Gary O’Neil warned of ‘biggest issue’ he now faces at Wolves ahead of Newcastle United clash
The Premier League returns for Wolves at Molineux following the international break, as Newcastle United come to visit.
It’s set to be a difficult fixture for Gary O’Neil’s side, but one that will hand the Midlands club the chance to secure their first win of the Premier League season.
Last time out, Wolves picked up their first point by recording a 1-1 draw against Nottingham Forest prior to the international break.
Now that the break in domestic play is over, focus will return to the huge challenges ahead for O’Neil’s squad, starting with Newcastle’s visit to Molineux.
- READ MORE: Gary O’Neil defends one aspect of Wolves system that was criticised in Chelsea defeat
Wolves have an issue to solve against Newcastle
Last season, Wolves drew 2-2 with Newcastle at Molineux, with Mario Lemina and Hwang Hee-chan scoring on the day.
There will be hope that a similar, if not better, result can be replicated on match day four of 2024/25 against the Magpies.
In order to get the win, O’Neil has been warned of one of the ‘biggest’ problems he has to solve within his squad, as per journalist Liam Keen on the E&S Wolves Podcast.
The biggest issue is the defence,” Keen explained.
“It’s about finding the right balance between the players, whether Dawson plays, whether Toti is at left-back, where Ait-Nouri fits in the picture.”
The Wolves expert made life a little easier for the boss by stressing the importance of having Rayan Ait-Nouri in the squad, with it up to O’Neil how he lines his back line up.
“You’ve got to try and fit all these puzzle pieces together and I think Ait-Nouri has to be a part of that final picture, it’s just where you fit him in. It’s a tough conundrum.”
Gary O’Neil has a dilemma with Rayan Ait-Nouri
There were very few Wolves players as impactful as Ait-Nouri last term, as the Algerian found his purpose at Molineux after being almost exiled by Julen Lopetegui.
O’Neil certainly got the best out of the 23-year-old, who thrived playing on the left side of a defensive back five, operating as a wing-back.
- READ MORE: Andy Thompson suggests Rayan Ait-Nouri may have lost his confidence recently
The issue O’Neil has is that since reverting to a back four, Ait-Nouri’s role has become one of a detrimental nature to his performance levels, as the left-back is far better utilised in a back five.
Given that the manager is unlikely to change his defensive formation, it remains unclear whether Ait-Nouri will be seen as a winger, or as a left-back, with the defender playing both positions so far this season.
It will be interesting to see how O’Neil lines his side up with Ait-Nouri’s form in mind, with the Algeria international having the key to unlock a lot of Wolves’ threat going forward.
