Wolves have been improving lately, and Dave Edwards has given one player his flowers.
Wanderers have taken two points from seven games in the Premier League so far, and there has been frustration at the end of the last couple of matches.
Because Wolves were in a position to win against both Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton.
Sadly though, Wolves just weren’t able to see the games out.
It has appeared that Wolves have invited pressure, perhaps needlessly, and fans have called on Pereira to stop switching to a back five.
This weekend, it’s Sunderland at the Stadium of Light for Wolves.
It will be another tough test, with the Black Cats flying high in ninth place after seven rounds of fixtures.
And one man who looks all but certain to start in the north east is Sam Johnstone, who has come in for heavy praise from Dave Edwards.
Dave Edwards lauds Sam Johnstone after revival at Wolves
Johnstone made his third consecutive start for Wolves against Brighton.
He has now displaced Jose Sa as the number one at Molineux, with the Englishman having been inspired between the sticks.
Johnstone arrived at Wolves last year from Crystal Palace and had a pretty dismal first season for Wolves all in all. After failing to impress shortly after arriving, he barely featured in the second half of the season, with Jose Sa the clear favourite for Pereira.
But now it’s a totally different story, with Johnstone one of Wolves’ top performers so far this season – and Edwards has dished out some deserved praise for the 32-year-old.
He said in his latest E&S column: “Sam Johnstone’s performances in goal have also been a big factor. He’s had to be patient since joining Wolves last year, having first come into the team when we were in a really bad spot. It wasn’t his fault but his first few months at the club were very turbulent and I feel he was a bit of a victim in all of that.
“But he has worked away. When he has been called upon he has done well in cup games. Since he has come into the starting XI this season he has been brilliant. He is calm, assured and not erratic whatsoever. He’s made some brilliant saves and takes no real risks in his distribution. He has been a calming presence, which has helped the team in this difficult moment.”
Edwards also believes Johnstone is looking ‘happier’ now at Wolves, and commended him for coming through a difficult period where he didn’t play much.
“He should be delighted with his form and he seems a lot happier, as well,” he added.
“You have to give him loads of credit for not throwing his toys out of the pram. He got his head down, worked hard and he is showing now why he has been an England goalkeeper.”
Goalkeeper shirt is Johnstone’s to lose
Johnstone has been a big surprise package at Wolves this season and does deserve a great deal of credit for turning things around.
He has gone from a player likely to leave, to now being an undisputed starter, and for that he deserves tremendous credit.
Johnstone recently admitted he took a goalkeeper coach on his summer holiday, and clearly that has helped him start the 2025/26 season in the right way.
The shirt is now his to lose.
But we’ve seen Jose Sa respond well to being dropped last season when Johnstone had a run in the team.
The Portuguese surely won’t be content sitting on the bench, so Johnstone will need to maintain this level to keep him out.