This is not the sort of form that travels well to Bramall Lane. Wolves go into Sheffield United vs Wolves on Sunday afternoon with only one point from their last two outings, six goals conceded and a manager who has been honest enough to admit that the recent drop-off has to be sorted out quickly.
That matters because August already looked like a very different story. Wolves were unbeaten then and Cesar Peixoto was nominated for the Championship Manager of the Month award. Now the mood is less flattering. The unbeaten start has been replaced by a run that exposed problems in game management, defending edge-of-the-box strikes and, at times, the basic ability to cope when an opponent starts to push them backwards.
Peixoto has seen the warning signs
Peixoto did not dress it up. After the Birmingham City game, he said he did not like the second half. Wolves managed the first period well enough, created chances and scored one goal, and Rodrigo also had a one-on-one opportunity with the goalkeeper. But once they conceded the second goal, the team became unstable, and that is the real issue: the structure went with the scoreboard.
He was also blunt about what Birmingham did well. They were difficult to deal with because they used free-kicks from deep, went long, carried physical power and made life awkward in duels. Peixoto’s conclusion was simple enough: Wolves have to learn how to manage games like that differently. When the opposition plays long, he said, the block has to close quicker, the team has to be ready for first and second balls, and there must be more strength in the duels. In some moments, they allowed Birmingham to push them backwards too easily.
That is not just a technical note. It is a warning. A side that wants to move forward cannot keep repeating the same defensive fragility and expect results to fix themselves.
Injuries may help, but they will not solve everything
There is at least some squad news to soften the picture. Kieran Trippier has started training, but Peixoto made it clear he is not ready to start. The hope is simply that he can travel and maybe take some minutes. Bertrand Traore also needs time, because he has been working alone and that is not the same as being fully integrated into team training.
JJ Bellegarde is into his second week with Wolves and getting better, and Peixoto said he can be an option for a few minutes if needed. Yerson Mosquera and Rafiki Said are still out, although both are progressing. Said is closer and could begin doing some things with the group next week, while Yerson is further behind and still not training with the team.
Peixoto’s frustration was obvious in one respect: he wants them back, but he cannot force it. The medical department will not allow it, and he knows why. If everybody is together, Wolves are stronger. They have more options and more quality. But the point of this week is that the available players still have to do the job properly.
Now comes the test of response
That is why Sunday afternoon feels significant. Sheffield United vs Wolves is not just another fixture; it is a chance to prove that the recent wobble was a warning rather than a trend. Peixoto has shown the players the images, worked on the issues during the week and identified three things that need to improve. He is convinced Wolves will be stronger in the next game.
He has every reason to demand that. This is the moment for Wolves to show that the gap between an unbeaten August and a difficult September is not as wide as it suddenly looks. If they manage the game better, compete harder and stop giving opponents easy routes backwards, then the trip to Bramall Lane can become a reset. If not, the problems from the last two outings will only look louder.
