00:00Hello, I'm Nathan Judah. I am here with Wolves reporter Mr Liam Keane. The Costa Brava Derby
00:14finished, Girona 2, Wolverhampton Wanderers 1. What did you make of that, Keane?
00:18Yeah, the first half was very much a pre-season game, wasn't it? A training game. I thought Wolves
00:22actually started relatively okay on both wing-backs, Hoover and Rodrigo Gomez, I thought were lively.
00:28The issue with Hoover, albeit I thought he got into some really good positions, was a lot of his delivery into the box was poor.
00:34So that's an area to improve. I thought Wolves started okay to be honest. As the half progressed, the intensity dipped.
00:42Girona showed a couple of warning signs to Wolves in that first half without really doing a lot.
00:46And then once the intensity had dipped, you come out for the second half and Girona proved what they were trying to offer in that first half with two quick-fire goals.
00:56The second one is a worldie. It's a fantastic finish.
01:00So you can't necessarily put a lot of blame on Wolves, albeit maybe standing off the defender, allowing him to get through midfield too easily, etc.
01:06The first goal is really worrying for me. It really is.
01:10Wolves, well first of all Sam Johnson doesn't catch it, I think he needs to catch it, he punches it.
01:15There is a little bit of play in between there, but that sort of half starts the move.
01:18They allow the cross to come in from the right-hand side too easily.
01:21Santi Bueno was just on his heels and I turned to you as the ball was coming in and I said watch this runner coming in.
01:25And you watched it in front of us in real time and you could see the run.
01:29And Bueno was on his heels, doesn't react quick enough and it's a goal.
01:33It's just frustrating because Wolves have now played five pre-season games, including two training games, without a win.
01:40Now wins aren't important, it's the performances.
01:43And there are some concerning signs of the performances alongside some better signs once they were 2-0 down.
01:48But once they're 2-0 down in the Premier League, it's game over normally.
01:52So Wolves have got to be better.
01:54Look, I'm seeing the podcast and I think he'll be fine.
01:58I think he'll be fine from Manchester City, but throughout this pre-season I'd be very surprised at Emmanuel Agbadoo and his performances.
02:04I agree.
02:05He looks very casual on the ball, not himself, giving the ball away, led to a goal today.
02:10Stray passes, just not like him.
02:12I think because he set himself such a high standard last season coming into this team,
02:16and you look to a couple of the players that have lost and you look to leaders in this side,
02:20of course he was one of those players that I think was in the mix for the captaincy, at least among fans anyway.
02:25He doesn't seem to be on it.
02:27Now this could completely change and you see him in the Premier League and some players need to get stoked up
02:31and maybe your Premier League games, that's it.
02:33But I think Vitor Pereira will be frustrated at the way that he's played so far this pre-season.
02:38And he'll need to book his ideas up going to Celta Vigo next week.
02:40Yeah, absolutely.
02:42Whether he is being too casual, it's too easy for him, I don't know.
02:45But there's been other times when it's just plain sloppiness.
02:49There's only so far you can excuse it.
02:51It's a lack of concentration.
02:52There's a lack of concentration completely.
02:53There were so many straight passes.
02:54Quite often, and they've been doing this a lot in pre-season,
02:56they've been going direct from Aguidou straight through to last,
03:00with a pass through the middle.
03:01And when they get it right, it does work.
03:04And so many times tonight they got it wrong.
03:06So many times the pass was wrong.
03:08So many times, occasionally it bounced off Jorgen, I think he did them better,
03:10but 95% of the time it was Aguidou's ball, Aguidou's pass that was not anywhere near it.
03:15I mean, there was three or four times when the ball is rolled to him and no pressure goes to control it,
03:20and then he puts his foot in and the ball goes under his foot.
03:23In the Premier League, sometimes, oftentimes, you're not going to get away with things like this.
03:27No, and you've got Haaland on your toes.
03:29Exactly. Look, I do believe, we said this in the podcast as well, I do believe, come City,
03:33he's a fantastic player, he's been brilliant so far at this football club.
03:36I think he'll come good and he'll be fine.
03:37But in pre-season, he's been nowhere near at it.
03:40No.
03:41And he has to book his ideas up.
03:42Things could only get better, and Wolves put a flurry of substitutions on.
03:45Yeah.
03:46And two of those players who were most interested in seeing had telling signs, really,
03:49that they could have a good season.
03:50And one year since Mosquera, first minutes of pre-season, he'll be happy to get out under his belt.
03:54And of course, you've spoken to him after the game.
03:56And John Arias, who not only looked lively, but scored on debut, which is great news.
04:00Yeah, really good for Jürsen.
