Wolverhampton Wanderers drew 2-2 with Nottingham Forest in the Premier League over the weekend, damaging their chances of securing a top-half finish.
Since the end of the international break, the Old Gold have failed to win a top-flight match, losing two and drawing two of their four games, which has dropped them to 11th place in the table.
With clashes against Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool to come between now and the end of the season, Gary O’Neil will have to lift his men if he aims to lead them to a top-half finish.
Wolves did show some resilience by coming back from 2-1 down to secure a share of the spoils, with Matheus Cunha scoring twice in what was his first start since early February.
It was a former Wolves' starlet who opened the scoring for Forest during the encounter, however, as Morgan Gibbs-White continues to impress since making the move in the summer of 2022.
Although O’Neil has improved the mood around Molineux this term after their struggles during 2022/23, was selling the Englishman a mistake by former manager Bruno Lage?
Morgan Gibbs-White’s statistics vs Wolves
Gibbs-White was deployed in his favoured number ten role against his former employers and shone, showing exactly what they were missing.
Not only did he score Forest’s equaliser, but he also succeeded with three of his six dribbles, proving he was more than happy to take on a Wolves backline who had conceded 49 goals prior to the match.
Along with creating plenty of havoc for the opposition defence, Gibbs-White stood firm during his one one-on-one battles in the match, winning ten of his 17 contested duels, indicating he wasn’t easily bullied off the ball.
Goals
1
Assists
0
Total duels (won)
17 (10)
Lost possession
20
Touches
69
Overall, it was an excellent performance and continues his wonderful run of form this term. Since the start of the season, the 24-year-old has scored six goals and registered seven assists in all competitions.
In the same time period, no Wolves midfielder has registered as many goal contributions, while only four of their squad in total have eclipsed the 13 that Gibbs-White has chipped in with this term.
Despite the likes of Cunha, Pedro Neto and Hwang Hee-Chan all contributing effectively, the Old Gold lack an attacking midfielder who can really add some dynamism to their squad, along with a fair share of goals and assists.
Why Wolves sold Gibbs-White
Following an impressive stint at Sheffield United in 2021/22, scoring 12 times while grabbing ten assists, it was clear he wasn’t quite in Lage’s plans for the forthcoming campaign.
When an offer of an initial £35m for the midfielder came towards the end of the summer transfer window, it was evident Lage was going to accept and, on the surface, it looked like a wonderful piece of business.
The total fee had the potential to rise to £42.5m due to add-ons, making it even more lucrative for the Old Gold if he was successful.
While the finances were a boost to the club, nearly two years on, it looks as though they could regret letting him leave, especially considering his performances this season for Forest.
Despite his impact, may Wolves have made an even bigger mistake by selling former captain and talisman Ruben Neves last summer? Coincidentally, he has registered even more goal contributions than Gibbs-White so far during 2023/24.
Ruben Neves’ statistics at Wolves
The Portuguese midfielder joined the club ahead of 2017/18 from FC Porto and wasted no time in settling in, scoring six times in 42 Championship appearances as the team won the second tier to gain promotion to the top flight.
Across the following five seasons, Neves made 177 Premier League appearances, finding the back of the net 21 times while registering nine assists, but his contribution stretched far beyond goals.
His most impressive feat came last season. Despite the Old Gold suffering their joint-worst finish in the top flight since promotion, if it weren’t for Neves, they may well have suffered relegation.
Not only did the former Porto gem rank as the best outfield player in the squad with regard to overall Sofascore rating (7.23), he also ranked first for goals and assists (seven), accurate passes per game (48.8) and fourth for key passes per game (0.9), showcasing his worth to the club.
The 27-year-old joined Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal last summer for a fee of £47m, which is a club record. During his time in the Middle East, Neves has lived up to his price tag and has proved he is a bigger loss to Wolves than Gibbs-White.
How Neves is playing in Saudi Arabia
With the large volume of players moving to the Middle East, Neves’ move perhaps went fairly unnoticed, but his performances certainly have not.
Across 38 matches, Neves has registered 15 goal contributions – five goals and ten assists – which is two more than Gibbs-White.
In the Saudi Pro League, the former Wolves captain has taken his game to new levels, ranking first yet again among his teammates for accurate passes per game (68), along with ranking second for key passes per game (two), second for big chances created (13) and first for tackles per game (2.7).
In comparison, Gibbs-White has averaged 25.1 accurate passes, 1.9 key passes and 1.1 tackles per game while creating 12 big chances.
There isn’t much of a difference, but it is clear who comes out on top and the majority of the Old Gold faithful would surely have Neves back in the heart of their midfield if given the chance.
Hugo Bueno previously dubbed Neves “incredible” during his final season in the Midlands, and he was arguably the main reason as to how the club retained their Premier League status.
Aged just 27, he is coming into his peak years, yet his talents deserve a far bigger stage than the Saudi Pro League, that’s for sure.
Gibbs-White is starring for a Forest side battling relegation, yet Neves is the jewel in the crown of a team strolling their way to a league title.