It’s been almost three months since Wolves appointed Vitor Pereira as manager, and supporters can be happy with the turnaround.
When Wolves sacked Gary O’Neil after their 2-1 loss to Ipswich Town in December, the Old Gold were marooned inside the bottom three and four points adrift of safety.
Vitor Pereira has since transformed the Wanderers’ fortunes, posting four victories in the Premier League and opening up a five-point buffer on the bottom three.
Although Wolves were knocked out of the FA Cup by Bournemouth on Saturday, few can complain about the job Pereira has done, suggesting Fosun got the appointment right.
However, when drafting up a list of replacements for O’Neil, the Portuguese tactician wasn’t the only name on the list, as David Moyes was one of their prime candidates.
Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images
Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images
Fosun was the main reason David Moyes rejected Wolves
Wolves wanted Moyes as manager before showing an interest in Pereira. The Scotsman did an excellent job at West Ham, all things considered, and he was unfortunate to get sacked in the summer after winning the Europa Conference League in 2023.
But, according to journalist Liam Keen, Fosun was the stumbling block to hiring Moyes, who didn’t want to work under an ownership that restricted him with budget limitations.
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The 61-year-old instead waited for the Everton job to become available, knowing it was an opportunity to work under ambitious owners, with The Friedkin Group completing their takeover in the middle of December.
So, once they pulled the trigger on Sean Dyche’s time at Goodison Park, it was a no-brainer for Moyes to accept the offer of a return to Everton, the club he spent over a decade at between 2002 and 2013.
Speaking after being appointed in January, Moyes explained his decision to Everton’s official site: “It’s great to be back! I enjoyed 11 wonderful and successful years at Everton and didn’t hesitate when I was offered the opportunity to rejoin this great club.
“I’m excited to be working with The Friedkin Group and I am looking forward to helping them rebuild the club.
“Now we need Goodison and all Evertonians to play their part in getting behind the players in this important season so we can move into our fabulous new stadium as a Premier League team.”
How Moyes compares to Vitor Pereira in 2024/25
Moyes was hired by Everton in the middle of January, and the difference between his side under Dyche is chalk and cheese.
The Toffees were threatened by relegation under the Englishman, and now, they’re 10 points clear of 17th-place Wolves and 15 above the bottom three.
Similarly to Wolves, the turnaround has been immense in the past two months, and here’s how both managers’ Premier League records compare this season.
Manager Matches played Wins Draws Losses
Vitor Pereira 11 4 1 6
David Moyes 8 4 3 1
This weekend, the Old Gold will be looking for some revenge after they were beaten 4-0 by Everton in December to lift them further clear of the relegation places.