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Wolves preseason: Success or struggle? Keane and Judah dissect Wolves' preseason performance abroad, from Portugal to Spain, and preview their upcoming home game against Celta Vigo before facing Manchester City.
The guys analyze the Girona defeat, highlighting both positives and negatives. Discover why new signing John Arias is already making a big impact and could become a fan favorite.
Plus, is Emmanuel Agbedou living up to expectations after his stellar performances last season? Tune in for insights and analysis!
#WWFC #WolvesFC #PremLeague #FootballAnalysis
The guys analyze the Girona defeat, highlighting both positives and negatives. Discover why new signing John Arias is already making a big impact and could become a fan favorite.
Plus, is Emmanuel Agbedou living up to expectations after his stellar performances last season? Tune in for insights and analysis!
#WWFC #WolvesFC #PremLeague #FootballAnalysis
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SportsTranscript
00:00Well, hello, everybody. Welcome to the latest episode. It is the Keane and Judah show. I am your host, Nathan Judah. Delighted to be joined by Mr. Liam Keane. Liam, preseason abroad is over. Portugal, done in the book. Spain, Bosh, completely done as well. One more preseason game to go. Of course, that's Celta Vigo.
00:26But home at Molyneux in front of the home crowd for the first time this season. Because, of course, we were at Walsall, weren't we, earlier on?
00:31But, yeah, the crowds will be returning to Molyneux ahead of Manchester City in less than two weeks, Liam.
00:39Podcast later today, we'll be going into whether Wolves are ready for that game or not at this moment in time.
00:45But in terms of the latest game, look, Wolves haven't won a game yet in preseason.
00:50How important is that to win a game or is it more on performance at this moment in time?
00:58Performance is, without a doubt, a key and a critical in preseason.
01:03Far more important than results. However, it's not going to be ideal for anyone from a Wolves persuasion,
01:10whether that's Vito Pereira, the hierarchy, the players, the fans, to look at five games gone
01:15with three defeats and two draws. And then on top of that, lots of things in the performances
01:21that haven't exactly got us excited. So there's some positives to take with John Arias the other day
01:27and a few other things. But otherwise, it's slim pickings. Wolves have got a hell of a lot of work to do.
01:32Yeah, so we're going to concentrate on that last game that was on Sunday night.
01:36So only a couple of nights ago. And that was Girona 2, Wolverhampton Wanderers 1.
01:42Great to see all the fans out there. Pleasure to meet them in the bars and the clubs
01:47and wherever else we saw them in the streets, in the stadium.
01:51I'm sure a few people might still be over there, actually, enjoying the local tipple, shall we say.
01:56But yes, a defeat for Vito Pereira's side. Some good, some bad.
02:00And we're going to talk about some of those players as well.
02:02Three up, two down from that game against Girona.
02:06And let's talk about a player who we saw in training on the Saturday for the first time in the flesh
02:10and came off the bench in that second half and really gave Wolves that added impetus
02:16that the game was slowing down. They looked tired. They looked a bit leggy.
02:19And then John Arias comes on and we got the deal done.
02:22Of course, Liam, you broke the news when we were in Portugal, very early on in the Portugal.
02:26And it's nice to see that done, that dusted, him come on and make a telling impact.
02:31Not just, I think, in the goal that he scored, but the minutes we saw him.
02:35Someone who's going to be very direct, I think, who we both said,
02:39and I think this is, well, without seeing him and seeing him in the flesh,
02:42I think quite easily be one of the fan favourites this season.
02:46Yeah, I think so. He's got to play with his heart on his sleeve a little bit.
02:49I think fans, particularly Wolves fans, will really enjoy that.
02:53Yeah, it was the 65th minute, roughly, about when Arias and four of the Wolves players all came on.
02:58And the message, clearly, from Vito Pereira was, get at them.
03:03Let's up the tempo a little bit.
03:05And Wolves started to do that with these players being introduced.
