Wolverhampton Wanderers

Millie Sian
BBC Sport journalist

Wolves boss Vitor Pereira has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Fulham at Craven Cottage (kick-off 15:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• He addressed the altercation that happened following his side's last-gasp defeat to Burnley: "Jorgen [Strand Larsen] went over to thank the supporters. I felt my players gave everything to win the game, but right at the end committed a mistake to lose it. I went over to explain that we are fighting and fighting, but we must fight together. I understand the frustration because I'm also frustrated."

• However, Pereira was pleased to feel "a connection between the supporters and the team again" after being knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Chelsea on Wednesday night.

• On that team performance against the Blues, he said: "In the second half, we showed that we have quality and ambition and that we are united. We are trying everything to get a win so this is the spirit I want to see, not just for 45 minutes but also for 90 minutes."

• Rodrigo Gomes and Matt Doherty will be unavailable for the trip to Craven Cottage after picking up injuries in the midweek fixture.

• Wolves cannot concede "easy goals" against Fulham if they want to claim their first Premier League win of the season this weekend. Pereira explained: "If we want to win, we cannot concede goals and we have to score more than our opponent. We are conceding a lot of easy goals at the moment, and that's something we need to correct."

• When asked what he would say to supporters ahead of the match, he replied: "I know a way to change the current situation and the answer is to work hard every day. We have to go into the next game against Fulham with ambition. We have to increase our tactical organisation. We need to keep fighting."

• Pereira is working with the club's owners to be "connected and united in this difficult moment", as well as "trying to find solutions" to help his players from "7am to 7pm" every day.

• He added: "This is the first time in my career that I'm facing this situation, but I'm resilient and I've got confidence in my work and my players. Together we are confident that we can turn this situation around."

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Wolves are edging closer to a mirror image of last season.

Fail to beat Fulham at Craven Cottage on Saturday and they will match last season's 10-game winless start.

That is one of the reasons why Vitor Pereira replaced Gary O'Neil in December.

After Sunday's damaging 3-2 defeat to Burnley there is reluctance at Molineux to part with Pereira and there is still a belief he can turn it around. The players remain onside and both Shi and Fosun feel there is a way out of trouble.

Wolves also want to stop the revolving door of managers in the last three years after Bruno Lage and O'Neil lasted 14 months and Julen Lopetegui stayed for less than a year.

However, the winless run cannot continue indefinitely without consequences, everyone is aware of that and not naïve to the situation.

Pereira faces the media on Friday afternoon and, strangely for a side winless and bottom of the table, his future is not top of the agenda.

Purely finding a way to win, however they can, remains the priority for Wolves.

This - it seems - is the season of the set piece.

The Premier League debates are more about dead balls than ever before, with some sides enjoying immense success from corner kicks, throw ins or well-worked free-kicks.

What fine timing then for BBC Sport to launch a column with former manager Tony Pulis, a man who seemed to finely extract the fine margins from the game.

You can take in Tony's column on set pieces here

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

It may have been a moral victory against Chelsea, but Wolves need more than that.

Almost coming back from 3-0 down - ultimately losing 4-3 in their Carabao Cup tie on Wednesday - shows that fight remains in the squad.

That is a trait they will need for a Premier League survival battle which looks increasingly bleak.

Failure to beat Fulham on Saturday would match last season's 10-game winless start and, although Vitor Pereira swooped in to save them, a repeat feels unlikely this time.

He still has the support of the players and performances to prove that - Sunday's damaging 3-2 defeat by Burnley saw the Clarets wasting time to hold on to a point before their stoppage-time winner - but there needs to be more.

The quality Pereira had last season is not there, Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait-Nouri have not been replaced effectively enough and those that did arrive in the summer are still getting up to speed with the Premier League.

The unrest of the fans is a sign of deeper problems. They turned on Pereira again during the game on Wednesday but recognised the effort and fight at full-time.

That was in contrast to Sunday's scenes, where angry supporters shared a flashpoint with Pereira and his players post-match.

Their anger is routinely directed to executive chairman Jeff Shi and owners Fosun and, as relegation becomes a growing concern, that is not going to change.

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your thoughts after Wolves narrowly failed to complete a comeback against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.

Here are some of your replies:

Nathan: A terrible first half. We gave ourselves a mountain to climb, but climb that mountain we nearly did! There was lots of fight and passion, we just have to get that elusive win against Fulham!

Will: I can't understand why Vitor Pereira is still here. It's painful to watch this team, if you can call it a team.

