The wait goes on and on for Vítor Pereira and Wolves. Not since 26 April – 14 games and 189 days to be precise – have the Portuguese manager and his team tasted victory in the Premier League. That never looked like changing on yet another afternoon this season when nothing seemed to go their way.
From the moment Ryan Sessegnon put Fulham ahead in the ninth minute, there was little prospect of them not going on to end their run of four straight defeats – and even less when Emmanuel Agbadou was sent off at the end of the first half.
Harry Wilson and a disastrous own goal from the substitute Yerson Mosquera made sure of the points after the break to leave Wolves eight points from the last safe spot. After another insipid performance, patience must be wearing thin despite the board’s previous willingness to back the manager who steered them to safety so impressively last season.
“You’re getting sacked in the morning,” came the chants from the travelling supporters way before the cacophony of boos at the final whistle as the rain poured down.
“Frustrating. Embarrassing,” was the brutal assessment of the goalkeeper Sam Johnstone. “It’s not good enough and we need to do better. They might not want to hear it, but we apologise to the fans.”
Having argued with supporters after the late defeat by Burnley last Sunday, Pereira insisted before this game that he had the tools at his disposal to save Wolves from their predicament. But while they had complaints over Agbadou’s dismissal, on this evidence they do not possess the quality in attack to hurt teams and have a defence that is leaking goals.
“Tactically, technically, physically, we weren’t good enough,” said Pereira. “I didn’t see the energy from my players that we really needed and I don’t know why. We must talk together and understand what we were missing. I cannot control the confidence the club has in our work, but me and my staff are trying everything.”
Given their recent poor form that culminated in last Saturday’s loss to Newcastle, Fulham could not have asked for better opponents. There had been a backlash against their decision to use the midfielder Sander Berge to try to persuade supporters to snap up remaining tickets for this game, with many pointing out online that seats for adults in the newly developed Riverside Stand cost more than £100. Plenty were still on show when the teams emerged for kick-off, but the home side appeared determined to put their poor run behind them.
Only West Ham have conceded more goals than Wolves in the first nine matches and it did not take long for Fulham to go ahead here. Santiago Bueno’s attempted interception from Calvin Bassey’s pass diverted straight into the path of Raúl Jiménez and Sessegnon was sent clear to score.
“In the first half we looked a bit anxious,” Marco Silva said. “The goal gave the calmness we needed and from that we built our win.”
There is a nervousness about this Wolves team that suggests not everyone is fully aware of their responsibilities – perhaps a legacy of Pereira having used 23 players in this campaign. Fulham have not found their rhythm from the first half of last season just yet, although they did not need to against such weak opposition.
Any chance Wolves had of salvaging something was even further reduced when Agbadou was shown a straight red card for halting Josh King’s progress into the penalty area, even if replays seemed to suggest the Fulham midfielder may have used an arm to control the initial pass. Yet had Jørgen Strand Larsen been able to connect with Ki-Jana Hoever’s cross just before the break then Wolves would have headed in on level terms.
Kenny Tete forced Johnstone into a full-stretch save with a curling effort from distance as Fulham went for the kill. Once again, Jiménez was heavily involved against his former club as the Mexican made space for Berge to shoot before Wilson unerringly curled home the rebound.
Johnstone kept out another stinging effort from Wilson but Fulham did not have to wait long for a third as Sessegnon’s cross deflected in off first Johnstone, then Ladislav Krejci and finally the unfortunate Mosquera for an own goal that summed up the dire situation Wolves find themselves in.
