Wolves can take huge confidence from their performance at Anfield on Sunday despite losing 2-1 against Liverpool.
Wolves went into the game as huge underdogs unsurprisingly and when goals from Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah saw the hosts race into a two-goal lead, supporters would have feared the worst.
However, a crucial half-time team talk from Vitor Pereira inspired a brilliant second-half display from the visitors, who restricted Liverpool to zero shots in the second half.
Pereira’s men undoubtedly deserved at least a point from the game and a wonderful Matheus Cunha strike supplied hope of achieving that, but it wasn’t to be.
Stephen Warnock’s verdict on Vitor Pereira’s half-time substitutions
Pereira made the bold call of substituting forwards Goncalo Guedes and Pablo Sarabia for midfielders Marshall Munetsi and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde at half-time.
Wolves fans were disappointed with Sarabia, claiming he should never play for the club again, while Guedes was completely ineffective.
Ultimately, Bellegarde changed the game for Wolves, assisting Cunha with his strike, and so did Munetsi, who was excellent on his Premier League debut.
It was a stroke of tactical genius from Pereira, and it very nearly paid off in the second half, but former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock initially questioned the decision.
Speaking on the Monday Night Club podcast, Warnock said: “Wolves made changes in the second half where they took attacking players off and put almost midfielders on. And you’re thinking, this is a bit of a strange move for them, Vitor Pereira.
“But it worked and they flew out the traps. And once they got that goal, Liverpool were very, very edgy. There was a real feeling around the crowd that there was tension within the stadium and they were nervous, wondering what potentially could happen.”
Jean-Ricner Bellegarde has left Gary O’Neil red-faced
Gary O’Neil was sacked by Wolves in December and there’s since been a huge turnaround under Pereira, with many stars now flourishing.
One of those is Bellegarde, who was surprisingly left out of the lineup after his heroics in the 2-0 win over Aston Villa.
The Frenchman rarely started under O’Neil, tasting most of his action from the bench, and there’s now been a clear improvement to his performances.
The 26-year-old was very impressive in the second half against Liverpool and deserves to start next weekend, as demonstrated by the statistics.
| Jean-Ricner Bellegarde vs Liverpool |
| 45 minutes played |
| 33 touches |
| 83% pass completed |
| 3 key passes |
| 1 assist |
| 1 big chance created |
| 3 duels won |
| 2 fouls drawn |
Bellegarde is exceptionally versatile, showcasing his capabilities as a central midfielder and winger, with the former Strasbourg star now playing his best football in a Wolves shirt.