It has been a disastrous start to the 2025/26 season for Wolves after a summer of chaos, and Vitor Pereira fielded a question about leadership after another defeat to Sunderland.
Wanderers have taken just two points from their first eight games in the top-flight, and are still yet to record a victory.
There were improvements recently, and Wolves went three games unbeaten, but on Saturday the team went back to old ways, coming up way short against newly promoted Sunderland.
The situation is deeply concerning.
Wolves continue to struggle at both ends of the pitch, and it is looking inevitable that a relegation scrap is beckoning.
And for these types of situations, it is essential to have leaders, and people that are going to stand up and be counted.
After the defeat to Sunderland, Vitor Pereira was asked about the level of leadership in the Wolves squad at the moment, and his response was hardly convincing.
Vitor Pereira shares if Wolves really have enough leaders at the moment
For the last few years, Wolves have seen several captains leave the club.
Conor Coady departed, and that then paved the way for several others to leave after a short spell with the armband.
Ruben Neves went, then Max Kilman, then Mario Lemina in the middle of the 2024/25 campaign, and then Nelson Semedo left in the summer.
Now Toti Gomes is captain, and the Portugal international has not been around the starting XI for weeks following his poor start to the campaign, coupled with the recent system change.
Some fans believe the squad lacks natural leaders, but when asked about leadership in his squad Pereira said (via BBC Sounds): “We are building this leadership. We are building.
“Now I’m feeling that some of them, they are in conditions to lead. But it is important to train the leadership. It’s possible to train the leadership. This is what we are trying to do in this moment.
“Of course (you can train leaders). If every time in the training, you are in command of the team, the leaders cannot speak. The leaders cannot communicate with the others. Sometimes it’s important to just go out of the box and to give them the space and the time and the conditions to be leaders, to start the communication between them.
“This is something we are doing.”
An unconvincing response
It is perhaps telling that Pereira didn’t actually name anyone when asked this question.
It was a slightly vague response, and the idea that he and his team are trying to build or create leaders at the moment suggests there is a lack of natural leaders.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 15 |  LeedsLeeds | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 13 | -6 | 8 |
| 16 |  BrentfordBrentford | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 12 | -3 | 7 |
| 17 |  BurnleyBurnley | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 15 | -6 | 7 |
| 18 |  Nottingham ForestNottingham Forest | 8 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 15 | -10 | 5 |
| 19 |  West HamWest Ham | 7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 16 | -10 | 4 |
| 20 |  WolvesWolves | 8 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 16 | -11 | 2 |
To have natural leadership in a football dressing room is extremely important. Wolves have had natural leaders in the past but now it’s tricky to pick them out.
Former Old Gold defender Romain Saiss pointed to Wolves losing too many characters, shortly after he left the club in 2022, and that has unfortunately been a trend pretty much ever since.
With Wolves looking well on course for a relegation battle, it is very worrying that the squad doesn’t have many of these kinds of individuals.