Jim: I know my view won't be popular, but we must stick with Vitor and Fosun. The fight is there. The alternatives are way, way worse. I remember the freefall from the top flight to the old fourth division. We risk that happening again if we switch manager or ownership.

Stanley: It took us being three goals down before we showed anything. We can't carry on going two or more goals behind and then trying to fight back. The second half was our game-changer. We need to look at who played in that half and keep to that. We need to stop the changes to get stability. The odds are against us but we can only fight on.

Ian: A spirited fightback after a very poor first half. I felt it was a performance for the fans, the badge and the manager. Let's go get a win.

Image source, PA Media

Wolves boss Vitor Pereira, speaking after a 4-3 defeat by Chelsea in the Carabao Cup:

"What a second half. In the first half, we conceded the first goal and when I looked at the team, they were a bit lost and we conceded the second and third goals.

"It's my responsibility. We changed 11 players today and we play with 11 players who have not been playing for a long time. The connection is not easy for this kind of game.

"We spoke at half-time and I told them it is my fault, but I want to see my team and the spirit. We won 3-1 in the second half. The goal we conceded was a pity. We had the chance to score more goals.

"I am very happy with the spirit we showed in the second half and with our supporters. We feel the energy to compete and to change the situation."

• Hear more from Pereira on BBC Sounds

Nizaar Kinsella
Football reporter at Molineux

Image source, PA Media

It is remarkable that Wolves supporters ended the 4-3 loss to Chelsea applauding their team off. After just 19 minutes, they were hammering the ownership and manager from the stands, chanting "we're going down".

Yet at the full-time whistle, despite not finding an equaliser to take the match to penalties, the fans stayed behind to acknowledge their team's efforts.

That initial reaction of anger was understandable given supporters will still be contemplating possible relegation from the Premier League. Wolves remain bottom, winless and had lost at home to newly promoted Burnley on Sunday after a dismal first nine league games.

Vitor Pereira's future is currently being questioned but this spirited fightback, from a team to which he made 11 changes, may have given everyone associated with the club pause for thought.

There can be questions about the lack of quality but not the fighting spirit from the manager or players.

Pereira said: "This is maybe one of the best groups of players in my career, with spirit and character, to try to change the situation. When you change 11 players from the last game, you take the risk.

"This was my responsibility because I decided to do it. I wanted to give opportunities to players that deserved the opportunity. It is very difficult for a team to come back from losing 3-0 to show what they did in the second half.

"We showed the supporters we can do it again. We just need a win to believe and move on. We won the second half 3-1 but it was a pity they got that goal.

"I don't have any doubts that we can do it [stay up] and turn around the situation by the end of the season."

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Wolves' performance

What did you make of Chelsea's display?

Come back on Thursday for a selection of your replies

Nizaar Kinsella
Football reporter

Both clubs have rung the changes for the Carabao Cup by making 11 (Wolves) and 10 (Chelsea) changes respectively.

Under pressure Wolves manager Vitor Pereira has used the full reserves of his squad but it has served him well in this competition, with two wins against Premier League opposition to reach this stage.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca, meanwhile, has only kept exciting academy defender Josh Acheampong in his starting XI with Liam Delap back from a hamstring injury to make the bench.

There are five Carabao Cup games on Wednesday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

Kick-off times 19:45 GMT unless stated

• Arsenal v Brighton - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2

• Liverpool v Crystal Palace - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Swansea v Manchester City - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 3

• Wolves v Chelsea

• Newcastle v Tottenham (20:00) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's Radio 5 Live commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Arsenal v Brighton" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Liverpool v Crystal Palace", for instance.

Find out more about how to listen to football on BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

Chief football writer Phil McNulty has been answering your questions on all things Premier League.

Nick (an utterly miserable Wolves fan) asked: Do you agree that Wolves are pretty much down? Our owners' plan to simply be better than the promoted sides has finally backfired.

Phil answered: I feel your pain.

I'm afraid I did predict trouble ahead for Wolves this season - relegation in fact - and I've seen nothing to change my mind. They lost such crucial players in Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait-Nouri, so hard to replace.

Wolves have looked poor from day one and I must admit I was surprised Vitor Pereira was given a new three-year contract, so soon into the season, in September, although this current crisis is not all down to him as he has seen his two best players sold.

It is never a good look when you see scenes like altercations between Pereira and fans, as we did when they lost to Burnley, and such unrest between supporters and owners. It is a clear sign of problems.

