Wolverhampton Wanderers have had a tough start to their 2023/24 campaign, as issues from last season and the summer break have tarnished Gary O’Neil’s plans with his squad.

The Englishman took charge of the Old Gold just four days before their Premier League opener, following Julen Lopetegui’s departure due to worries about the size of his squad due to the club’s financial restrictions.

After making sufficient sales without room for replacements, O’Neil admitted that his side is “£80m short” of players this term, which is unfortunately reflected in the level of performance so far.

Losing star names such as Ruben Neves, Raul Jimenez, Joao Moutinho and Matheus Nunes got Wolves off to a difficult start, resulting in the need for other players in the squad to step up and attempt to contend in the league.

What does Gary O’Neil have to improve at Wolves?

In their opening six Premier League fixtures, the Midlands side have recorded one win, one draw and four losses, where they have conceded 12 goals which stands at the third-highest number of goals conceded so far.

Only newly promoted Sheffield United and Burnley have let in more goals from the opposition than Wolves, hinting that O’Neil may have to go back to basics to ensure his side can improve.

In terms of fundamentals, the Molineux team has scored the joint-fourth fewest goals this season, with six in six games, with the prevalent theme of their games being that they didn’t take their chances.

Wolves finished the 2022/23 season as the Premier League’s lowest-scoring team, with only 31 goals in 38 games, and if no improvements are done, history may repeat again.

O’Neil may not have to search far for a goalscorer, with one youth player demonstrating how clinical he can be in the final third during his time at the club, as Nathan Fraser has showed hints that he could be on the verge of breaking through.

What could Nathan Fraser offer to Wolves?

A product of Wolves’ academy, Fraser worked his way through the ranks at his boyhood club over the years to make his senior debut earlier this campaign in the Carabao Cup.

It didn’t take long for the Wolverhampton-born starlet to showcase what he’s capable of, as he scored and assisted in the 28 minutes that he featured in the 5-0 win over Blackpool.

The 18-year-old was handed another senior appearance earlier this week during Wolves’ defeat to Ipswich Town in the cup, suggesting that O’Neil may be tempted to hand him a sporadic role in the first team as time passes.

Previously lauded as “dangerous” by analyst Mark Broomy, Fraser has what his club desires, which is the ability to score goals.

Last season, the youngster played in the Premier League 2 as an integral part of the U21 side, where he scored seven goals and recorded two assists in 23 appearances in the level above his age group.