From early in the season, it was clear Vitor Pereira wasn’t happy with Andre’s output.
With how crucial Wolves’ midfield duo of Joao Gomes and Andre has been for Vitor Pereira, their shaky start in midfield was a source of concern.
Pereira called out Andre for a lack of effort and urgency in training, deciding to drop him against Bournemouth and give him a reality check.
Since then, Andre has picked up his performances, and the Wolves boss has noticed.
Vitor Pereira changes his stance on Andre
It was right for Pereira to call out the Brazilian, who didn’t look at the races in the first few games.
The turning point was a dominant performance against Spurs, which much more closely resembled Andre at his best.
Now, Pereira is confident his midfielder has corrected course and has high hopes for him for the rest of the season.
As E&S reports, Pereira claimed: “Before we spoke a lot about Andre, and he didn’t start the league at his best level.
“He needed some time to be at his level, now he’s playing at his level, and if he plays like this he can go to the national team and the same for Joao.”
A relief for Wolves fans, who recognise that Andre is irreplaceable. You could make the argument that he’s the most irreplaceable player for what he brings to the side.
If Wolves are to launch a post-international break surge up the table, it will only be with Andre at the base of the midfield.
Expect big things from Andre and Joao Gomes
We know how good those two can be on their day, but it will have to be most days if they are to book a ticket to next summer’s World Cup.
Andre and Gomes were unused substitutes with Brazil. Disappointing, considering Carlo Ancelotti’s comments about wanting to see them in action.
Brazil has no shortage of quality midfielders, and breaking into the Italian’s 26-man squad will be no easy feat. Both of the Wolves stars will have to be at their best.
Pereira was delighted to see them in contention, saying: “I’m very happy for them. This happens because they deserved it. They are doing good work.”
Not just because of what it means for them personally, but what it means for Wolves. These are two of Wolves’ best players, who will be playing with an added motivation of ensuring they make the trip to the US next year.