Nothing to show for Wolves start that’s had some promise

But despite sitting 18th in the early season table, the campaign to date has not been without promise.

Groundhog day

You don’t need to look far to identify the biggest problem with Wolves at the moment. Despite registering 57 attempts on goal in their opening three matches, Lage’s team are yet to find the net and though they have been the victims of some brilliant defending and inspired goalkeeping, some of their finishing has also left a bit to be desired.

Sunday’s defeat to Manchester United was so similar in pattern to the home loss to Tottenham a week previously you half expected Bill Murray to turn up.

Wolves’ failure to convert means they haven’t got full reward for some impressive overall displays against three of the Premier League’s tougher opponents. Get the performance right and results will follow is among the common coaching mantras and the message Lage will undoubtedly be hammering home to his players during the international break.

Key games ahead

The difficulty of Wolves’ start to the season should not be overlooked. In Leicester, Spurs and United, they have played three teams with aspirations of either qualifying for the Champions League or winning the title.

That said, the failure to take any points means there is added pressure on the trip to Watford which follows the international break. It is followed by a home fixture against Brentford before matches and Newcastle and Southampton. A healthy return of points from those fixtures is the minimum requirement in order to propel Wolves up the standing.

Lage’s men certainly haven’t played like a team lacking confidence and it is certainly far too early to panic. Two years ago Wolves failed to win any of their first six Premier League fixtures and only just missed out on the top six at the end of the season.

But the longer it takes to get off the mark, the greater risk belief could begin to ebb. It doesn’t pay to loiter at the wrong end of the table for too long.

Reinforcements required

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Lage’s early work is how he has managed to turn Wolves into a more expansive team with the same players who appeared so inhibited in the final months of Nuno Espirito Santo’s reign.

Not only are Wolves now playing on the front foot, they have retained a fair portion of the defensive resilience seen under the previous regime.

It is impossible not to wonder what could be achieved with a fresh injection of quality? On Sunday, Francisco Trincao and Jose Sa were the only summer signings involved.

Hwang Hee-chan, unveiled on the pitch pre-match following his loan arrival from RB Leipzig, can hopefully have an impact in attack and ease some of the burden on Raul Jimenez, who somewhat understandably appears to be lacking in sharpness following his return from serious injury.

Yet if there are no further additions between now and tonight’s deadline, particularly in midfield, this will have been a rather underwhelming summer window.