WOLVES FANS SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS ON ANOTHER DEFEAT FOR WOLVES
JOHN TARAS
Embarrassed, disgusted, saddened. These are just three of the countless words I could use to describe the last two hours.
After two weeks off for the international break, Vitor pointed out this week how the players were communicating well with each other.
Well, after what I just watched, nothing could be further from the truth. In a game of such importance, it took 70 minutes before we got a shot on target. We had too many players who spent most of the game on their backsides. Larsen was the main culprit. He did not have an attempt on goal. I cannot remember him staying on his feet or winning any challenges.
Our two supposedly world-class midfielders, Andre and Gomes, were both yards off the pace today. They both committed too many fouls. Then they both thought they could score from thirty yards. I have not seen them do that in the time they have been at Wolves.
Game plan and strategy? None. Sunderland scored a slick goal because the Wolves defence did not go with the runners. A simple one-two took out the Wolves defence. Sunderland scored from eight yards.
Wolves huffed and puffed, but nothing changed. In fact, Sunderland were nearly three up at half-time. They also had a goal chalked off for offside.
Going in 1-0 down at half-time was a miracle. You thought Vitor might change things up. No. We stayed as we were. Sunderland comfortably repelled any advance Wolves made. This was helped by Wolves’ insistence on playing backwards from any possible attacking threat.
Never fear, Vitor had a plan. He swapped full-back Doherty for full-back Hoever. That was his proactive move with Wolves still a goal down and Sunderland coasting. But it worked, I said sarcastically. Wolves had their first attempt on goal on 75 minutes.
A triple substitution on 76 minutes proved fruitless. Arokodare, who should have started for the ineffective Larsen, came on along with Lopez and Tchatchoua. Guile and pace arrived too late to have any effect on the game.
But Wolves pressed on in search of an equaliser. The game was settled from a Wolves corner on 92 minutes. Wolves had two six-foot-plus strikers to cross to. Instead, they cleared every player in the box. Sunderland broke three on one. Krejci inadvertently diverted the ball past the stranded Johnstone to make it 2-0 to Sunderland.
The Championship is looming large. The players are like lost sheep. No game plans, no inspiration, no effective substitutions, no ideas, no communication, no passes to their own players, no attempt to beat defenders, no decent crosses into the danger areas, no decent corner kicks.
Next up is Burnley at Molineux. Based on today’s performance, I predict a Burnley win.
Wolves are still winless in the league. I cannot see a win coming in the near future. The Vitor from last season, who masterminded the six-game winning run, is not to be found.
Wolves are destined for the Championship at this rate. Currently shambolic, they made newly promoted Sunderland look like a top-half team with ease.
A disillusioned Wolves supporter of 50 years.
DAVE
It’s getting harder and harder to keep the faith right now as a Wolves fan. Another game, another defeat — that’s six losses from eight, and we’re still without a win. Sunderland looked sharper, hungrier, and far more confident from the first whistle, while we just never really got going.
Nordi Mukiele’s opener summed it up — a simple one-two and we were carved open far too easily. Sam Johnstone will be disappointed to be beaten like that, but truthfully, the defending in front of him was the bigger problem. Once again, we gave ourselves a mountain to climb.
Yes, we improved slightly after the break and spent a fair bit of time around their box, but there was no real creativity, no conviction, no cutting edge. It felt inevitable that if anyone was going to score again, it wouldn’t be us. And in classic Wolves fashion, it ended with an own goal from Krejci to rub salt in the wound.
We’re eight games in and rooted to the bottom, still searching for that elusive first win. Vítor Pereira looks lost for answers, the players look short of belief, and the fans are running out of patience. The performances are flat, the goals have dried up, and even when we show a bit of fight, it never seems enough.
It’s painful to say, but right now, it’s hard to see where the next point is coming from.
PAM WELLS
Against Sunderland, a game we have to get something from. 4-3-3 again. I was pleased to see Rodrigo Gomes in the team.
Unfortunately, from the word go, we just weren’t at the races. Second best to everything. We eventually conceded the first goal from a mistake by Munetsi and poor goalkeeping. That’s how the first half finished.
No changes for the second half, but at least we started to play with a little bit of pace. João Gomes managed to get forward a bit more. Vitor Pereira made a very weird sub, bringing on Hoever, and gradually we went back to the same slow, boring football. No further subs till late in the game, and they didn’t really make any difference at all.
Then, from a poor cross and possible penalty, they broke away and Krejci scored an own goal.
A 2-0 loss.
Questions have to be asked of Vitor Pereira. Poor line-ups and very poor subs, far too late. I feel he is walking on thin ice, but who would come and manage under these owners? To be honest, the squad is not good enough, whoever is the manager.
Man of the match? I can’t be bothered to pick one, a bit like the players couldn’t be bothered.
Performance rating: 2.5
LESLEY WHITEHOUSE
I’m just frustrated with our team’s performance today. We saw a game that fell short of the standard they can reach. It did not show us fans that they can play a decent match. You will wonder when a win will come.
We struggle to spot the philosophy Vitor has put in place. We lacked in key areas, especially defence. We defended poorly and let Sunderland score first. We played better in both halves of football but got no goals from it.
Our confidence was low. We must do much better than that. Otherwise, we could face real trouble. The gap to teams above us will widen. This is not what Wolves fans want to see. We believe things can turn around. But when? I am not happy right now.
We wait to see what the next game brings. The team needs to react after this poor result. They lost to a side that sat below us last season. This is where we should stand now.
Match Rating: 4
Player of the match: Rodrigo Gomes
KARL WHITEHOUSE
We walked into this one on the back foot, and it showed. Sunderland played with a calm we couldn’t match. Their press pinned us in, their defenders stepped into our third without fear, and even their long throws felt like set pieces. The opener was coming; we switched off in the box, lost runners at the back post again, and paid for it. That pattern has hurt us all season.
There was a way out, and it wasn’t pretty. We needed to go longer to beat the press and play in their half. When we finally started doing that, the game tilted. We kept the ball better, pushed them back, and found pockets. Still, the edge wasn’t there. Shots lacked conviction. The final pass came a touch late or a touch soft. You could feel the anxiety in every decision.
Half time brought no changes, and that felt like a miss. The game called for creativity and a spark between the lines. Instead, we kept asking the same players to solve the same problem. Vítor Pereira has to see that earlier. This squad needs intervention in-game, not just in the week.
The second half had promise. We pressed higher, created chances, and had Sunderland sitting off. The threat was there, but the finish wasn’t. Wasteful again. When you’re on top and don’t score, you invite trouble; we did, and got stung late. It’s the kind of gut punch that lingers longer than it should.
What worries me most isn’t one result. It’s the trend. We still struggle to impose ourselves on teams we should control. We switch off at the back post. We hesitate in front of goal. Confidence is thin, and you can feel it in the stands. The substitutions didn’t shift the game state; the timing felt off, and the choices felt safe. That leaves fans asking where this is heading and where the next win comes from.
There were a few bright sparks. Rodrigo Gomes stood up; he wanted the ball, carried us forward, and looked like a player trying to change the script. But he can’t do it alone. We need more runners beyond the ball, quicker decisions in the box, and a bit of bravery from the touchline when the game demands it.
This wasn’t a meltdown, but it was a warning. If Wolves want to be taken seriously, we can’t look this unsure against a side happy to sit and counter. Find a cleaner out ball. Attack the back post with purpose. Make changes earlier. And when the moment comes, hit the target with bad intentions.
Match rating: 4 Player of the match: Rodrigo Gomes