How Liverpool can “maul” Wolves who fear key players leaving this summer

Jurgen Klopp‘s final match as Liverpool manager is fast approaching and Wolves will be trying to spoil the farewell at Anfield.

Sunday promises to be one of the most emotional days for Liverpool supporters in many years, as Klopp departs after nine seasons in charge.

Wolves head to Anfield as the German’s final opponent, following a campaign that has been more positive than negative under Gary O’Neil.

Both sides will want to finish on a high, but a Liverpool win has to be the order of the day as the players play for the manager one last time.

With kickoff not too far away, we spoke to Dave Azzopardi (@daveazzopardi), founder of Talking Wolves, to get his thoughts on Wolves‘ season, Klopp and much more.

Have the positives outweighed the negatives for Wolves this season?

Yes, I’d say so.

Wolves had a really rocky start to the campaign with Julen LoPetegui walking out last minute, so we all knew Gary O’Neil had a big job on his hands with no pre-season and very little experience.

He has surprised us, though, and has got a lot of fans on his side now, too.

We have slowed down a little bit over the last few weeks which has been frustrating, but I think the main goal this year was to keep Wolves in the Premier League.

He has done that very well.

How impressed have you been with Gary O’Neil?

As a young coach he has come to Wolves and given this squad of players new ideas, confidence and a team spirit we haven’t really seen since pre-COVID.

I would still say he has things to learn or improve on, but that will come with experience. I think he will stick with us next season, but if he continues improving, I know bigger clubs will start to take note.

Who have been Wolves’ best and worst players this season?

I don’t think anyone has necessarily been bad, to be honest. We have got such a small squad and everyone has contributed to where we are.

The three standouts have probably been Rayan Ait-Nouri, Joao Gomes and Pedro Neto, when fit. I would be so surprised if all three of those players are with us next season.

Also a shoutout to Matheus Cunha – he’s been brilliant this season and is probably my favourite Wolves player currently.

How would you assess Liverpool’s campaign and what has gone wrong?

It’s strange with Liverpool this season – when Klopp announced he was leaving I thought you’d win the lot!

Obviously, injuries have been a bit of an issue for you this season, but the quality Arsenal and Man City have at present is ridiculous.

You can’t even afford to drop a single point.

I think the draws have killed Liverpool off. Losing just four Games in a league season is fantastic, but it just shows how good and consistent the other guys are.

What are your thoughts on Klopp’s exit and will you miss him?

I’m not sure why, but I’ve never really taken to Klopp. That being said, I can’t deny how good a manager he is.

I know he’s indicating he might not manage again, but I would be intrigued to see if anywhere takes his fancy in the future.

He will do a brilliant job wherever he goes.

As for Sunday, where will the key battles take place?

I think the midfield battle is key for me. If Mario Lemina and Gomes are on it for us, we might have some joy.

Liverpool can attack so quickly, though, and we saw Wolves get mauled by City with their quick movements and attacks, so if you do the same it could be a long afternoon.

If you could only have one Liverpool player at Wolves, who would it be?

So many choices!

A prime Mohamed Salah or Virgil Van Dijk would obviously be lovely, but for nostalgia, I will go with Diogo Jota.

If we had him and he could stay fit, he would be great to watch again in Old Gold.

Finally, what’s your final day prediction?

I think Liverpool will be the ones celebrating, to be honest. A 3-1 home victory.