It is the record that no team wants to beat. In the 2007-08 season, Derby County, freshly promoted back to the EPL via the playoffs, endured the worst campaign in the history of the league. Over 38 miserable games, the Rams picked up just 11 points and set a record that few thought would ever be broken.
There is still almost half the current season to go, of course, but Wolverhampton Wanderers are well on their way to claiming the unwanted honor of being the worst team in EPL history. There would have been very few of the best sportsbook websites predicting Wolves to challenge for the title this season – but no one thought they would be this bad.
Will the Wolves Be Relegated?
The Christmas period brings a flurry of fixtures, so by the time we get into the first few weeks of January, Wolves might have already broken the 11-point barrier. But things are not looking good at the moment. It is almost guaranteed that Wolves will be relegated this season. But will they take the fewest points total record with them?
Derby almost lost the record last season, of course. Southampton came within six games of finishing the campaign with just 10 points. A 1-1 draw against West Ham in the middle of April ensured that 11 points would, at least, be reached. Then a goalless stalemate against Manchester City, of all teams, meant that Derby would keep the record. The Saints did have a worst record than Derby after 20 games, but just about managed to win enough points by the end of the campaign.
Wolves have been on a downward trajectory for the last few seasons, but nothing compares to this year. After gaining promotion back to the Premier League in 2018, Wolves actually finished 7th in their first season back, before finishing around mid-table over the next few seasons. Last year saw the club end up in 16th (level on points with Manchester United and one place above Europa League winners Spurs). This season was always going to be tough – but no one saw the current disaster coming.
Unsteady Leadership
The season began as it has continued – with a 4-0 loss at home to Manchester City. Vitor Pereira, who had only become the Wolves head coach in December of last year, had been forced to bolster his squad with a number of players with no EPL experience, after many of the club’s stars had been sold in the summer. There is always a period of adjustment, but it is alarming that the squad still doesn’t seem to have gelled as we reach the end of the year. Pereira would last only ten games, being fired after a 3-0 loss to Fulham, and with only two points won.
Former Wolves player, Rob Edwards, left a successful period at Middlesbrough to rejoin the club as the new head coach, but he is yet to inspire a fight back. Wolves lost his first six games in charge, scoring just two goals and conceding 13. The most recent result, at the time of writing, was a 2-1 defeat away at Arsenal, a scoreline that suggests that there could be brighter days ahead, but still didn’t bring any much-needed points to the club.
A Lack of Goals
As fans have directed their anger at the owners, imploring them to sell the club like they sold its top players, there is a real concern that Wolves will not be able to pick up the ten points they still need to avoid claiming the record. The defensive record is bad enough, but not amazingly different to a number of teams at the bottom of the league. It is scoring goals that seems to be the problem, however.
After a successful period on loan, Norway international, Jørgen Strand Larsen, was signed on a permanent deal in the summer from Celta Vigo. But he has scored just three goals in all competitions so far, with only one of those coming in the Premier League. The fact that he is still the club’s top goal scorer highlights the real problem Wolves have in front of goal.
Tough Fixtures to Come
It is difficult to see where Wolves will pick up points over the next few months. The fixtures over the Christmas period are particularly tough, with confidence already at an all-time low. That narrow defeat at the Emirates, when a 90th-minute goal seemed to have won a point against the league leaders, only for the Gunners to score a winner in the fourth minute of stoppage time, might suggest that things are starting to change at Molyneux. But it could also be seen as the type of bad luck Wolves are experiencing right now.
Will There Be a Sixth Head Coach in Four Years?
The current owners have stated that they expect Rob Edwards to remain at the club for at least the three years of his contract, but they cannot guarantee that he will be if the results do not improve. An FA Cup upset at the hands of Shrewsbury Town in the third round would probably not be a reason for Edwards’ dismissal, as most people connected to Wolves would probably be quite happy for the team to concentrate on the league. But if a win doesn’t come sometime soon, the club may well be onto its sixth head coach in four years.
Will Wolverhampton Set a New Record for Lowest Points?
As Wolves fans brace themselves for further months of misery, Derby supporters must be dreaming of a time when their club is not connected with the most unwanted of honors. If Wolves carry on at the same rate for the rest of the season, they will finish with just five points. That doom scenario might not play out, but it is looking increasingly likely that Wolverhampton Wanderers will soon hold the record for the lowest points total in EPL history.
