The origins of the circumstances Wolves find themselves in can be traced back to the summer window, and decisions made in line with Vitor Pereira’s transfer wishes.
When the season ended, it was jubilation for Wolves after an emphatic escape from relegation delivered by Pereira, who took over in December.
The 17-point gap he managed to extend suggested Wolves were in for a much more successful campaign during his first full season in charge.
So far, no good. Wolves have started this season in a similarly woeful fashion, collecting two points in nine games. But where did it go so wrong? Mick McCarthy had no answer to that question after the Burnley loss.
Well, there are multiple reasons, but one that has been exposed time and again in the opening weeks.
Vitor Pereira’s criteria for signings
Matt Hobbs left the role of Wolves sporting director over the summer, and Domenico Teti — who worked with Pereira at Al Shabab — was brought in.
This gave the Wolves manager a closer relationship to the recruiting activities at Wolves, which isn’t problematic in and of itself. Pereira’s requirements for new signings were laid out as tall and athletic, qualities he felt were essential for his system and for the Premier League.
The issue with that is that those are the kinds of players all Premier League clubs want nowadays. The best ones already play in England or cost far more than Fosun are comfortable spending.
What results is signing unproven players with no experience in England, who have not acclimatised quickly enough. And that’s not their fault. Many of them will get there eventually, but by then, who knows where Wolves will be or where Pereira will be.
Wolves could have signed David Brooks from Bournemouth. Hobbs had begun negotiations for him, but Pereira and Teti declined. They also opted against signing right-back Milan van Ewijk.
They are just two players Wolves stopped pursuing who have experience playing in England. There are plenty more.
The irony of it all for Pereira
Look, you can’t put it all on Pereira. That is often the instinct with football fans, but his policy was to do with attributes, not names.
If Fosun were more willing to spend — which they should have been after the summer’s mass exodus — the recruitment team might have been able to buy within the Premier League.
Instead, Wolves find themselves here, in this moment. Some of the signings are finding their feet, but too much time has passed and the club is in crisis mode.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 15 |  LeedsLeeds | 9 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 14 | -5 | 11 |
| 16 |  BurnleyBurnley | 9 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 12 | 17 | -5 | 10 |
| 17 |  FulhamFulham | 9 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 14 | -5 | 8 |
| 18 |  Nottingham ForestNottingham Forest | 9 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 17 | -12 | 5 |
| 19 |  West HamWest Ham | 9 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 20 | -13 | 4 |
| 20 |  WolvesWolves | 9 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 19 | -12 | 2 |
Pereira wanted specific signings for his system, and now the system has been changed. Wolves’ best performers are Hugo Bueno and Rodrigo Gomes, who are not tall and not ultra-athletic.
A window to forget for Wolves. One that needs to be forgotten.
The focus needs to be on survival now.