Wolves is a great old club with Premier League pedigree, but they are in real trouble.

Read the rest of Phil McNulty's Q&A here

Mike Taylor
BBC Radio WM reporter

Image source, Getty Images

In that operatic final scene on Sunday, Vitor Pereira seemed startled by the volume of criticism directed at him personally as Wolves lost to Burnley. No doubt it was unpleasant to hear, at a moment of high emotion. Yet it is reasonable to ask, although probably a second-order question, whether it is credible for a manager to carry on after being embroiled in a carry-on with supporters like that.

The word quickly went out that his job was not under immediate threat. Nick Mashiter wrote on this page on Tuesday that the club believes Pereira's experience in saving Wolves last season will be valuable in a similar battle this time.

Maybe it will, although if we also accept Pereira and his associates had more influence on assembling the squad than some of his predecessors, that starts to sound like pretzel logic. Better, perhaps, to argue that the man who helped to set the squad up ought to be better-placed than any replacement coach to find the best combinations in it.

That position comes under greater stress with each successive defeat. But, and much worse, there is a resigned feeling at large - a sense that it doesn't really matter if Pereira stays or goes, as the club's problems are deeper than the identity of the coach.

To many, the root causes of failure lie with the ownership as represented on the ground by chairman Jeff Shi - unmoved, apparently, by the reported offer from the serial football investor John Textor, and committed to their policy of self-sustainability.

• Not a Wolves fan? Find and follow your Premier League club on BBC Sport

On this page back in January, I asked: "Is merely existing in the league, as frugally as possible, enough? And enough for who?" That question is now out of date, having been based on the notion that Wolves could rely on at least being better than the newly promoted clubs in almost every case.

Their position is more perilous than at this point last season in three ways: a year ago, they had played most of the top clubs early in the season; the three promoted sides this year are clearly stronger than last; and the Wolves squad appears fundamentally weaker anyway, even though much of the money raised this summer has been spent.

Wolves won a rollicking victory at Fulham last November. It was a false dawn, and things had to get a good deal darker again before action was taken and relegation staved off.

As they head to back to Craven Cottage this weekend, it will take more than one win to restore faith that just finishing 17th is even possible, never mind acceptable.

Listen to full commentary of Wolves v Chelsea at 19:45 GMT on Wednesday on BBC Radio WM

And tune into The West Midlands Football Phone-In from 18:00 on weeknights

Explore Wolves content on BBC Sounds

Dazzling Dave
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Wolves are living through managed decline and the responsibility sits with Fosun and executive chairman Jeff Shi. Results are the symptom. The root is ownership strategy, recruitment and constant churn.

Pereira's clash with supporters after the Burnley loss captured the mood. He asked for unity. Fans answered with "Fosun out".

Two points from nine games, losses to all three promoted sides and stoppage-time heartbreak again. Whether Pereira stays or goes now feels secondary. The system above him is broken.

Fosun gave Pereira a new three-year deal in September, after replacing Gary O'Neil last season despite his long contract. That flip-flop erodes credibility. It also points to a club without a clear football plan, lurching between short-term fixes and PR resets.

Recruitment has been the bigger failure. Letting Premier League-proven players leave stripped experience and leadership. Replacing them with players new to England, then asking them to learn on the job in a struggling side, was reckless. Chasing resale value only works if you stay up. Relegation nukes their value.

Shi has overseen soaring highs and this current slump. The problem now is direction and trust. Fans no longer believe the owners are putting football first. The mixed messages on ambition, the cost-controlled windows and the lack of a coherent identity have drained goodwill. Sacking another head coach will not fix that.

What would? Clarity and competence. Appoint a seasoned CEO of football operations. Set a recruitment plan focused on Premier League-proven profiles and a spine that can compete now. Communicate honestly about budgets and goals. And if Fosun will not fund survival-level investment, they should consider leadership changes at the top, starting with Shi.

It may not stop the slide overnight, but admitting the plan has failed, resetting leadership and recruiting for the reality of a relegation fight is the only path back to credibility with the fans.

Find more from Dazzling Dave at Always Wolves, external

Former Premier League striker Chris Sutton says "there is a worry about Wolves" this season because the squad is weaker and they are leaking goals.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club, Sutton said: "If there is a crumb of comfort to Wolves fans then it is that they have the same record at this stage of the season as they did last year under Gary O'Neil.

"But that was a disastrous start from him and he got sacked after 16 games. Vitor Pereira came in and tightened up the defence because they were leaking goals and he made a massive difference.

