WOLVES FANS SHARE THEIR HONEST OPINIONS ON THE SEASON AND THOUGHTS FOR THE SUMMER AHEAD
ANDREW BENNETT
SCORECARD: 5
5 out of 10, a squad with potential, but potential is all it is.
At the start of the season I did worry about a relegation battle, more due to other teams in the league being organised and looking at the other 16 teams in the league who stayed up, it is really challenging to pick any one to be involved in a relegation fight. So expectations were not so high, but as a fan you expect to see more than what was given for much of this season in terms of performances.
The time under Gary this season I would have given a 1/10 as nothing was working. We were embarrassing ourselves to the nation with fighting between players, between opposition and an all together horrific attitude problem.
Thankfully this seems to have resolved itself since Vitor joined the club and he has offered some brilliant moments not forgetting six in a row! Overall a 5 down the middle seems a fair score given what has happened since Pereira joined the club in a season which seems so long in a world where life flies past us.
Are you happy with Vitor Pereira?
I think every fan has to be happy with Vitor, when it mattered he got it right and brought the squad together. Any manager who has tried to connect with the fans as much as he has whilst breaking records on the pitch deserves the time of day to be given a chance with his methods and a pre-season behind his back – but he must be backed!
Even considering the last few games of the season—Brighton, Palace, and Brentford—where we picked up only one point, I don’t think much blame falls on Vitor. The two home games were quite even, and only individual errors cost us. Then, seemingly, a lack of motivation showed up. Finally, against Palace, Vitor must have wanted to see how our squad can perform on the big stage as he looks ahead. There was no better time than against a team that was still drunk. Sadly, for the fans who travelled, this simply showed Vitor that too many players are not good enough.
Moment of the season:
A very personal moment of the season and this was Marshall Munetsi’s last goal of the campaign, what a goal, what a moment and so well deserved for a player who has put in so much effort since joining the club.
I have been a season ticket holder for many years now, however for personal reasons I am not renewing again so the last goal from my season ticket seat and such a high quality goal will live in the memories for a long time in a very unmemorable season.
Key player of the season and unsung hero?
The fan’s player of the season has to be my player of the season no matter who the manager is. He puts effort in every game and just oozes class, if only he can add more goals to his game, what a player. Joao Gomes thank you for being a Wolves player!
The unsung hero is a man who has been at the club for many years across two stints Matt Doherty, what a season for a seasoned pro playing in a slightly new position and clearly having lost a yard of pace. Looked assured at right centre back and supported the team during a period of defensive strength to accumulate the points to secure safety – defensive strength something much lacking this season.
Where to strengthen in the summer?
Naturally this depends on who leaves throughout the summer as more money will become available if more squad players leave Doyle, Guedes, Hwang, Fabio Silva, Johnstone, Sa? and maybe some more all possible to leave?
Looks ever more likely that Ait Nouri might be off, if he receives big interest you can’t see Fosun saying no. We already know Cunha is leaving, Dawson, Sarabia and Semedo’s contracts expiring and looking unlikely to stay – lots of gaps to be filled in a squad lacking some quality.
Essential to fill though are the two 10’s in Vitor’s system and players who can get closer to Larsen offering some more quality. On top of this with both first choice wing backs likely to leave two more crucial positions to fill. You can see the importance of this position when watching Manchester United adapt to the same system as Wolves and they have some awful wingbacks which does not help their cause.
Who would I like to see added to the squad?
I can’t name any specific names as I am really not sure given so many holes need to be filled but I hope we add more Premier League experience to the squad. We need to add some experienced voices among the younger players (inevitable to join) as leadership has been something missing from this squad for some time. If we were to sign a couple of experienced pros, a Joao Gomes / Andre for a position we are lacking from Brazil and a couple from the continent I imagine this can provide a successful mix to integrate and enjoy Wolverhampton.
Feelings now it is over and main emotions?
Mixed emotions as overall I am happy it is over as this season has felt like a slog with little reward. Again from a personal point and no longer renewing my season ticket this is a sad time as going to Molineux every second week has become the norm in my life, but in the modern world this doesn’t matter as you can still access all the games one way or another.
Optimistic for the future under Vitor, a manager who has connected with fans almost as much as Nuno, we have to hope the leadership has seen now for multiple seasons if you don’t back the team in the summer what then has to happen in January to compete.
It won’t keep happening that the three come up and go down, we have to be prepared to deal with this as much as just keeping up with all the other teams we compete with, taking Everton as an example who you can see spending big this season and improving as they enter their new stadium. Here’s hoping, and onto a good summer!
FINLEY SMITH
Scorecard: 5
I rate the season 5/10. It was awful under Gary O’Neil. We should have appointed Vitor Pereira after the 5-3 loss away at Brentford.
