The Keen & Judah Show: Wolves fans shouldn't be scared on change and embrace a back four

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Liam Keen & Nathan Judah pick out four important talking points that they’ve noticed during Wolves’ start to the season.

Transcript

00:00I think Gary Neal is very, very strong on this back four,

00:03whether people might think he should go to a back three,

00:06maybe certain people's best positions might fit a back three.

00:11It's not, it's going to be a back four moving forward into it,

00:13unless it's very much a horses of a course,

00:16his one-off, you think, in the near future.

00:20Yeah, I'm sure there will be some one-offs for sure.

00:23Perhaps a Manchester City game, for example,

00:25at some point is the obvious option, isn't it?

00:28The obvious example, and I think those moments will happen.

00:31I think Wolves will have, whether it's a run of games

00:33or a singular game at some point this season with a back five,

00:37because they'll see tactical reasons to make that switch,

00:40tactical reasons that Wolves can go and get a performance,

00:43whether it's to nullify the opposition

00:45or to enhance Wolves' strengths.

00:48And we have seen in pre-season as well,

00:50moments when Wolves will play back four,

00:52but occasionally defend in certain situations in a five.

00:55I think it was a West Ham game over in America,

00:57Chiquinho was dropping deep in the second half

01:01to nullify Koufal, who was getting so far forward from right back,

01:04and it became a five at times.

01:06The Como game in Marbella, as you mentioned there,

01:08it was a bit of a hybrid system where it became a five.

01:12And it was all really reliant on Ryan Aitnouri

01:14playing as a very deep-lying left-back

01:18who would join the game a bit later on,

01:20where some of his strength to do live

01:22is entering the attacking phase or the attacking area

01:26a little bit later than his teammates,

01:27picking the ball up a little bit later,

01:29being able to dribble and take players on.

01:31And that has been the game plan moving forward.

01:34That's changed slightly.

01:35The Nottingham Forest game, as you mentioned,

01:37it was a back four, but it was Aitnouri as a left winger

01:39rather than a left back.

01:41But Gary O'Neill, as it stands,

01:42regardless of the occasional game here and there

01:44where it may change,

01:46it's sticking with this back four.

01:47And it seems like he's going to be very strong

01:49on that moving forward.

01:50Now, I understand why some people or some fans

01:54feel a little bit uneasy about that

01:55because it feels like it's within Wolves' DNA

01:58to play a five because of all the success under Nuno

02:00that carried through into other managers

02:02and other managers have tried before.

02:04Bruno Large being the obvious example

02:07who attempted to play a back four in his second season.

02:11It didn't go well.

02:13There was a lot of parallels with this year

02:15in the sense that it was a tough start,

02:18a experienced defender not starting.

02:21Connor Cody under Bruno Large's reign

02:25completely bombed out and obviously moved on.

02:27Craig Dawson certainly left out to start the season,

02:30but has now come back with a vengeance,

02:32come back strong and played so well against Forrest.

02:34But I don't think people should be too scared of change.

02:37Change can be, you know,

02:39you can be wary and anxious of change at times,

02:42but I don't think it necessarily is a bad thing.

02:44And if Gary O'Neill, who I think is an excellent coach,

02:47finds reasons to believe that the back four

02:50is the way Wolves should play moving forward,

02:52then there's no reason right now

02:53that we shouldn't have faith in that.

02:55If we come to six weeks down the line

02:58and Wolves are still struggling,

02:59perhaps there's more questions to be raised,

03:00but right now it's the direction they're going in

03:03and it doesn't seem like they're going to make

03:04a change anytime soon.

03:06It's the longest answer you've given in three years.

03:08It's unbelievable.

03:09Don't have to do my job.

03:10Just detailed stuff, mate.

03:11You know what I mean?

03:11Absolutely insane.

03:12It's almost like you've made notes.

03:15For once, yeah.

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