Wolverhampton Wanderers have confirmed the departure of Vitor Pereira as head coach following their 2-0 away lose to Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. Wolves currently sit bottom of the Premier League table without a win from their first eight games and look to be favourites for relegation. The club have acted fast in replacing Vitor Periera with unknown manager Josh McEwen taking the reigns must to the disappointment of Wolves fans who are concerned that an unknown manager with no experience has been handed the tough task of saving Wolves from relegation woth a number of supporters clubs already criticising the appointment. A statement from Wolves was released earlier this morning.
Wolverhampton Wanderers can confirm that Vitor Pereira has left his position as head coach by mutual consent. The club wishes to express its gratitude to Vitor for his dedication and hard work during his tenure at Molineux.
This decision comes after a period in which results have unfortunately fallen short of both the club’s and supporters’ expectations. After careful consideration, the club’s leadership felt that a change was necessary not only to address immediate challenges on the pitch, but also to lay a stronger foundation for the long-term progress and success of Wolverhampton Wanderers.
In light of this, the club is pleased to announce the appointment of Josh McEwen, as Vitor’s successor. The club believes that Josh’s fresh approach and vision can help to turn the season around, instil renewed confidence in the squad, and set a positive course for the future. Wolverhampton Wanderers are committed to supporting Josh as he takes on this role and look forward to the next chapter under his leadership.
Josh added a brief statement saying “I am delighted to have been given this opportunity to manage Wolves, it is a club that belongs in the Premier league and our whole focus is on helping improve both performance and results on the pitch to ensure the club is still in the Premier League next season. I know concerns have been raised about myself being appointed but I urge our fans to get behind the players and give me the chance to show that I can turn this season around and keep this fantastic football club where they belong.”
Yeah we have some really tough games in the CL AS Roma away I expect will be difficult winning away in Italy is never easy. Wolves spent £40+ mil on a defender where was my backing like that I would have them bottom lol
Opening game a bit slow, but otherwise a perfect start in the new season with 9 points and 3 clean sheets. It seems your former club Wolves had a tough day at the office. Solid overview of matches in the league + CL. Atlético, Bayern and Barcelona will be tough, but the rest are teams you should beat more often than not.
Arsenal (4-3-3): Raya, Laimer, Saliba, Pienczak, Lewis-Skelly, Zubimendi, Rice, Odegaard (Off 66), Saka, Gyokeres, Martinelli (Off 66)
Subs: Kepa, Kayode, Mosquera, Bouaddi, Larsson (On 66), Eze, Nwaneri (On 66), Trossard, Jesus
Birmingham City (4-3-3): Vindahl, Osayi-Samuel, Van Den Bosch, Klarer, Amass, Gardner-Hickman (Off 78), Leonard, Fujimoto, Orellano, Furuhashi, Hansson (Off 66)
Subs: Allsop, Neumann, Carvalho (On 78), Stansfield, Cochrane, Dina Ebimbe (On 66), Ducksch, Paik Seung Ho, Laird
Q: Josh a scare on the opening day but a 2-0 win in the end. A superb volley by Hugo Larsson to introduce himself to the Emirates crowd what are your thoughts on the game?
Josh McEwen “It was a tough game we didn’t perform like I know we can in that first half we didn’t create much but in the second half it was chance after chance we should have scored earlier but the boys kept working remained patient and we got the break through and then Hugo has scored an outrageous volley from just inside the box to secure an opening day win. It is why we signed him the quality he has and he is different to our other midfielders so he is going to be a great addition. We will get better I know that the main thing was to win the first game and we did that and now we move onto our next game.”
Q: Reggie a heartbreaking way to lose the opening game. Your team fought so hard how difficult is that result to take?
Reggie Hurst “It hurts a lot, the lads are devastated to be honest with you they worked so hard all pre season we came flying out the blocks which was our plan try and get at them early and we created two early chances but the thing we couldn’t afford was for them to find their rhythm which they did in the second half. It just really hurts because 2-0 flatters them to concede in the 88th minute of your first game back in the Prem against a team like Arsenal I think even though we lost a lot of teams will look at our performance and know they’re going to be in a tough game now.”
Arsenal (4-3-3): Raya, Laimer, Saliba, Pienczak, Lewis-Skelly, Zubimendi, Rice, Odegaard (Off 75), Saka, Gyokeres (Off 75), Newaneri (Off 75)
Subs: Kepa, Kayode, Mosquera, Bouaddi, Larsson (On 75), Eze (On 75), Martinelli, Trossard, Jesus (On 75)
Q: Lukas a really disappointing result for your team. How hard was it for your side today?
