00:00Hello, I'm Nathan Judo. I'm here with Wolves reporter for the day. It is Mr George Bennett,
00:14because Mr Liam Keane is at the moment sinking Guinnesses in Dublin at the Oasis concert.
00:19But we've heard from Vito Pereira, head of the big game against Manchester City.
00:23What kind of mood was he in, George, would you say?
00:25Well, I think, you know, without kind of maybe voicing his frustrations, you could feel a demeanour there,
00:32where clearly he's frustrated that maybe more bodies haven't been through the door.
00:38Yeah.
00:39But yeah, I mean, you know, maybe there wasn't quite the excitement ahead of a new season,
00:44because he's had nine months now to sort of put a stamp on things.
00:47Yeah.
00:48But it's been results over pre-season haven't necessarily been the best.
00:53And it's a difficult start to the season.
00:55Yes, it doesn't get much more difficult with Manchester City.
00:57The main thing is, of course, it's at Molyneux.
00:59And you never know with Wolves.
01:00It'd be very Wolves-y to do and get a result there.
01:03Hopefully they can do.
01:04But in terms of, I guess, the talking points, the captaincy is what everybody wanted to know.
01:09We're waiting to see who's going to be that captain.
01:11And we didn't get an absolutely nailed-on answer, did we?
01:15No, we didn't.
01:16But, you know, he sort of talked about a leadership pack, which, you know, we know is going to be
01:21Totty Gomez, Joel Gomez, Matt Doherty.
01:25And Jose Sarr.
01:26And, I mean, I sort of spoke to you afterwards that it feels like quite a clever move, to be honest,
01:33because, you know, that sort of role of captaincy can put a lot of pressure on a player's shoulders.
01:37Sure.
01:38So, to sort of have that group so you've maybe not got a sole target to ape your anger at.
01:42Yeah.
01:43If, you know, they're not deemed fit for the captaincy.
01:46But I think we all were in agreeance that we're probably expecting Totty Gomez to wear the armband tomorrow.
01:50But, yeah, I mean, you know, that's sort of he's gone for a collective approach rather than an individual.
01:57Yeah, it's an interesting one.
01:58I mean, like you say, I do agree.
01:59I think Totty Gomez will probably be the favourite to wear the armband tomorrow.
02:02I think it's important.
02:03They've had leadership groups before.
02:05It's no coincidence that these are players with a lot of Premier League experience.
02:08And let's be honest, this squad hasn't got a lot of Premier League experience when you lose the likes of
02:13Mateus Cunha, Ryan Ait, Nori, Nelson Semedo, Pablo Sarabia.
02:16These are players who have got 15 years plus of Premier League experience.
02:20When you lose them, you need a little bit of authority.
02:22You need people who know the league.
02:23And in terms of someone like Totty Gomez, who, like I say, we said on the podcast, we said today,
02:27that we probably think he's going to wear the armband.
02:29Vito Pereira is going to confirm that, I think, to the players this afternoon.
02:32The players behind me are coming in for training in some incredible vehicles.
02:37It looks like there's been some upgrades over pre-season.
02:40And let's hope there's an upgrade on the pitch as well.
02:42Look, Vito knows he's got to get players over the line.
02:45But at the same time, he's got this group of players.
02:47And as he said, his aim and a good season for Wolves would be to improve on last season.
02:51Yeah, well, I mean, you know, he sort of earmarked the number and he wants at least three more sign-ins.
02:56He kind of alluded to the fact that the Club World Cup has maybe sort of delayed a little bit.
03:03Yeah, delayed transfers and said that, you know, movement other than for those that were sort of involved in the Club World Cup
03:09has been slow for sort of, you know, the remainder of the footballing world, to be honest.
03:14Sure.
03:15So, yeah, you know, he's clearly frustrated by that.
03:18But he also said that he anticipates movement now, sort of between now and the end of the window.
03:23And that patience, you know, has to be key.
03:26But yeah, he sort of mentioned three more sign-ins through the door.
