Wolverhampton Wanderers

Tyrese King
BBC Sport journalist

Wolves boss Vitor Pereira has been speaking to the media before Saturday's FA Cup game against Bournemouth (kick-off 15:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Wolves want to create their own identity to "play their own way", with Pereira adding: "There is a lot to correct. We want to be better than the last game because each game has to be a lesson."

• Pereira on what his side need to improve on from the midweek Premier League defeat against Fulham: "We need to be different because the levels of concentration [were low], and we cannot start the first and second half conceding goals. It is impossible because here [Bournemouth] they punish you with goals. You cannot make these types of mistakes and go there sleeping."

• Pereira on the fitness of Emmanuel Agbadou, Hwang Hee-chan, Goncalo Guedes and Rodrigo Gomes: "They are recovering. I think for this match, Hee-chan will recover and be available. The other ones we'll need to wait a bit more."

• Asked about facing Bournemouth again: "I'm not worried about one player. When I look at the game, I try to understand the moments they create problems and how we can cause problems for them. Each game is a lesson."

• He continued: "It's easy to understand this team. I understand why they are in the position [7th] they are in the table. They are a very, very aggressive team with and without the ball. They are a vertical team, the moment you lose the ball they can score a goal in a second."

• On Wolves winning the FA Cup four times: "In this moment football has changed a lot but you know, tomorrow is a chance and an opportunity for us to move forward and we cannot think about the draw."

• He continued: "We need to win. In my mind, in our mind, we need to go through with the intention to win the game and move forward. I cannot speak about dreams, it's like in life, if you have a lot of dreams and do nothing to achieve them, it's only dreams. But if you set the targets, we must take the steps to reach the target, this is one of those steps. It's difficult of course but we can do it."

• On Ramadan: I'm sure our medical department will have a plan for those players because you need a plan to face the training and the games."

• Explaining further: "For me, if I tried to do it, it would be very difficult for me, but they are used to doing it. They sleep a lot in their own time, and they eat a lot in the night. Here in our club I think we are very professional, we have the medical department and a nutritionist who would be very on it."

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This will be Bournemouth and Wolves' third meeting in the FA Cup. In 1947-48 Wolves won 2-1 in the third round, while in the 1956-57 fourth round the Cherries won 1-0 at Molineux.

AC Milan have earmarked Wolves' Algeria left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri, 23, as a potential replacement for Theo Hernandez. (Gazzetta dello Sport - in Italian, subscription required), external

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Mike Taylor
BBC Radio WM reporter

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The chill is back.

Wolves fans had been able to enjoy three days after their fun in the sun at Bournemouth. Four encouraging performances in a row led to a fine away win, and with the chance to play their midweek game before their direct rivals Ipswich and Leicester, it felt like Wolves were at last moving out of the gloom.

Not quite.

"I don't know if we sleep in the dressing room when I come inside the pitch," said Vitor Pereira, "and without the focus of the concentration that we should… we cannot concede these types of goals."

First-minute goals, immediately disrupting a team's plans, are annoying, but happen sometimes. At the start of each half in the same game, however, was infuriating.

The score and statistics say Wolves kept this game close, yet there was no doubt who had played with more class. Things that worked at Bournemouth, where Wolves had looked the more dangerous team even before the home side lost a man, did not.

Pereira offered a reason that echoed with the recent past. "Playing after three days, I didn't feel the team in [was] the top condition. We faced a team that replaced five players… this is a big difference."

He had selected the same starters as at Bournemouth, meaning the team were again without their new senior defender Emmanuel Agbadou, and a specialist centre-forward. Marshall Munetsi filled in gamely again, but to relatively little effect.

By contrast, Fulham – a club we might have considered to have roughly equal prospects as Wolves at the start of the season – could bring in Rodrigo Muniz and Andreas Pereira, fresh and sharp, and they dictated the terms of the game.

Jorgen Strand Larsen, still overcoming injury, was given the second half at Bournemouth but only half an hour on Wednesday.

"It's the only striker that we have in this moment," Pereira said. "Imagine that in the second half we need to score, and this is the time [I have] to take him out, and I don't have a striker to replace. In this moment, we don't have."

Cold rain returned to Wolverhampton this morning.

The general feeling is that Wolves should still have enough in hand to hold off Ipswich and Leicester, and spring will surely come.

But not yet.

Bournemouth v Wolves – live commentary on BBC Radio WM (95.6FM, DAB and BBC Sounds), Saturday 15:00 GMT

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We asked for your views on Wolves' match against Fulham in the Premier League.

