Always Wolves
Always Wolves
DAVE'S ARTICLE FEATURED IN BBC SPORT THIS WEEK LOOKS AT WOLVES HIERARCHY AND THE CYCLE OF MANAGED DECLINE
Wolves are living through managed decline, and the responsibility sits with Fosun and executive chairman Jeff Shi. Results are the symptom. The root is ownership strategy, recruitment, and constant churn.
Pereira’s clash with supporters after the Burnley loss captured the mood. He asked for unity. Fans answered with “Fosun out.”
Two points from nine games, defeats to all three promoted sides, and stoppage-time heartbreak again. Whether Pereira stays or goes now feels secondary. The system above him is broken.
Fosun gave Pereira a new three-year deal in September, after replacing Gary O’Neil last season despite his long contract. That flip-flop erodes credibility. It also points to a club without a clear football plan, lurching between short-term fixes and PR resets.
Recruitment has been the bigger failure. Letting Premier League-proven players leave stripped experience and leadership. Replacing them with players new to England, then asking them to learn on the job in a struggling side, was reckless. Chasing resale value only works if you stay up. Relegation nukes their value.
Shi has overseen soaring highs and this current slump. The problem now is direction and trust. Fans no longer believe the owners are putting football first. The mixed messages on ambition, the cost-controlled windows, and the lack of a coherent identity have drained goodwill. Sacking another head coach won’t fix that.
What would? Clarity and competence. Appoint a seasoned CEO of football operations. Set a recruitment plan focused on Premier League-proven profiles and a spine that can compete now. Communicate honestly about budgets and goals. And if Fosun won’t fund survival-level investment, they should consider leadership changes at the top, starting with Shi.
It may not stop the slide overnight, but admitting the plan has failed, resetting leadership, and recruiting for the reality of a relegation fight is the only path back to credibility with the fans.
Managed Decline: Why Fosun & Jeff Shi have lost the fans
Pukka