How Wolves can become a Premier League 'middleweight' club
Age-old wisdom asserts that the league table tells the truth in the long run - and certainly by mid-May. Wolves' recent experience fits entirely with this, in so far as their recent six-match winning run came, freakishly, against the six clubs currently ranked below them.Last Friday, Vitor Pereira warded off any thoughts their final three games might be an anti-climax by suggesting that their opponents – Brighton, Crystal Palace and Brentford, all set to finish in the middle third – are clubs that Wolves should realistically be able to match next season.The Brighton game supported his thesis. There did not appear to be much between the teams in the general flow of the match, but Brighton found the precision at both ends to tilt things their way.Now and then, Wolves produced some attractive passing, Matheus Cunha in particular getting the crowd cooing in the first half as he showed off his repertoire. But Brighton's less flashy work eventually took a grip on the game while Wolves spun their wheels. Mats Wieffer made himself Cunha's menacing shadow, forcing the blunder that set up the result. Wolves were not bad - just ineffective."In the first half we competed, created some chances to finish, but missed the last shot or last pass… one or two mistakes," said Pereira. "We played a lot with our heart in the second half, but without intelligence to control the pace. When [it] goes to this kind of match, with transitions and counter-attack transitions, we win the ball, we lose the ball, and this is not the game that I like because it's unpredictable. In the end, they punished us and they deserved to win."Most of the attention around Wolves' recovery under Pereira has focused, understandably, on the revival of team spirit and getting the fans onside. Certainly the club needed someone to rally behind and fix some urgent problems. The sense that everyone is now pulling broadly in the same direction has been essential to get away from trouble.But Saturday's game illustrated that unity and fighting spirit will only get them so far. To reach Pereira's next checkpoint - and avoiding the relegation stress of two of the past three seasons - will need more work. Perhaps the time available in pre-season can it, fostering the intelligence and sense of control needed against better sides. To that end, Pereira may have found Saturday a more informative, if less enjoyable, experience.Listen to full commentary of Crystal Palace v Wolves at 20:00 BST on Tuesday, 20 May on BBC Radio WM 95.6FM/DAB/FreeviewTune into The West Midlands Football Phone-In from 18:00 on weeknights
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Leader Live
19 minutes ago
- Leader Live
Luke Littler has Luke Humphries backing as English stars target glory in Germany
The two rivals will join forces in the 15th edition of the PDC event, which gets under way in Frankfurt on Thursday. Littler had previously claimed in April he would skip tournaments in Germany after being booed in Munich and Berlin that month, having faced similar treatment in September following defeat by Peter Wright in the German Championship final in Hildesheim. Defending champions England have been unveiled as the 4/11 pre-tournament favourites for the @BetVictor World Cup of Darts ahead of the annual 40-nation event. — PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) June 4, 2025 But Premier League champion Humphries, who clinched World Cup success with Michael Smith last June, said: 'It's just about not getting involved in the crowd isn't it? 'We've just got to make sure that if they're on his back, I'll be there to say, 'don't worry about what they're doing, focus on your game' and if we play against Germany that's going to be hard but I think he'll learn from the occasions of playing against crowds that are hostile. 'I've been there, I've had it a little bit before and you just have to focus on the game and not worry about what is going on behind you.' Even though Littler has struggled with German crowds, Humphries plans to send the 18-year-old out to throw first when they begin their campaign in the second round on Saturday. 'I will probably put him first,' Humphries revealed. 'He is definitely the best scorer in the world. That's not a lie, it's obvious. So, you're going to put your strengths forward. You put him first, he is probably better at going for the bullseye than I am, getting the throws. A post shared by Luke TheNuke Littler (@lukethenukelittler) 'Yeah, only if he's comfortable with it. If not, I'll go first but I played the anchor role last year. 'I felt really good going second, so maybe that is my role for this year as well.' Victory for Humphries and Smith at Eissporthalle last summer was England's first World Cup win since 2016. It ensured Humphries enjoyed a triumphant World Cup debut and he is sure Littler will experience the same. Humphries added: 'As you saw when we won, the emotion that comes out of you, you don't expect it but it does because you're just so buzzing. 'It's really special and he will understand. He may even feel a little bit nervous at the start, or for the first game we play because all eyes are on us, everyone will be expecting us to be powerful every game we play. 'But I did say to him, it doesn't matter how we play as long as we win the trophy, that's what really matters. It will be a special feeling for him, as it was for me.'
BBC News
20 minutes ago
- BBC News
'An absolute master, a wizard with the ball' - who is new City man Cherki?
Rayan Cherki is only the latest talent fresh off the Lyon production line, but he may be the best joined Lyon at the age of seven from AS Saint-Priest and, aged 16 years and 140 days, became their youngest goalscorer in January that, in November 2019, a Champions League debut came against Zenit, while he also helped France reach the quarter-finals of the European Under-21 Championships in has just enjoyed a breakout campaign in Ligue 1, providing 11 assists, 22 big chances - the most in the league - 13 through-balls and 48 successful dribbles.A return of 12 goals is by far the best of his short career, but it is his work and understanding of the game off the ball that has arguably improved the most this football expert Julien Laurens, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live's Euro Leagues podcast, said: "He has been incredible this season. Since he was 16 - even before that - the talent is there, left foot or right foot."A player at this level who takes corners with each foot depending on which side of the corner it is, to be an inswinger every time is just incredible."He is one of the greatest technicians in Europe right now."Of the 44 shots he took with his feet in Ligue 1 last season, 22 came with the left and 22 with the growing reputation was only enhanced by Thursday's stunning international debut on Thursday against Spain, when he sparked France's comeback from 5-1 Laurens certainly isn't Cherki's only legend Thierry Henry has previously said he has "never seen a player in history who dribbles as quickly as him", while Lyon's captain Alexandre Lacazette described him as "special".Cherki, also part of the France squad that finished runners-up at the 2024 Olympics, scored in both legs for Lyon against Manchester United in a Europa League quarter-final defeat in to BBC Sport in April about him, Lyon's former Arsenal player Ainsley Maitland-Niles said: "He is the best natural talent I've ever seen. An absolute master, a wizard with the ball."He is taking chances, assists and dragging us up the pitch by taking people on and nutmegging them - he is a genius."
BBC News
20 minutes ago
- BBC News
Spurs close in on Frank appointment as new boss
Tottenham are closing in on appointing Brentford manager Thomas Frank as their new head coach by the between the clubs are ongoing, but have progressed positively amid a growing expectation Frank could even be confirmed in the next 48 hours as Ange Postecoglou's are understood to be amicable and there is a will from all parties to conclude the agreement Sport understands that recently appointed Spurs chief executive Vinai Venkatesham, who only started work last Monday, has been involved in the process of appointing Frank, alongside chairman Daniel are entitled to compensation for the 51-year-old Frank, who joined them from Brondby in 2018, with sources indicating it will cost Tottenham £10m to release him from his current amount could rise based upon how many members of staff the Dane decides to bring with him.
