Wolves have one of the largest squads in the Championship, yet Zenga appears curiously reluctant to part from his preferred XI.
With almost a quarter of the Championship season behind them, Wolves fans could be forgiven for reserving judgement for a little while longer. When the irrepressible Walter Zenga bounded into Molineux and proclaimed his new team as the biggest English club in Italy, it seemed the 2016/17 season was going to be anything other than conventional.
Yet,in mid-October, Wolves are perched on a mid-table fence, yet to convince that they can commit fully to a promotion push despite an array of exciting overseas imports funded by the club’s rich Chinese owners.
Zenga retains the full backing of a fan base intrigued by promises of progression after growing stale under Kenny Jackett, but the club’s new owners may not share their patience. They want promotion and the Premier League, the sooner the better.
Although Zenga may find that the answer is right underneath his nose.
In the 46-game slog that is the Championship, keeping your players fit and fresh is essential. A late season burst can provide the platform for a sneaky play-off push while a Spring-time wobble can destabilise seven months of hard work. Derby County know all about that.
Therefore, Zenga must plan ahead or face falling even further off the pace in the coming months. Disrupting a settled side carries its own risks, but introducing the ever-impressive Conor Coady into midfield, or giving an opportunity to Lee Evans or Jack Price (below), could help Wolves reap the rewards long term.
Dave Edwards, Prince Oniangue and Romain Saiss, Zenga’s preferred central trio, could certainly benefit from a well-deserved rest.
Zenga’s ability to utilise substitutes and change system mid-match, an area where Jackett was severely lacking, warrants credit, but the genial Italian is yet to find a place for club-record signing Ivan Cavaleiro to shine.
Barnstormning frontman Jon Dadi Bodvarsson has led the line superbly this season, but the aggression and guile of the Portuguese prodigy (below) would offer an exciting alternative as Nouha Dicko strives to return to full fitness.
Zenga has stayed true to a core of trusted lieutenants so far, but a rebellion in the ranks is the last thing he needs. Summer signings Silvio, Helder Costa and Ola John have started just six league games between them, and the former Sampdoria manager could soon pay the price for dividing his squad into guaranteed starters and forgotten fringe players.
Last season’s top six, Burnley, Middlesbrough, Hull, Brighton, Derby and Sheffield Wednesday, all used an average of 30 players throughout the course of the season. If Wolves want to aim a little higher, Zenga needs to extend his trust to the darker regions of the dressing room.