Here are some of your comments:

Wolves fans

Alex: Poor tactics for the second half. If you put a 6ft4in centre-forward on, you need to spread play to the wings and get crosses into the box. Strand Larsen was starved of service once again. Santiago Bueno is simply not good enough. The sooner Agbadou returns, the better. Need to pick ourselves up and beat Bournemouth in the cup. All is not lost....not yet anyway.

John: Sunday league defending, clueless going forward. Wolves were probably safe if they had won. Not on this performance!

Simon: Nice passing spells aside, Wolves did not pose a threat in front of goal. In the second half, some players went hiding and the lethargy of sideways passing set in. The early goals for Fulham killed any atmosphere in the ground, no chants or songs other than when Toti Gomes was receiving treatment in front of the South Bank. A game to forget quickly.

Fulham fans

John: Five changes to the starting XI looked like either a reaction to Saturday's poor performance or an attempt to keep players fresh for the FA Cup tie at Manchester United. It turned out to be a stroke of Marco Silva genius in a thoroughly deserved win. Quality across the park but a special mention for Ryan Sessegnon - 'one of our own' who proved he belongs at this level.

Lee: For all their possession, Wolves huffed and puffed. Fulham had all the best chances and deserved the win. Push for Europe still on!

Bob: Didn't do too much but we didn't have to. Smash-and-grab three points. Job done.

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Nelson Semedo has provided four assists across 23 Premier League appearances this season, as many as in his previous four campaigns in the competition combined (4 assists in 131 games).

Emily Salley
BBC Sport journalist

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Conceding 59 seconds is far from ideal. To do it again - after 63 seconds this time - is almost unforgivable.

But that's exactly what went wrong for Wolves against Fulham.

Having got back into the game thanks to Joao Gomes powerful finish, Vitor Pereira's side found themselves down again immediately after the break.

For both goals, Wolves' backline were caught sleeping. Two defence-splitting passes at the start of each half was all the visitors needed to wrap up all three points at Molineux.

"This cannot happen again," were the words issued afterwards by Pereira, who added his team must have been "sleeping in the dressing room".

With winnable games against Everton and bottom-placed Southampton coming up, his players will need to pay more attention if they are to avoid making the same mistakes and boost their chances of Premier League survival.

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Wolves boss Vitor Pereira spoke to TNT Sports after Wolves' defeat against Fulham: "If you start a game conceding a goal like we did, and you go for the second half and you concede another goal like we did, we have to look at ourselves and correct what we should correct.

"We lost the opportunity to win three important points and now we have to start working on the mistakes and to correct."

On what he said to his players: "Maybe the dressing room makes a slip. I don't know what happened in the dressing room because we went in there two times and then we conceded two very easy goals."

On the positives: "It's difficult. The reaction after the goal we tried to change the result. We started o play our way to try and push them , creating situations to score but two times in the same game is too much."

On lack of a centre-forward: "The problem is [Jorgen Strand] Larsen is the only striker we have. He came from injury. If he got another injury it would be a big problem for us."

On avoiding relegation: "We must play at our level, and believe in our qualities and be focused from the first minute. This is the lesson from today, we cannot allow these easy goals from them in the first and the second half."

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Wolves' performance

What did you make of Fulham's display?

Come back to this page on Wednesday to find a selection of your replies

Four matches make up Tuesday's Premier League action and we will bring you every moment.

• Brighton v Bournemouth

• Crystal Palace v Aston Villa

• Wolves v Fulham

• Chelsea v Southampton (20:15)

All kick-off times 19:30 GMT unless stated

Follow all the action and reaction here

George Lakin
Fan writer

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Wolves face the very real prospect of losing their third captain in three seasons this summer. Nelson Semedo is out of contract at the end of the campaign and already free to negotiate with other clubs.

The club have felt the effects of losing example-setters Ruben Neves and Max Kilman in recent years, and Semedo has set that same precedent having taken over the armband from Mario Lemina in December. Cool heads and model professionals such as these are few and far between.

Wolves have already triggered a two-year extension on his original deal, but further talks have stalled. Age seems a sticking point, but 31-year-old Semedo's professionalism, fitness and consistency largely circumvents this issue.

Make no mistake, if he is allowed to leave he will be hard to replace. Semedo's athleticism - key to manager Vitor Pereira's high-energy, wing-back-driven system - has been vital since the new manager arrived.

