Wolves have been the pride of the Midlands ever since the team returned to the Premier League. But the good times are finally challenged. What the team needs is a tough manager. Someone who knows his tactics. Someone with experience.
Vitor Pereira is the new manager of Wolverhampton. Predictably, he is Portuguese. He also has quite a resume behind him.
But what exactly is Wolves hoping to get from Pereira? Here’s what the team should expect tactically.
Career Prior to Managing Wolves
Vitor Pereira is a 56-year-old manager and one of the most important coaches not yet managed in England.
Pereira played amateur football for many years in the lower Portuguese divisions. He began his coaching career around 2002, working first with youth teams and with lower-tier clubs.
He got, however, his big break in 2011. After a stint as assistant manager of FC Porto, one of Portugal’s top three sides, he was given the senior position.
Not everyone loved Pereira from the onset, but he managed good results. He won the Primeira Liga twice and played for the UEFA Super Cup trophy.
The first hint that Pereira was a manager with one eye on the purse and the other on results came in 2013. Although interviewed for several EPL positions, he opted to join the rich Saudi side Al Ahli.
He bounced around clubs for the next few years. In fact, since 2014, Pereira has managed seven clubs (he was appointed manager of Fenebache twice), including in the Brazilian Serie A. His last appointment was Al Shabbab in the Saudi Pro League.
Tactical Philosophy
In many ways, Vitor Pereira seems suited to managing a struggling Premier League side. His tactical philosophy is all about reacting to the opposition rather than dominating a game.
Vitor Pereira creates highly organized teams. He likes his teams to play on the counter-attack. He does not encourage all-out pressing but rather forces out the opposition’s mistakes. Wolves will likely, play direct, quick football when they gain possession.
Like Southampton’s new boss, Danny Röhl, Pereira is bringing brought to the Premier League for his ability to play to his team’s strengths and against the weakness of the opposition.
Expect to see Pereira, eventually, changing tactical plans from one game to another. It’ll be important for him to adapt to the caliber of the opposition and, in this way, get the most out of each game.
Formations and Adaptability
Pereira likes to play with a three-man defence. That’s the way Wolves have been playing this season. And, it’s clear that the club has looked to hire a manager who fits the team’s current style, someone who can work within the confines of the system that is already being used.
Pereira likes to play in a 3-4-3 formation whenever possible. Typically, based on the opponent, this can change to a 3-4-2-1 or 3-4-1-2. During his tenure in Brazil, managing Corinthians, the team used a 3-5-2 in buildup.
However, Pereira will adapt his formation as well as playing style. During his short spell managing Flamengo in 2023, a 4-2-3-1 formation was most often used.
It’s likely that Wolves will, most often, start their build-up in a 3-4-2-1 shape under Pereira, similar to how they’ve done throughout the season.
Pereira and Wolves in Defense
Vitor Pereira is a manager who wants his team to react to the opposition. Like Jose Mourinho, he believes that there is greater pressure on the team that has possession of the ball.
Pereira’s team want to frustrate the opponent and force mistakes. The team will often sit in a mid-block, around the halfway line. Players will try to be as compact as possible.
Players do not press relentlessly but are clever in the way they cut off space. Attacking players are just as active in this phase as the defenders, looking to force the opponent to play long when building out.
Pereira also relies on trigger presses, usually determined by the defensive movement of his strikers. When full-backs move higher during the press, the team’s shape usually resembles a 3-4-3.
Ideally, this will cause the opponent to move the ball through the middle of the pitch, where they will run into heavy traffic.
Pereira and Wolves in Attack
Pereira is a manager who loves to use the counter-attack as the preferred goal-scoring method. But this is not to say that his teams reject possession outright.
No, Pereira just understands that it is easier to maintain a compact structure when defending in a mid-block or bursting on the counter-attack.
Vitor Pereira operates by the classic idiom – make yourself smaller when defending and large when attacking. Wolves will likely play with width on the counterattack. This will encourage giving options to players looking to move with quick, direct passes.
When possession is won, Pereira will want Wolves to move with speed through direct passes toward the opponents’ box. The technique of Mattheus Cunha and Jorgen Larsen‘s ability to win aerial duels may prove valuable.
When building out from the bank, Pereira normally wants the full-back and one of the more technical midfielders to drop deep. They need to assist the ball-playing central defender. They’ll create a triangle shape for passes and try to move the ball upfield quickly.
How do Vitor Pereira’s team usually score goals? Usually, from crosses down the flanks. The manager wants his players to create overloads in wonder areas and get the wing-backs into positions where they can cross the ball.
From this point of view, Pereira has some of the right players with which to work. Nelson Semedo is an experienced player and Rayan Aït-Nouri shows exceptional potential. Both, however, must work on their crossing.
What’s Next for Pereira and for Wolverhampton Wanderers?
Vitor Pereira has his work cut out for himself in order to keep Wolves up. But he has the tactical vocabulary and experience to potentially work a miracle.
It’s a job that’s he’s been waiting to have and he will relish the opportunity to prove himself.
