Vitor Pereira had described the game against Leeds at Molineux as “must win”.
Following a thoroughly deserved 3-1 victory for the visitors, it was no surprise the Wolves boss took nearly all of the 45-minute window allowed before commencing his post-match media commitments.
Last season, Wolves supporters fell in love with their head coach. He took over a team heading towards the Championship and was able to comfortably guide them to safety. Despite their horrendous start to the new campaign, and the boos which greeted the full-time whistle on Saturday, fans appear to be behind Pereira.
Their audible frustration was directed toward the board. The first sign of unrest singled out executive chairman Jeff Shi, but then followed: “You’ve sold the team, now sell the club.”
Ownership group Fosun has sanctioned the sales of Ruben Neves, Max Kilman, Pedro Neto, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Mateus Cunha over the past three summers.
Two days after signing a new three-year contract, Pereira was understandably comfortable when fending off questions regarding his future. However, while high-profile departures have weakened his team, the poor run of results cannot solely be explained by the club’s transfer strategy. Pereria has to shoulder some of the blame.
Wolves’ defending appears to be the biggest area of concern. Part of Pereira’s success last season was turning around a side who had, statistically, the worst defence in the division under Gary O’Neil.
The January addition of Emmanuel Agbadou proved to be key – but on Saturday’s evidence, the centre-back is nowhere near the performance levels which consistently impressed last season.
That Pereria does not know his best XI – something he was happy to admit before kick-off against Leeds – cannot be helping Agbadou and his team-mates. The Portuguese has named a different starting line-up for each game, with 14 changes across their five Premier League matches so far.
With the exceptions of Jose Sa, Joao Gomes, Matt Doherty and Hwang Hee-chan, Pereira’s squad is predominantly made up of players with no more than a couple of years of Premier League football behind them. Unfamiliarity among the group, and a widespread lack of experience, is surely part of the reason Wolves continue to struggle.
It is understandable to view Pereira’s time in charge with rose-tinted glasses. His infectious smile, mantra of “first the points, then the pints” and genuine desire to be part of the Wolverhampton community means he has plenty of credit in the bank among the fanbase.
However, the signs of drop-off have been evident since the start of May.
After six consecutive Premier League victories to the end of April, it is now one win in 10 – including eight defeats.
Pereira has earned the opportunity to try to turn things around but, for the second time in 12 months, it appears the Wolves board finds itself potentially moving towards having to question the future of a head coach only last week rewarded with a new long-term contract.
How are you feeling about the future under Pereira following a fifth straight defeat to start the league season? And how should Tuesday’s Carabao Cup tie against Everton be approached in the circumstances?
Get in touch with your views here