03:30And he feels, you know, we were sort of said there that the priority positions is clearly a right wing-back,
03:35a central midfielder and another centre-forward.
03:38Yeah, you say it's going to be key.
03:40Let's talk about key, key, key Yano Hoover.
03:42Because, you know, it's someone who obviously Vitor Pereira has been very impressed with over pre-season.
03:47And we expect, of course, yes, there is right wing-back news.
03:50But at the same time, that he will be the starting right wing-back for Manchester City this weekend.
03:55Well, for Wolves against Manchester City.
03:58Exactly that.
03:59Yeah, I mean, he has been the surprise package, to be honest.
04:02And, yeah, I mean, I think his last Premier League appearance was 2022.
04:07Yeah, £1.5 million a long time ago now from Liverpool.
04:10And, yeah, look, he's had some loan spells.
04:13And I think Vitor Pereira admitted, and there will be a story later on tonight,
04:16about he never really heard of key Yano Hoover until it was pointed out to him.
04:20So, again, one for a bit later on this afternoon, but this evening.
04:24But, yeah, I mean, look, he's done quite well.
04:26At the same time, they do look over a match against Manchester City.
04:28And they're going to have to play a hell of a lot better than they have done in preseason.
04:31Yeah, exactly.
04:32Results clearly haven't been great.
04:34And I mean, like you said at the top end of the video there, you don't get any tougher starts than Manchester City.
04:39But, you know, to flip that on its head, if you were to get a positive result, immediately the momentum is right in the wall's favour.
04:49And then you're looking at, I heard you guys on the podcast say the real season starts against Bournemouth.
04:54But, I mean, this is in some ways a free hit.
04:57And if you were to, you know, cause a shock and get three points or, you know, even just a result, it bodes really well going into the rest of the season.
05:07So, yeah, it does feel like a bit of a free hit if Wolves come away with a defeat.
05:11I mean, it's probably to be expected, but you never know.
05:14Yeah, it's all about performance as well.
05:16I mean, in terms of team news going into the game, I think the main question marks are probably who's going to be on that left wing back role.
05:23Obviously, you've got Wolves who's come in, played 45 minutes.
05:26Hugo Bueno, of course, will be hoping to start.
05:28Might give the slight H to Wolves, I think, coming in as the new signing.
05:31Got 45 minutes against Celta Vigo, looked fine.
05:33So, the rest of the side kind of picks itself.
05:37I would have thought, George, apart from maybe those number 10 positions.
05:40Jürgen Strand-Larsen will, of course, be the number nine up top.
05:43And then probably two of three in Fer Lopez, the new signing.
05:46John Arias, the new signing.
05:48And Marshall Minetzi.
05:49And it'll be interesting to see whether they go for the legs of Minetzi or the two players,
05:53the two new signings who have had the majority of starts in pre-season.
05:57Yeah, I feel probably this could be an occasion for Minetzi just purely because of those legs.
06:01We know how dangerous Manchester City can be between the lines and, you know,
06:05the quality that they have across midfield and their ability to dictate possession.
06:09So, I feel like someone like Minetzi and his legs will be key in that sort of battle.
06:13And then maybe someone like Fer Lopez can come in and add another option off the bench
06:18if needed at a specific time in the game.
06:20But that's probably the option I think I'd expect him to go for, to be honest.
06:25Yeah, it's a fully fit squad for Vitor to choose from, which is good news.
06:28Apart from Yersin Mosquera, who, again, will probably be on the bench tomorrow.
06:31I think he's expected to be on the bench, but isn't available to start.
06:34But that should be hopefully somewhere in the near future.
06:36It means that Matt Doherty, of course, will start that right centre back slot.
06:39George, great to see you today.
06:42Can you give me and the Peeps a score line prediction, please?
06:44Put me on the spot there, haven't you?
06:46Yeah, don't mess him about it. Come on, pressure's on.
06:48Well, I think I'm going to have to go for, I think I'm going for 2-0,
06:53which I believe is your prediction in the podcast, 2-0 Manchester City.
06:57I'll go 2-0 to one of the two sides, but yeah, it might be Man City.
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