Vitor Pereira’s sacking has not come as a surprise, as there were a couple of signs and moments that pointed towards the inevitable.
After last season’s heroics, fans had bonded with Pereira, and he was a much-loved figure across the fanbase.
However, this season has not gone to plan, as Jeff Shi confirmed Pereira’s sacking in a statement.
The hunt for a new manager is underway, and Jorge Mendes could play a part in it.
However, let’s look back on where it went wrong for Vitor Pereira after such a promising start to his career at Wolves.
The summer transfer window
Vitor Pereira is not blameless for Wolves’ poor transfer window, as his requirements for players meant the shortlist of talent was thinner.
The Portuguese head coach requested signings to be ‘tall and athletic’ and turned down players such as Bournemouth’s David Brooks.
Fosun also takes some of the blame, as the business in the summer could have been done much sooner, and fans are now calling for Jeff Shi to be replaced as well.
| Player | Cost |
| Jorgen Strand Larsen | £23 million, after initial loan |
| Jackson Tchatchoua | £10 million |
| Fer Lopez | £19 million |
| Jhon Arias | £19 million |
| David Moller Wolfe | £10 million |
| Ladislav Krejci | £6 million loan, £20 million option to buy |
| Tolu Arokodare | £24 million |
The squad lacks any real quality at the moment. There are no standout players who can offer a moment of magic, and that is what is so desperately needed.
Whoever replaces Pereira will certainly need some help in the January window, but it remains to be seen if the ownership will give them the outlay required to turn things around.
Continuous late heartbreak for Wolves
Attempting not to sound Michael Owen-esque, it is clear Wolves would be in a much better position had they not conceded two late equalisers to Tottenham and Brighton, as well as a goal in added time to Burnley.
And Vitor Pereira may also still have his job.
With those three goals excluded, Wolves would be sitting on seven points, and just one behind Burnley in 17th.
That would have made for better reading than the current standings now.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 15 |  EvertonEverton | 9 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 12 | -3 | 11 |
| 16 |  LeedsLeeds | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 17 | -8 | 11 |
| 17 |  BurnleyBurnley | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 12 | 19 | -7 | 10 |
| 18 |  Nottingham ForestNottingham Forest | 10 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 19 | -12 | 6 |
| 19 |  West HamWest Ham | 9 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 20 | -13 | 4 |
| 20 |  WolvesWolves | 10 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 22 | -15 | 2 |
However, Wolves switched off at key moments, and that has been the story of their season so far. Maybe better results in those games would have just delayed the inevitable further, and Pereira would still have been sacked at a later date.
We’ll never know, but the head coach will look back at those fixtures as decisive in the build-up to his sacking.
Angry confrontation with Wolves fans
It is never a good sign for a manager to clash with the supporters, and the ugly scenes at Molineux following defeat to Burnley sparked controversy.
Steve Bull believed fans were right to be angry, but the head coach should have restrained himself from reacting to them.
He looked frustrated and upset, with anger painted on his face after his own supporters started to turn on him.
The situation strained his relationship with fans, and truthfully, it was difficult to see how it could be recovered.
This was a major turning point in the mood at the club and was perhaps a big factor in why Jeff Shi quickly u-turned on his stance on Pereira.