Although Wolves’ challenging schedule and a few significant VAR calls have received a lot of attention, Gary O’Neil was by no means innocent during his terrible Premier League debut. And as Wolverhampton Wanderers had their worst start to a top-flight season in 1964, the manager’s choice of team came under scrutiny. One player in particular was frustrated by the lack of opportunities he was given.
Goncalo Guedes’ reward for a couple of eye-catching EFL Cup performances – he scored three times in two games against Burnley and Brighton – was a minimal, cameo role in Premier League action. After netting a late brace in round two, Guedes played just 15 minutes off the bench against Nottingham Forest at the end of August. After hitting the target again in round three, the Portugal international played less than half an hour as Wolves threw away a lead to lose at Midland neighbours Aston Villa. The clamour for greater minutes grew again as Guedes set up Joao Gomes’ goal against Crystal Palace in last week’s 2-2 draw, and the disappointment was palpable as the team sheet emerged seven days later for Saturday’s clash with Southampton.
Villarreal boss reacts to potential Goncalo Guedes exit from Wolves
The £27 million signing from Valencia was, once again, back among the substitutes.
And with one of Guedes’ former employers suffering from a bitter injury blow – Villarreal winger Ilias Akhomach will miss the rest of the season with a cruciate ligament tear – a return to La Liga will surely appeal unless O’Neil is willing to reward his occasional supersub with the game time he craves and, arguably, deserves.
Villarreal boss Marcelino Garcia Toral was asked about a potential homecoming to the Estadio de la Ceramica for Guedes in the aftermath of Ilias’ injury and the struggles of talisman Gerard Moreno.
And while he was reluctant to give too much away, Marcelino does admit that fitness issues could force the Yellow Submarine into the market for reinforcements.
“It is still too early for that,” the former Athletic Bilbao boss told reporters when the Guedes question was brought up. “As the season progresses, we will see if there is any need [to sign the Wolves winger], more based on injuries than performance.
“In attack, we have not yet been able to count on Gerard, although we hope that he returns and gives us a great performance.
“Together, with the club and the medical team, we will see how the injured are and we will evaluate.”
Guedes’ impact has been acknowledged by Gary O’Neil despite his paucity of minutes. Guedes scored three goals in 19 appearances while on loan at Villarreal during the second half of the 2023–24 season. The 27-year-old Guedes has yet to regain the explosive effect he had with Valencia, and his tenure at Wolverhampton Wanderers has been a poor one so far. However, the former Benfica and Paris Saint-Germain winger is unquestionably worthy of the opportunity to establish himself with a string of starts in O’Neil’s XI after a few exciting, game-changing performances off the bench. After Wolves lost to Brighton in the Carabao Cup, O’Neil remarked, “I thought Guedes was excellent.” Since then, the Iberian has only played 103 minutes of Premier League football in six games.
He has undoubtedly had a difficult few years due to injuries and his unhappiness with the organization. [However] he was intelligent, demonstrated quality, and put in an incredible amount of effort for the squad. There were many good things in there. Wolves’ 2-0 victory over Southampton on Saturday marked their first Premier League victory of the year. After TBR revealed that Wolves was contemplating David Moyes and Rob Edwards, the manager of Luton Town, as possible O’Neil replacements, it will relieve some of the manager’s strain.
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