Wolves went a man down against Brighton when a moment of frustration from Vitor Pereira saw him sent to the stands.
After just 20 minutes of play, Vitor Pereira was shown red by referee Jarred Gillett after he kicked a ball in frustration.
Assistant coach Luis Miguel voiced Pereira’s regret over the incident, which occurred when the game was at 0-0. Wolves would score just a minute later, but they would play out the rest of the tie without their manager on the sideline.
Fans weren’t angry with Pereira for his mistake, but there is an argument to be made that it cost Wolves later in the game.
Wayne Rooney has chimed in with his theory on why the Wolves boss lashed out.
Wayne Rooney thinks Vitor Pereira is feeling the pressure
While the referee’s decision to dismiss Pereira was harsh, it was justified. Managers don’t get the same leeway in expressing frustration as those on the pitch.
While the reason given was annoyance with something his team were doing, Rooney thinks there’s more to it. In the latest edition of BBC’s The Wayne Rooney Show, the Manchester United legend gives his opinion on the dismissal.
He says: “You know, we’ve seen a few managers sent off this week, haven’t we? And you know it’s tough, there’s a lot of pressure and as we were talking about before, they don’t know whether they’ll have the time.
“I know Pereira has just signed a new deal, but you know, things change quickly for the
manager and yeah, it’s a lot of frustration.”
The performances from Wolves have been noticeably better in recent weeks, and the club have put their faith in the manager with a new deal, but Rooney thinks there’s still reason for Pereira to be concerned, and that’s why he lashed out.
Pereira has justified Wolves’ trust
If you look at the league standings in isolation, you would be forgiven for thinking Pereira’s job is under threat. But since he signed a new contract with the club, it’s hard to fault his decisions.
Wolves came within seconds of an away win against Spurs, and they looked really good against Brighton at the weekend. The results haven’t fully reflected the strides they have taken in recent weeks.
New signings are beginning to settle, and the team looks far more cohesive than in the opening weeks of the season.
Time is what’s needed now. Pereira has shown what he can achieve when his side is gelling, and it looks like Wolves are getting back to that place.
Patience, patience, patience.