For Wolverhampton Wanderers, the new year dawns with the cold light of grim reality. Halfway through the season, they had not had a Christmas miracle, and their New Year’s resolutions may be unfulfilled.
The numbers tell a terrifying story. Their 11-game losing streak is the 2nd-worst in the Premier League and 3 games shy of tying the record for English football, held by Sunderland in 2002/03 at 15.
This season was doomed from the start, with their worst start in a Premier League season to the lowest points after 19 games; 2. At the rate they’re on, analysts predict that they’ll finish the season with 4 points; officially making them the worst team of all time, removing the 18-year infamous record held by 2007/08 Derby with 11 points.
From consecutive 7th place finishes after promotion with an attacking team punching above their weight, and a European quarter final appearance, to this. What has happened to the exciting Wolves?
Brain drain
Wolves’ golden era, from 2017-2020, was built on a brilliant, cohesive and clear attacking identity and nicknamed “Little Portugal” for their influx of Portuguese players, spearheaded by contemporary manager Nuno Espirito Santos. Wolves’ meteoric rise was a masterclass in smart and careful recruitment (Sale, 2020).
2017 started with the transformative €17 million signing of the creative maestro Ruben Neves and a loan-to-permanent deal for the late Diogo Jota. This strategy continued in 2018: €22 million for the powerful dribbler Adama Traore, €10 million for national icon Rui Patricio, a loan turned permanent deal for the efficient striker Raul Jimenez, and the most unexpected: a mere €5 million contract for attacking midfielder Joao Moutinho (Sky Sports, 2020).
But the decline began once Santos left. Key players started going, too. Wolves had some success in replacing strikers like Jimenez with Matheus Cunha and centre-back iron wall Connor Coady with Yerson Mosquera. Still, their strategy of constant, reactive replacements was unsustainable.
From 2020 to 2024, the defensive foundation crumbled, conceding more goals and higher-quality chances, while an attack scoring at a similar rate masked a deeper regression in creativity and control.
The managers’ constant changes left the team without a proper structure, from Bruno Lage’s failed transition to a 5-man defence and possession-based football, to financial constraints that disappointed Lopetegui, to all this compounding for successive managers, leaving the once-bright, forward-thinking Wolves as scared prey without an identity.
In part, this is a story typical of newly promoted teams. Smart recruitment for lesser-known players is eventually being taken by wealthier clubs. A story familiar to clubs like Southampton and Burnley, promoted clubs that quickly peaked by qualifying for Europe. However, what’s not typical is Wolves’ historically poor form.
Current dilemma
Wolves demonstrated that they still have some fight in them, as they sacked Vitor Pereira for Rob Edwards in November. However, their problems cannot be fixed overnight. The historical parallels are haunting: the worst Premier League side, Derby 2007/08, and the 2nd-worst, Southampton 24/25, have trodden this path before. Poor recruitment catching up to them is a prerequisite. After 19 games, Derby sat last with 7 points, having won 1 game and drawn 4. They conceded 43 and scored 9. Southampton had 1 win and 3 draws, conceding 39 and scoring 10.
Sadly, Wolves’ position is even more dire. They currently have only 3 points and haven’t even managed a win. They have a worse points per game, xG and xGA (Footystats.org). Their underlying metrics signify a fundamentally broken team, scoring only 11 and conceding 40.
They struggle in practically every phase of play. Yet, their struggles underlie a small thread of hope. Half of their losses were by 1 goal. Compared to the other teams, they’ve been agonisingly close yet unlucky in games like the 2-1 loss against league leaders Arsenal, where a 90th-minute own goal robbed them of what would have been the 3rd team to take points from the Emirates. Their xGA is 1.65, noticeably better than Sunderland, West Ham and Burnley despite conceding the most goals, suggesting worse luck.
This makes their recent 1-1 draw with xG leaders Manchester United, in which they came from behind to hold United to a tense draw, a huge end-of-year boost (Stone, 2026). This was more than an end to their 11-game losing streak; under Rob Edwards, it can be a statement that a turnaround is possible.
History offers a cautionary tale about the cost of inaction. Paul Jewell, Derby’s manager from November 2007, later admits his biggest mistake was not spending in the January window (Flanagan, 2017). He described a subpar squad trapped in a spiral of lost confidence, with no external quality benchmark to break the cycle. Southampton’s winter response, a solitary €5 million signing for defender Joachim Kayi Sanda, and some free signings, proved equally insufficient.
For Wolves to escape their tragic fate, they must gamble on costly, impact statement signings. They need players who can alter games, and more importantly, fix the shattered psyche of the dressing room.
The takeaway
In summary, the January transfer window now represents the final, desperate roll of the dice. The draw at Old Trafford offers a fragile thread of hope. Still, history’s grim precedent is clear: without significant investment to rebuild a broken identity and shattered confidence, Wolves are destined not just for relegation but for an eternal, embarrassing place in Premier League history.