Wolverhampton Wanderers goalkeeper José Sá has admitted he already knows they are relegated and says as much in the dressing room.
Mais Futebol cover comments from the goalkeeper today, made to DAZN. It seems the 33-year-old has already given up on this season despite there being 12 games to go.
Wolves currently sit bottom of the Premier League, with nine points from 26 games so far. They’ve won just one game all season. They’ve lost 16 and drawn six.
It’s been a miserable campaign following a positive end to the season under Vitor Pereira last year. They finished 16th under him, 17 points from relegation.
Edwards improvement
There has been improvement under Rob Edwards since his appointment, but relegation looks extremely likely, particularly as they’ve lost three of their last five games in the league. Most have already given up in the season, and it seems Sá is one of them.
“We have to be realistic, and we have to be men,” he said.
“I’ve already spoken to the manager; I like to be honest and that’s what I think. It’s very difficult for Wolves to escape relegation this season, the gap is very large.
“There are 12 games left and it’s a very big gap. Only by a miracle of the greats could we escape. What I’ve been telling them is: at least don’t be the worst team in the Premier League.
“The worst team got 11 points, we have nine. The goal now is not to be the worst, because I don’t want to be left with that negative historical record. We’ll see what happens later.”
Wolves with Derby in their sights
The question is whether Wolves can pick up the points they require to avoid that Derby record. They’ve certainly made positive tracks towards that under Edwards’ guidance.
Sá was seemingly ready to jump ship in the January transfer window. Nottingham Forest, fellow potential relegation candidates, were in the picture for him.
He ended up staying at Molineux, where he’s also a captain. He’s worn the armband for six of the last seven Premier League games. And he admits he’s trying to be positive despite his pessimistic outlook.
“I try to be a cheerful person, because I’m cheerful and calm, I try to motivate them,” he added.
“It’s about winning as many points as possible so we’re not the worst team in the Premier League. We have to be realistic, our squad is short for the Premier League, in terms of quality and players. That’s the reality.”