Vitor Pereira feels his Wolves players have the tactical and mental maturity to understand just what it will take to earn a vital three points away at Ipswich Town on Saturday.
Wolves travel to take on the Tractor Boys in one of the most important matches of the season, where a win for Pereira’s side will take them 12 points clear of the 17th placed side with just seven Premier League matches remaining.
But the head coach insists there will be no complacency within his squad, while also knowing that even if Wolves were to taste success at Portman Road, their fight for survival is not yet done, and Pereira would want them to take a positive momentum into next season.
On the team spirit in his camp
“This is an important moment and it's good for me that I can have the contribution of everybody.
“Since the beginning and with the experience that I have in my career, I really believe that you must convince the people to follow you.
“You will convince the people if you have this energy and if you have tactical idea and your energy inside is strong. We can make very good things together.”
On preparing for a crucial clash with Ipswich
“Tomorrow is an important game, but as I’ve said before, we can’t – because this is a big mistake – look at the Premier League and if we win tomorrow, think it’s finished. This is a mistake because I want my team competing for every point in the league. I want my team mentally ready to compete tomorrow and to compete in the next game.
“It is not over until the end. I’m not just saying that today, I said it before, because this is a league that can surprise you every time. Ipswich have the quality, individually and collectively, to fight for a lot of games, a lot of points.”
On serving a touchline ban at Portman Road
“Tomorrow, they need to prepare themselves for a tough game inside and outside of the pitch. But they have the maturity, they are a team with the tactical maturity and mental maturity to be consistent with me or without me [on the touchline].
“They need to enjoy, feel happy, have good energy, be confident, play respecting yourself – and this is the message. I look at my team and you know when you feel that we can. This is the feeling.
“I feel my team is confident, I feel my team is consistent, mentally consistent with maturity, to compete. And, for sure, we will compete tomorrow.”
On new contracts for Joao Gomes and Yerson Mosquera
“They have the profile that I like because they are team players, they have the technical profile that I like, but most important for me, is that they are team workers with very good energy, because you can pass this energy around you, but if you don't connect with good energy, it will be a problem.
“That's why I like the players smiling, because they’re doing what they like to do in life and for that reason, we must come here smiling, connecting with each other, fighting, creating a team spirit, creating a family, and we are in the condition to compete with every team.
“Joao is still young and he shows humility, he wants to learn, he wants to help, tactically he can improve, also technically, but he has the spirit to go [further]. I don't know where, but for sure, he will have a fantastic career.”
"Shoot more!" 🎯
— Wolves (@Wolves) April 4, 2025
Some wise words from Bully for JSL 😅 pic.twitter.com/bFEsC47xgT
On Strand Larsen offering more than just goals
“When we look for a striker, we look for someone to score goals. But he’s the first man on the pitch that starts our passing. If he doesn't know how to do it, or if he doesn't have this character to sacrifice himself to help the team, then he will be not the striker that I'm looking for.
“I don't look for a striker who is just a guy to score goals and say, ‘OK, I’ve scored my goal, and now it is up to you’. I don't like this kind of striker. My striker must be a fighter, he must be someone that is the first one to start defending, and the responsibility is not only to score goals, it’s not to be put in his shoulders, that’s for everybody.
“When we are defending, it’s the same, and because he has this spirit, this character, he is a player that I like the profile of.”
On continuing momentum into next season
“You bring ideas, you start to work on these ideas, and you start to convince your players that this is the way. Now, it's time to create different dynamics for next season. I hope with the same players – or with most of them – we have the opportunity to increase our level and the dynamic in the idea, because the idea is not something that is finished.
“It is something that is open, that you put more of this and more of that and more of that and create another movement. If you look at our game, we are now doing things in a different way than when we started.”
