Wolves manager Vitor Pereira has to be dragged away from spat with his OWN FANS after they chanted 'you're getting sacked in the morning'

Vitor Pereira was involved in a heated exchange with supporters as he waits to learn whether the home defeat by Burnley will be his last match as Wolves boss.

Lyle Foster’s stoppage-time strike leaves winless Wolves marooned to the foot of the table, with two points from their first nine games. They have now been defeated by all three newly-promoted clubs.

But the match will be remembered for the scenes at the final whistle, when Pereira and some of his players approached the fans in Molineux’s South Bank. Footage emerged of Pereira looking angry and appearing to shout something in their direction.

‘What I said to the fans was that we worked a lot and we need to fight together,’ said Pereira. ‘I understand the frustration but what I must say to them is that if we fight united with them we can win games and compete. If I were a fan at the end of this game I’d feel proud of my team.

‘Two months ago they were singing my name thanks to the work we did last season (when Pereira kept Wolves up comfortably after arriving in mid-season). Now they sing my name maybe to sack me but this is football.’

Wolves handed Pereira a three-year deal only in September yet now his future is in jeopardy, as Daily Mail Sport understands the compensation clause in the new contract is similar to the one in his original deal.

So while it might not cost Wolves much more to sack him, they would lose a great deal of credibility. Pereira was brought in last December to replace Gary O’Neil – even though O’Neil had also been given a four-year contract before the start of that campaign. Though some supporters have turned on Pereira, they are angrier still with owners Fosun and executive chairman Jeff Shi.

Really, though, it no longer really matters whether Wolves sack Pereira or stick with him. Nor does it matter that they were desperately unlucky not to claim at least a point from this match, as Burnley struck in stoppage time after being pinned back for most of the second half.

Until the Wolves ownership show their supporters that they are prepared to change, they will not regain their backing or trust. ‘We want Fosun out’ bellowed the South Bank, and while the Chinese conglomerate cannot simply click their fingers and sell the club, they should probably think carefully about whether to keep executive chairman Jeff Shi in place.

Shi has been in charge for some of the greatest days in Wolves’ modern history but those are long gone. Now he oversees a regime that gave Pereira a new deal in September and signed off a transfer policy that would make even the worst Football Manager player blush.

It might not stop Wolves hurtling into the Championship but if nothing else, the removal of Shi would at least buy back a little goodwill from those in Old Gold.

Not even a minute was on the clock when fans were targeting him with their chants and throughout the match, they made their feelings known about Fosun – as they have for much of this season and before.

Burnley rode their luck here. After Zian Flemming’s double put them two clear, late first-half goals from Strand Larsen (from the penalty spot) and Marshall Munetsi brought Wolves level.

After the break, Jhon Arias hit the bar with a free-kick and Burnley goalkeeper Martin Dubravka made excellent saves from Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Santi Bueno. Seconds before Bueno’s effort, substitute Lyle Foster had rolled in Burnley’s winner.

Unlike Wolves, Burnley look like a club with a plan. It might not be enough to keep them up as they will not always be as fortunate as they were here. Signing players like Kyle Walker is a pretty good start, though. Having a man like that in the changing room shows the squad the standards required to compete at this level. Who plays that role for Wolves?

Recruitment at Molineux has been baffling. When key men Matheus Cunha, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Nelson Semedo departed, they lost a huge amount of Premier League experience and quality, and replacing them with players who had never worked in England felt an unnecessary risk.

Wolves were effectively asking players to learn on the job in a weakened team and it is no wonder they have struggled. Daily Mail Sport understands Wolves were offered the chance to sign David Brooks from Bournemouth, while other solid Premier League options like Harry Wilson and Kyle Walker-Peters were also available. Transfer policy cannot be dictated only by re-sale value, because few things damage a player’s worth more than relegation.

There was nobody on the pitch who understands the Premier League like Kyle Walker. For many seasons Walker was regarded as one of the best right-backs in the world until he started to struggle for Manchester City and then had a fruitless loan spell at AC Milan.

Despite winning 17 trophies including the Champions League, Walker still decided to embrace a likely relegation battle with Burnley and he played well here. The highlight was a fabulous dash across from right-back to stop Marshall Munetsi setting up Rodrigo Gomes for a clear shot at goal, proving that at 35, Walker has lost none of the hunger that kept him among the elite for so long.

No wonder Walker roared with delight and pumped his fists after making that intervention.

At this stage, the only thing that could make Wolves supporters celebrate like that would be if Shi were to call it a day.

Click here to read article