Express & Star

Liam Keen analysis: It’s Crystal clear – Wolves face a massive summer

Wolves are at a crossroads and have two very different paths in front of them.

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With one game remaining and off the back of a 3-1 defeat to Crystal Palace, Wolves’ season has well and truly fizzled out.

An overwhelming sense of deja vu haunts Wolves, but they should have the infrastructure to avoid it.

The 2021/22 season under Bruno Lage saw Wolves’ European hopes dissolve with a winless run of seven games to end the campaign.

Wolves spent money in the summer that followed, but spent recklessly and seemingly without a wider plan in place.

As a result, Lage was sacked by early October and Wolves endured a relegation battle, being bottom at Christmas, until Julen Lopetegui saved the club.

At the same time as his arrival, Matt Hobbs became sporting director and some more big spending in January – with six very smart additions – saw the club survive.

Wolves are now careering into the end of the 2023/24 season with one win and six losses in nine Premier League games and they have lessons to learn heading into this summer.

The good news is that the current infrastructure around Hobbs and his recruitment team have evidence of a much better operation than their predecessors.

Gary O’Neil is also an impressive operator who instils confidence that he will carry this team forward.