"If you look at this season, they have conceded 19 goals in nine games, so that is over two a game and they are not scoring.

"The difference, though, this season is that the promoted teams are doing well so that is why there is a worry about Wolves."

The Observer's Rory Smith added: "The problem with Wolves is the replacements. It has been a gradual decline.

"They have been doing this for a while now. They seem to sell their players in the summer and then wait until August to sign someone who might be good."

Watch the full episode on BBC iPlayer and listen on BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views on whether offering Wolves boss Vitor Pereira a three-year contract earlier this season was the right move, as the club's winless Premier League start continues.

Here are some of your comments:

Tom: The club needed to commit to a manager and stick with them, but why they've decided to rebuild the entire recruitment model around a man who has managed 11 clubs in 14 years is absolutely baffling. Where was this backing for a manager with a proven track record like Lopetegui?

Derek: Don't think it matters who the manager is, it's a poisoned chalice. You get a team together then you dismantle it with profit the only motive. Then you wait until the end of the transfer window to bring new players in, so there is no time to work together. Start losing games, confidence out of the window. We've got away with it for the last few seasons, but our luck has run out. Who in their right mind would want to manage Wolves? Except for a financial motive, that is. Need to look to Brighton, Brentford and Bournemouth and see how they manage it. A lot of lessons to be learnt.

Mark: Who offers their head coach a new contract when you're sat at the bottom of the league table?

Jax: It was a complete wrong move from Fosun to offer a new deal when we were 20th with no wins. Any other owner and he's gone.

Paul: You can't blame the manager, the owners have consistently sold our best players season after season and replaced them with below Premier League players.

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

It is just 38 days since Vitor Pereira signed a new three-year contract and sources have told BBC Sport he is not in immediate danger.

Jeff Shi and those in charge still feel his experience will be crucial in the survival battle, having taken them from second bottom to safety last season. Although, predecessor Gary O'Neil signed a four-year deal on the eve of last season and only lasted another four months.

Domenico Teti's arrival as director of professional football in the summer is also a sign of the position of strength Pereira held at the end of last season, the pair having worked together in Saudi Arabia at Al-Shabab.

There is a hesitancy to change given the amount of managers the club have gone through recently and fan reaction will not sway Shi.

The fact Wolves stayed up after failing to win any of the opening 10 games in 2024-25 shows it can be done again, although it is six months since their last Premier League win.

"It's normal in football, if we win two or three games in a row everything changes," said Pereira in his post-match press conference.

"Two months ago they sing my name because of the work we did last season [means] we are competing in the Premier League and not in the Championship. Now they sing my name maybe to sack me.

"I'm not worried [about his job], it's not about me. It's about the team, the players. My work is to help them to come again, to be mentally strong for the next fight."

Pereira also tried to diffuse any tension with supporters, revealing what he said to the revolting fans.

"What I said to them is we work a lot and we need to fight together," he said.

"I understand the frustration. When you are there for 90 minutes trying to help the team and the team gave everything on the pitch to win but, in the end, you concede a goal, I understand the frustration.

"What I must say to them is if we fight with them, united, we can win games. If not, without them, it's impossible."

So, Wolves fans, what do you think? Were the owners too quick to offer a new contract, or were they right to show some faith when they did?

Get in touch with your views here

Image source, Getty Images

"No team has ever been relegated in October, but it would take a miracle for Wolves to stay up now," said Wolves fan Ryan Leister on BBC Radio 5 Live following Sunday's 3-2 home defeat by Burnley.

Rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table with two points from nine games, a section of supporters turned on manager Vitor Pereira after the Clarets' stoppage-time winner.

"He has been fortunate to get away with it this long," said Leister. "It has been six months and a day since Wolves last won a Premier League game.

"We are unorganised and there is no togetherness so it is looking really, really bad."

He added: "We had key players leave in the summer and all of those positions have now downgraded. Recruitment has been a disaster. They may come good but I can't see it because there doesn't seem to be any ball-carriers or anyone up for a one-on-one.

"It is just predictable football because they cross the ball into the box and just hope for the best. For a team that have been in the Premier League for so long, that is nowhere near good enough.

"I sound so doom and gloom but there has to be mass changes. The fans have lost patience with the owner, the chairman and the manager.

"The players are not pulling their weight, either."

We asked for your thoughts after Sunday's Premier League game between Wolves and Burnley.

