Wolves 0 Valladolid 2 - Analysis

Now the not so good. They've got to start converting their chances.

Wolves' third defeat of pre-season was also their third blank of their nine-match warm-up programme.

All through the summer, Wolves have created plenty of opportunities. But time and again – just like Albion last season – they have failed to make the most of them.

The concern going into the world's toughest league is they're going to be punished if that pattern continues when the real thing starts in the Premier League against West Ham this Saturday.

Manager Mick McCarthy admits his side should have made more of their openings after Matt Jarvis and Andrew Surman (twice) were denied, while Doyle saw a penalty saved, Andy Keogh missed two sitters, Dave Edwards was flagged offside after the ball was in the net and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake fired into the side-netting.

The manager said: "We really should have scored, especially when you get a penalty, but we created chance. Last season was all about scoring from the chances, but I'm sure the goals will come.

"I was really pleased with our second half performance."

The scoreline certainly flattered Real Valladolid, who punished Wolves with two breakaway goals and otherwise failed to trouble keeper Wayne Hennessey.

McCarthy believes the goals were "an eye-opener" if they don't get their act together.

He said: "The fact their goals came against the run of play was an eye-opener, because that's what will happen in the Premier League.

"You think you're in good possession and then it's in the back of your net and you wonder 'How the hell did that happen?'"

But McCarthy is happy his players are ready for when the action starts for real.

He said: "I'm encouraged by what I've seen pre-season. It will be a different ball-game this week. I think the start of the season is eagerly anticipated now, you can sense we're ready for it."

Wolves are certainly getting to grips with their 4-3-3/4-5-1 formation and it was encouraging to see Andy Keogh and Matt Jarvis – the wide men of the attacking three – again perform impressively.

Both have been two of the best players in pre-season and their strong running and prodigious workrates make them ideally suited to the demands and benefits of the system.

The pair were desperately close to adding to their two-goal friendly tallies in the Molineux sunshine. Jarvis had Wolves' best effort, his curling shot acrobatically tipped wide by keeper Justo Villar Viveros on 23 minutes after cutting inside.

Keogh's big moment came in the 61st minute when he headed wide with the goal at his mercy from Jarvis' cross, after Doyle's first touch at Molineux in a Wolves shirt won the ball.

The class, style and size of Doyle is not too dissimilar to 1970s idol John Richards and fans won't mind if he's half as successful as 'The King.'

Unfortunately, his home debut will also be remembered for the 73rd minute penalty that he rolled weakly to Viveros's left, allowing a simple save after a mystery handball.

Earlier, Wolves were slow to close down in the opening exchanges and Jarvis's chance came after some slack play allowed Matteus Alberto Contreiras Goncalves to waltz through only to poke wide.

Ebanks-Blake adjusted his body well to lob over before a piece of brilliance saw the Spaniards take the lead in the 29th minute.

Midfielder Haris Medunjanin spotted Hennessey off his line and produced a sublime chip from 22 yards that won applause from the three open sides of the ground.

Ebanks-Blake found the side-netting just before the break after great work by Stephen Ward, whose extra match fitness may well swing him the nod over George Elokobi for the left-back spot on Saturday.

After the break, more excellent work from Ward saw the Irish utility man beat his man before crossing inches too far for Ebanks-Blake and Keogh, who then produced a weak shot straight at Viveros when put clean through.

The busy Keogh forced a falling save from Viveros on the angle after Doyle's pass before another impressive performer, substitute Andrew Surman, had a shot blocked on the line after his second attempt beat the keeper.

Surman was then denied at the foot of the post from close range. Asier Arranz Martin stole between Greg Halford and Jody Craddock to volley into the roof of the net on 88.

But McCarthy was delighted how his team are adapting to the new formation.

He said: "We took on a team who have probably been playing it for years and at times they looked considerably better than us.

"But once we got to grips with it and pushed up got among them a bit and won the ball further up the pitch, I thought we had a good second half."

By Tim Nash