03:09And John Arias was at the heart of that.
03:11Unfortunately for him, the goal, maybe slightly fortunate in a small way,
03:15in the way that the ball bounced to him.
03:16But also, I think Gio Gomez does a lot of good work to bring that ball into control,
03:21dance beyond a couple and find the pass.
03:23And he takes the ball in his stride, first of all, an excellent first touch, shrugs off a challenge,
03:28is direct and is clinical, and it's a really good finish.
03:31So those things are really positive.
03:33But aside from the goal, you know, his first real introduction or involvement was winning the ball,
03:40in the box, pressing high, being aggressive, getting the ball back and feeding last.
03:44And he had a near post shot saved.
03:46Lots of nice little neat Cruyff turns here and there, picked a few good passes.
03:49So lots of things to like about what he offered in just, you know, 25 minutes.
03:55We may, and maybe both of us hope, we'll see him from the start against Saltovigo.
04:00And if we do, that's probably a good indicator of these starts against Man City.
04:03And hopefully we can see a lot more to come.
04:06Someone who we definitely will see from the start against Saltovigo and starting against Manchester City,
04:10barring, of course, a touch with any injury, is Emmanuel Agbedou.
04:14Someone who was an absolute colossal snack last season from January.
04:18Very amazing transfer signing, of course.
04:21Boston did not replace Max Killman.
04:22And look, they paid for it in that first half of the season, didn't they?
04:25They were crying out for a commanding centre-half in the centre, bossing things.
04:29And that's exactly what they got.
04:30And the standards that he set himself so high, we kind of just expected him to breeze past pre-season.
04:37Maybe that's the issue because he's definitely not been the Emmanuel Agbedou we know and love,
04:40not just in the games, but in training as well, Liam, and constantly giving the ball away.
04:44And I think you can forgive him one or maybe two games, 35-minute here or 45-minute appearance.
04:49But this has become, I'm not going to say a worrying trait, but it's definitely not the Agbedou that I think fans will expect.
04:58Now, this could quite easily be just pre-season and he's not trying 100%,
05:03but there are definitely lapses of concentration, to get my words out,
05:08concentration that I think, you know, Vito Pereira will be slightly disappointed with.
05:13I fully expect him to be ready to go against Manchester City,
05:17but I definitely think we need to see a tuned-in, turned-on Emmanuel Agbedou against Celta Vigo.
05:23Yeah, we do.
05:23And I hope we do see that.
05:25Let's boil this down to its most simple example, if you will.
05:28I think there was two, maybe three occasions in that game against Girona where Girona aren't pressing high,
05:36Wolves are passing it around the defenders, no pressure whatsoever on him.
05:41And it's just a key word to use there, concentration, a lack of,
05:45because the ball comes across to him, he goes to control it,
05:49and the ball slides out from underneath his foot and he completely misses the ball.
05:51He did it on two or three occasions.
05:53It was very obvious, very evident.
05:55Now, it didn't cause any issues at that time.
05:56There were players around there that mopped up and won the ball back and continued to keep possession.
06:01But if you do that in the Premier League, you're going to get caught out.
06:04Several times, they're trying to find that pass directly from Agbedou straight into Larson,
06:08bypassing the midfield, having Larson hold the ball up and ping it out wide.
06:12It's worked on occasion through pre-season, actually.
06:14Sometimes it's long passes, sometimes it's on the floor,
06:17sometimes it's him taking goal kicks.
06:19And a lot of the time against Girona, they tried on the ball, on the floor,
06:25direct, sharp pass into Larson.
06:28And 95% of the time, Agbedou messed up the pass.
06:32A couple of times, Larson may be good and slightly better,
06:34but for the vast majority of it, he was finding Girona players.
06:38He was putting too much on it, too much weight on the ball.
06:40He just was not quite at it.
06:42And that's been the story of his pre-season.
06:44He's been fantastic since he signed for this football club.
