Pundit Troy Deeney had a lot to say about one Wolves player at the start of the season.
It’s been a difficult start to the 2024/25 calendar at Molineux, as Wolves sit bottom of the Premier League table.
The Old Gold have picked up one point from a possible 21 after seven games played, putting Gary O’Neil under great pressure.
Time is running out for the manager to get his squad in order, with several players performing well below the level necessary to compete in the top flight.
Troy Deeney’s early criticism of Toti Gomes was right
Defensive frailty and lack of identity have been Wolves’ problem this season, with the squad yet to put together an entirely convincing 90 minutes of football.
Added to that, some of the stars of last term have been way off the pace, one of the most concerning figures being Toti Gomes.
The Portuguese ace was superb over the 2023/24 calendar in O’Neil’s back five, seeing him earn a new contract at Molineux back in February.
Fast forward to now and Toti has been one of Wolves’ worst performers this season, with the defender receiving harsh criticism from Troy Deeney after match day one.
Deeney branded Toti a ‘car crash’ after Wolves’ opening day defeat to Arsenal, calling on people to ‘remember’ his words.
“The boy Toti, mate, he falls over his laces. He’s a car crash, remember I said that, he’s a car crash,” Deeney said on Ben Foster’s Youtube channel.
Things haven’t improved for the 25-year-old six games later, as the defender is showing that he’s simply not cut out to play in a back four, something that O’Neil has to address.
Wolves have to get Toti Gomes performing
Heading into the 2024/25 campaign, there were great hopes for Toti, who was a revelation playing alongside Craig Dawson and Max Kilman last term.
Wolves expert Liam Keen even backed Toti to be Wolves’ player of the season ahead of the new season, reinforcing the belief in the defender leading up to the kick-off.
Instead, the 25-year-old is moving backwards, some of it being no fault of his own, as O’Neil is not playing to his, or his team’s strengths.
Wolves thrived in a back five last season, making the manager’s decision to revert to playing four at the back confusing.
Seven games in and the Old Gold are leaking goals and have little presence defensively, with Toti being one of the main culprits for errors.
Deeney called on people to mark his words and sadly, the pundit has been correct so far, giving Toti a challenge to up his game after the international break.