Lukas Funk “It was a tough day for us. It is disappointing because it is our first home game and we just never got going, when you win your opening game away from home you think ok lets back that up with a strong performance at home but we just couldn’t get near Arsenal. You have to give them credit we played a fantastic team who made us work out of possession and they had chances they put them away. Half time I said we need to show true fight here it was difficult when you end a game with 12% possession it is unlikely your getting any points but we had one chance and after the chance they go down the other end and make it three. Maybe we didn’t expect a fast break like they did because they were so patient maybe we were just to tired chasing back it was a clinical break and it wrapped up the game for them.”
Q: Josh absolute domination from your side from start to finish which saw your team rack up a very impressive 88% possession whilst still having seven shots. Was that the perfect performance?
Josh McEwen “What a performance oh my god wow. I look at some of the stats from the team today 98% pass accuracy, 88% possession, expected goals 2 and the defence side with David as well involved when we pass back to him he makes the right choice and it keeps them moving it was great to watch. Last week people said we weren’t at our best this week I don’t think I have seen a performance like this in my life from my team. Every player played a perfect game and we go back to back wins back to back clean sheets and we move on to the Wolves game next week.”
Subs: Kepa, Wijndal (On 57), Branthwaite (On 57), Bouaddi, Larsson (On 57), Eze, Martinelli (On 57), Trossard, Jesus
Wolves (4-3-3): Johnstone, Kabore, Krejci, Goes, Locko, Gomes, Hackney, Toth, Nelson (Off 57), Arokodare, George
Subs: Agirrezabala, Le Normand, Florentino, Hwang Hee Chan, Garcia, Doyle, Jeong, Arias (On 57), Agbadou
Q: Josh a different type of performance to the one at Bournemouth you were a little more direct but just as dominant. End of August top of the league with no goals conceded the perfect start would you say?
Josh McEwen “Probably the best way to describe the start maybe if Viktor completed his hat trick with his chance at the end it would be perfect haha. We are so happy today we changed a little bit how we played because of the rain and we knew Wolves would try and press us more with the extra man in midfield compared to Bournemouth but we were so good today we gave them very few chances and we could have scored more. It was nice to give some debuts out Kayode starting and then Owen (Wijndal) and Jared (Branthwaite) getting off the bench for their debuts at home and they were all fantastic it shows we have brought quality in and we are pleased with how the season has started.”
Q: Dylan bottom of the league after three games no team has less points since January that are still in the Premier League. How concerned are you?
Dylan Herbert “We know it has been a poor start but we’ve had some tough games. Today we were poor we can’t come to the Emirates and play so open and expect anything from the game but look we have to keep believing in what we’re trying to do and once our new players settle we are sure they will make an impact and we will start moving up the table. We can’t get ourselves in a position where we go ten games without winning like a few seasons ago we need results and we need them now but the performances have to improve for that to happen.”
Selling to rivals, but getting ridiculous money the other way. Your business so far has been rather responsible financially, so I wonder whether you are now going to spend crazy money yourself, or you'll continue with a somewhat sustainable approach...
Arsenal are delighted to announce the signings of two left backs as Myles Lewis Skelly and Owen Wijndal have signed for the club. Myles Lewis-Skelly left the club last summer but the club included a buy back clause of £35,000,000 in the deal that has been activated whilst left back Owen Wijndal has signed on a free transfer after the expiration of his contract at Ajax. Myles has signed on a five year deal whilst Owen Wijndal has signed a three year contract. Heres what both players said about the move
Myles Lewis-Skelly “I am over the moon to be back at the club, when I heard Arsenal wanted to bring me home I was in no doubt I wanted to come back and to get the deal done I can’t wait to get started and help the team win trophies. I was gutted to leave the club last year but Antonio Conte made it clear I wasn’t part of his plans and I had a great season at Bayer last year but coming home is the right choice for me. I’m hoping for a great season where we will hopefully win a few trophies and then obviously hoping to get into the Euros squad.”
Owen Wijndal “I am delighted to be given the opportunity to play for Arsenal. They are a massive club that I know will be competing for trophies this season. To test myself in the Premier League is something every footballer dreams of I know competition for places is going to be high but with the amount of games we will play and with this manager I know I am going to be given chances to play it is upto me now to fight for the starting berth probably with Myles.”
Josh McEwen “I’m really happy to get these two deals done really early in the window, Myles was someone I said to the board straight away we need to bring him back and the fact he was so quick to accept the proposal shows how much he loves this club. When I heard Owen was available on a free transfer it was a no brainer he is such a talented left back who will provide competition in a position where we had to play players out of position to facilitate last season so having two left backs join so early clearly strengthens the talented team we have here already.”
