Alious
Wolves have seen this movie before — a new manager arrives promising vision, ambition, and long-term progress, only to find himself trapped by old patterns and limited backing. This summer, it’s Vítor Pereira who’s issuing the warning, making it clear he’s not come to Molineux just to survive — and certainly not to repeat the mistakes that derailed his predecessors.
**Pereira Sets His Expectations — and Sounds the Alarm**
In a revealing interview with *MARCA*, Pereira laid out his ambition: not just avoiding relegation, but transforming Wolves into a solid mid-table Premier League side with long-term competitive goals. “I didn’t come here to fight relegation,” he declared. “My goal is to build a strong and consistent project.”
Yet behind the confident tone was a sharper edge — a quiet but unmistakable call to the board to provide meaningful support. While Pereira praised the core squad, he admitted he was “a little worried” about the club’s ability to meet rising expectations without bringing in quality reinforcements. His comments, while measured, echoed a familiar frustration — one that Wolves fans have seen play out far too many times.
**The Ghosts of Managers Past**
Wolves have a habit of pushing new managers into a corner. Bruno Lage, in 2022, saw key players exit and replacements delayed. After warning publicly that the club had made a “big mistake” by failing to strengthen in the summer, he was sacked by October. The January transfer window came too late to save his position — a now-familiar pattern.
Then came Julen Lopetegui, a big-name hire who initially impressed by guiding Wolves to safety. But his tenure was marred by off-field frustrations. He was promised backing that never fully arrived. When the club shifted toward cost-cutting and began losing key players, Lopetegui departed just before the start of the 2023/24 campaign, stating the club had told him it would be “impossible” to execute the original project.
Gary O’Neil stepped in and won praise for steadying the side. But even his progress was stalled by the club’s lack of urgency in the January window. Club legend Steve Bull urged the board to provide funds, but action came too late. Wolves slumped in form, and the sense of déjà vu returned.
**The Make-or-Break Moment**
Now, it’s Pereira’s turn to navigate the Wolves cycle — and perhaps, to break it. His message to the board is simple: if you truly want to build, act now. Don’t wait until the team is struggling in the winter to spend. Don’t cash in on stars like Matheus Cunha or Rayan Aït-Nouri without proper replacements. Don’t force another manager to compromise on a vision because the budget doesn’t align.
Pereira’s plea isn’t rooted in panic. It’s grounded in realism — and in hope. Hope that the club’s leadership finally means what it says about long-term planning. Hope that Wolves will stop repeating history and start learning from it.
Whether that hope translates into decisive action this summer — or ends in yet another managerial casualty — now rests firmly in the boardroom.
Alious
