Alious
The 2024/25 Premier League season has drawn to a close, and for Wolves, it was another campaign riddled with turbulence — just as Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer foresaw.
From the outset, the Molineux club appeared to be heading into troubled waters. Despite pockets of optimism among fans and pundits closer to home, two of football’s most respected voices — Lineker and Shearer — warned of a looming battle for survival. And as the season unfolded, their predictions were uncannily accurate.
Wolves began their campaign under Gary O’Neil, but a dreadful run of form saw him dismissed by December. His replacement, experienced Portuguese manager Vítor Pereira, managed to steady the ship in the second half of the season, but not before the club endured yet another year filled with anxiety and underperformance.
On *The Rest Is Football* podcast before the season began, Lineker didn’t hold back: “I think it’s going to be tough for Wolves this season.” His co-hosts echoed the sentiment. Micah Richards pointed to the departures of key players like Max Kilman and Pedro Neto, suggesting a mid-table finish at best. Shearer, more bluntly, predicted a relegation battle: “I think they’ll just have enough to stay up, but it’ll be a difficult season.”
They were right on all fronts. Wolves never found their rhythm under O’Neil and looked directionless at times. Although players like Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait-Nouri offered moments of promise, they couldn’t stop the slide early on. Pereira’s arrival injected some much-needed discipline and tactical cohesion, and though survival was ultimately secured, it came after an exhausting fight.
The post-mortem of another shaky season reveals a pattern that should concern Wolves fans: the club’s tendency to stumble out of the blocks. Under previous managers such as Bruno Lage, slow starts have consistently put them on the back foot, and that trend reared its head again this term.
Looking ahead to 2025/26, the key will be momentum — and avoiding another sluggish start. The summer transfer window looms large, and questions hang over the squad’s depth and stability. With uncertainty in the air, Wolves must break the cycle if they are to progress under Pereira.
For now, Lineker and Shearer can be credited for their brutally honest foresight — a warning Wolves must take seriously as they plan for the future.
Alious
