Jean Ricner-Bellegarde has struggled this season at Wolves, much like his former teammate Matheus Cunha at Manchester United.
Rob Edwards is yet to find a formula that works at Wolves, having lost his opening three games after replacing Vitor Pereira at Molineux.
It doesn’t get any easier though, as the likes of Manchester United twice, Arsenal, Brentford and Liverpool are up next for the Old Gold.
Jean Ricner-Bellegarde has played a big part in Rob Edwards’ plans so far, starting both of the last two games, but he’s yet to make much of an impact.
However, he appears to be maintaining a positive mentality and is focused on the task ahead, having dismissed Rob Edwards’ queries about whether the squad are ‘scared’.
Matheus Cunha is set to return to Molineux after sealing a £62.5 million move in the summer.
He left on good terms after playing a key role in Wolves’ relegation survival bid under Vitor Pereira, but it remains to be seen as to what type of reception he will get on Monday.
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What kind of reception should Matheus Cunha get on Monday night?🤔
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Left: Matheus Cunha playing for Wolves against Brentford in May 2025 Right: Matheus Cunha in action for Manchester United against Tottenham in November 2025
Credit: David Rogers/James Gill – Danehouse via Getty Images
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Jean Ricner Bellegarde is still a big fan of Cunha and only had positive things to say about the midfielder, but did fire a warning about his quality when speaking to Wolves.
“Matheus Cunha is a good player and we know that if you leave him with the ball and give him more confidence then this can be a problem for the whole team.
“But for us, we need to play closer to our strikers so we can help them grow in confidence, and push our defenders to stay tight and put other teams in danger.
“We know they’re a good team, so we can’t let them play, and we need to put in a lot of energy and make things difficult for them.”
Rob Edwards needs to action Bellegarde’s plan against Manchester United
Jean Ricner-Bellegarde has got it spot on. Wolves often have a huge disconnect between midfield and attack, with Jorgen Strand Larsen often getting isolated.
The midfield have been so negative minded that they fail to push up the pitch and support the striker when appropriate, which has resulted in a sheer lack of chances.
Aston Villa is the benchmark for Wolves moving forward. A game where Bellegarde came into his own and really drove forward with the ball.
But, should the chances arrived then the likes of Strand Larsen, Jhon Arias and Tolu Arokodare cannot be wasteful if Wolves are to stand any chance of a first win.
Its not just the attack though, as the defence have lost focus at vital times in recent games, and that is something you cannot do against players like Bruno Fernandes, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo.
With Ruben Amorim worried about set-pieces, how should Rob Edwards set up?👀
“Any set-pieces can be a problem with the differences in height in the team. “
Ruben Amorim after West Ham draw
Tolu Arokodare warms up for Wolves
Photo by Brett Patzke – WWFC/Getty Images
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