'This is the pressure I like' - Vitor Pereira relishing Wolves' relegation scrap

The head coach has publicly criticised some players in his first month in charge, but maintains that honesty is the best policy.

And the Portuguese boss says the intensity of the scrap at the bottom of the Premier League will bring the best out of him.

"In a storm we need to be focused, look at the details and take the best form ourselves," Pereira said.

"This is the pressure I like to have.

"I like to have the pressure to be myself and the best version of myself.

"Usually I like to live my life with the truth.

"I prefer to be honest with everybody, because I can sleep well."

Despite that criticism, the head coach insists he has 'confidence' in the current group to get through their tough set of fixtures.

Having already lost three consecutive top flight games to Nottingham Forest, Newcastle and Chelsea, Wolves' fixture list only gets harder with Arsenal today before clashes with Villa and Liverpool.

Pereira added: “I believe in my players, I believe in our work, I have confidence. 

"Of course, we are facing very strong teams, but we’re still together. We still believe and we'll play at our best level. 

"I want my team to play in the way that we should play. The last game, in my opinion, was not a good game from us because we changed a lot of our behaviours, and this is not what I want from my team. I want identity. I want us to try to play in our way, not to react to the other team.

“This is a very difficult league. We improve as a team with time, but it’s important to believe in ourselves, to believe in what we are doing, and to play in the way that we work every day.”

Pereira also needs to transfer that belief to the players, who have struggled of late after a good start under the new boss when he arrived before Christmas.

The head coach believes together - with the players and supporters on the same wavelength - Wolves can get out of trouble this season, avoid relegation from the top flight, and fight their way up the league table again.

“I need to pass them confidence, hunger to win, fire in the eyes," Pereira said.

"This is my work, and this is what we are doing. It’s not only tactical work, but also confidence to play. 

"In the last game we felt that we could play better football. This is another aspect that I like in football, but football is not only tactical. 

"Sometimes they are full of good energy, because we are energy, and sometimes we are empty of good energy, and sometimes we have bad energy. 

"This is something that we need to create together, a good energy with our supporters and to be our best version.”