06:46But his pre-season has been a little bit of a disaster
06:49by the standards he set himself, to be perfectly honest.
06:52I do think once the season comes around,
06:55he'll click into gear and be totally fine.
06:57I hope that's the case.
06:59But so far in pre-season, he's been nowhere near the standards he set,
07:02and he's just not been at it at all.
07:05So that's Ari's on the way up, Emmanuel Agbedou on the way down.
07:10Someone who I thought was on the way up and had a decent showing.
07:14I don't want to say he's the forgotten man in this squad,
07:17but I think there's a lot of players in and around that position,
07:20a lot of conjecture about who will be coming in, who's already in.
07:24And that's Rodrigo Gomez, who I think wants to kick on this season.
07:27But look, we know that they've got a new left wing back.
07:29We expect him to be the main left wing back
07:31or fighting it out with Hugo Bueno, at least.
07:34And then you look on that right-hand side as well.
07:37And yes, at this moment in time,
07:39Kiyana Hoover has probably got the shirt.
07:41Wolves looking to bring in another person in.
07:43And where does that leave Rodrigo Gomez?
07:45Well, he started that game, didn't he, against Girona.
07:49And I thought it took up some really good positions.
07:50I thought he was direct.
07:51I thought he got himself down the flanks.
07:53He was an outlet.
07:54He made some really good runs,
07:56even though the ball didn't find him off the ball,
07:58where I thought, yeah, this is the kind of,
08:00I guess, Rodrigo Gomez that we saw in pre-season in Miami.
08:05He was taking good positions.
08:06He got the ball.
08:07He scored goals in that.
08:08And yeah, he was a very intelligent runs.
08:10He didn't get too many chances, I guess,
08:12to cross the ball, to put the ball in.
08:14But I thought on that occasion the other night,
08:16but I think that in terms of his work rate,
08:19he just said to Vito Pereira,
08:21and I think the coaching staff,
08:22yeah, I'm still here.
08:23I still want to be playing.
08:24I still want to be challenging for first team spots.
08:26Whether that will be the case or not,
08:28come the start of the season, remains to be seen.
08:29But, you know, Rodrigo Gomez is someone
08:31who will not be happy with just playing a bit part
08:33this season.
08:34That's for certain.
08:35Yeah, I think he did himself no harm, really,
08:39with his performance.
08:41Of course, there's frustration because Wolves weren't,
08:43they were a bit toothless, really,
08:44going forward in that Girona game,
08:46particularly in the first half.
08:47But Rodrigo, I thought to himself,
08:49plenty of favours, really, with his work ethic.
08:51He was direct.
08:53He looked after the ball well.
08:54And we know he can be dangerous going forward.
08:56It's just getting him in the right positions
08:57and the right areas to make it happen.
09:00And really, it's going to be an interesting season for him
09:03because currently in the squad,
09:05we've got him, we've got Hugo Bueno,
09:07we've got the new signing, Wolves,
09:09who will play left wing back
09:11and potentially will be the starting left wing back.
09:13Hugo Bueno's future, of course, could change.
09:16But as it stands, that's the situation.
09:17On the right-hand side, Rodrigo can play there.
09:20They're going to bring a signing in on that side,
09:22but they've got Hoover at the moment, first choice.
09:24Lima is there,
09:25but we expect him to go out on loan at some point.
09:27So, the opportunities may not be forthcoming for Rodrigo.
09:32He's going to have a real bit of battle on his hands
09:34to get into the side.
09:36I think we've both said this before,
09:37I'd like to see him given a chance
09:38maybe slightly further forward,
09:40not necessarily from the start against Manchester City,
09:43but at some point this season,
09:44as the season progresses,
09:46to have an opportunity to impact it
09:49slightly further forward.
09:51I understand maybe they play narrow tens.
09:54Does he really fit into that swan in between the lines?
