The Joe Edwards debrief - Brighton 3 Wolves 3

With injuries mounting up and the need for a striker being obvious, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are looking fragile and also conceding goals at an alarming rate.

Defensive woes

Let’s start with the shortcomings at the back.

Wolves, having previously prided themselves on pure organisation and solidity in defence, are now 10 games without a clean sheet.

And considering Nuno is a manager who has always put defensive work first – a platform on which to build, so to speak – that is a hugely worrying statistic.

As recently as a few months ago, you would have been pretty confident in Wolves holding onto the 3-1 lead they had at the break.

But you could argue that even before Joao Moutinho’s daft tackle to give away the penalty which saw the Seagulls pull one back and then go onto equalise, they were in trouble.

After all, the first goal of the game was emblematic of how things have very much gone awry defensively.

Centre-half Adam Webster was allowed to carry the ball up the pitch far too easily; Rayan Ait-Nouri failed to stop Leandro Trossard getting the cross in despite the Belgian losing his footing along the way; then neither Romain Saiss or Rui Patricio took ownership of the cross and allowed Aaron Connolly a simple finish.

It was a catalogue of errors and another to put on a growing list of soft goals Wolves have let in this campaign.

Willy Boly, of course, is missed, but even he was in a noticeable rut before picking up an injury against Chelsea last month.

Again, they are crying out for a new centre forward this month but there is just as much of an onus on tightening up, and quickly.

Striker search

Wolves, in fairness, did score three times at the Amex – all in the first half which is worth nothing. But it also did not hide the lack of a major presence up front.

Fabio Silva found himself chasing shadows for most of the 90 minutes.

He was starved of service for a lot of the game, but when he did get the ball, the fact he is only 18 and still developing physically was clear.

He was then replaced late on by Owen Otasowie, who cut a devastated figure after missing a gilt-edged free header in the last few seconds which, bizarrely, could have won it.

It was a tough moment for the young American which he will learn from.

However, should he have really been there in the first place?

Playing him in the ‘false nine’ role at Burnley a few weeks ago simply did not work but because of the distinct shortage of options, the midfielder-cum-defender had to be deployed once more.

An experienced centre forward with a point to prove must be brought in an attempt to salvage this season.

Yes, Wolves may have overachieved in the previous two terms – finishing seventh – so mid-table this time around could be seen as fair enough.

But on the other side of the coin, if you have overachieved, is that not more of a reason to strengthen the squad? Make no mistake, this is a big month.

Traore’s talents

Right, with those negatives out of the way, a definite positive was the performance of Adama Traore.

The Spaniard put in what must have been his best showing of the season.

Like he did so often last campaign, Traore had his marker – the unfortunate Dan Burn here – on toast.

He utilised his immense speed and strength to full effect, drawing a cynical foul from Burn and winning the spot-kick which Ruben Neves tucked away.

There were also the first proper signs of chemistry on the right flank between him and Nelson Semedo, who had a solid first half before falling away after the break.

Much more like it from Traore, but his improved contribution points towards the need for a new striker as well.

There is obviously on emphasis on him making sure he performs like this more regularly.

Imagine him on song and with a clever target man to work with, though.

Cup chance

Putting the league struggles aside, Friday’s FA Cup clash with Crystal Palace is a welcome opportunity to raise spirits.

Fans still not being able go to games means it is not the same, but the deep run in the competition a couple of years ago is worth bearing in mind.

Something resembling that could have a massive impact on this season and how it is remembered.

Palace are a tough opponent but fingers crossed, it is a chance Wolves are able to seize.