🦁 PL Previews: Can Wolves attack more and continue upward trajectory? | OneFootball

Bruno Lage’s first season at Molineux was an understatedly impressive one as he led Wolves back into the top half.

That came after a disappointing season in 2020/21 in which they finished 13th and Nuno Espírito Santo departed.

Can they continue those improvements?

Click here to see all of our season previews so far.

Transfers 🔁

In: Nathan Collins (Burnley, £20.5m)

Out: Rúben Vinagre (Sporting CP, £8.5m), Romain Saïss (Besiktas, free), Marçal (Botafogo, free), John Ruddy (Birmingham City, free), Fábio Silva (Anderlecht, loan), Ki-Jana Hoever (PSV, loan)

Transfer balance: -£12m

Key fixtures 📆

🔑 Key player: Rúben Neves

Despite a summer of speculation (again!) surrounding the midfield maestro, Neves remains at Molineux, much to the relief and excitement of all concerned with the club.

There is no doubt that the 25-year-old possesses the quality to ply his trade at a higher level, which makes every season he remains at the club one to be savoured.

He played more accurate long balls (197) than any other midfielder in the league last season, an indicator of his vision and ability as is the fact that 15 of his 24 top flight goals have come from outside the area – and even when he is inside, he still pulls off magic like the above clip.

What has changed since last season? 🤔

Very little.

Much of the summer conversation among the Wolves faithful is precisely what Lage will do with his system, with several pushing for a change to a four-man defence as opposed to the three favoured before and if pre-season indications are anything to go by, they’ll get that wish – even if exactly how Lage lines up his midfield and attack remains to be seen.

Nathan Collins has arrived in a big money move from Burnley but it is what the man in charge decides to do with the squad’s returning loanees which will be most interesting.

Morgan Gibbs-White and Adama Traoré are back after differing fortunes in their seasons away and Lage has decisions to make on how they are used.

Predicted XI 🔮

(4-2-3-1) — Sá; Semedo, Coady, Collins, Äit-Nouri; Neves, Moutinho; Podence, Gibbs-White, Neto; Jiménez

Where will they finish? 🏆

Premier League: 11th FA Cup: Quarter-finals EFL Cup: Quarter-finals

Click here to see all of our season previews so far.