Rob Edwards has allowed Wolverhampton Wanderers to believe in recent games that they can make a brave escape from the Premier League.
Old Gold – stuck at the bottom of the league – was once in danger of being relegated as the worst team to ever win the competition in the promised land.
Now, some pride has been restored, with only one league defeat in their last six games, giving them faint hopes of survival.
It’s still a huge fall from grace, considering the West Midlands giants were competing in the quarter-finals of the Europa League in 2020.
|
Wolves’ last five PL games |
|
|---|---|
|
The season |
The last place |
|
20/21 |
13 of |
|
21/22 |
10 |
|
22/23 |
13 of |
|
23/24 |
14 |
|
24/25 |
16 |
After six years, football is on the list of the club that once had Paris Saint-Germain star Vitinha on its books, who is suddenly coming back after a short stay at Molineux.
Vitinha’s madness is rising behind Wolves
Wolves have had many of their top talents move on to bigger and better things in the last few years, with Pedro Neto now on Liam Rosenior’s Chelsea roster, while Ruben Neves has secured a £300k-a-week deal at Al-Hilal, post-Wolves.
Vitinha has undoubtedly had a remarkable rise, however, after failing to perform well during his 22-game loan spell, which saw him only manage one goal to help him through his struggles.
Now, he is regarded as “the best midfielder in the world” by Portugal manager Roberto Martinez, thanks to his brilliant strikes – such as his effort against Chelsea in the Champions League earlier this month.
Indeed, Vitinha went on to collect 26 goals and 24 assists for PSG from 194 games, with the Champions League trophy also lifted since his switch from Wolverhampton in Paris.
Marked as needing an insane £114m in the winter transfer window, with the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool targeting him, Wolves have to wonder what would have happened to their former number 20, had he sealed a permanent move to England.
Instead, he forgets that he once wore a Wolves strip, next to his world-class heroes at the Parc Des Princes.
That said, Edwards could have his own Vitinha right now, even if the postponement is confirmed.
The next Vitinha of wolves
Of course, relegation to the Championship for any club often means exodus, as several players don’t want to mess it up in the chaos of the EFL.
Joao Gomes has the strongest argument this season at Wolves as to why he would like to stay in the Premier League for a long time in the second tier, with the midfielder “doing everything” to achieve his goals according to Como scout Ben Mattinson.
Picking up a goal and an assist against Aston Villa and Brentford in recent games, as his current employers have shown unexpected signs of life of late, Gomes has also won a powerful 6.4 goals per Premier League game this campaign.
|
Gomes’ season by the numbers (25/26) |
|
|---|---|
|
Count (* = per 90 minutes) |
Gomes |
|
Games played |
29 |
|
Goals were scored |
1 |
|
It helps |
1 |
|
Contact* |
58.3 |
|
Accurate passes* |
35.8 (86%) |
|
Great opportunities have been created |
2 |
|
Football recovery* |
5.7 |
|
Total winnings* |
6.4 |
To explain how impressive that number of duels is, it is far more than one of the team’s midfielders in the form of Casemiro at Manchester United, who won 5.2 duels per game in comparison.
On that evidence, it may come as no surprise to hear that United are indeed targeting Gomes as a replacement for Casemiro this summer, and it would come as no surprise to hear many pundits, including former Molineux midfielder Jamie O’Hara back in January that “he’s up for grabs” as he’s so fit in the Championship.
This would lead to the tragic loss of the Old Gold, symbolizing Vitinha’s sudden exit from Paris, with a £43m price tag allegedly placed over the Rio De Janeiro-born hero’s head.
If he can’t pull off these highlights, as Wolves fight for Premier League status, the concern will be that Gomes has just started at Molineux, and that he might reach the heights of Vitinha after his expected departure, joining a European heavyweight like the Portuguese did.
Thankfully, Wolves will actually be able to recoup the money if the famous number eight leaves, with Gomes going down as one of their luxury sales.
In the coming years, Wolves fans may look back on having Gomes on their books with the same confusion as Vitinha, as he may establish himself as a Premier League-caliber ace while the Old Gold tries to come back, another shining star.
Wolves’ £50m star is fast becoming the new Morgan Gibbs-White
Even with the ax on the horizon, Wolverhampton Wanderers have a £50m player on their hands.
