Wolves boss Vitor Pereira cites new signing problems and big issue against Leeds United
The struggling club were beaten for a fifth game from five as Leeds United took all three points back to West Yorkshire.
Vítor Pereira says his Wolves team stopped pressing after going ahead against Leeds United and paid the price for subsequent mistakes.
An eighth-minute Ladislav Krejci opener put the Premier League's bottom side on the front foot but they failed to capitalise and by half-time were trailing 3-1. Dominic Calvert-Lewin's header, Anton Stach's sublime free-kick and Noah Okafor's clinical finish rewarded Leeds for their dominance and possession. The second half saw Wolves on top, putting pressure on their visitors, without beating Karl Darlow. Leeds now sit on seven points, while Wolves remain pointless after five games.
Pereira said that after extensive preparation work Wolves got the start they wanted and then failed to keep their foot on the gas.
"We had this week we tried to work to correct some behaviours, to connect the players, to be better today," he said. "We had conversations to have a good start. We had conversations to improve, to implement and to create the spirit to win the game. After we scored the first goal in my opinion we stopped to press, to push them, to press the defenders. We started to not go far to press with our wingers. It means we start to go back in a block, conceding space and they scored their first goal."
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Pereira refused to criticise individuals for their mistakes but admitted Wolves were not 'at their level' in the first half. He was happier with the second half but left frustrated by another defeat. Home fans took their anger out on the ownership and booed at full-time.
Vitor Pereira on individual mistakes after Leeds United defeat
"It will be very easy for me to come here and speak about mistakes but I'm not this kind of manager," he said. "I prefer to speak about what I can improve. My responsibility, because we work on it a lot with them and they try. We're talking about players who work a lot in training to not commit mistakes, to be man to man without fear. In the end in one second we concede goals that we can avoid.
“It's a difficult time for us but I just know the way is to work and work. Mentally I think we need a result to give us the confidence to not commit easy mistakes, to be more confident in the box and score. Sometimes it's just a result to change everything.
"Me too, I'm very, very frustrated and understand the feeling. We work hard, we like to see our team winning, playing good football, fighting but this is a time we need to be together. We need to help our players. It's not about me. It's about helping the team to be themselves, to fight and have confidence to play."
According to the Wolves manager some of his players will need time to adjust to life in the Premier League, having never set foot in English football previously.
"They need time to learn the pace and intensity and quality of the league," he said. "It's not easy to come from other leagues and start to perform. Fer Lopez has a lot of technical quality but playing in the Spanish league is not playing in the Premier League. Everything is different. The pace, the contact, the pressure, the referees. He needs time to adapt. I can speak about other players. In the end we need to get results and live with the pressure. I believe in the character of my team, we have a very good group. They're as disappointed as me and the fans but I really believe with work, with a good result everything can change."