Why Strand Larsen is a perfect fit to lead Wolves’ attack

Adrian Clarke says 6ft 4in striker will bring a much-needed physical presence and aerial threat to Molineux

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Player analysis – Jorgen Strand Larsen (Wolverhampton Wanderers)

Across the last four seasons, Wolves have lacked a regular goalscorer that also provides them with a physical focal point at centre forward.

Raul Jimenez did a terrific job up until he fractured his skull in November 2020, but since then, the strikers’ position has been a problem area at Molineux.

This summer, head coach Gary O’Neil has identified Norway international Strand Larsen as the man to fill that role.

Wolves sign Norway striker Strand Larsen on loan

Celta Vigo forward who is likened to Erling Haaland becomes Wolves’ third summer signing

Standing 6ft 4in, he is strong in the air and good at holding the ball up to link play.

Inside the final third, the 24-year-old also has sharp movement and a willingness to make runs in behind.

When chances fell his way last season, Strand Larsen also displayed calm predatory instincts, netting 13 goals in La Liga for Celta Vigo.

Position: Target man

Neither of last season’s joint-top scorers for Wolves Hwang Hee-chan or Matheus Cunha are ideally suited to the No 9 role.

Brazilian Cunha is very much a false nine or No 10, while Hwang is comfortable operating as a wide forward with the freedom to pop up unexpectedly inside dangerous areas.  

Strand Larsen is a far more natural fit to lead the line as a centre forward.  

In truth, O’Neil’s side had next to no aerial threat from any of their frontline in 2023/24, with Cunha winning the most aerial duels with a lowly tally of 16.  

By contrast, Strand Larsen who arrives on loan with an obligation to buy, won 73 aerial duels in LaLiga for Celta Vigo.

Strand Larsen v Wolves forwards aerial duels won 23/24

Player
Won

Matheus Cunha
16

Sasa Kalajdzic
8

Jean-Ricner Bellegarde
8

Hwang Hee-chan
7

Jorgen Strand Larsen (Celta Vigo)
73

This should provide Wolves’ wing-backs with more encouragement to whip crosses into the box.

Last season they were one of just five Premier League teams to attempt under 400 open play crosses, and with limited options attacking those ball, just 74 were successful and this ranked them 16th.

Strand Larsen’s power in the air should lead to a greater volume of accurate deliveries from the wings.

Style: Six-yard box danger

Perhaps understandably, Strand Larsen has been compared many times to his international team-mate Erling Haaland.

Their height and style are similar but Strand Larsen, who is more slightly built, is very much a right footer, unlike Manchester City’s goal machine who prefers his left.

The other key difference is that Wolves’ new striker will join in a lot more often in the build-up phase.

He averaged 34.9 touches per 90 minutes in LaLiga last season, compared to Haaland’s 24.5.

Haaland v Strand Larsen league stats 23/24

Stats
Haaland
Strand Larsen

Matches
31
37

Minutes
2,556
2,887

Goals
27
13

Goals (Left foot)
20
3

Goals (Right foot)
2
8

Goals (Headers)
4
2

Aerial duels won
39
73

Touches
697
1120

Strand Larsen is also more of a poacher from close range than Haaland. 

Excellent at putting himself into positions where he can snaffle tap-ins or rebounds, eight of Strand Larsen’s 13 strikes were from six yards out or less.  

If Wolves put enough balls across the face of goal, they now have a forward who will attack crosses with confidence.  

O’Neil has deliberately targeted a player of this ilk because he knows it was an area they struggled with last season.

Wolves scored just nine goals from inside the six-yard box, and just one of those arrived courtesy of a header.

On his own, Strand Larsen notched three close range headers in 2023/24.

Most goals scored in six yard box 23/24

Clubs
Rank
Header
Left foot
Other

Liverpool
=1st
3
6
0
10
19

Newcastle  
=1st
6
5
0
8
19

Arsenal
=3rd
12
2
0
4
18

Luton  
=3rd
9
3
0
6
18

Man City
=3rd
6
6
1
5
18

Wolves
17th
1
3
1
4
9

 Eye-catching trait: Right foot curlers

Haaland is first-choice centre forward for Norway, which often means Strand Larsen enjoys game time on the left of their attack.

When he plays for Wolves, look out for Strand Larsen spinning into the left sided channel, behind the opposing right-back and central defender.

He likes that domain and has scored a number of times cutting in from the left to bend right footed curlers into the far corner.

Where does he fit in?

Stylistically, Strand Larsen fills a hole that has held Wolves back in recent seasons.

O’Neil will chop and change his formations, using a total of nine in 2023/24, but he does usually start with a lone striker.

His most-used shape was 3-4-2-1, and if Strand Larsen leads the line, it may suit Cunha and Hwang to support him either side and from behind.

The season to come

Strand Larsen has a habit of taking up dangerous goalscoring positions.

Staying within the width of the goalposts as often as possible and making smart runs, he tends to get on the end of quality chances.

Strand Larsen’s non-penalty XG in LaLiga last season ranked third, where sat between some of European football’s biggest names.

How Strand Larsen compares to LaLiga forwards 23/24

Forwards
Club
Non-penalty Expected Goals (npxG)

Artem Dovbyk
Girona
17.9

Robert Lewandowski
Barcelona
15

Jorgen Strand Larsen
Celta Vigo
14.5

Alvaro Morata
Atletico Madrid
12.9

Vinicius Jnr
Real Madrid
12.3

The challenge for Wolves and O’Neil in the months to come will be supplying Strand Larsen with the type of service he thrives on.

If they play to his strengths and he keeps free of injury, he is just the type of player they need.