Wolverhampton Wanderers have just two points so far this season and sit rock bottom of the Premier League looking up at the three promoted sides.
However, there is hope. Performances have been improving and if we take the glass-half-full view, they are unbeaten in their last two league games (with two draws) against Brighton and Tottenham, which was so nearly a win.
They travel to Sunderland on Saturday for what already feels like a massive, must-not-lose, fixture, followed by another huge game at home to Burnley.
There is much to get into and our Wolves expert TOM COLLOMOSSE answers your questions.
Is this the season we go down? – Dave
It’s far too early to lose hope, Dave, but this season will be tougher than ever at the bottom, I think.
If we look back to last season, Wolves made a complete mess of the first four months and still managed to stay up comfortably with 42 points – 17 clear of the bottom three. I doubt they’ll have that luxury this year, given the early form of the promoted teams.
But I do think the performances in the last two matches provide some encouragement. Had Wolves started the campaign better, the draws with Tottenham and Brighton would have seemed solid results against decent sides.
I also think Sunderland have been riding their luck and are due a dip, while Burnley look very limited. Even as early as October, these fixtures look crucial.
Marshall Munetsi and Jorgen Strand Larsen celebrate after Munetsi’s shot is deflected into the net to give Wolves the lead against Brighton in their last league match
However, Wolves let the lead slip – Brighton’s Jan Paul van Hecke heading home – and are still without a win this season
Any prospect of new investors? Are Fosun still involved enough to be watching Jeff Shi closely? – RB
Like most clubs, Wolves have been open to fresh investment for some time now, but the global economic climate means it is a tough time to attract them, apart from for clubs with a proven history of success.
As for Shi and Fosun, the owners trust Shi to run the club as he sees fit. Many supporters have made their feelings known on this and it is hard to see the tide of opinion changing, unless Wolves can somehow recapture the high point of the Nuno Espirito Santo era.
None of this means, however, that Fosun are actively looking to sell the club. It is worth pointing out, too, that Fosun owner Guo Guangchang was at the recent away trip to Tottenham. That is not the sign of a company that’s losing interest.
The Wolves owners trust Jeff Shi to run the club as he sees fit
Why have we looked so poor early in the season? – Rich
Granted, it’s easy to make these statements with the benefit of hindsight. But failing to sign any players with Premier League experience in the summer was a risk.
You’re effectively asking these guys to learn on the job in the most physically-demanding league in the world, surrounded by high-level players and teams.
It was inevitable that Wolves were going to take time to gel and if they had their time again, Wolves would surely make some signings who understood what they were letting themselves in for.
Even players who had competed in English football before might have been a start.
Does Vitor Pereira’s new contract mean he is unsackable? – Jenny
Certainly not, Jenny. As I understand it, the severance money he’d collect if sacked is not that different from the sum written into his previous contract.
So financially at least, sacking him would not make much difference to Wolves. But equally, it wouldn’t look great for the club to be sending a manager on his way a matter of weeks after giving him a new three-year deal.
The last thing Wolves want is another Bruno Lage/Gary O’Neil season, where they have to sack a manager in the autumn or winter and spend more than anticipated during January to turn the situation around. That is why the next two matches look so important.
It wouldn’t look great for Wolves to sack manager Vitor Pereira weeks after giving him a new three-year deal
Is the interest from Newcastle during the summer still affecting Jorgen Strand Larsen’s form? – Kate
He’s certainly not himself. He’s yet to score in the Premier League and is averaging less than one shot on target per game, but I don’t think it’s fair to attribute this only to Wolves’ refusal to sell him.
Strand Larsen has been struggling with an achilles problem that has cost him sharpness, and it’s harder for strikers to make an impact in a losing side.
Wolves themselves are averaging fewer than four shots on target per match and they aren’t making chances either: about 17 ‘shot-creating actions’ per match, the fourth-lowest in the league.
Had the bid from Newcastle arrived a month earlier, Wolves may have sold. But with Matheus Cunha, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Nelson Semedo all gone, they could not afford to let Strand Larsen leave and risk starting the campaign without a senior centre forward.
Wolves striker Jorgen Strand Larsen has been struggling with an achilles problem this season that has cost him sharpness
When will we see the best of Jhon Arias? – Wolfman
The Colombian is starting to show what he is capable of after a tricky opening to the campaign, and was man of the match in the 1-1 draw at Tottenham at the end of September.
Arias needs to deliver more of those performances and doing so would remove a little pressure from Pereira, who pressed the club to sign him last summer.
Yet it is worth remembering Cunha’s career trajectory at Wolves. Signed under Julen Lopetegui in January, Cunha scored only twice in his first 17 games. Two seasons later, he was on his way to Manchester United for about £62.5million after consistently excellent form in Old Gold.
Yet Cunha had time on his side: he is still only 26 whereas Arias is 28. If Arias is to be Cunha’s replacement, we need to see it soon.
Jhon Arias was man of the match at Tottenham at the end of September
Will Wolves spend in January? – Jack
Not significantly, unless they are forced to. Spending rules are a constant headache for the majority of the Premier League and Wolves are no different.
The perception that Wolves do not spend on players is flawed. The problem is where and how they spend it.
If we include the £23m paid to Celta Vigo to make Strand Larsen’s loan move permanent, Wolves committed more than £120m on new players last summer, after spending £108m across the 2024-25 season. They just need a few more of these transfers to work out.
Are any of our key players likely to move on? – Bully1986
I’d be very surprised. Last winter, there was huge interest in Cunha but Wolves kept the Brazilian and persuaded him to sign a new contract with an adjusted release clause.
Wolves knew how important Cunha was to their hopes of survival and they will not make a mistake like that with any of their most important men.
Brazilian midfield pair Andre and Joao Gomes are admired in different corners of Europe, with Juventus showing interest in Andre last summer. But Wolves would be foolish to consider allowing either to depart in mid-season.
Andre Gomes (left) and Joao Gomes are admired by clubs across Europe
Have we seen a definitive changing of the guard with the goalkeepers? – Amy
Sam Johnstone has waited a long time for his chance and so far, he’s taking it. A series of managers have trusted Jose Sa and he is capable of spectacular saves, but in the end there are just too many mistakes and Johnstone is currently deemed a more solid operator.
Sa has not played since Wolves were beaten 3-1 at home by Leeds on September 20, when he could have done better with all three goals.
Sam Johnstone has become Wolves’ first choice goalkeeper, ousting Jose Sa from the team
Do Wolves’ music, eSports or clothing initiatives make any money? And does this come into the football club, or go elsewhere within Fosun? – Matthew
This is quite a complex one. When Wolves branched out into these different areas, the aim was to attract sponsors who might otherwise have looked elsewhere.
The idea is that if Wolves can create a brand that isn’t ‘only’ a football club, the broader their possible sponsorship base becomes. For example, Wolves’ parent company Fosun Sports Group are backers of Levy Merchandising.
Levy produce Sudu, Wolves’ current kit manufacturers who expect to supply other English clubs in the years ahead. They have other partners in sport, including Team GB. The esports brand might not be well known in the UK, but it carries more weight in China.
Wolves know they cannot compete with Manchester United, Liverpool or Arsenal on football alone, so they have to find other ways to close the gap. These ventures may succeed or fail, but they are separate from the football and should not, therefore, have negative impact upon it.
