VITOR PEREIRA’S PRESS CONFERENCE: SOUTHAMPTON V WOLVES

Good afternoon, Vitor. Good to see you. Let’s start with some team news. How’s Marshall Munetsi? We saw him go off last weekend.

He’s okay for the game. He’s training, which means he’s ready to help.

That’s good news, especially after he scored his first goal last weekend. How much of a boost is that?

Of course, I think he deserves it because he works hard.

He has tried a lot before, but he’s a player who can score goals and get into the box because he has that quality. We need goals to win.

Any other injury concerns?

No, we are good.

I wonder how big of a boost that is at this point in the season, apart from Mateus, who is suspended.

Having a fully fit squad to choose from is very important as it gives us more options. We can do more from the bench, and this is vital for us.

Looking ahead to Southampton, how significant does this game feel given where the teams are in the table, and where your rivals will be playing this weekend?

Firstly, we must realise that they are fighting for the same goal as us: to be in the Premier League next season. They played very well in the first half against Liverpool, showing they have a good team and good players. If they are consistent, they will be a strong team.

I think the Premier League is about consistency. We cannot forget to play the first five minutes against Fulham. In the first minutes of the second half, they can punish you with goals. A team must be consistent from the first minute until the end. We cannot have a good match today and a bad match tomorrow. We must raise our level, focusing on our game model and improving continuously.

We need to work on not conceding goals, improving set pieces, creating more dynamics to score, and making movements in space to finish plays. These are areas we need to improve every day.

You’ve mentioned areas to improve. You’ve also said several times that having just five minutes in a game where the team isn’t focused can lead to problems. How do you improve concentration and consistency in those moments? Can you work on that on the training ground, or is it about game management and players taking responsibility?

Yes, this is something we can work on. We can develop the mentality, ambition, and focus to be present in every moment of the game.

Anticipation is key. We must always be aware of the next move; this is football. I think I’ve said before, when we have the ball, we need to anticipate when we will lose it. This means our balance must be good, close to the opposition, so we can react. When we are defending, we also need to anticipate the next move.

The next move involves how to transition quickly if we have time and space to do so. Alternatively, we must keep the ball, avoid pressure, and organise our play in possession. This is football.

Individually, it’s the same. We must anticipate the next step of the opposing player. It’s very interesting, and we’ve talked a lot about the team.

As we approach the international break, which is a step away from the league for a few weeks, have you learned anything about yourself during your time in the Premier League, or anything about your coaching?

Every day, I surprise myself with good and bad things.

Can you give me an example of each?

The Premier League is a fantastic experience. I’m feeling happy inside, as if I have reached a position I’ve worked for all my life. This is the happiness I feel right now. Of course, I would prefer to be in a better position on the table, but I enjoy creating something strong step by step.

When we arrived, our first target was to be more consistent defensively, both in our games and in our tactical organisation and set pieces. The next step is to provide different tools to the team to create chances to score.

The third step is understanding when we need to speed things up and when we need to keep possession and control the game, not just in defence but also with the ball. This is a gradual process.

If results help build belief in the ideas we are implementing, confidence will grow, and the players will believe in each other. We can connect tactically, mentally, and emotionally, but this takes time. It won’t happen overnight.

I can see what I want to achieve tactically. I want Wolves to not only defend but also dominate games with the ball.

As we approach the international break, many of your players will be away.  I hope they all return injury-free, and it’s good for Mateus to be called up for Brazil, as he needs to gain match sharpness and it’s his first recall in a while.

I agree. I hope the players come back without injuries, and for Mateus, it’s good because he has the training to keep fit and he needs to be sharp.

You said the first step was to make Wolves solid defensively as a unit. Matt Doherty has been a consistent presence in defence, playing as one of the centre-halves. He might go unnoticed at times due to his two spells here, but how important has he been in achieving that first step?

In the future, I want my defenders to create surprises in attack. I don’t want defenders just to defend; I want them to have the confidence and ability to move into attacking positions and appear in the final third to cross.

We need to build this gradually. Doherty is currently playing as a right-back, but I want him to move like a full-back. I also ask Toti to do the same on the left side. Sometimes I want him to pass and move to create surprises and advantages in attack.

Of course, these defenders must also be able to handle one-on-one situations defensively. This is crucial for us. I believe Doherty is doing very well.

Both Toti and Doherty have played further upfield in their careers, so they can both do what you’re asking. Is it just about building their confidence?

Yes, in the future, they will do that more often in the game. This is what they need to do. I cannot expect a defender to stay back if we are playing with three defenders. In this system, sometimes we have three on the line and at other times four, depending on where the ball is.

When the ball is on the sides, one defender will jump and the others will form a line of four. If the ball goes to the other side, we might have to play three against three in the midfield. But if Rayan comes forward, we become more offensive.

When we reach the final third, I want five players close to the box. We can’t say that the system will push, for example, Nelson to be a winger at times and a defender at others. The same goes for Rayan. Sometimes he’s a winger; sometimes he’s a defender. I want Toti and Doc to understand that sometimes they will be centre-backs and at other times full-backs.

I will give Agbadou some freedom to move, but the team must remain balanced. We must ensure that midfielders are intelligent enough to close spaces when others go forward. This is a dynamic we are trying to create.

We start with the system, but then we introduce new moments and dynamics. Every player must understand when to take risks and when not to. Taking risks is crucial in football.

It’s important to take risks because if you don’t, you won’t achieve anything. If you don’t go fishing, you can’t catch fish. So, it’s essential to take risks. But imagine this: if I’m a defender and I make a pass and move forward, I need to know that my teammates are aware of what I’m doing and can manage the space I leave open. This is teamwork.

This is what we are building, the next step for the team.

You’re doing this in the middle of the season in what many consider to be the best or hardest league in the world. Southampton and the newly promoted teams are struggling. What do you make of the level and how it affects your plans?

As I said before, if we get results, it’s easier to make bigger steps. But I believe results will come. If you play good, consistent football, you might lose a game, but you won’t lose your identity or your playing style. You can lose because the other team is better, and I understand that. Sometimes we compete against top players and teams.

However, we cannot lose a game without playing our game. We must stick to the hard work we put in every day. We cannot compromise our style.

When you’re encouraging players to take those risks, you came into a team that was really struggling. Were you trying to convince them to take those risks? Human nature, when struggling, is to play it safe. Did you have to overcome that?

Yes, but I don’t believe in football without risks. It’s impossible. In football, you must have the confidence to take risks, but with the right criteria at the right time and in the right place.

I don’t want my defender trying to dribble a striker in our box. I’m not talking about that kind of risk. I’m referring to controlled risks that the team can manage.

For example, if I ask Nelson to go wide to cross, I want Rayan to be in the box to score. If Rayan isn’t in position, it means he isn’t doing what I’ve asked. He must be there to score.

If the forwards don’t make their runs, we can waste time creating scoring chances. When we finally create a chance, they must be there to finish. If my five players aren’t in the right positions, we can’t take those risks, and I want them to be compact enough to prevent the opposition from counter-attacking.

If my defenders are too deep, we lose that attacking edge. They must understand their role in pushing forward to help control the game. My goalkeeper also needs to be in the right position to manage space behind the line.

So, the most important quality you need from your players is decision-making? They have to make the right decisions at the right time.

Yes, that’s why intelligence is vital, but not in the academic sense. It’s a different kind of intelligence. Thank you.

Okay, great. Time’s up. Thanks, everyone.