Wolves suffered a third consecutive defeat in pre-season, bringing the summer friendlies to an end.
Next up for Wolves come Manchester City, which is a gruelling test to imagine at this time.
Wolves lost 1-0 to Celta Vigo at Molineux, recording a third loss from four official pre-season games.
Vitor Pereira will surely be concerned about the state of his Wolves squad heading into the opening day, with a lot of work needed to consider the Old Gold ready to commence the competitive action.
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Celta Vigo - Pre-Season Friendly
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Celta Vigo’s manager reacts to the win over Wolves
Wolves fans were particularly disappointed with Ki-Jana Hoever, but the outcome of the game can’t be pinned on one player.
It was a devastatingly poor showing from the hosts, who looked far below the standard of Celta Vigo, who finished seventh in La Liga last term.
While Pereira will be worried, Celta manager Claudio Giraldez certainly liked what he saw, which was food for thought for the Wolves manager.
“A very rich first half for us in many ways, with a close-quarters style of play that we haven’t had in preseason so far,” Giraldez said, before explaining what his side were ‘able’ to do thanks to Wolves’ style.
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“A very physical match in which we performed very well. We were able to come out in one-on-one situations, to have time in possession, especially in the first half-hour, with the last 15 minutes in which we lost some composure, which we used at halftime.
“In the second half, playing more in a four-man system with other solutions, running a lot of transitions, and often getting out wide, we were able to kill the game off with Bryan and Jones.”
The manager went on to dub his team ‘deserved winners’, which was a true statement, but his feedback will be really worrying for Pereira.
Recognising the time Wolves gave the Spanish side, and how they could physically match the Premier League team, is a concern, particularly with Man City coming up next.
Newcastle United FC v Wolverhampton Wanderers FC - Premier League
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Manchester City clash is frightening
When it comes to transfers and, subsequently, tactics, Wolves are nowhere near ready.
A lot of this has to do with the club leaving it so late to give Pereira suitable replacements for Matheus Cunha, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Nelson Semedo.
It’s impossible to lose three players of that calibre and not replace them, if not like-for-like, then early enough to get them tactically aware.
Despite having the summer to prepare, the feeling ahead of the City clash is that it’s come far too soon, which is, once again, a damning reflection of the club’s lack of urgency to support Pereira.