Wolves crisis deepens after poorest opening in 127 years | OneFootball

Vitor Pereira Facing Wolves Struggles After Historic Poor Start

Wolverhampton Wanderers find themselves in unwanted territory. Saturday’s 1-0 defeat away to Newcastle United marked the first time in 127 years of league football that the club has lost their opening four matches of a season. Now, pressure is mounting on head coach Vitor Pereira to steady a campaign that already appears to be unravelling.

Should Wolves suffer another setback against Leeds United this weekend, they would become only the sixth side in Premier League history to open with five consecutive defeats — a statistic no manager wishes to be associated with. The sense of unease among supporters is growing, according to Steve Madeley in The Athletic, and the reasons behind such a poor beginning are becoming increasingly clear.

Transfer dealings causing unrest

Club chairman Jeff Shi insisted during the summer that Wolves’ transfer window had been positive. The mood in the stands, however, tells a very different story.

Seven regular first-team players departed Molineux, with six new additions arriving. On paper, the numbers appear balanced, but on the pitch, Pereira has been left with a squad that feels lighter, less experienced, and arguably weaker than last season’s. Several recruits are struggling to make the expected impact, with some perceived as downgrades on those they replaced.

Much of this stems from poor timing. Only one signing, Fer Lopez, was in place when pre-season began. The others arrived gradually, with two secured before the opening game and the rest rushed through in the final hours of the window. The drawn-out process left Pereira without the chance to properly integrate his new squad into his tactical structure.

Instability undermining tactical plans

The absence of continuity has been costly. Since the opening defeat to Manchester City, Pereira has made 11 changes to his starting line-ups in just three fixtures. The latest, against Newcastle, saw him revert to a 3-5-2 formation in response to limited training time with key players.

That lack of consistency is evident across the pitch. Wolves’ defensive organisation, which improved markedly when Pereira first arrived last December, has regressed. Soft goals have returned, undoing much of last season’s hard work. With nine goals conceded already, only two clubs in the division have worse defensive records.

Key players struggling to deliver

Equally concerning is the decline in form of individuals who were central to Wolves’ survival last term. Emmanuel Agbadou, so commanding in the spring, has been hesitant and error-prone. Midfielder Andre, normally a calming presence, was at fault for the decisive goal at St James’ Park and has lacked his usual control.

Further upfield, the absence of Jorgen Strand Larsen through injury and ongoing transfer speculation has robbed Pereira of a focal point. It has left Wolves short of both physicality and cutting edge, with the squad lacking the spark once provided by creative figures such as Rayan Ait-Nouri.

Goals drying up at crucial moments

For a fleeting 25 minutes on Tyneside, Wolves produced their brightest football of the campaign, registering two shots on target inside the opening minute. Yet moments of promise have not translated into results. Pereira’s side sit near the bottom of the league in both goals scored and expected goals — a worrying combination that highlights both a lack of ruthlessness and a lack of creativity.

As Wolves enter their eighth successive Premier League season, the sense of regression is impossible to ignore. Pereira retains the backing of the hierarchy for now, but unless results change swiftly, the struggles could intensify, dragging the club into another long and bruising relegation fight.