Wolves failed to make it two wins from two after losing Wednesday night’s Premier League matchup against Newcastle United.
Playing Eddie Howe’s Magpies at St. James’ Park was never going to be easy, but Wolves would’ve been really disappointed with their performance.
Losing 3-0, the Old Gold’s 13th league defeat of the season has plummeted them back inside the relegation zone.
And although there is a belief Vitor Pereira is the right man to secure survival, the Wolves manager has been criticised for one major tactical decision.
Vitor Pereira criticised for Matheus Cunha decision
Matheus Cunha has served his two-match ban and is available for selection again.
Even though he was expected to come straight back into Wolves’ first team, Cunha was surprisingly named on the bench against Newcastle.
And discussing Pereira’s decision not to include Cunha from the get-go, former Newcastle goalkeeper Shay Given, who spoke to TNT Sports before kick-off, admitted he was ‘glad’ Wolves’ number 10 hadn’t been included but acknowledged it was a surprise choice.
“I’m really surprised actually. I’m kind of glad from a Newcastle point of view he’s [Cunha] not starting,” he said.
“He’s a been a really in-form forward. I know they’re [Wolves] fighting at the bottom of the league but he’s been their star player. Maybe the manager has looked at it and thought ‘Do you know what, if we can keep this crowd quiet, be nice and solid and be nice and defensive for the first hour’.
“What a substitution to take off the bench, especially with his pace on the break. He’s so quick and he’s got a real eye for goal.”
Although Cunha’s absence would’ve certainly helped the Magpies, it wouldn’t be fair to have expected one player to make the difference — especially off the bench when they were already behind.
Cunha must start ahead of Hwang Hee-chan against Chelsea
Despite this though, Cunha, who came on for the second half was Wolves’ best player. The South American’s stats speak for themselves.
| Matheus Cunha vs. Newcastle | Statistic |
| Minutes played | 45′ |
| Shots on target | 2 |
| Accurate passing | 83% |
| Key passes | 2 |
Hwang Hee-chan dropped another horror performance against Newcastle and will surely be demoted to the bench against Chelsea next time out.
Pereira will be expected to reinstate Cunha and give him the tools he needs to impress against Enzo Maresca’s faltering Chelsea.
If Ipswich Town beat Brighton on Thursday, Wolves could be three points from safety by the time they welcome the Blues to Molineux next Monday, so the pressure is on Wolves’ front men to produce the goods.