In more news four players have departed as Mikel Merino has signed for Serie A Champions Inter Milan for £28,000,000, Reiss Nelson has joined Wolves for £14,000,000 Fabio Vieira has signed for Bundesliga winners Borussia Dortmund for £25,500,000 and Oleks Zinchenko has signed for Palermo for £8,900,000
Josh McEwen “I think we had to let these lads leave they didn’t get the game time they deserved last season and they all came to me and said they wanted to leave to get more game time and we couldn’t refuse them the opportunities to sign for some top clubs. We thank them all and wish them the best for their futures.”
Arsenal are delighted to announce the signings of three players as Hugo Larsson, Michael Kayode and Jared Branthwaite. Hugo joins for £48,200,000 whilst Michael Kayode signs for £19,200,000 from recently relegated Brentford whereas Jared Branthwaite signs from Championship side Everton for £33,500,000. Here’s what the players had to say
Hugo Larsson “I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Frankfurt but when the opportunity to join Arsenal presented itself it was an opportunity I couldn’t say no to joining one of the biggest clubs not only in England but Europe and I can’t wait to get started in helping the team achieve its goals this season of trying to win the Premier League and Champions League I can’t wait to meet my team mates and get started. I spoke with Viktor Gyokeres about the club on international duty and he spoke so highly of Josh and the club and I can’t wait to get going”
Michael Kayode “I am pleased to be given the opportunity to play for a huge club like Arsenal. Last season was frustrating for myself I picked up a number of injuries and had a falling out with the manager which meant I didn’t play as much as I’d have liked and for the season to end in relegation broke my heart as I loved my time at Brentford and hope they can come back up but my focus is on my new team and trying to help this team win trophies.”
Jared Branthwaite “I am buzzing to be here, obviously finishing third but losing in the playoffs last season was really painful but to be given the chance to play in the Prem again in a Euros year is an opportunity I couldn’t say no to. I know the competition for places here will be tough but with Gabriel leaving I hope I can grab my opportunity when it comes and help the team get back to winning trophies.”
Josh McEwen “We are really happy with our business here, we have added real quality and competition for places to our squad. Hugo was our top midfield target he is a young player who is very talented and we can’t wait to see him develop even further here. Michael is a great right back who provides us with strong competition at right back last season Konrad (Laimer) was our only right back so it was crucial to get him support and competition. Jared is a talented centre back who is still young but is vastly experienced and is a leader who I’m sure will offer us a lot this season as we aim to compete on four fronts.”
In more news winger Noni Madueke has joined Manchester United in a deal worth £58,400,000 whilst centre back Gabriel has joined rivals Chelsea for £110,000,000, Jakub Kiwior has joined Aston Villa for £16,600,000 and young defender Vincenzo Testa has joined Fiorentina on a season long loan deal with no option to buy.
Josh McEwen “Noni didn’t get the game time he wanted in the second half of the season and made it clear he wanted to move to get more game time and Man United matched our valuation. Gabriel received an approach from Chelsea and decided he wanted to make the move and they made us a very good offer that we couldn’t decline so we wish him the best of luck at Chelsea. Jakub wanted more first game football he was immense everytime he played last season but we couldn’t guarantee him the minutes he wanted and deserved. Vinny going back to Italy will be great for him to get some experience playing top division football, Fiorentina are a top team who will offer him the right tests moving forwards and we look forward to him returning next season.”
Yeah quite a strange season if thats the points total to aim for I'm confident but I also feel it will be harder next season I should have stayed at Wolves might have won league way we were going :p. I will try keep it realistic as possible with my targets in mind a few will leave but we will be stronger I am sure but no need for drastic changes
Not the most competitive season in Premier League history. Winning the league with 77 points, that hasn't been possible since the 96/97-season, where Man United won it with 75 points. Only 5 points from the last 4 games must be a disappointment, but you could see Man City running away, and with the 5th place at a distance, perhaps there was a lack of motivation to end the season on a high. Having the league top scorer and the EPL Player of the Season must be something you can build on towards the upcoming season. Good luck with the summer business. It will be interesting to see how you approach this...
Subs: Kepa, Kiwior (On 76), Mosquera, Eze, Trossard (On 68), Martinelli, Norgaard, Jesus (On 68), Zubimendi (On 76)
Q: Patrick a huge win for your side today that ramps up the pressure on Josh McEwen. Would a return to Arsenal be of interest to yourself?
Patrick Vieira “I don’t think about this, Josh is the Arsenal manager I think he has done a good job in getting them into a strong position to qualify for the Champions League compared to the position they were in before he took over but I don’t think about Arsenal the project at Chelsea is my focus our season hasn’t been good enough and we want to finish the season strong and finish as high as possible to give us a chance at trying to sneak a European place which is on the table. Today was the best we have played for some time we controlled a lot of the game and I thought we deserved to win for the start we made.”