09:56But would they be able to be adaptable in that situation
09:59and allow him to play a bit wider
10:01and be a slightly different forward
10:04in the way Vito plays?
10:05I would like to potentially see that.
10:07But I think you're right.
10:08He's going to want to play.
10:09He's going to want to be involved.
10:10He's not someone that's going to kick up a fuss,
10:13kick up a stink around the place,
10:15but he's a footballer.
10:15He wants to play.
10:17And right now, for me,
10:18I don't think he's one of the first names on the team sheet.
10:20And that's going to be his biggest challenge
10:21between now, start of the season,
10:24and then as the season progresses,
10:25going through August, September,
10:27and all the way through to May.
10:29One of the first names on the team sheet last season,
10:32Liam, when he came in,
10:33was Marshall Manetti
10:33because of his off-the-ball work,
10:35because of the way that he helped Jürgen Strand-Larsen,
10:37especially when Matthias Cunha was suspended.
10:40And I think Vito Pereira was very glowing
10:43in his report for him,
10:44not just at the impact he was making,
10:45but the impact he was making
10:46on Strand-Larsen directly and scoring goals.
10:49I just wonder,
10:51not being a great pre-season,
10:52again, look,
10:53we do take pre-season sometimes,
10:55and the games itself are the pinch of salt.
10:56It's about the work they do in the training ground
10:58as much as what you see in a game situation.
11:00So, you know, again,
11:01we're not burying players,
11:02and we're not praising players to the hill.
11:04It's very early on in the season.
11:06We haven't kicked a ball in anger yet.
11:08But,
11:09yeah, look,
11:10Wolves are bringing forward.
11:11We know that Geds has gone now,
11:13so maybe that's one person
11:15in the forward line who's left.
11:17We expect Wolves to bring in
11:18at least one more person
11:19in that forward line.
11:20But in terms of
11:21Martial Manezzi's starting place,
11:23John Arias is in there,
11:24Fer Lopes is in there as well,
11:26Jürgen Strand-Larsen,
11:26of course,
11:27is going to be a starter.
11:29And Vito Pereira said
11:30that he sees Manezzi
11:31more in that forward line
11:32than he does maybe a number eight,
11:34maybe an emergency number eight
11:36if, you know,
11:36if things don't go well
11:37and Wolves haven't got
11:38a centre midfielder
11:39at this moment in time.
11:40So maybe him,
11:41along with Belagard,
11:42can be one of those players
11:43if needed.
11:44But in terms of
11:45João Gomes and Andre,
11:46those are the two players
11:47who are going to play
11:48pretty much every game
11:49if they are fit.
11:51So I'm just wondering,
11:52in terms of Martial Manezzi,
11:54whether at this moment in time,
11:56like you say,
11:56one more game to go
11:57before we play Manchester City,
11:59whether you would expect him
12:00to start against City
12:02or does he need to show
12:04a little bit more
12:05for him to be on that team sheet
12:07in that starting XI
12:08in two weeks' time?
12:10Yeah, I'm a little bit torn
12:11on Manezzi
12:12because a lot of the things
12:14you've just described,
12:15I'm a fan of his
12:16because he's very athletic,
12:18he does a lot of hard yards,
12:19does all the running.
12:22There is a lot to be said
12:23about someone
12:23that has that kind of work ethic
12:25in the team
12:25and particularly last season
12:27when Wolves were
12:27fighting to stay up
12:28at a certain point
12:29in that campaign,
12:31he was necessary
12:31to have that kind of
12:33battling power,
12:34really,
12:35in that side.
12:36Do I think he is necessarily,
12:38I was convinced before
12:39that he'd probably be
12:40better as an eight.
12:41I still agree with that
12:43but I'm not sure
12:43it would be an eight
12:44in a two in midfield.
12:46That's my concern there.
12:48And is he a 10
12:50that's going to score you goals?
12:51No.
