Wolves player admits one pre-season scenario would actually make him really ‘worried’

Wolves are getting to work in pre-season ahead of the beginning of the 2025/26 campaign.

It took everyone associated with Wolves a moment to digest what had happened over the 2024/25 calendar. 

A terrible start to the season led to Gary O’Neil’s sacking in December, resulting in the Englishman being replaced by Vitor Pereira. 

Pereira proved to be the right hire for Wolves, but the tough times aren’t over, with a lot riding on the summer transfer window to get the squad up to scratch after key exits.

Having arrived mid-way through the season, Pereira is enjoying his first pre-season with Wolves, but there’s one thing that some players are already wary of.

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Wolves wary of finding form too early in pre-season

Several Wolves stars are already impressing in pre-season, including some who weren’t at the forefront of Pereira’s plans last term. 

One player who is enjoying putting the work in is Dan Bentley, who made only three appearances last season. 

The goalkeeper sat down to talk to the media during Wolves’ time in Portugal at a training camp, where he revealed his biggest concern ahead of the new season.

“I’d be worried if we were peaking now, to be honest,” Bentley said of Wolves’ pre-season form, via Express and Star.  

The shot-stopper insisted that this stage of pre-season is about gelling as a squad and boosting fitness levels rather than focusing on results.

“Obviously, at this moment in time, it’s just about minutes and legs. It’s about getting fit.

“It’s about conditioning. It’s about togetherness, getting the lads back together and us becoming a gelled unit and lads getting to know each other, with Fer [Lopez] who is new and a couple young lads.

“All those things are important at the moment, as opposed to the specifics of performance at this stage in pre-season.”

Bentley then doubled down on his concern about the squad peaking too soon over the summer.

“Me personally, I’d be worried if I was absolutely flying at this stage, and we’re probably where we should be.” 

Pre-season results don’t measure success

If there’s one thing Wolves won’t be losing sleep over, it’s pre-season results.

Last summer proved that pre-season victories and defeats aren’t definitive, as the Old Gold beat the likes of West Ham and RB Leipzig in pre-season and then went on to secure one point from their opening five Premier League games.

Rodrigo Gomes stressed the difference between pre-season and competitive action, something that Bentley is also clearly wary of.

For now, Wolves will focus on getting new signings up to speed and reconnecting the squad after key exits, with a lot of work to do before the Premier League commences.