Q: Josh if you finish top four will that be enough do you think to keep you in your job?
Josh McEwen “I think so, the plan when I joined was on finishing top four to anybody that thought we would just win every game and win the league from the position and condition the team was in is unrealistic but the lads have fought hard to put us in a strong position we need one win to wrap it up and then we will see what the summer holds. We have three games left my focus is on winning them if the board make a decision after this to part ways then that is upto them but the conversations I’ve had are all positive so I don’t believe what is being written.”
Arsenal (4-3-3): Raya, Laimer, Gabriel, Saliba, Pienczak, Bouaddi (Off 61), Rice, Odegaard, Saka (Off 68), Jesus (Off 61), Eze
Subs: Kepa, Kiwior, Mosquera, Nwaneri (On 68), Trossard, Martinelli, Norgaard, Gyokeres (On 61), Zubimendi (On 61)
Ipswich Town (4-2-3-1): Palmer, O’Shea, Greaves, Baggott, Davis, Matusiwa, Nunez, Egeli, Clarke, Szmodics (Off 88), Abraham
Subs: Andrew, Aradj, Ogbene, Hirst (On 88), Young, McAteer, Al Hamadi, Philogene, Clarke
Q: Josh after the defeat last week and all the talk that has been in the papers about you how important was that win?
Josh McEwen “It was very important to win the game because this ensures that Champions League football will be at the Emirates next season. It wasn’t our best performance in the first half we know that but the team reacted well with Viktor (Gyokeres) and Ethan (Nwaneri) both coming off the bench to score the goals and overall I think we deserved the win. It has been a tough season but we will fight for the next two games to try and win finish the season strong and then the planning starts for next season and hopefully ending this clubs drought in terms of trophies particularly the Premier League title.”
Q: Brian you hit the post twice once at 0-0 and once at 1-0 how crucial could those unlucky moments be in your season?
Brian **bleep**an “Lets be honest they could be the difference between us playing Premier League football and Championship football next season. We deserved something from the game the performance was nearly perfect from my lads but we’ve come undone to two goals that were probably avoidable but the talent they have those fine margins will cost you and today we’ve left empty handed but on another day we could have left with one or even three points it just hurts because of how hard the lads tried.”
Q: Stanley a backs to the wall performance after your early goal. You went behind but how pleased are you with that late goal?
Stanley Herbert “Yeah delighted we showed real spirit to fight back and get the goal, we played a really tough opponent and I thought that the way we kept fighting obviously Verbruggen has made some top saves but thats what you have a top keeper for and in the end we’ve managed to get a point. We’ve got one game left with Nottingham Forest and our aim is to win that match and finish as high as possible.”
Q: Josh two points dropped at the end. You made a lot of changes to your team is that a decision you regret now?
Josh McEwen “No definitely not. We dominated a large period of the game and deserved to win. We should have done better for the second goal for sure and the first was a couple of experienced players making mistakes but we have a tough game next week at the Emirates if we lose Tottenham can win the title and we can’t allow that to happen at home so we will work hard this week to prepare and we will try and stop them winning their first Premier League title.”
Arsenal (4-3-3): Raya, Laimer, Gabriel, Saliba, Pienczak, Zubimendi, Rice, Odegaard, Saka, Gyokeres, Nwaneri
Q: Josh a draw to end what has been a disappointing campaign for Arsenal fans. With the season over how likely do you think it is that you will be in the dugout for Arsenal next season?
Josh McEwen “Of course it hasn’t been a great campaign for Arsenal we know this but I came in when the team was in a position where they might not even be in the champions League and we qualified with games to spare so I think I showed my quality. I think that I will be here I hope I will be here all the conversations with the players with the board they are all positive so I think it can be a good season for us next season with the right investment we will hopefully be fighting to win the league this time next season and we will hopefully be celebrating.”
Q: Mikel you have fallen short of the title by just four points how are you feeling right now?
Mikel Arteta “We are disappointed because we fought so hard all season to try to win the title and to miss out on the last game really hurts but I think this team showed their quality and we will be stronger next season I am sure of that. Today the first half we were caught a little off guard by how reserved they were we thought they would come at us more and try to win but they were happy with a draw to stop us having any chance. The second half we created some chances but David Raya made some good saves and we couldn’t get the goal but it wouldn’t have been enough anyway with City winning.”
After the Liverpool win we thought maybe we could go a bit further but we got arguably the third toughest draw and Alvarez really dominated us over the two games he seems really good on this years game.
