Vitor Pereira insists Monday night football at Molineux is not about him and former head coach Nuno Espirito Santo, but the focus will be on his side working hard to earn another three points.
The evening’s Premier League clash will be the first time Espirito Santo returns to the Black Country with Nottingham Forest, who are currently riding high in the European places, and as Wolves open the new year under the Molineux lights, Pereira is hoping the energy the home supporter were able to create in the Boxing Day win over Manchester United repeats itself once again when the side from the East Midlands come calling.
On facing Nuno on Monday night
“I’ve known him for a long time, since the time that he worked in Portugal, and he's doing fantastic work, consistent work and quality work, and it means that he is one of the top coaches in here in England.
“I remember the work that he did in Rio Ave – fantastic work – and he's doing his career with quality, consistently and I like his personality, because he’s a low profile, he’s not a coach who likes to speak too much, he’s a coach that likes to show his work on the pitch.
“But I'm what I am. I know what I want for my career, and I will try to get it. As I said before United, it was not Vitor against Ruben, and on Monday it will not be Vitor against Nuno – it will be Wolves against Forest.
“I believe in a good game and I believe the game will be very competitive and I hope our supporters will be the extra man that we need inside the pitch. For sure, I believe the energy of the supporters will give us this extra man.”
On Forest’s impressive season
“They are a strong team and the results are telling us that they are strong. They are very consistent team, very fast in counter attack, very dangerous when the other teams lose balls and they are ready to go fast and with quality – with very good quality in transitions.
“It’s a consistent team, but if we are to win this game, we need to be at our best level.”
On missing Cunha for two matches
“We need to be ready to play with Cunha and without Cunha. We have to play as a team. We have players with different skills, different qualities, but we'll be ready.
“He knows that it was not a good reactions, but I look at a player not only as a player, I look at them as a human being, as a person, and sometimes, even me, I make mistakes. Everybody makes mistakes and he knows that he made a mistake. Now he knows to not do it again, try to keep the emotional balance and move forward.”
On giving his players renewed confidence
“I have my personality and we have our methodology. When a team doesn't get the results, it is normal that the confidence goes down and the most important is that we have an idea of our game or our play.
“I like to see my teams playing in a way that we are building. We’ve started to build this way to play and we give them confidence. This is the only way that I know. Bring confidence again, connect them and give tactical directions. This is how we work in this moment.”
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On Doherty performing well in a back three
“I want to play with three defenders, not three centre-backs. They are different. One thing is one thing and one is another thing, because I want my defenders to have the freedom to attack the lines, to attract the opposing players and to open space for other players.
“It means that sometimes I need him open as a full back, and at other times, closing as a centre-back or defender. I like to play with three defenders, not with a specific number of centre-backs, or I like to play with centre-backs with the quality to go in the game and attack. This is the way that I want to build my team.
“We can choose the players strategically to face the opposing team and Doc is a player that can do it because he's fast, because he can play, he can open as a full back, or he can play inside as a centre-back.”
On Wolves’ January transfer plans
“We are working in the market like the other teams. I'm trying to understand what my players can give to me for the way or play that I that I want to see. It means this is a time to look for targets, but I can only speak about my players – I cannot speak about players in the other teams.
“Our squad is a short squad, but I prefer to have a short squad, because I like to see the players from the Academy. I have started and we are looking for talents – I like to work with talents, with the young players, but the club knows that we need one or two in other positions and that it’s important to bring someone in. But I'm happy with my team.”