Here are some of your comments:

Wolves fans

Richard: Wolves have identity, which the manager says we need. I'm not sure why people say we don't. We play, pick the ball out of the net and lose. That's an identity. I feel really bad for Vitor. He saved us last year, but things keep going wrong. Something has to change…but not sure changing the manager is always the best option.

Tony: Terrible match. Neither side were impressive, but Burnley deserved their win. O'Neil got the sack for less. Very unimpressive.

Anon: Lacking creativity and any real goal scorer. The Championship is the only destination now for Wolves.

Burnley fans

Neil: Excellent performance despite a highly dubious penalty; we stayed strong and deserved to win.

David: Apart from the win, the important thing is that they are consistently scoring goals, which has been missing in the past.

John: The game should have been over by half time. The finish from Flemming was incredible for Burnley's first. Wolves took advantage of that and looked much stronger in the second half. The Dubravka save right at the death was amazing.

Pundits Danny Murphy and Theo Walcott join host Kelly Cates to bring you the action and talking points from Sunday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Aston Villa 1-0 Manchester City

• Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

• Wolves 2-3 Burnley

• Bournemouth 2-0 Nottingham Forest

• Everton 0-3 Tottenham

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

It is the first time Wolves fans have turned on Vitor Pereira.

At the end of a disastrous defeat, the manager endured brief, but noticeable, "sacked in the morning" chants from the supporters who are out of patience with their club.

Pereira went to the local Wetherspoons after victories last season, coining the phrase "first the points, then the pints", and had a strong bond with the fans.

But after a ninth game without a win, supporters have had enough, having also vented their anger towards Shi and Fosun.

The executive chairman and owners are regular targets, and Wolves' decline this season looks like it could be terminal.

They are bottom and six points from the safety line, having failed to beat newly promoted Sunderland and Burnley in successive games.

Having sold Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait-Nouri in the summer, they are devoid of spark, and after several near misses with relegation, there is a real fear this season will be the one when they finally drop.

Wolves boss Vito Pereira spoke to BBC's Match of the Day after losing to Burnley: "A lot of frustration because we have worked a lot on the pitch to win the game, but football is football and sometimes it is very unfair.

"We need to understand that we lost this battle, but the next game is another battle. The three points would be very important for us to give confidence. We keep working to be better in the next game.

"The first half, we conceded two goals from the long balls in the back, and it's something we work on. When a team scores, it means the other team made mistakes, and we didn't control the balls.

"A very good reaction, which showed the mentality of the team. We scored two goals, and we talked [at halftime] about needing three points and doing everything to win the game. They did everything, even with Burnley in the low block.

On the interaction with supporters after the game: "It's normal with the frustration of the result in the last minute. They are frustrated. In my opinion, the team deserve the support because the players gave everything on the pitch. In the end, they must feel proud about the work of the players, but we understand that another defeat is difficult to balance.

"We cannot fight alone, we need them United and together we can do it."

On chants of 'sacked in the morning': "I have a lot of experience in football. Months ago, they sang my name because when I arrived, the club was in a bad position. Together, we worked fantastically to be here.

"I understand it is football. If we win two or three games in a row, everything will change."

On concerns over his future: "I am concerned about the team and winning games. It is not about me, it is about the players and the club."

Jorgen Strand Larsen spoke to BBC Match of the Day: "It's not nice to be a Wolves player or fan right now, and I'm really sorry to everyone out there supporting us. That is why we love and hate this game, and right now we hate it. Sorry to the fans for not being able to give them what they deserve.

"After a slow start, we came back and played good football. We deserved to win today, and it's just the moment we are in right now.

"We are really sad, it's one of the worst feelings I've had in a long time. The only positive is that there are 29 games more to go, and we need to keep going and believing in ourselves.

"We need to look at each other, be positive and look where we can improve. That is especially for me - I haven't been at the same level as last season, and I'm trying to get there. It was nice to get a goal, but it doesn't really matter in the end."

On going over to the fans at the end of the game: "It's not nice. We don't want that, but it's what you need sometimes, to let the frustration out. I was just trying to listen a bit, and we can understand the frustration."

Did you know?

• After losing this match, Wolves have become just the third side in English top-flight history to fail to win each of their opening nine games of a league season in consecutive campaigns after Bury in 1904-05/1905-06 and Sunderland in 2015-16/2016-17.

• Wolves have failed to win any of their last seven home league games (D2 L5), their longest run within a Premier League campaign without victory at Molineux since a 12-match streak between December 2011 and May 2012 – a season during which they were relegated.

Listen to Pereira on BBC Sounds