Wolves added goals to their game, and four at that, at the City Ground, as the old gold added further substance to their display by defeating Nottingham Forest 4-0 and securing their place in the next round. Romain Saiss, Daniel Podence, Francisco Trincao and Morgan Gibbs-White were all on target on a good night for Wolves, who are adapting to new ideas every day, according to Lage.
On getting a win on the board
“It was a good game. I think we did what we planned and the way we want to play. In the end, it was the same as against Tottenham, more ball, press high, create a lot of chances and, of course, the same feeling since the last game, confident with the work we are doing, and happy because of the result.
“The only thing which changed from the last game is the result, because the performance is the same. When you are changing the process, the way to play, you need time and confidence comes with victories, but also with performances. We showed games and training and the confidence comes from there.”
On goals coming after patience
“The dynamic, that’s what I said in the beginning, we need time to create this dynamic, that’s important for the players, continue to believe in what we’re doing. This is the process, every time I give confidence to them, we’re training, we’re analysing games, we show the players what they are doing and that’s the plan, to continue to work, like we did today.
“Patience, but not too much. We can’t confuse patience with moving the ball slow – that’s what I said to the guys at half-time. We needed to put more tempo on the ball, not put more balls, not to be fast to the goal, but more tempo to pass and link, to find the cross or play between the lines.”
Oh, what a night 🙌 pic.twitter.com/lCNYyhmvMc
— Wolves (@Wolves) August 24, 2021
On Podence’s performance
“He did well. I think he had two or three good chances in the first-half. First, he started working with us a couple of days. I talked with him in the morning and he was ready to play – it was like pre-season for him. The plan was for him to play 45, but I talked with him and gave him more minutes and it was good because he scored a goal, which is important to him.”
On the Carabao Cup’s importance
“It’s very important, for me, all the competitions have massive importance to us because that’s the way I live, and I bring the way I live to the way I work. The most important thing is tomorrow, the next game, understand what happened in the last game, we had two days to prepare, and I put the best eleven for this competition.”
On adapting to his way of thinking
“It’s by training. The dynamic is day by day, it’s the only thing I promised to them – I challenged them to change a little bit the way they play and they believe in us and have trained hard since the first day.
“We spent three or four weeks without some of the main players because they were in the national competition, but when they came, we adapted. The way we work, with a good tempo in training, we create specific situations like they have in the game. We are here to work, and they want to improve, and when this combination happens, we can do great work.”
On the latest injury news
“Boly started work like Daniel, two or three days, I think he needs more time to work, so maybe he can be available in the next game. Yerson one or two more weeks.
“Pedro is a long process. The best scenario was November, but maybe two or three more weeks from that, so maybe December he can be available. He’s important, all the players are important, to create the team we want because we want to play like this.
“The most important thing is to recover him like Daniel. If the player is fit at the end of November, he’ll need three or four more weeks to prepare himself to come and start to play to win confidence.”
