NafisaThe decisive moment in Wolves’ campaign was parting ways with Gary O’Neil and bringing in Vitor Pereira, but it was made smoother by Emmanuel Agbadou’s January signing.
Wolves brought in Agbadou for only £16.6 million from Stade Reims just four months ago, and since then, the Ivorian has become a vital component in Vitor Pereira’s back three.
The 27-year-old missed only two Premier League fixtures from mid-January as Wolves ensured safety and finished 16th in the standings.
With his imposing frame, exceptional physicality and composure on the ball, Agbadou was hailed as ‘brilliant’ by Jamie Carragher for his influence.
Wolves had defensive issues before the Ivory Coast international arrived, but his presence at the heart of defence brought a marked improvement, and he was undeniably instrumental in avoiding relegation. Now, Pereira has outlined how he persuaded the Wolves leadership to recruit him.
Vitor Pereira outlines Emmanuel Agbadou’s tactical significance:
In several respects, Agbadou was the missing link to Pereira’s tactical setup in January. He already had the flair of Matheus Cunha and the resilient midfield pairing of Joao Gomes and Andre, but lacked a commanding figure organising the defensive line.
Pereira had previously depended on Santiago Bueno, who has physical limitations, to anchor the defence alongside Matt Doherty and Toti Gomes.
However, the Portuguese manager explained how Agbadou’s prowess in one-on-one scenarios sparked their progress, as it enabled them to maintain a higher defensive line.
Speaking on the Wolves Unpacked podcast, the Wolves head coach said: “That’s why, in January, I tried to convince the club to go for Agba. You know why? Because, if you look for our game, you see when we are defending, imagine, we see, sometimes we see a line five, other times, doing a jump as a midfielder, to press higher, and we play, we defend, with line four.
“And sometimes, when we go to press, when we go to press higher, we play with line three. It means, some moments in the game, especially when we are in transition, we must play three against three. And because we have the goalkeeper is the fourth one.
“The goalkeeper is the guy to cover the space on the back. But to play, you must have the confidence and the skills to play one against one.”
Agbadou ranks among the Premier League’s top performers in duels, which is why Pereira entrusts him to outmatch opposition forwards.
Pereira hints at where Agbadou can develop:
Despite all the physical qualities he brings, there are still aspects where the ex-Stade Reims player can enhance his game.
In the loss to Crystal Palace earlier this month, Wolves supporters criticised Agbadou’s distribution as he repeatedly surrendered possession unnecessarily.
Liam Keen even remarked that Agbadou was ‘nowhere near’ his usual level against Palace, despite scoring his first goal for the club.
Pereira has also observed that the defensive stalwart can occasionally suffer from lapses in focus while on the ball, suggesting that at times he may have ‘too much’ self-assurance.
When discussing Agbadou’s problems in possession, Pereira added: “Because he’s a player who has the confidence, sometimes too much.
“He has the confidence to play, he has the confidence to defend, because he’s big, his physicality is big, he’s strong, but he’s fast. In short space, he’s fast. It means that we can play with Totti the same.
“Toti can play, and Doc can play also. It’s important for us, when we are three against three, we can solve the situation, we can deal with the situation.”
Nafisa