Once we appointed Vitor Pereira, it has been a lot better. If we had appointed him after the Brentford loss, we could be 11th or 12th.
5/10 seems the right rating overall.
ARE YOU HAPPY WITH VITOR PEREIRA?
Yes, I am happy with the appointment of Vitor Pereira. He has brought the spirit back. He knows what “Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club” means to us supporters. He knows where we should be, and that is playing European football.
Moment or highlight of the season:
My moment of the season was the win away at Ipswich because it felt like we sealed staying up and took the pressure away.
Key player of the season and unsung hero?
Key player and best for me has been Matheus Cunha. He brings quality to the side.
Unsung hero is Jose Sa. At the start of the season (under Gary O’Neil), we had ups and downs with Johnstone in goal at times. But I think Jose Sa has done well overall.
THOUGHTS ON THE SUMMER TRANSFER WINDOW:
Wolves don’t need a rebuild, but we do need to sort the squad out. Clear out the dead wood and bring in some quality to push for the top 10 and Europe next season if we can. It’s a big “but” — if we all work together, start now, and show ambition, I believe we can if we bring in the right players.
We need to fix squad depth because every player we bring on now is several steps down in quality. For example, if João Gomes or André get injured, the replacements aren’t great. We need more quality on the bench, even if it won’t match the first team. We also need backups for players who will be leaving.
Feelings now it’s over and main emotions?
Now the season is over, I’m relieved we have stayed up after the season we’ve had, but I’m worried about the summer window. It’s so important to bring in the right players or we could be in trouble.
Let’s hope we get some quality, clear out the dead wood, and fix the squad depth.
Up the Wolves. 🐺🧡
JOHN TARAS
Scorecard: 6
I would rate the season overall a 6/10. If I had been scoring since the arrival of Vitor Pereira, it would have been 9/10.
Are you happy with Vitor Pereira?
Vitor Pereira is a meticulous manager who prepares his teams thoroughly. He has taken to the City of Wolverhampton with passion and created a bond with the fans that has been missing since Nuno Espirito Santo.
He guided Wolves to Premiership safety with six games to go and is on the shortlist for Manager of the Season. This is a reward for his clear ability and the results he has delivered.
I hope Fosun supports him in strengthening the team, even with their aim for the squad to be financially self-sustaining.
Moment or highlight of the season:
The moment of the season was actually the time when Wolves were freefalling into the Championship. Gary O’Neil started well, just as he had at Bournemouth, where he had been the saviour. He kept Bournemouth in the Premiership, but then things fell apart. The same things happened at Wolves. Discipline disappeared. Players were getting sent off and suspended. The team lacked leadership and direction. Wolves couldn’t keep a clean sheet. Defending corners and set pieces was disastrous. We had the worst defence in the league. But Fosun seemed reluctant to act.
Wolves lost to Ipswich in the six-point game 2-1 at home. We were second from bottom.
But fear not. The fans called for David Moyes to save us. Graham Potter was also available. But neither seemed keen to rescue the sinking ship. Jeff Shi had written an article declaring the demise Wolves were in!
The week before Christmas—what a present!
Then, out of nowhere, came the name Vitor Pereira. He had been managing Al-Shabab in Saudi Arabia. I, for one, thought Fosun had panicked. It was 19th December. What a Christmas gift. Wolves seemed a mess and doomed for the Championship.
We knew nothing of Vitor or his background. He had never managed in the Premier League before. Could he save the sinking Molineux ship?
We’d had scandals with Matheus Cunha and Ryan Ait-Nouri on the pitch. Captain Mario Lemina had thrown his toys out of the pram and refused to play. Wolves couldn’t have been in a worse spot. Did Vitor Pereira have what Wolves needed?
Slowly but surely, order seemed to return both on and off the pitch. Vitor settled on a back three. When he joined Wolves, we were 19th with 9 points, five points from safety. After the next 17 games, Wolves had jumped to 15th with 38 points, 17 points above Ipswich.
In April, Wolves set a club record with six straight wins. We were the best-performing team across the European leagues. Vitor won the Manager of the Month award for April.
Matheus Cunha, who many saw as our talisman and saviour, got sent off again against Bournemouth in the final minutes of the FA Cup match, and we lost on penalties.
Cunha received another ban after his previous suspension. Where would our goals come from? For me, the turning point came in his absence with the rise of Jorgen Strand Larsen. He took over the goalscoring duties and scored six goals in six matches. A new talisman had arrived. Wolves had struggled for goals since Raoul Jimenez got injured.
