order to stop the goals leaking in early on or may have to switch personnel.
Time for Tommy Doyle?
It is no secret that Wolves have lacked creativity in their recent games.
The side struggled to break down both Burnley and Nottingham Forest in their last two fixtures despite them struggling towards the bottom of the table.
While Mario Lemina and Joao Gomes have played well recently, a bigger creative spark in the middle may be needed.
O’Neil may look towards Tommy Doyle who has been able to offer a wide range of passing and vision since joining the club in the summer.
The midfielder was missed against Forest and O’Neil made a big mistake not subbing him on.
Now the manager may look to rectify this mistake by adding him to the starting XI on Sunday.
Pablo Sarabia or Jean-Ricner Bellegarde?
Another important decision to make for O’Neil.
Last weekend, the manager opted to go for Sarabia. This looked to have paid off as the attacker created a wealth of opportunities in the first half and got the assist for Matheus Cunha’s equaliser.
Bellegarde, who has quickly become an important player at Wolves since signing in the summer was forced to make a cameo off the bench. This had little effect on the game.
O’Neil may be tempted to switch their roles once again and play Sarabia on the bench. This is because Bellegarde is far more effective when he starts while Sarabia still offers a massive threat off the bench. This was shown in Wolves’ dramatic late victory against Spurs last month.