NafisaWolverhampton Wanderers boss Vitor Pereira was deeply frustrated by how his players allowed their emotions to overwhelm them during the 2-0 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion.
Pereira was pleased with how Wolves performed in the opening half and felt his team merited being on level terms at the break, undone only by Matheus Cunha conceding a penalty and Brighton forward Danny Welbeck slotting it home. Pereira didn’t blame Cunha for the mistake, emphasising that such errors are part and parcel of the sport.
What the head coach couldn’t tolerate, however, was the lack of tactical awareness shown by his side after the interval. Pereira believes Wolves dropped below their usual standards and reacted poorly under pressure. In situations where Wanderers had the chance to slow things down and regain control, they instead did the opposite.
“In the second half, to play this kind of match against this type of team, an open game is not for us. We cannot play like this,” Pereira admitted, with a vigorous shake of the head.
“I believe, of course, sometimes you want to push the motivation and ambition of the players. But in the end, they are fighting for something, they are fighting for European positions. I don’t know if this inside makes a difference. I try to convince my team.
“In the first half, we competed face to face. Maybe 1-1 in half time was the fair result. In the second half, it was a completely unpredictable game. It was an open game and this is the kind of game I don’t like, I don’t like.”
Pereira was especially annoyed by his players not sticking to the tactical instructions. The Portuguese coach wants Wolves to manage the tempo of the game better when pressure mounts, avoiding giving the opposition chances to break quickly. But Brighton were given the freedom to thrive on the counter and were ruthless.
Brajan Gruda’s goal to seal the 2-0 win – his first in the Premier League – was a superb chip over Jose Sa, but it stemmed from an unnecessary turnover. Wolves lost the ball cheaply in midfield when a simple pass would’ve sufficed. Simon Adingra burst forward and teed up Gruda to settle the outcome.
“When it’s physical and physical with transitions and transitions, we lose the ball, they counter-attack, they lose the ball, we counter-attack, they come again, we come again. It’s like tennis! This is not for me,” Pereira added.
“I think this was the first match that I watched my team playing like this. In an open game, running, running and running without organisation, you understand? Without tactical intelligence. Now is to look to the future, to correct in the next trainings to put the team with the focus – not only tactically but mentally – to compete the next game.”
The one consolation for Wolves is that this fixture didn’t hold significant weight in their campaign, with safety already secured weeks ago. Pereira isn’t interested in making excuses, though, and expects a strong reaction from his squad in 10 days when they visit Crystal Palace.
Nafisa
