Pundit makes worrying Wolves claim despite Fer Lopez brilliance | OneFootball

EFL pundit George Elek has questioned Wolves boss Cesar Peixoto after their poor defensive record in the opening five games of the Championship.

EFL pundit George Elek has questioned Cesar Peixoto after Wolves’ mixed start to the Championship season.

The Black Country outfit were relegated in embarrassing fashion from the Premier League last season, but they naturally started as one of the favourites for promotion considering the resources at their disposal.

Yet, it’s fair to say Wolves are yet to fully get going under Peixoto, who was surprisingly named as Rob Edwards’ successor in the summer.

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The Portuguese coach picked up seven points from his opening three games, but Wanderers have since lost to West Ham, and they were somewhat fortunate to pick up a point at Birmingham on Sunday after they were second-best for the entire second half.

Wolves’ defensive issues are highlighted under Cesar Peixoto

The major issue for Wolves is clear to see, as whilst they are the top scorers in the Championship, only Burnley, who are bottom of the league, have conceded more.

So, that’s a worrying trend, even if Peixoto will no doubt point to injuries to Kieran Trippier and Yerson Mosquera, combined with the uncertainty that came in the transfer window, as to why he hasn’t been able to operate with a settled defensive unit.

Yet, speaking on Not The Top 20 podcast, Elek explained that even though Wolves have a standout individual in Fer Lopez, until they get things right at the back, it’s hard to say how good they are, as he suggested Peixoto should be doing more right now.

“Obviously, they have very good players, and Fer Lopez is showing himself to be one of the best players in the league, and there are plenty of others who are good too.

“But, again, they’re poor at the back, and when you’re poor at the back it’s very hard to make a case for you being a good side.

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“As we said with West Ham, it feels like there is a little bit more solidity there maybe. With Wolves, I just don’t get the feeling they’re very well coached. That would be my biggest concern, so I’m not sure what to expect from them, but it could still be a promotion challenge.”

Cesar Peixoto will hope to benefit from working with a settled squad

It’s hard to argue with this assessment, as even though Peixoto can’t be held responsible for the own goal Jackson Tchatchoua, or even the wonder goals that have gone in against Wolves, the reality is that they don’t look secure defensively.

Obviously, they’re still getting decent results, but it’s hard to see them sustaining a promotion push unless they’re capable of grinding out points at certain times.

But, it’s very early days under Peixoto, and he hasn’t been helped by the transfer window.

Jose Sa’s future was in doubt until the window shut, and the same applied to Ladislav Krejčí, but, now they’re staying, they should be good players this season.

Similarly, Trippier will make a huge difference when he returns to fitness in the coming weeks, and Jordan James could offer more stability in midfield when he is in a position to start games, which should be this weekend.

So, there will not be massive panic at Wolves right now, and, as outlined above, they do have ridiculous attacking talent, and, in Lopez, arguably the best player in the league.

Now, it’s down to Peixoto to find the right structure to allow the attacking players to flourish without the team looking vulnerable defensively, and, if he can find the right formula, Wolves