Vitor Pereira made key changes that shifted Wolves’ season. In the January transfer window, he brought in a lynchpin for the back three, Emanuel Agbadou. A colossus who gelled the defence. Toti Gomes, alongside Matt Doherty, formed a rock-solid partnership that stopped the constant goals we conceded from corners and free kicks.
Key player of the season and unsung hero?
My unsung hero has been another January signing, Marshall Munetsi. He flies under the radar but has an engine like a Duracell battery—never running out. On Saturday, he played alongside Strand Larsen to receive a clever flick-on and, without breaking stride or taking a touch, hit a thunderous shot past Flekken of Brentford, who had saved every previous Wolves attempt to equalise.
My key player of the season has been Joao Gomes, playing in midfield with Andre. With all the talk about Matheus Cunha and whether he would sign a new contract, you suspected Cunha planned to leave at the end of the season. He is expected to sign for Manchester United this week. This situation has weighed on the team for weeks.
Meanwhile, Joao Gomes had similar contract talks but settled them without drama. His consistently high standard of play showed his commitment to the team. Even after a short suspension for a red card, he improved his discipline on the pitch. You couldn’t say the same for Matheus Cunha.
THOUGHTS ON SUMMER TRANSFER WINDOW:
It’s clear we need additions. A proven goalscorer to support Strand Larsen. A winger who can supply crosses for Strand Larsen, who has shown he will score when given chances.
A more competent goalkeeper who can play the style of building from the back, something Jose Sa struggles with.
Wolves have backup players who could play a big part next season. Football is now a squad game, not just eleven players.
The squad includes Boubacar Traore, Tommy Doyle, Yerson Mosquera, Pedro Lima, Hugo Bueno, Santiago Bueno, Rodrigo Gomes, Matheus Mane, and Enzo Fernandez.
Feelings now it is over and main emotions?
I was glad to attend the last home game of the season. Ill health had kept me away before. I’m optimistic we are in a much better place than we were in early December.
It’s up to Fosun to back Vitor Pereira with what he needs to push Wolves forward next season, aiming for the top half of the table and challenging for European football. Wolves can follow the example of Nottingham Forest, who will be in Europe next season.
A satisfied and happy lifelong Wolves fan and member,
KARL WHITEHOUSE
Scorecard: 5
This was a season of two parts. First, we were a team without confidence under the former manager, Gary O’Neil. The results were not good enough, so I’d give that period a rating of 2.
Then, when the new manager, Vitor Pereira, arrived, he quickly saw the problems and brought a new approach to the club. He made an impact within days, restoring confidence and getting the team playing better together. I’d rate that part a 7, although it could have been higher because mistakes still happened.
Overall, an average score of 5 for both periods.
Are you happy with Vitor Pereira?
Vitor Pereira has taken charge at Wolves and many are calling him Nuno 2.0. What he has done in a short time is impressive. He lifted the team out of low confidence, which had stuck all through the first half of the season. He brought better structure and organisation, showing where we were lacking under the previous manager. However, he will need support to continue building this squad for the future. Some key players will leave, so we must add quality to move forward.
Moment or highlight of the season:
There are two standout moments this season. First, we managed a double over Manchester United for the first time in 45 years, which is a big achievement. Second, we recorded our biggest away win in the Premier League against Fulham. These were great moments for the fans, showing the team can deliver when it counts and revealing real character.
Key player of the season and unsung hero?
Emmanuel Agbadou has been the unsung hero since joining in January. He started nervously in the FA Cup game against Bristol City, making mistakes, but now he plays in the middle of the defence with growing confidence. He shows great potential with his skills, movement, and ability to stop silly goals. That’s impressive for just half a season.
One player who grew in confidence this season is Toti Gomes. He has improved in the back three, especially on the left side. He found his best position, creating space and spreading the ball with precision. He’s made this role his own, and it will be interesting to see how he develops next season.
THOUGHTS ON SUMMER TRANSFER WINDOW:
Wolves need to strengthen a few positions. We definitely need a right back, as the current situation there is uncertain. An attacking midfielder would also be a great addition, preferably one who can play on the right side of the front three, to create problems for opposing defences. We also need a backup striker to cover for injuries. Another key area is goalkeeper. We need a reliable number two with Premier League experience, ready to step in straight away.
I’d like to see players with Premier League experience joining to strengthen the squad alongside those already under contract.
Feelings now it is over and main emotions?
Now the season is over, we’ve had highs and lows. We started poorly but have since competed harder, causing problems for other teams and conceding fewer goals. We’re relieved not to have been relegated after how things looked under the previous manager. That would have been a disaster. There’s room to improve next season. We can push this team to the next level, build a stronger club, and challenge in cup competitions.
Right now, the feeling is relief. It could have been a very different story.