Opinion

Three former players Wolves are badly missing after horrendous start to 2025/26

Wolves fans are deeply concerned with the current state of play, having taken just two points from the first eight Premier League games.

Vitor Pereira’s stint at Wolves started amazingly, as he kept the club in the top-flight with ease last season after taking over from Gary O’Neil.

But the picture has now totally changed, and the Portuguese now finds himself under mounting pressure.

Wolves haven’t won a game in the Premier League this season, and are actually winless in the competition since April, which is unacceptable.

The squad just seems devoid of both quality and leaders – and everything is pointing to Wolves battling against relegation.

Molineux News now looks at three former players Wolves are especially missing during this difficult period.

Ruben Neves

Manchester United v Wolverhampton Wanderers - Premier League
Photo by Jack Thomas – WWFC/Wolves via Getty Images

Joao Gomes and Andre have had some great games together for Wolves.

But Wolves undoubtedly miss Ruben Neves these days.

Not only could the Portuguese maestro pick a pass from anywhere on the pitch, he could also get stuck in and score brilliant goals from outside the box.

But perhaps the biggest thing of all with Neves was that he always gave absolutely everything, every single game, and drove standards.

He was a player the fans adored, and someone his teammates had the utmost respect for.

He was a colossal figure in that dressing room who could do everything, and what many fans would give to have him back at this moment in time.

Conor Coady

Wolverhampton Wanderers v Sporting CP - Pre-Season Friendly
Photo by Jack Thomas – WWFC/Wolves via Getty Images

Say what you want about Conor Coady as a player, but right now this current Wolves squad has no natural leaders. And Coady was the ultimate natural leader.

Coady was made captain at Wolves when the club gained promotion back to the Premier League, and he absolutely excelled in the role.

He also did brilliantly for the most part playing in the middle of a back three, but it was always his true leadership that was the most striking thing about him.

That leadership is now badly missed at Wolves – there is just no way Coady would be accepting what we have seen so far this season. You just know he’d be doing his utmost to turn things around and dragging others along with him in his quest.

Like Neves, he was a driver of standards, and someone who deeply cared about the club. How Wolves could now do with someone like him in these trying times.

Matheus Cunha

Some Wolves fans will not like to admit it, but Cunha is a player who is massively missed at Molineux right now.

Some of his behaviour in the final months of his stint at Wolves was highly questionable. But there was never any denying how brilliant Cunha was.

The Brazilian scored 33 goals in 92 appearances for Wolves and also made 15 assists, and the biggest thing with him was that there was always potential for him to do something at any moment – even if Wolves were playing poorly.

Wolverhampton Wanderers FC v Brentford FC - Premier League
Photo by Cameron Smith – WWFC/Wolves via Getty Images

He is a maverick, and a game-changer. A player capable of providing magic when all hope looks lost.

He came in clutch so many times for Wolves and now, after the disaster that was the 2025 summer transfer window, the club no longer have any game-changers.

Cunha is still unpopular with many Wolves fans with his antics winding people up towards the end, but hypothetically speaking, surely at this point plenty would have him back in a heartbeat.