Gary Lineker makes 'unfortunate' Wolves claim but Micah Richards pinpoints two players for special praise

Gary Lineker and Micah Richards think it was always inevitable Wolves would escape the jaws of relegation due to their depth and quality, though they believe Vitor Pereira has still done an exceptional job.

The Old Gold still aren’t mathematically safe just yet but Sunday’s 4-2 victory over strugglers Tottenham Hotspur was enough to move 14 points clear of the drop zone with six games to go. The victory was sensationally Wolves’ fourth in a row, a feat the club had never achieved before in top-flight history.

When Gary O’Neil was sacked back in December, Wolves had just been beaten by relegation rivals Ipswich Town and were 19th in the standings. Just two wins in the first 16 matches made for grim reading but Pereira has since turned around the club’s fortunes completely, winning eight of his first 16 league fixtures.

Former England internationals Lineker and Richards, now colleagues on BBC Match of the Day, are seriously impressed by how quickly the situation has turned around at Molineux. Lineker was always expecting a revival but has been astonished at the pace of it.

“Vitor Pereira has come in and done a really excellent job,” Lineker said on his podcast, The Rest is Football.

“We always said, Micah, that Wolves had enough, that their players were better than they showed in the early stages of the season. I think they were a little unfortunate as they had so many difficult fixtures at the start and that can affect your confidence, but they’ve bounced back really well.

“They’ve got a lot of talent out there. I’m not surprised at all, although winning four on the bounce is quite an achievement.”

Micah Richards pinpoints Wolves players for special praise

Richards, just like Lineker, has insisted throughout the season that Wolves would survive because of the quality they possess. Even he couldn’t have foreseen the speed they’ve soared away from the relegation zone, though, with Pereira effectively getting the job done with six games to go.

“When I was asked about Wolves on Match of the Day, I always said they had enough, but my answer was because of Cunha,” Richards admitted.

“But what they’ve done now is be without Cunha, yes he comes on and gets a goal, but Strand Larsen has been excellent, Andre in midfield, Joao Gomes in midfield.

“Ait-Nouri is a player I’ve always admired. I think with his position, we don’t quite know if he’s a left-back, a left wing-back or left winger, but what he’s got – he’s got skill, he can finish.

“He’s played in a variety of different positions, he’s even played in a back three. He’s so composed on the ball and I just thought there’s no way that many good players can go down. It’s all about confidence and morale in the dressing room.

“Another player, Munetsi, sort of plays in midfield. So, when I was reading about Munetsi a couple of weeks ago, all his stats say he’s a defensive midfielder but the way Wolves are playing, he’s a false nine and then gets into that eight position. It’s little tactical tweaks that the manager has been able to do and they deserve all the credit.”