Pierre Pellegri: The Pink Panther

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Heading into February, Wolves' tragic run of form under Nuno Espírito Santo seems like a distant memory. Nuno was let go after a 0-2-10 record in his opening 12 Premier League games this season, leaving Wolves in a precarious position. Since then, Pierre Pellegri has come into the club and completely transformed the club's league season. A 9-1-2 record compares favourably against his predecessor's, and the club has since risen from 19th to 10th place.

The main notable difference was the conversion of losses to victories. Wolves went from winning 0 of their opening 12 games to win 9 of their next 12. The club were almost certain to be stuck in a long-standing relegation battle, sitting on 2 points at the time, but can now look to challenge for a top half finish, sitting pretty in 10th.

Wolves' goal scoring was a major letdown under Nuno this season, with the club scoring just 6 times in their first dozen games. Conor Coady, club captain and central defender, was the club's top scorer in the competition at the time, with 2 goals. However, Wolves have since rediscovered their goal scoring form with a 25 goal haul in their last 12 games. Portuguese attacker Diogo Jota is currently the club's top league scorer this season, with 8 to his name - with 7 in the last 12 games.

Wolves' additional goals haven't directly come from more clear cut chances. While the club has seen a rise from 29 clear cut chances in their opening twelve games to 34 in their previous twelve games, it has been the increase in volume of shots that has been telling (10 per game under Nuno versus 17 per game under Pellegri). Wolves' players have been far more clinical in front of goal, with their shots on target rate converted from 31.67% to 58.13%.

Defensively, Wolves have started to improve. Under Nuno, the club conceded 20 goals in 12 games, keeping 0 clean sheets. However, under Pellegri, the club has conceded 12 goals in 12 games, keeping 6 clean sheets. The upturn in defensive fortunes can be partially credited to the arrivals of Daniele Rugani and Kalvin Phillips in the past month, who have added plenty of quality to the Wolves' defensive and midfield ranks.

Despite the decrease in goals conceded, the shots conceded count remains similar. Under Nuno, Wolves conceded 14 shots per game on average. This had decreased to 13 shots per game under Pellegri, which is still a high figure. When considering the change in number of goals conceded, the figures can point towards Wolves beginning to restrict their opponents ot more difficult opportunities. This figure will further improve with more time under their new manager.

The largest change in Wolves' play has been with how they move the ball. Their passing has been far less direct under Pellegri and their average number of passes from game, playing the ball shorter, has increased from 287 to 421. There is a higher pass completion rate too - 76% under Nuno in comparison to 82% under Pellegri. The better passing has improved the club's possession stats as a result. The club kept 46.8% of possession under Nuno but now hold 50.3% of possession under Pellegri.

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With new signings Daniele Rugani and Kalvin Phillips settling into life in orange and black, Wolves were set to recontinue their Europa League campaign in February against Spanish side Sevilla. Would the club's league form suffer as a result of a split focus or would they be able to continue their electrifying record with Pellegri in charge?

February started with a drab draw away to Chelsea in the Premier League - a respectable result, albeit against underperforming opposition. The goals started flowing again in our first home game of the month as we spanked Burnley 4-0 in league play. Jota was the star of the show as he scored twice. It was our second clean sheet of the month and reinforced Pellegri's decision to bring in Rugani and Phillips in January for reasonably big fees.

The rest of the month became draw-central. Sevilla came to town for the first leg of our UEFA Europa League Last 32 clash. It was a frustrating game for both teams as it burned out to a 0-0 draw. In between the first and second legs was a home game against West Ham, which ended in a frustrating 2-2 draw. Not. Good. Enough. However, a 2-2 draw was more than good enough in the next game as Wolves progressed by virtue of away goals against Sevilla. The latter stages of the competition awaited.

Two draws and a win in three meant another undefeated month of Premier League action for Wolves. 11th place was a good position for Wolves considering the horrendous start under Nuno. But the club were reminded by the West Ham result that the league is tricky and it could be easy to drop off.

March was set to be an exciting month for Wolves. Premier League fixtures offered a chance for revenge for Pellegri, with games against Everton and Manchester United starting the month of league play. Crystal Palace and Brighton also awaited Wolves in the Premier League, while a Fifth Round FA Cup trip to Tottenham Hotspur was the domestic highlight of March for Wolves. If Wolves succeed, they would play in the quarter final at the end of the month.

The overall highlight of March.... UEFA Europa League Last Sixteen action against VfL Wolfsburg of Germany. Wolves were drawn as the home team for the first leg, with a trip to Volkwagen Arena for the second. While European qualification from league play looked unlikely, Wolves were well in within an opportunity of qualification through winning either the FA Cup or the Europa League. Could they continue their cup runs?

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