12:52Is he a 10
12:53that could be
12:54a horse-for-quarter approach
12:55that based on the opposition,
12:57based on the situation,
12:59can help Larson
12:59as he has done last season,
13:01can help Wolves get through games
13:02and help Wolves pick up results?
13:04Yes.
13:05But is he going to be
13:05the dangerous 10
13:06that's going to get you numbers
13:07that I would necessarily want
13:08starting every week?
13:09I'm not quite sure.
13:10So that's where my concern
13:12really for him comes in.
13:13Against Girona,
13:14again, a little bit toothless.
13:16Didn't really get involved
13:17too much.
13:18Was barely in front of goal.
13:20Didn't get too close to Larson.
13:21It was a pretty forgettable,
13:22really.
13:23Without doing anything
13:24particularly wrong,
13:24a pretty forgettable
13:25performance from him.
13:27And that's where
13:28his challenge is going to be.
13:29Where does he fit in?
13:30Where is he going to
13:31find his place?
13:32And you asked me about City.
13:32Right now,
13:34I might change my mind
13:35after seeing Santabigo.
13:37Right now,
13:37you asked me this.
13:39I think he probably
13:39starts against City.
13:41And he starts as a 10.
13:43Probably with Arias
13:44or maybe with Verlo,
13:45just depending on
13:46either situation.
13:48Particularly because of
13:49how difficult City
13:49will be to play against.
13:50And Wolves are going to need
13:51some energy and some runners
13:52in them.
13:52People who can do the hard yards
13:54and that's going to be him.
13:55So he probably does start.
13:57But for me,
13:57he's not a 10
13:58that's going to be starting
13:59every week.
14:00And if he is,
14:01I do worry where Wolves'
14:02goals are going to come from.
14:05We talked about Arias.
14:07He was on the pitch
14:07after the game
14:08and he had a personal
14:09translator with him
14:10in Yersin Mosquera
14:11who is on the way up as well.
14:14Look,
14:15great to see Mosquera.
14:17We've seen him in training,
14:18Liam.
14:18We saw him in Portugal.
14:19But a little bit
14:20of a setback.
14:21Wolves,
14:21I'm not sure whether
14:22he would have been up
14:22to full speed
14:23and ready to go
14:24regardless of
14:24in terms of selection
14:26for that Manchester City game.
14:28But look,
14:28he got his first minutes
14:29on the pitch.
14:30He came on
14:30in those five substitutions
14:32in Girona.
14:33And look,
14:34we saw exactly
14:34what Yersin Mosquera can do.
14:36He makes an impact.
14:37You know he's on the ball.
14:38He's a physical presence,
14:39not just at the back.
14:41We had a little bit
14:41of a skirmish
14:42with one of the Girona players
14:43as well.
14:43And look,
14:43that's probably something
14:44that we like that.
14:47But does he have the,
14:48can he blow up a little bit?
14:50He's got to be very,
14:50very careful.
14:51I remember that Arsenal game
14:52at home.
14:53I think it was Kai Havert,
14:54I think,
14:55or away,
14:55sorry,
14:55in the first game of last season
14:56where there was a little bit
14:57of a skirmish as well.
14:58Got to be a little bit
14:59careful there.
15:00But at the same time,
15:01sometimes you need
15:02that presence at the back.
15:03And we saw what he can do
15:04up front as well.
15:05We saw what a threat
15:06he is at set pieces
15:07and forced a smart save
15:09from the Girona keeper,
15:10I think,
15:11from a corner.
15:11And that's what you want
15:12to see more of.
15:13Look,
15:13I think we're both
15:15pretty sure that
15:16Yersin Mosquera
15:17will not be available
15:17to start the game
15:18against Manchester City.
15:20But more and more
15:22there are signs
15:24that Vito Pereira
15:25wants Yersin Mosquera
15:27to be in his starting level
15:28when he's fit
15:29and when he's ready to go.
15:30I do think
15:31Matt Doherty's place
15:32is definitely up for grabs.
