🐺 Wolves in Crisis? Pre-Season Defeat, Fan Fury, and a Squad in Desperate Need of Reinforcements
As Wolves fell to a 3–1 defeat against RC Lens in their latest pre-season friendly, frustration among fans reached new levels. What was meant to be a summer of transition, growth, and consolidation under manager Vítor Pereira is instead beginning to feel like a familiar nightmare. Just two weeks before the start of the 2025/26 Premier League season, Wolverhampton Wanderers appear woefully underprepared — and the noise from the fanbase is impossible to ignore.
While pre-season results alone rarely dictate how a season will go, Wolves’ winless summer, coupled with a paper-thin squad and an ownership group under fire, has many questioning not just the short-term outlook — but the club’s direction as a whole.
🔎 A Deeper Look at the Lens Defeat
Wolves’ most recent friendly was played against RC Lens at the Bescot Stadium — a venue that perhaps unintentionally mirrored the makeshift nature of the squad Pereira had at his disposal. Despite a more intense display than in previous outings (such as the underwhelming showing against Stoke City), the 3–1 loss exposed key issues: defensive lapses, a lack of control in midfield, and attacking efforts that were more hopeful than threatening.
Gonçalo Guedes found the net for Wolves, but it was a rare bright moment. In truth, Lens looked the more cohesive, composed, and balanced team. That’s understandable — they’re further into their rebuild and boast better squad unity. But for Wolves, it’s yet another reminder of the club’s ongoing failure to evolve with the demands of top-flight football.
📉 Pre-Season Form: A Sign of Deeper Problems
Wolves remain without a win this pre-season. Normally, that wouldn’t be a crisis in itself — many clubs lose friendlies while experimenting with tactics, fitness, and player combinations. But context is everything.
This is a Wolves side that flirted with relegation last season. Vítor Pereira was brought in midway through the campaign to stabilize the team, and to his credit, he delivered. There were promising signs of structure, fight, and belief. Many assumed the summer would then bring upgrades, fresh energy, and a squad better aligned with Pereira’s demanding, high-intensity philosophy.
Instead, the team looks weaker — and more imbalanced — than it did at the end of last season. There is no new striker to support or replace Matheus Cunha. No ready-made wing-backs to replace the outgoing Nelson Semedo or cover for the likes of Hugo Bueno. No dominant centre-back added to partner Kilman. And aside from the promising addition of Jhon Arias, very little that can be interpreted as progress.
📢 Fanbase Boiling Over: “Back the Manager or Sell the Club”
Social media tells the story. For every minor positive — a decent Guedes goal, a good 20-minute spell — there are dozens of fans pointing out the obvious: this squad is not Premier League ready. And worse, it’s not even close.
The quotes doing the rounds are scathing:
“Still need 5–6 signings, especially fullbacks.”
“If we don’t sign 4-5 first-team players, we’re going down. Simple as.”
“These wing-backs are Championship quality at best. The squad looks like it’s been built to compete with Birmingham, not Brighton.”
“Vítor hasn’t signed a new deal because he knows the club is a mess. I wouldn’t blame him for walking before October.”
These aren’t emotional knee-jerk reactions to a single loss. They reflect a broader feeling of mistrust and resentment toward the club’s ownership — Fosun International — who, in the eyes of many supporters, have repeatedly mismanaged transfer windows and failed to back their managers properly.
The sense of déjà vu is overwhelming. Each summer seems to follow the same script: slow movement in the market, an urgent need to offload players before spending, last-minute bargain buys, and a public statement from the club about “market difficulties.”
The result? Wolves enter the season already on the back foot. Fans are tired of the cycle. Many are now questioning whether Fosun still has the ambition — or even the resources — to lead the club forward.
🧠 Pereira’s Future Already Under Threat?
Vítor Pereira is not just fighting for points. Increasingly, he may be fighting to keep control of a situation slipping from his hands. The manager has been professional and composed in public, refusing to criticize the board. But the fact that he still hasn’t signed a contract extension — despite months of negotiations — is significant.
It suggests uncertainty. Maybe it’s financial. Maybe it’s philosophical. Maybe Pereira has asked for reinforcements and been told to “make do.” If that’s the case, then his silence says plenty.
It’s worth remembering: Pereira inherited a squad built for a completely different style of football. He’s tried to mold it into something more aggressive and structured, but without new signings to suit that style, it’s only a matter of time before the wheels start to wobble.
Should results go badly in the opening month, there’s a genuine possibility that Pereira could walk — not because of results, but because of a lack of support. And if that happens, Wolves will have burned through another manager and alienated a fanbase, all without resolving the deeper problems.
📊 Squad Analysis: Where Wolves Are Falling Short
Here’s a positional breakdown of Wolves’ current weaknesses:
✅ Full-Backs / Wing-Backs:
Out: Nelson Semedo
In: Nobody
Problem: Rayan Aït-Nouri is unreliable defensively, and depth is virtually nonexistent. No senior right wing-back is available. A massive issue in Pereira’s system.
✅ Central Defense:
Craig Dawson is aging, Max Kilman needs consistency, and there’s no third reliable option. Injuries could leave the team badly exposed.
✅ Midfield:
João Gomes and Mario Lemina are strong, but there’s no depth or variety. Wolves need another box-to-box or holding midfielder who can rotate or push the tempo.
✅ Attack:
Hwang Hee-chan and Matheus Cunha lack the physicality or sharpness to lead the line. Wolves still have no natural goalscorer — an issue that has plagued them since Raul Jiménez’s peak years.
✅ Creativity:
Pablo Sarabia blows hot and cold. Without a reliable No.10 or wide creator (besides Arias, who is new), Wolves struggle to break down low blocks or counter effectively.
In short: a Premier League squad needs 18–20 reliable first-team options. Wolves have maybe 11–12.
💰 What About the Money?
Fosun has repeatedly cited financial fair play constraints, especially after COVID and post-Brexit rule changes. But rival clubs in similar financial positions have managed to operate far more shrewdly.
Brentford, Brighton, and even newly-promoted Leicester have made multiple smart additions, some of them early in the window. Wolves’ delay in doing so appears more like hesitation than strategy.
Fans are now asking: if Pereira is staying, and the club intends to compete, why isn’t the transfer activity matching the ambition?
⏳ What Needs to Happen Now?
To avoid starting the season in a tailspin, Wolves must act before the window closes. Ideally, they should aim to bring in:
- Starting RWB
- Starting LWB
- First-choice CB
- Box-to-box CM
- Creative AM or winger
- Proven Premier League striker
That’s six players — a tall order at this stage, but not impossible. At the very least, four of those need to be in the door by mid-August.
This isn’t a case of overspending. It’s about squad survival — literally. Wolves are at a crossroads: act decisively and rise, or hesitate and fall.
🧨 Final Word: A Club at a Tipping Point
Wolves aren’t just preparing for a season — they’re walking a tightrope between stability and collapse. One wrong step, one more missed signing, one more manager alienated, and the club could spiral.
The fanbase is engaged, passionate, and more knowledgeable than ever. They see the cracks. They know when a squad isn’t good enough. They’ve backed the team through thick and thin — and now they’re asking the club to back them.
The next two weeks could define not just Wolves’ season, but their status in English football for years to come.