It’s been nearly two months since Vitor Pereira replaced Gary O’Neil in charge of Wolves, and it’s flown by.
Wolves still find themselves just two points above the relegation places but there have been marked improvements under Pereira.
The Portuguese boss has implemented a style that the players are buying into, with the 56-year-old getting the best out of stars who previously struggled, including Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Rodrigo Gomes.
The Old Gold have also witnessed an upturn in results on the pitch. Wolves have secured three clean sheets since Pereira took charge – collecting wins over Leicester City, Manchester United and Aston Villa.
Supporters are now more confident Wolves can survive in the Premier League under their new manager, and what he’s doing behind the scenes speaks volumes.
What Vitor Pereira is doing behind the scenes to transform Wolves
Pereira has made incremental changes to the side that struggled under Gary O’Neil while he’s also improved the culture within the dressing room.
According to The Telegraph, the former Al Shabab boss insisted that all players must eat together at meal times in the canteen, something Nuno Espirito Santo encouraged during his successful stint at Molineux.
The experienced manager has also introduced overnight stays in a hotel before home matches as a tool to strengthen team spirit.
These small changes have certainly made a huge difference to the teams morale. The squad looked fractured towards the end of O’Neil’s tenure and now they’re a tight-knit bunch, as seen by the passion and determination shown in Wolves’ 2-0 win over Aston Villa.
How Vitor Pereira’s stats compare to Gary O’Neil’s in 2024/25
Some may have felt sacking O’Neil and replacing him with someone who has never managed in the Premier League was a huge risk.
However, Pereira has instantly been made to look at home at England’s top table, becoming a manager that almost every supporter can rally behind.
He’s had the desired impact on a squad that was faltering and with the deadline day signings of Nasser Djiga and Marshall Munetsi, there is renewed belief in avoiding the drop.
| Premier League statistics | Gary O’Neil (2024/25) | Vitor Pereira (2024/25) |
| Matches | 16 | 8 |
| Wins | 2 | 3 |
| Draws | 3 | 1 |
| Losses | 11 | 4 |
| Goals scored | 26 | 10 |
| Goals conceded | 40 | 12 |
| Clean sheets | 1 | 3 |
As highlighted by the above table, Pereira has collected more wins in eight games (three) than O’Neil managed in his first 16 this term (two).
Hopefully, Wolves can keep up their current 37.5% win percentage, as that should be enough to survive the drop.