Wolves blog: Do we need a striker?
Much is being made of Wolves’ lack of signings – especially up front.
But do Wolves need a 20 goal-a-season striker – or does Nuno’s front three circumvent the need to rely on one sole striker?
It has been a long and wide-held view that you need to have one player to score the bulk of your goals, the focal point of the attack.
Wolves have relied on it in the past – look at what Sylvan Ebanks-Blake brought to the team a decade ago.
But things have changed in football. In the Premier League, only Mo Salah, Harry Kane, Sergio Aguero and Jamie Vardy hit 20 goals last season.
Chelsea had Eden Hazard as their top scorer with a dozen league goals and still finished 5th.
Twenty-goal-a-season forwards are very rare – and probably don’t exist for the likes of Wolves and non-elite clubs.
A proven scorer would cost an absolute fortune. The solution is to either find a player with the potential to hit these kinds of figures, or have a team who are each able to chip in with a solid amount.
This way, you circumvent the problem of having your main player marked out of the game. There are simply too many threats to focus on them all!
When Wolves won League One, Leigh Griffiths ended as joint top-scorer despite leaving in January, with just a dozen league goals. But Wolves scored a league-high of 89.
Wolves scored the most goals in the Championship last season – and only had two players with goals in double figures.
But they had 18 players who scored in the league – if you don’t have one player to score all your goals, this is clearly the way to go.
Wolves’ forwards are a dangerous trident, with all players able to run at defenders, hold up play and score goals.
There are the physical options of Leo Bonatini and Raul Jiminez to physically hold the ball, or the likes of Ivan Cavaleiro, Diogo Jota and Helder Costa who can keep the ball up front with their dribbling.
Any of these players could conceivably score double figures – and if two or three of them do, a big chunk of Wolves’ goals will be in the bag.
Jota is not a conventional striker and spent more time playing wide of the centre last season but managed 18 goals.
Wolves do need more goals in the team, it seems – they have struggled for them in the pre-season.
But whether this comes from an out-and-out forward or from strengthening the team in other positions remains to be seen.
Wolves’ defence must not be forgotten either. Last season the likes of Willy Boly and Conor Coady provided a brick wall for Wolves.
Burnley finished 7th last season and qualified for Europe – but scored just 36 goals in the process.
Less than a goal a game. But they conceded just 39.
While you’d never turn down the chance to sign a prolific marksman, Wolves may have the goals already in the team.