He has led by example, displaying discipline in his role on and off the pitch, embodying Wolves' recent turnaround. Losing him would leave a huge gap, especially with other veterans like Jose Sa, Craig Dawson and Pablo Sarabia also likely to depart.

Young prospect Pedro Lima has been touted as a successor, but he lacks Semedo's experience. He still has a lot to learn, and who better to mentor him further than Semedo? Too much too soon can break a player, and Wolves know a squad short on know-how is a risk. With a full rebuild looming, Semedo could be the bridge to a new era, setting the tone for a generational shift.

From a business perspective, replacing him with an upgrade would cost a small fortune - far more than bending the wage structure for a proven asset.

Since Pereira's arrival, the club's hierarchy has made smart calls, and with relegation fears fading, focus turns to next season. The situation with Semedo is their next critical juncture.

His departure would mark another loss of leadership; his retention could steady Wolves through transition.

For most fans it is an absolute no-brainer: Semedo must stay.

Find more from George Lakin at Always Wolves, external

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Victor Pereira admits Wolves do not have enough of an advantage in the fight for survival to relax.

Saturday's win at Bournemouth lifted Wolves five points clear of the bottom three ahead of Tuesday's visit of Fulham.

Victory would move Wolves eight points clear of the Premier League's drop zone with Ipswich and Leicester not playing until later in the week.

West Ham, in 16th, are eight points above Pereira's side and seemingly out of reach and the former Porto boss knows Wolves need to extend the gap to those below them.

He said: "They are far away [the teams above]! When I look at the bottom, they are very close to me!

"It's not, it's not [a big enough gap to the relegation zone]. It's why I'm not speaking about the last game, it was good but now I don't care. Fulham we must analyse individually, collectively, and to understand what we must do with our game.

"We must feel our confidence as a team, we must be compact and consistent. We must score more goals - it's something we can improve on."

With the bottom four adrift it appears to be a four-way shootout for survival, although Southampton are 13 points from safety and looking set for a return to the Championship.

Pereira feels there is more to come from his side but they need to lose any tension before it becomes clear.

He said: "I want to correct some behaviours and I want to see my team playing in my way. To be better with the ball we need tranquillity and we need to get points. After we get points we will play at a better level.

"It is missing this step, to control the pace. Usually my teams can have moments where they go fast and others where we enjoy having the ball. It's difficult to create in this moment in this situation."

Matheus Cunha is on fire for Wolves, with four goals in his past four games in all competitions, and his side are now five points clear of the relegation zone with a better goal difference than the teams below them.

They wiped the floor with Fulham at Craven Cottage earlier in the season too, and Cunha scored twice in a 4-1 victory.

It all points towards a Wolves win here too, but I cannot seem to get a Fulham prediction right at the moment so I need to have a proper think about this one.

Because I have been wrong, so often, about Fulham, I am going for the opposite of what I think will happen and back them to win.

Marco Silva's side do actually seem to be better on the road than at home right now, and they beat Newcastle in their last away league game. They didn't click at the weekend against Crystal Palace but they usually have a goal or two in them.

Sutton's prediction: 1-2

Read the full predictions and have your say here

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Wolves are unbeaten in their eight Premier League home games against Fulham, winning six. It is the most times they have faced an opponent at Molineux without losing in the competition. Overall, they are without defeat in their past 15 home league games against the Whites, with their last loss in the second tier in April 1985.

Meanwhile, Fulham have won just one of their past nine Premier League games against Wolves, beating them 3-2 at Craven Cottage in November 2023.

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Vitor Pereira joked he should have brought his glasses to his pre-Fulham press conference.

The manager admitted he may struggle to read his notes, if needed, but Wolves' survival chances are coming into sharp focus now.

Pereira's men remain 17th but opened a five point gap to the relegation zone following Saturday's 1-0 win at 10-man Bournemouth.

Victory at Molineux on Tuesday against Fulham would mean Wolves will have an eight-point cushion over the bottom three, with Ipswich and Leicester not playing until later this week.

Pereira said: "It is very important for us, if we get the three points it would be fantastic - to start to look up, not down. To have more tranquillity and to play at our best level.

"I cannot think about it, I just put my focus on Fulham. I block my mind and I need to put all my energy on this next game.

"We can improve a lot of things, scoring goals when we get opportunities and defending well because Fulham are a very good team with a very good coach.

"Working together for the last three years means they are consistent. But we must look for ourselves and compete to get the three points."

