Vitor Pereira’s brutal response on why he changed the players at Wolves

This weekend will tell us more about the improvements and alterations we have seen from Wolves in recent games.

Vitor Pereira has been frantically trying out new approaches to games after a winless start to the season left Wolves in the danger zone.

The draw against Spurs and the win against Everton have hinted that things might be turning around at Molineux.

Those results came after the Wolves boss made a cut-throat call, dropping some of the biggest names in the team.

Vitor Pereira explains his decision

The line-up Pereira fielded against Everton didn’t raise too many questions. Most teams rotate heavily for the Carabao Cup, so it came as no surprise to see such a change to the team.

But when the line-ups came out for last week’s Premier League trip to Spurs, it was significant.

Toti Gomes, Emmanuel Agbadou and Jose Sa, mainstays in the side for much of the season, were all left out. Clearly, Pereira liked what he saw in the cup and wanted to take a similar approach. And it paid off.

• READ MORE: Wolves’ January priority is clear after Vitor Pereira’s tactical shift, £13m star needs replacing

In response to a question about dropping those high-profile names, Pereira was blunt.

As is reported on the Wolves website, he said: “They’ve been working hard so they can deserve the position. This is what I want. This is the answer that I want.

“I changed the players because we were not winning games. That’s why I changed the system, that’s why I’m looking for solutions, because what we did in the past isn’t enough.”

After such a slow start, the Wolves boss recognises the need for change in order to rectify their position in the table. It sends a message that no one is guaranteed to play.

Pereira sends a message to his players

As well as explaining the recent personnel decisions, Pereira made remarks that his players should take note of. He wants them to realise their place in the team is dependent on performance.

He continues: “Football is not about gifts. I don’t give gifts. I cannot offer you [a place in the team] because you are a name in football.

“I cannot give you the shirt, you must desire it and you must deserve the shirt with your work – it’s not about words. I’m trying to be fair, every time.”

• READ MORE: Predicted Wolves XI to face Brighton as Vitor Pereira goes all out for his first win

Things were looking bleak at Molineux in the opening weeks, but having a manager who is unafraid of making bold decisions and who is willing to adapt will give fans confidence that things can get better.

Brighton is no easy team to face and Wolves will have to be at the top of their game. Hopefully, Pereira’s words have gone some way to motivate them to be at their best.