It’s a new era for Wolverhampton Wanderers, with Vitor Pereira now officially the new man at the helm.
Wolves are back under Portuguese management after Gary O’Neil was sacked by the club on Sunday.
Things started out promisingly under O’Neil. But it all fell apart this season for a number of reasons and in the end, the decision to sack him was long overdue.
Wolves had real trouble naming a successor, with the likes of Graham Potter and David Moyes declining the chance to come to Molineux.
But Pereira is up for the challenge – and what a challenge it is.
Wolves have a lot of issues at the moment, and here are three things Pereira has to address urgently.
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Shore up the defence
It is the biggest issue Wolves have had this season.
Wolves have conceded 40 goals in just 16 Premier League games so far and the defending has been absolutely atrocious at times. Especially on set-pieces.
The manner in which Wolves have given some goals away this season has been extremely alarming, and Pereira has simply got to shore that backline up if he is to have any chance of keeping this club in the Premier League.
The expectation is that Wolves will try to land two defensive recruits for Pereira in January, and hopefully whoever comes in will be able to make an instant impact.
Instil discipline and manage emotions
We have seen in recent weeks that the pressure has really been getting to some players.
Jose Sa jumping into the South Bank to confront a fan, Mario Lemina losing his head after the defeat to West Ham United, and Rayan Ait-Nouri and Matheus Cunha both kicking off after the loss to Ipswich – it’s been embarrassing at times.
The pressure must be so intense, but players can’t be behaving in the way they have.
Pereira should make it his mission to ensure that these players remain focused and maintain high standards.
There are going to be more bumps in the road, and handling them well is going to be paramount.
Get the fans onside
Pereira is coming to a club where the fanbase is extremely despondent.
Wolves fans are tired of being let down, by the owners, the manager and the players.
Fans pay a lot of money to watch their team and deserve so much better than what they’ve been getting in recent times.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 15 |  Crystal PalaceCrystal Palace | 16 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 17 | 21 | -4 | 16 |
| 16 |  EvertonEverton | 15 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 14 | 21 | -7 | 15 |
| 17 |  LeicesterLeicester | 16 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 21 | 34 | -13 | 14 |
| 18 |  IpswichIpswich | 16 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 16 | 28 | -12 | 12 |
| 19 |  WolvesWolves | 16 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 24 | 40 | -16 | 9 |
| 20 |  SouthamptonSouthampton | 16 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 11 | 36 | -25 | 5 |
Pereira must get the fans on board from the off. It’ll be important for him to strike the right tone and communicate the right messages to supporters.
Of course, the best way to get them onside will be to get results and points on the board.
If he needs to rock the boat and make some bold decisions to make that happen, then so be it.