04:01As I say, interviewed him after the game, there's some really good stuff to come from that as well.
04:04He needed that confidence-wise, I think, mentally and physically, to go out there and get those first minutes.
04:09He had, obviously, the major knee issue, had then a little calf strain that was a little bit of a setback.
04:13Things that haven't quite gone his way in pre-season.
04:15So for him to get out there and play is massive for him, and almost score from a header, from a corner as well.
04:20So really, really important for him to get out there.
04:22I think he'll be important this season, if and when he gets into the team.
04:25Obviously, there's going to be some competition there.
04:27Arias showed some really good signs, didn't he?
04:29Early on, the ball's obviously up their tempo a little bit.
04:3165th minute, they made five changes.
04:33The Beatles message down here was clearly, pick the pace off.
04:36They start to spray passes around a bit quicker.
04:38And they started doing that.
04:39They were much better after the changes.
04:41And Arias, early on, nicks the ball, sets Larsen up, near post, shot saved.
04:45He then gets his goal.
04:47Really nice work from Xao Gomez in midfield.
04:49Maybe slightly fortunate in how the ball gets to Arias, but he takes it really well.
04:54First of all, his first touch is good.
04:55And then he shrugs off at the challenge.
04:57He's strong.
04:58He's bullish.
04:59He gets out there, he gets into the box.
05:00Direct.
05:01And it's a good finish.
05:02I mean, he can't miss really.
05:04No, but with the space he's created himself and the directness of the run.
05:07Exactly.
05:08He's created himself, exactly that.
05:09And it was a really good sign.
05:11And great for him, again, from a confidence.
05:13Look, he's an experienced guy, but a confidence perspective.
05:15Coming to a new club and having a few good signs.
05:18And he did it after the goal as well and had a few good moments.
05:21Wolves were better going towards it.
05:23You know, Geron didn't really have a kick.
05:25Hugo Buenau has a big chance.
05:27He probably needs to hit the target.
05:29It opens up really nicely from his left foot and just drags it wide.
05:32But other than that, it was a box standard defeat, if you will, in pre-season.
05:37There will be positives and negatives to take from it.
05:40But it's clear and obvious, as you said from the beginning a long time ago,
05:43this team needs some help.
05:44They need some signings.
05:45They need some help.
05:46They need some signings.
05:47Two weeks to go to Manchester City.
05:48But you've got to think that Vito Pereira will probably pick his starting line
05:51for Man City against Celta Vigo.
05:52I would imagine so.
05:53Most likely.
05:54I guess one player to come in from that is Wolves.
05:56And it would be interesting if he starts at left wing back, whether he's ready to go.
05:59I suspect he probably will be.
06:01But you've got Rodrigo Gomez pushing for a start.
06:04You've got Hugo Bueno, as you say, pushing for a start.
06:06But you do feel with the way things have gone during this pre-season.
06:09Gonzalo Geddes, of course, is going to Real Sociedad.
06:11They feel a little bit behind the eight ball this moment in Time Wolves.
06:15Yeah, definitely.
06:16I think with Celta Vigo going into City, a couple of players that may or may not start
06:21and then go and start into the Premier League.
06:22As you say, it would be Wolves with left wing back.
06:24You know, the Manezzi, Bellegarde, Arias, Lopez.
06:27Yes.
06:28Two either side of Larsson are the ones that are a little bit up in the air as to who will play.
06:32Other than that, the team most likely picked itself.
06:35And we'll see, I think, the majority of that against Artur Vigo, as you say.
06:40But there's gaps here.
06:41White wing back, who I think has done pretty well actually in pre-season, but they need one.
06:45Yeah.
06:46They need a starter.
06:47They need a starter.
06:48You lose André Ojal Gomes midfield for any reason.
06:51God forbid that happens.
06:52You need someone who steps into there.
06:53And at the moment, there isn't an obvious choice.
06:55Probably Bellegarde, really.
06:57For me, obviously, they're going for a striker.
07:00To be honest, especially with Geddes going.
07:02I would argue another number 10 as well.
07:04But we're not quite sure that will necessarily happen depending on how the rest of the window develops.
07:07So, there's a lot of work to do here.
07:09Left centre half is an area they're looking at as well, as we mentioned.
07:12Because, you know, if Totti goes down or is unavailable, that balance in that team is lacking and struggling.
07:17So, yeah.
07:18Work to do.
07:19They're on it.
07:20They're actively doing it.
07:21But it's just frustrating how long it takes to get it done.
07:24And it's not going to be done for the City.
07:25We're going to have to go deep into Wolves.
07:27And we just hope that they get the right players in at the right time.
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