Wolves fell to yet another defeat in the Premier League on Saturday, this time against Sunderland – and there is one thing the Black Cats have got so right.
Fans are angry today after Wanderers turned in one of their worst displays of the season so far at the Stadium of Light.
Wolves started the game poorly, and went 1-0 down after Nordi Mukiele scored.
Wolves had more of the ball than Sunderland but ultimately couldn’t threaten their opponents, with the lack of cutting edge up top again proving a huge issue.
For Sunderland, it’s a dream start to life back in the Premier League and actually, they are a little reminiscent of when Wolves first came back up to the top-flight in 2018.
Not so much in style and formation, but more in terms of the fearlessness with which they have attacked the campaign so far.
And undoubtedly, they have excelled in an area that Wolves really have not, which explains the current difference between the two teams.
Sunderland’s strong recruitment paying dividends as Wolves struggle
Fans expressed their concern at the time, but Wolves’ summer transfer window was seriously poor.
With so many proven Premier League players, it felt essential for Wolves to add some players with pedigree – preferably in the English top-flight.
But not a single one of Wolves’ new signings had any Premier League experience.
Wolves’ opponents on Saturday Sunderland, by contrast, had a strong summer and are now reaping the rewards.
They splashed a lot of money, but they invested well, and are already 12 points ahead of Wolves in the table.
Looking at how their new recruits have fared so far this season, Nordi Mukiele has the highest average rating in the whole Sunderland squad on WhoScored, with 7.58.
Then, five more of their new signings are in their top 10 for average match rating, indicating how well they have done so far.
- Granit Xhaka, 3rd, (7.32)
- Omar Alderete, 4th, (7.18)
- Robin Roefs, 5th, (7.12)
- Reinildo, 7th, (6.69)
- Noah Sadiki, 9th (6.64)
For Wolves, only two new recruits make the top 10 for average match rating so far.
Unsurprisingly, Ladislav Krejci is the best-rated new addition with 6.76, which put him third in the whole Wolves squad, and Jhon Arias comes in at number 5, with an average rating of 6.59 (via WhoScored).
Jackson Tchatchoua is 13th with a rating of 6.34, while David Moller Wolfe, Fer Lopez and Tolu Arokodare are down in 17th, 18th and 19th respectively, with ratings of 6.21, 6.18 and 6.16.
This suggests Wolves’ newbies have not made a strong impact, and fans who have done the eye test will likely say the same thing – only Krejci has proven a solid addition so far.
- READ MORE: Vitor Pereira’s post-Sunderland comments are not helping himself at Wolves; it was extremely naive
Wolves’ poor recruitment could prove costly
In order to be competitive in the Premier League, it is paramount to build.
To stand still is to get worse, and to actually downgrade – which is what Wolves have done – is potentially negligent.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 1 |  ArsenalArsenal | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 3 | 12 | 19 |
| 2 |  Manchester CityManchester City | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 17 | 6 | 11 | 16 |
| 3 |  LiverpoolLiverpool | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 9 | 4 | 15 |
| 4 |  BournemouthBournemouth | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 11 | 3 | 15 |
| 5 |  TottenhamTottenham | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 5 | 8 | 14 |
| 6 |  ChelseaChelsea | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 16 | 9 | 7 | 14 |
| 7 |  SunderlandSunderland | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 14 |
| 8 |  Crystal PalaceCrystal Palace | 8 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 13 |
| 9 |  BrightonBrighton | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 12 | 11 | 1 | 12 |
| 10 |  EvertonEverton | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 11 |
| 11 |  Manchester UnitedManchester United | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 11 | -2 | 10 |
| 12 |  NewcastleNewcastle | 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 9 |
| 13 |  Aston VillaAston Villa | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 7 | -1 | 9 |
| 14 |  FulhamFulham | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 12 | -4 | 8 |
| 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 |
Wolves officials can turn around and say they spent, but the reality is that the business they did do wasn’t good enough, against a backdrop of so many proven stars and gamechangers leaving. And that falls on Fosun, Jeff Shi, Domenico Teti and also Vitor Pereira, who has the final say on players coming in.
The club have been able to get away with buying unproven stars in recent times, because there has already been enough quality in the squad to get by. But this time around, Wolves have taken a major gamble. The club simply had to properly account for the exodus.
Wolves now face a serious fight to stay in the Premier League, while it looks like Sunderland could enjoy a very productive campaign.