HOW THE TABLE STANDS SINCE PEREIRA WAS APPOINTED

Wolverhampton Wanderers’ decision to replace Gary O’Neil with Vitor Pereira has paid off impressively.

Pereira took over a struggling team with just 9 points in 16 games, but his first 16 games have showcased a serious transformation. Wolves would now sit eighth in the Premier League during this timeframe, just two points behind Manchester City and three behind Nottingham Forest—a remarkable turnaround.

Only the managers of the current top seven have a better points-per-game record than Pereira in the Premier League this campaign.

Wolves, 19th and five points from safety upon his appointment, are currently 16th and 14 points clear of the bottom three five months later. Wolves current winning run of four games is a longer sequence than Arsenal have put together this season, and as good as Liverpool’s best.

Key Changes Under Pereira

• Tactical Shift to a Back Three: Implementing a back-three system has solidified Wolves’ defence, with Emmanuel Agbadou excelling at the centre after his January signing.
• Wing-Back Optimisation: Matt Doherty moved to the right of the back three and has been a stalwart in this role.
• Midfield Core: Pereira built the team around  Brazilian midfielders Andre, and Joao Gomes creating a strong central spine.

Even major setbacks, such as Matheus Cunha missing four games, haven’t derailed the team. Wolves’ depth and cohesion under Pereira ensured unbeaten results during his absence. Cunha’s return was impactful when he scored his 14th Premier League goal of the season against Tottenham.

Media assessment

Despite Wolves’ dramatic improvement under Vitor Pereira, the national media’s recognition of their turnaround has been lukewarm at best.

A column in The Times by chief correspondent Martin Samuel encapsulated this underwhelming acknowledgment, stating,

“Leicester City were not in the relegation places until Ruud van Nistelrooy arrived, so his appointment has been disastrous; against that, the small improvement under Vítor Pereira has saved Wolverhampton Wanderers.”

While Leicester’s struggles have been widely condemned, Samuel’s dismissive phrasing of Wolves’ progress as merely a “small improvement” exemplifies a broader trend in underestimating Pereira’s achievements. Outside of the Wolves fanbase, their remarkable ascent from despair under Gary O’Neil to genuine mid-table contenders seems to be flying under the radar, a testament to how media narratives often overlook quieter success stories.

Wolves’ impressive victory over Spurs earned the last spot on Match of the Day, but to the frustration of many Wolves fans, the focus was almost entirely on Spurs’ errors rather than Wolves’ achievements. This lack of recognition has left supporters with a strong sense of déjà vu, as their team’s progress under Vitor Pereira continues to be overshadowed by narratives centred around bigger clubs’ failings, rather than celebrating Wolves’ hard-fought successes.