15:35Doc will say different.
15:36But I think
15:37in terms of
15:37that back three
15:38of a Mosquera,
15:41of a Totti Gomez,
15:41of Manuel Aguadu,
15:42is something that the fans
15:43have been calling for
15:44for a long time.
15:45But, you know,
15:45we've only seen
15:46Yersin Mosquera
15:47play five games in a row
15:49fit in a Wolves shirt.
15:51So you've got to
15:51temper expectations
15:52slightly, Liam.
15:53But at the same time,
15:54this was a positive sign
15:55for him.
15:56It was.
15:57It was very timely
15:58for him to get
15:58back and available
15:59for this game
16:00because you're right,
16:01I don't expect him
16:02to start against Man City.
16:03But he gives himself
16:05a chance to get
16:06into that team
16:06as soon as he possibly
16:07can now because
16:08he can hopefully
16:09get some minutes
16:10against Santorigo
16:11and Molyneux,
16:12then be in the squad,
16:13hopefully,
16:14for Man City.
16:14And then that's where
16:15the challenge is.
16:16You know,
16:16you've got an opportunity
16:17to force your way in
16:18and continue to build
16:19up your fitness.
16:20For him,
16:21it was a really good
16:22outing against Girona.
16:23Not just the performance
16:24because, yes,
16:25I thought he did pretty well.
16:26One small moment
16:27where he sort of
16:29sold a pass short
16:30to Agpadu
16:30but recovered very quickly.
16:32Other than that,
16:33and that's me being
16:34very picky, really,
16:35there wasn't anything
16:36of note to criticise him
16:38for the one header
16:39you mentioned
16:39that came close
16:41from the corner.
16:42There was one moment
16:43I really liked,
16:44fans probably won't even
16:45remember this
16:45because it's a very
16:46minute detail
16:47but there was a loose
16:49ball.
16:50Say again?
16:51Because they were hammered.
16:52Well, that as well,
16:53yeah.
16:53Fair play,
16:53why not?
16:55There was a loose
16:55ball in midfield
16:56and he anticipated it.
16:59He was quick to it
17:00and he stepped out,
17:01beat his man there
17:02to win the ball
17:03and set Wolves
17:03on the attack.
17:05Again,
17:05a very small thing
17:06on the face of it
17:07but that's the kind
17:07of thing that
17:08you're going to need
17:09that athleticism.
17:10you're going to need
17:10his speed,
17:11his pace,
17:12his power
17:12and his intelligence
17:14to get Wolves
17:16on the front foot.
17:17Now, yeah,
17:18he's injury prone.
17:20Obviously,
17:20the confidence
17:21from coming back
17:22from an injury
17:22is going to have
17:23to build this up.
17:24I interviewed him
17:25after the game
17:25and he seems
17:25in a really good place
17:26but he's going
17:27to have a difficulty
17:29now to get that
17:31place back consistently
17:32because Doc's not
17:33going to give it up easily.
17:34I'm a big fan of Doc
17:35as well.
17:35I thought he had an
17:35excellent back
17:36into last season
17:37and that's going
17:38to be the fight
17:39for him to get back in
17:40but for him
17:41to get back out there
17:42playing,
17:43feel confident,
17:45physically get through it
17:46and play well
17:48at the same time
17:48is a massive plus
17:50for the player
17:50and for the club.
17:52That's it for this week.
17:53Three up and two down
17:54versus Girona.
17:55John Arias,
17:56Yusuf Mosquera,
17:56Rodrigo Gomez
17:57on the way up,
17:58on the way down.
17:59Emmanuel Aguadu
17:59and Marshall Manetzi.
18:01Myself and Mr. Liam Keane
18:02shall see you all
18:03at Molineux
18:04on Saturday
18:04against Celta.
18:05Vigo.
18:07Vigo.
18:08Vigo.
18:10Vigo.
18:11Vigo.
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