Here is a brief analysis of the Wolves squad in FM20, their club structure, relationship any potential managers will have with the board, expectations and possible tactics any FM manager can use.
Here is a brief club analysis of the Wolves squad in FM20, their club structure, relationship any potential managers will have with the board, expectations and possible tactics any FM manager can use.About the club
Wolves, very recently got promoted into the Premier League (2018/2019) season. However, ever since the new management “Fosun International” took over, their ambitions have been pretty high. This resulted in a very respectable direct 7th placed finish straight from promotion.
Wolves also made their Home Ground, The Molineux, a fortress with wins against some of the biggest teams.
The board's expectations
Wolves are in the Europa League this season, so the minimum requirements from the board would be;
- A top 6 league finish (automatic qualification to the champions league)
- A QF< Finish in the Europa League
- A QF< finish in the FA cup
There will not be any specific philosophies on which you will be judged. However, please note that Wolves is a tricky place for a new manager as the expectations are pretty high with a very average transfer war chest of £15m and not much of a wage budget of 81k p/w to make big changes.
The club have very good training facilities and a decent youth set-up. The club however has a very efficient scouting set-up with the focus on young versatile players. You can make use of this aspect to bolster your squad.
Squad, Formation and Tactical Style
Wolves developed an identity under manager Nuno Espirito Santo (whom you will be replacing), so it is best to maintain a similar tactical approach as it is well suited for the available squad of players. It is best to focus on a fluid counter attacking tactic or focus on wing play.
Wolves are one of the few teams that have season regular success with a 3 at the back formation, so it would be best if you want to follow the same. A 3-5-2 or a 3-5-1-1
A rough example of what your line-up would look like in a 3-5-2 formation is as follows;
- Rui Patricio as a regular keeper
- Willy Boly, Conor Coady & Ryan Bennett as the 3 centre backs, you can use Coady as a Ball Playing defender.
- Matt Doherty & Jonny Otto as the wing backs, you can increase crossing instructions for Jonny and have Matt Doherty move into advanced attacking positions during attacks.
- Leander Dendoncker, Joao Moutinho & Ruben Neves in a 3 man midfield with Neves and Moutinho playing the role of Deep Lying playmakers are Dendoncker being a Central Midfielder.
- Diogo Jota as a shadow striker operating just behind Raul Jimenez who leads the line.
Alternatively, you can play Patrick Cutrone if you want a striker to partner Jimenez or play Adama Traore if you want more burst from the wings.
Key Players
1. Raul Jimenez
A very underrated striker who is very consistent. He leads the line brilliantly for wolves. He scored 17 goals for wolves last season and could end up being even better under another manager.
2. Ruben Neves
Always touted to be a superstar and it was a surprise to many when he agreed to sign for Wolves. The playmaker has a very mature head on his shoulders and can provide key assists and goals from midfield.
3. Matt Doherty & Jonny Otto
Excellent attacking options from the wings, their delivery of crosses are positioning are second to none and will be a constant source of threat.
Weaknesses
- The backups to the main XI are not very strong and there will a drop in quality if one of the regular players end up with an injury
- There is very little room to make purchases without offloading a few players due to the restricted budget available for transfers and wages.
- This is overall a very young squad and could take a few seasons for the youngsters to hit their prime.
Youngsters to keep an eye on
There are a few exciting young prospects in the ranks who have the potential to be some of the best players in the league. A few examples are;
- Patrick Cutrone (ST)
- Morgan Gibbs White (CAM)
- Niall Ennis (ST)
FM20 Liverpool summery
To Summarise, Wolves will an interesting challenge for most FM20 managers. They certainly have a lot of quality but a few grey areas and their requirement is quite high. Will you be able to repeat or one up Nuno’s success at the club?
