Wolverhampton Wanderers face Chelsea in their final match before Christmas and a win would do their confidence the world of good.
Gary O’Neil has led the Old Gold to just one Premier League win since the return of domestic football following the last international break of the year and a couple of victories before the end of 2023 would boost their top half ambitions.
Once they get those games over with, the January transfer window will be in full swing and the 40-year-old coach can concentrate on trying to bolster his playing squad.
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The Old Gold have been linked with a few names leading up to the winter window, but perhaps they should reignite a swoop for Norwich City winger Jonathan Rowe next month – having been noted as one of the clubs who are in the race for his signature.
The Molineux outfit had a £15m bid rejected by the Canaries for the youngster towards the end of the summer transfer window and with fellow Premier League side Aston Villa also showing interest in Rowe, now could be their time to strike.
With O’Neil looking to transform his attack, a move for the 20-year-old could potentially work wonders, and he would forge a solid partnership with Hwang Hee-Chan during the second half of the season.
Hwang and Rowe would be an exciting partnership
The 5 foot 10 Championship starlet has been in stunning form during the 2023/24 season thus far.
Across just 22 matches, Rowe has found the back of the net 11 times while chipping in with two assists and this attacking threat means he could add another spark to the Wolves side.
David Wagner, Rowe’s boss at Norwich, lavished praise on him recently, hailing the young talent as a “character” and perhaps a step-up to the top flight could be wonderful for his development.
Rowe has created one big chance and averages 1.1 key passes per game in the second tier along with succeeding with 1.1 successful dribbles per game, and he could be the perfect foil for the South Korean forward.
Hwang has enjoyed a fruitful spell in front of goal under O’Neil. In 17 Premier League matches, the 27-year-old has netted eight times while grabbing two assists, and it is clear he is enjoying his football under the 40-year-old.
The former RB Leipzig forward has also created three big chances, averaged 0.7 key passes per game and succeeded with 1.5 successful dribbles per game, sharing similar statistics to that of Rowe this season.
The duo could be devastating by leading the line at Wolves and with another attacker clearly wanted at the club, the Old Gold should certainly think about reigniting a move for the Championship talent.
A top-half Premier League finish is certainly achievable with his current team, but O’Neil will know that more consistency must be the priority come 2024.
Wins against Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur are all fine and well, but if you can't beat Luton Town or Sheffield United, all the good work has been wasted and this may come back to haunt them at the end of the season.