Wolves travel to Premier League strugglers Nottingham Forest this weekend, and Gary O’Neil must unleash one player to deal with their threat.
Wolves are looking to bounce back from last Saturday’s defeat against West Ham, as supporters were irritated with what happened at the end.
The VAR decision to rule out Max Kilman‘s injury-time header was widely slammed, with Gary O’Neil branding the decision as “terrible”.
Putting that decision aside, Wolves weren’t at the races in the second half as the Hammers scored twice through Lucas Paqueta and James Ward-Prowse to turn the game on its head.
O’Neil’s men showed defensive frailties in that defeat, starting a back three of Santiago Bueno, Kilman and Toti Gomes.
The most notable omission from the starting XI was Craig Dawson, with the Englishman fit enough to take his place on the bench following injury.
Why Gary O’Neil must start Craig Dawson vs Nottingham Forest
Wolves have leaked nine goals in the last five matches Dawson hasn’t played in.
The 33-year-old is a key cog in O’Neil’s back three, with his authority and incredible defensive attributes coming to the fore.
Including him in the starting XI gives the Wanderers a calming presence in the side and the veteran defender arguably brings the best out of Kilman, who has seen his form drop in recent weeks.
While the £3 million titan isn’t the quickest off the mark and Wolves can exploited in behind, Dawson uses his footballing brain and positional awareness to give himself a few yards against pace attackers.
Lauded by Stuart Pearce as “incredible”, the former West Ham star puts his body on the line for the team, as demonstrated by ranking in the top 2% of Premier League defenders for blocks.
Wolves have lacked an experienced head at the back and he will help deal with the threat Forest pose.
Craig Dawson can help deal with Nottingham Forest striker Chris Wood
The City Ground is a difficult place to go, especially when Forest striker Chris Wood is scoring goals for fun.
Wood has four goals in as many Premier League games with 13 in total across the season.
A towering presence physically and an excellent finisher in the box, the 32-year-old is a difficult striker to deal with.
While Santi Bueno hasn’t put a foot wrong, O’Neil has been urged to switch him out for Dawson and dealing with the New Zealand goal machine is a huge reason.
With Wolves currently six points behind seventh-place West Ham while boasting a game in hand, a victory is a must to keep their European hopes alive and Dawson can help them achieve that.