'Perhaps when the window ends, we will all see a bigger picture'

Mike Taylor, BBC WM

Saturday’s defeat at Leeds would have drawn the spotlight to the most pressing issues for Wolves, were they not glaringly obvious already.

In a close game, Leeds were able to change gear and Wolves could not. After a period when Wolves had begun to assume control, the Leeds coach Jesse Marsch introduced Mateusz Klich, who rattled around midfield and broke the spell. After falling behind, with no experienced attacking reinforcements to call on, Wolves faded out.

The signing of Goncalo Guedes this week is at least a step towards addressing those problems, and has been widely welcomed by Wolves fans, who have been waiting for transfers with the impatience of a chip shop customer trying to get ketchup from a bottle.

Guedes’ versatility will be useful, but at the moment Wolves’ most acute need is for a central focus to replace Raul Jimenez. Pedro Neto, Daniel Podence and Morgan Gibbs-White were all buzzing about attractively, but aside from Podence’s handy mishit early on, their attacks were too often blunt.

Conor Coady’s departure was less of a shock having been well-trailed for a couple of weeks, but will perhaps be more keenly felt on Saturday. Although Bruno Lage was non-committal about a preferred formation this season, it seems likely at the moment they will usually play a four-man defence, and if not first-choice in that system, the reasons why Coady might want to look elsewhere to play – especially on Merseyside - are obvious.

Coady’s enormous contribution to the club – on the field, in the dressing room and in the community – has brought him many deserved tributes. However, as with the Fabio Silva's loan move recently, from the outside the benefits of the deal to the player are far more obvious than the benefits to Wolves.

Silva is scoring goals for Anderlecht, and doubtless getting a great boost in confidence, but Wolves left themselves with inadequate cover. Coady moves with an expectation, rather than an obligation, that there will be a permanent transfer at the end of the season. If Wolves don’t see him being in their team in future, why not ensure that a fee will be paid?

Good reasons for all these decisions may well emerge in time. Perhaps, when the window ends, we will all see a bigger picture and everything will make sense; but if that bigger picture does not include a bigger squad, Wolves will continue to look vulnerable.