On Saturday at noon, Liverpool will try to snap their losing streak, but Wolves could offer a threat, especially if last season is any indication.
The Reds are back in Premier League action this weekend after a break of almost two weeks, traveling to Molineux, where they suffered a 3-0 loss back in February.
With 10 points from their first four games in 2023–24, Liverpool does appear to be a different team, and they will be the favorites on Saturday.
Wolves boss Gary O’Neil is still getting used to his new surroundings as the team has now lost three times, including a 4-1 thrashing at home to Brighton.
There are, in my opinion, two perspectives on this.
Given that we only managed to score 38 league goals in 2021–2022 and 31 in 2022–2023, I’m not entirely confident that Wolves will play outstanding football the entire season, let alone that we will even average a goal per game.
However, given that there are three or four teams in the league that are worse than us this season, I am optimistic that we will be alright.
Anything higher than that would not only be a bonus, but a tremendous accomplishment for Gary O’Neil who, to put it frankly, has inherited a dreadful situation. I would snap your hand off for 17th place.
Along with Daniel Podence, who led the league in goals scored last season with six, Ruben Neves, Matheus Nunes, Joao Moutinho, Conor Coady, Raul Jimenez, Nathan Collins, and Adama Traore have all left the team.
It’s a very vacuum indeed.
Craig Dawson and Mario Lemina are two players that were essential to surviving last year, and I believe the latter will make the difference this time around.
I’ve already stated that I would settle for survival, something O’Neil accomplished with Bournemouth last year despite adversity.
Is he my top pick? No. He’s here, though, and I’ll support him. The coup of landing Julen Lopetegui and then screwing it up so horribly still baffles me.
He apparently made £8 million a year, and when he resigned, he did so as a “honorable gesture.” However, if money were the issue, I wouldn’t spend lord knows how much to fire the manager and his large backstage team.
Additionally, it demonstrates that for club owners, contracts aren’t worth the paper they’re written on. That was demonstrated by Nunes’ compelled transfer to Man City.
