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Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Julen Lopetegui will be “desperate” to work with Raul Jimenez amidst the Old Gold’s goalscoring problems, according to journalist Dean Jones.
The Lowdown: Jimenez’s decline
As the lowest scorers in the Premier League with just eight goals, it’s fair to say that Wolves have struggled in that regard this season.
Wolves also struggled to score goals last term, which coincides with the demise of Mexican striker Jimenez’s demise over the past couple of years, with injuries playing a massive part in that.
The 31-year-old went from 17 goals in 38 league appearances in 2019/20 to just six goals from 34 showings last season, having fractured his skull two years ago.
The centre-forward role is integral for Wolves, so Lopetegui will be looking to get Jimenez firing once more, after his recovery from the knee injury which has kept him out earlier in the campaign.
The Latest: Lopetegui “desperate” to work with Jimenez
According to Jones, the new Wolves manager will be looking to work with Jimenez on the training pitch as soon as possible and will be “desperate” to get to the bottom of his team’s goalscoring woes.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the journalist said of Lopetegui: “Of course, someone like Jimenez, he’ll be desperate to get eyes on the training pitch to see what you can actually do with him and why things haven’t been working out.”
The Verdict: When Jimenez doesn’t score…
Back when Jimenez was firing, goalscoring wasn’t a problem for Wolves. For instance, in the aforementioned 2019/29 season when the Mexican bagged 17 goals, Wolves averaged 1.3 goals per match and were the eighth-highest scorers in the Premier League.
Fast forward to this season, and the Old Gold are rock bottom with an average of 0.5 goals per match, with Jimenez yet to get off the mark.
If Lopetegui can successfully revive the £100k-per-week Mexican’s fortunes, Wolves’ goalscoring woes should soon end. For that to happen, though, the team will also need to be more creative in their build-up play to supply the 31-year-old with opportunities to find the net.
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