Phil Cartwright
BBC Sport journalist

Wolves boss Vitor Pereira has been speaking to the media before Tuesday's Premier League game against Fulham (kick-off 19:30 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Hwang Hee-chan, Emmanuel Agbadou and Rodrigo Gomes will all miss the game, while Goncalo Guedes is unlikely to feature. On Guedes, Pereira said: "I think he went in the morning for an MRI, we'll see, I think he has some pain on his knee. It'll be difficult to recover for the game."

• Jorgen Strand Larsen's return from injury has given the Wolves boss a "good headache". Pereira said: "He's better now, he played 45 minutes and is recovering his fitness. Now he's in condition to help the team."

• Asked about midfielder Andre's form: "He is important for us because he keeps the balance of the team. When we have the ball, he needs to be aware, to be organised and balanced in the moments we lose the ball. He's the player to connect the sectors and to switch the play. He has the intelligence to play in that position and do what I'm asking him to do."

• On how important Saturday's win at Bournemouth was for Wolves: "It was good but the most important is the next one. The next one is against Fulham and it's very important for us. I expect our best version on Tuesday."

• He continued: "We can improve a lot of things; scoring goals when we get opportunities and defending well because this is a very good team with a very good coach. They have been working together for the past three years, they are consistent and have very good players. But we must look at ourselves and compete to get the three points."

• Pereira said he has found more leaders within his squad since his appointment in December: "If we have leaders in the team, we [as coaches] don't need to be on the scene all the time. I like to give to my players confidence and organisation to solve the problems between themselves. When the problem comes to me, it means they didn't solve the problem. But if you have leaders, it's easier to command, for my leadership it's easier. And we have these kinds of players in our team."

Follow all of Monday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

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We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Bournemouth and Wolves.

Here are some of your comments:

Bournemouth fans

Charl: Why were Tyler Adams and David Brooks not playing? You can't take away our best midfielder and our most creative player and expect the same results. Dango Quattara and Marcus Tavernier need to up their game before being picked ahead of proven winners. The sending off for Illia Zabarnyi was unfortunate - we will miss him massively. His presence shapes the whole team.

Matthew: Yet another game ruined as a spectacle by inept oversight. Play-acting and time-wasting are the real issues here. Created too few chances after going down to 10 men, with poor on-field decisions preventing us testing the keeper enough. We move on. Maybe revenge will be served within seven days.

Don: The red card was pivotal in this contest. Got to accept the decision, albeit from VAR and I felt that Joao Gomes should also have gone off. A second yellow was deserved for a ridiculous simulation of facial injury to try and get a yellow for Cook. I suppose VAR is not allowed to interfere in this case, defying logic in some way.

Geoff: We were below par but on another day the result would have been reversed. Wolves constantly wasted time and the sending off of the Bournemouth player was unjust - a yellow card yes, but the Wolves players influenced an indecisive ref. If Wolves continue to play in this way, they will get what they deserve!

Wolves fans

Jen: Full of heart and at times backs to the wall, even against 10 men! Massive result, but more than that is its obvious that the players want to play for the shirt. Well done Vitor Pereira.

Rob: Another solid defensive performance and looked good going forward. Jean-Ricner Bellegarde was excellent again and with a player like Matheus Cunha, we have every chance of staying in the Premier League.

Mike: An excellent away win, albeit against 10 men with a well-taken goal by Cunha and not allowing Bournemouth any clear chances. We had opportunities to finish this game off but again we spurned them. This could be a significant weekend in the relegation battle with a little gap now appearing over the bottom three.

Martin: Such an important victory. There is a real identity starting to emerge with this group. Andre is a definite contender for second place in the player of the season category.

John Acres
BBC Final Score reporter at Vitality Stadium

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This was a game defined by a very modern red card.

Unlikely to have been given as a foul 30 years ago, Illia Zabarnyi's challenge on Rayan Ait-Nouri was deemed a yellow card by referee Mike Salisbury, but he was sent to the monitor by the VAR and upgraded it to a red.

It will sit uncomfortably with some of those who have been watching the game for decades, but winning the ball no longer protects players from being sent off.

Opinions will certainly be divided on whether the challenge deserved a straight red, but it almost certainly will not be rescinded in the unlikely event of a Bournemouth appeal.

It proved the defining moment in the game, and it could prove a decisive moment for Wolves, Ipswich and Leicester in the relegation battle, and in Bournemouth's bid for a top-four finish.

Highlights and analysis from Saturday's seven Premier League fixtures, plus the best of the action from Friday's game between Leicester and Brentford.

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