Vitor Pereira fixed one bad Wolves habit, only for another to emerge

An error that was a theme of Wolves’ first few games has been corrected, but a fresh problem has arisen in its place.

Wolves earning just two points from the last six available feels like an unfair reflection of the much-improved performances Vitor Pereira has extracted from his side.

But football isn’t fair sometimes, and as we enter the international break, Wolves are still drowning at the bottom of the table.

While the results haven’t been great, Pereira seems to have corrected a major issue from earlier in the season. Only problem is, it’s been quickly replaced by another bad habit.

Wolves’ first-half record was woeful to start the season

In the first five games, the running theme for Wolves was conceding early.

Of the 12 goals conceded across their first five league outings, nine came in the opening 45 minutes. Wolves looked disorganised and vulnerable early on, and opposition teams would take advantage.

Sometimes, it was almost instant. Bournemouth scored the only goal in their 1-0 win over Wolves in the fourth minute, while Beto gave Everton the lead after seven minutes in their meeting that ended in a 3-2 win for the Toffees.

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Pereira’s side only managed two first-half goals in that five-game span, and it was clear that was an area that needed improving.

Late goals are now the issue for Pereira

How frustrating it must be for Pereira to see that issue fixed in recent games, only for Wolves to concede late equalisers and drop points.

That’s the trend over the last two anyway, where Spurs and Brighton found a way to come back in the dying embers.

Where before, he needed his team to lock in early on, now it seems the message will be to maintain full focus until the final whistle.

If Wolves can find that sweet spot, getting into the game from the start, and staying resolute until the end, that would be a winning combination in the crucial upcoming fixtures.

It’s not a large sample size, but these trends are noticeable to a fan, and certainly to Pereira himself. Something to drill into his players over the break.