It’s a crucial period at Wolves over the coming weeks as Vitor Pereira attempts to turn his side’s fortunes around.
After losing to Sunderland, an air of discontent is hovering over Molineux, and pressure is building on Vitor Pereira.
Burnley is the next challenge, and it’s one that could determine the course of Wolves’ season.
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Before the international break, Pereira was unafraid to make significant tactical and personnel changes to raise performance levels, and admittedly, they worked. The defence has been shored up significantly, but there are still glaring issues in attack.
It could be time for yet another system shake-up.
Vitor Pereira needs to play Fer Lopez
By any creative metric, Fer Lopez is doing more for Wolves than any other attacker, but he can’t get a consistent run of minutes. He leads Wolves in chances created per 90 (2.3), shots per 90 (3.1), and expected assists per 90 (0.4).
The adjustment to the Premier League was always going to be tricky, especially for a player with such little professional experience. That being said, Lopez has looked excellent in short bursts, and it’s clear he works best in more central positions.
- READ MORE: Dave Edwards shares one tweak Vitor Pereira can make to truly unlock Fer Lopez for Wolves
The midfield three of Andre, Joao Gomes and Marshall Munetsi — though good on paper — hasn’t looked convincing in possession. They were pretty much trapped against Sunderland, unable to play through the press.
A double-pivot of the two Brazilians in deeper positions could unleash Lopez as a sole 10 in a 4-2-3-1, operating behind Jorgen Strand Larsen and potentially unlocking the Norwegian’s so-far-absent form.
This does put more of a defensive burden on the midfield duo, but that can be balanced by selecting two wide attackers consistently.
Wolves need a consistent front four
Lopez gets the freedom to inject creativity into the attack, with Strand Larsen leading the line. Pereira started Jhon Arias and Rodrigo Gomes out wide against Sunderland, and that’s who he should stick with.
Gomes is a workhorse who knows how to defend in wide areas and Arias has a defensive side to his game that flies under the radar.
Their efforts can ease the burden on the midfield and allow Lopez to focus on playmaking.
Most managers have found their strongest XI by now, but Pereira has made changes every week.
Wolves need some stability. They have moved towards it in defence and now need to do the same in the forward areas, so they can start scoring consistently and turning disappointing draws into much-needed wins.