All that glitters is not quite gold: The areas Wolves need to improve if Vitor Pereira is to keep them up

“Out of darkness cometh light” is the official motto of Wolverhampton and Vitor Pereira is the man tasked with guiding the city’s football team out of the darkness they currently find themselves in the Premier League. 

Pereira was announced as Gary O'Neil's successor in the Wolves dugout on Friday, agreeing an 18-month deal with the club, and he will inherit a side who are five points adrift of safety after losing 11 of their first 16 games and with the worst defence in the top flight.

Losing Max Kilman and Pedro Neto in the summer was a significant blow but the Old Gold were far too open at the back under O’Neil. Indeed, the 40 goals Wanderers have already conceded is the same amount they did in the entire 2019-20 season, when they finished seventh.

Following their troubled start under O'Neil, Wolves are now odds-on to return to the Championship for the first time since 2018 after opening the campaign as 7-2 shots for relegation.

Improving defensive standards has to be first the item on Pereira's list of priorities, with set-pieces an area of consistent pain. Wolves have conceded 14 goals from dead-ball situations this term, six more than the next-worst teams – Manchester United and Southampton – and already four more than they did in the entirety of last season.

Goalkeeping has also been a major issue. Wolves have alternated their custodians this season, with Jose Sa starting nine games and Sam Johnstone seven, but between the pair, they have the lowest save percentage in the top flight (59.8).

Their post-shot expected-goals figure, which measures how likely a goalkeeper is to save a shot, stands at minus 8.3 and is almost five times worse than the next-lowest team. 

Worryingly, things could have been even worse. Wolves have scored 24 goals from an expected-goals figure of 16.7, indicating that either they are finishing especially well or running hot in front of goal.

Matheus Cunha has been a key contributor to Wanderers' overperformance in front of goal. The Brazilian has been directly involved in 46 per cent of Wolves' league strikes this season (11 of 24), higher than even Erling Haaland, who has scored or assisted in 43 per cent of Manchester City's league strikes.

Wolves' system under O’Neil relied on Cunha driving the ball forward to create attacks, and only Fulham's Alex Iwobi has made more carries (51) into the final third than Cunha's 45. However, it made them a tad predictable and open to counter-attacks if the Brazilian was dispossessed.

Pereira is a veteran manager – Wolves will be his 14th club in his eighth country – but his recent record may be something of a concern because he has not lasted longer than 11 months at any of his last four clubs.

The fitness and tactical levels of the Premier League are also streets ahead of the Saudi Pro League, where he guided Al-Shabab to a mid-table finish last season.

With a leaky defence, underperforming goalkeepers and an overreliance on one star forward, the Portuguese boss has a major task on his hands as he attempts to lead Wolves back into the light.

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