#1 The first game buzz
Day one in the job, or in the dugout more specifically, will no doubt bring a nervous excitement for Lopetegui on Tuesday evening, but that’s a feeling he’s familiar with, and has a past record for channelling into a positive. His last four debut matches in the dugout have come in Spain, Portugal and Belgium, but there’s a common theme – victories, and by a two nil scoreline at that usually. Life at Porto, where the Spaniard’s managerial career in senior football truly got going, began with a 2-0 win over Maritimo in August 2014, and who else to open the scoring but a certain Ruben Neves? Two years later, Lopetegui was on the Spain sidelines watching his country beat Belgium in an international friendly, which saw Diego Costa come off the bench and Roberto Martinez take charge of the Red Devils for the first time.
Although life at the Santiago Bernabeu began with a Super Cup defeat for Lopetegui, his La Liga bow was a victory, and once again 2-0 in his favour, this time over Getafe. Completing the set, by the time 56-year-old had pitched up at Sevilla, he was ready to start life there with a another 2-0 win, this time against Espanyol, starting a campaign which ended in Europa League glory the following summer.
#2 The story so far at Wolves
The wait for a first match in charge of Wolves resembles Lopetegui’s previous opening games in the sense he’s had a period without matches to gauge his group. Of course, that break was due to the World Cup, rather than the traditional pre-season period, but he’ll hope it works to his advantage. The Spaniard has been in charge for more than a month now, and in that time had three training matches to assess the group he’s inherited. A 2-2 draw with Birmingham City at Compton Park was his first glimpse, where Diego Costa and Daniel Podence hit the target, before the squad headed to Spain to intensify preparations.
Out in Spain on matchday one against Empoli, Lopetegui opted for a 4-3-3 system with Hugo Bueno featuring at left-back and his fine finished earned Wolves their goal in a 1-1 draw on the day. Against Cadiz things were different, 3-4-3 was the system, so in came Toti to join the defence, while Podence started in attack in place of Goncalo Guedes. The result was a lively affair, seven goals and a Wolves victory, with the old gold’s number ten and Nathan Collins bagging around a pair of own goals. By the time the camp came to a close, the returning Hee Chan Hwang and Raul Jimenez had minutes under their belts, meaning it’s the Portuguese trio of Jose Sa, Ruben Neves and Matheus Nunes yet to have the chance to impress in a matchday surrounding going into Gillingham.
The whole team back together.
— Wolves (@Wolves) December 16, 2022
❄️💪 pic.twitter.com/kGeDeTKE3L
#3 The cup a welcome distraction
In a season which has proved a struggle to date, Wolves have taken some solace in the Carabao Cup. The old gold have won just four games so far this term, but two have come in this competition, and the hat-trick is being eyed up now. In August, Preston North End were beaten at Molineux thanks to Jimenez and Adama Traore strikes, the latter of which was a cracker, before Leeds United arrived in town last month. With Lopetegui’s appointment confirmed, he watched on as Boubacar Traore hit a brilliant winner, meaning the Spaniard’s first game would be in the cup before Christmas. The following day a meeting with Gillingham was confirmed.
The Gills have had their own struggles this season – they’re sat bottom of the Football League – but again, the Carabao Cup has had a different narrative for the Kent side. Entering a step earlier than Wolves, the Gills beat AFC Wimbledon in round one, before dumping League One side Exeter City out on penalties in the second round. Comfortably their biggest success to date came in round three however, as Premier League Brentford were beaten on penalties. A Bees side featuring David Raya, Christian Norgaard and Ivan Toney took the lead after three minutes but were pegged back and eventually beaten on penalties. Lopetegui will be keen to avoid similar scenes at Molineux on Tuesday.
#4 It’s decision time for Lopetegui
Tuesday night’s team announcement at 6.45pm will certainly bring more anticipation than normal, as Lopetegui selects his first starting 11 in competitive action for Wolves. Five players, and in particular the Portuguese trio, have returned from the World Cup recently, so worked with the new head coach less, which may be a consideration. Wolves, under two different managers, have made few changes to their starting eleven in the previous two rounds, and now Lopetegui will be keen for a winning start at Molineux, but, of course, he will be without long-term absentees Pedro Neto, Chiquinho and Sasa Kalajdzic, likewise Jonny and Boubacar.
For Gillingham, they have been without a game since 8th December due to consecutive postponements, so Neil Harris must decide if to stick with that winning team. Full-back Will Wright has proved a danger to opposition with his dead ball deliveries, which have produced four goals this season. Mikael Mandron and Lewis Walker have four goals apiece, while experienced midfielder Shaun Williams is a full Republic of Ireland international and skipper Stuart O’Keefe has played in the Premier League for Crystal Palace. They’ll arrive at Molineux looking to replicate the scenes at the Gtech Community Stadium, while for Wolves, a winning start for Lopetegui is the target.
