Wolves have yet to get a point on the board in the Premier League, and one player Vitor Pereira dubbed ‘special’ can only watch on helplessly.
Wolves have lost to Manchester City, Bournemouth, Everton and Newcastle United so far.
The four defeats mean it is the worst start Wolves have ever had to a new season, and fans are concerned about the fate of the club this term.
Of the 17 teams to have lost four Premier League games at the start of a season, eight have gone on to survive while nine have been relegated.
So it’s potentially a toss of a coin right now as to whether Wolves will drop into the Championship next season.
Wolves have made the second-most changes to their starting XI out of all the teams in the Premier League, suggesting Vitor Pereira may not really know his best team right now.
But one man who hasn’t played a single minute yet is Mateus Mane.
Disappointment for Mateus Mane after ‘special’ Vitor Pereira verdict
Wolves had a very turbulent campaign last season, but the emergence of Mane at the end of the campaign was something positive.
The youngster only signed for the club last year from Rochdale, but after shining in the academy, he started to make squads towards the end of 2024/25.
He then made his debut against Brighton – and after that game, Pereira hailed Mane as ‘special’. He said: “I’m sure he’ll be a surprise in England, in this league.
“He’s a player with talent and for sure next season he’ll be in the first team with us.
“He’s not only a talent, he’s a worker, and in that moment of the game it was not just to give him the minutes, it was because I think he can do something because he’s special.”
Pereira insisted he did not care about the fact Mane is still so young, and plenty were excited for the gem to play more minutes this season.
So far though, it hasn’t happened. Unfortunately, Mane hasn’t made any of Pereira’s four matchday squads, with Wolves having good depth – although fans have questioned the quality of players who have arrived.
Given lots of players have underperformed and Wolves haven’t picked up a point, some will argue Mane should at least be making the bench.
Mane will have to be patient for Wolves chance
It has been a slight shame to see that Mane – who is 18 today – hasn’t made a first-team squad yet.
Pereira’s verdict on the youngster suggested that we’d be seeing him from the off in 2025/26.
But so far there’s been no space for him – and the youngster might have to be patient for a chance.
At least for the time being he is impressing for the U21s. Mane recently produced a masterclass against Stockport County that featured a fierce finish at the near post, and fans were left impressed.
Wolves have a lot of attacking options right now, such as Jorgen Strand Larsen, Tolu Arokodare, Hwang Hee-chan, Jhon Arias, Fer Lopez and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, so Mane is in a bit of a difficult spot.
Potentially, he could be one to watch in January in terms of a possible loan exit if he continues to be overlooked for first-team squads.