Wolves upped the ante after the break at Goodison Park and within four minutes had the goal which proved to be the winner when Ruben Neves crossed for Conor Coady to head home. From that point the old gold dictated proceedings to see out the victory and, having followed up the win over Watford, Lage was delighted post-match.
On a fine performance
“I’m very happy because that’s the way we need to play every game or try to. That’s why I was so upset with the game against Crystal Palace. It’s important for us, and the players, and I said to them, ‘No matter what happens, of course we want to win, but we want to play like this’.
“After Crystal Palace, two games around 60 per cent possession in both games, we controlled the game, we dominated the game. The second-half was one of our best, we controlled the game, we created chances. After three defeats, two victories, very good.”
On Coady’s goal
“We work very hard on everything. First, enjoy the game we’re playing, but after the threat can be from everywhere because we have good quality in everything – situations one against one, set pieces, second phase.
“Today, Conor appeared as a striker, and we won the three points. We need to work as a team. He’s one of the best guys I know in football. Every time with a big motivation, every time he’s the first guy to be in the building in the morning, every time he’s the first guy to push people up. It’s amazing to work with a guy like him.”
— Wolves (@Wolves) March 13, 2022
On the plan to face Everton
“It was a fight. They’re a big team, top players, Lampard played the game, and has experience as a manager, he worked with Chelsea and defeated Wolves. 5-0 – they come to be aggressive, to press, they will come to give a good answer in front of their fans.
“We had to control it, and after have spaces, we have the ball, we make them run and I think the plan worked. Every time we have a plan for the games, sometimes it goes right and today it did.”
On adapting mid-game
“We started well. When they changed the system, we already knew what we had to do. First a line of five. I had the feeling, Lampard played two or three times against Wolves, when he played a line of four, he lost, when he played a line of five, he won, so I had the feeling, so we prepared that.
“When he changed, we adapted in the same way. Every time it’s two lines and you put players on the pitch with the strategy to win the game. The most important is the way we came for the second-half, knowing that if you feel comfortable in the game and you move like we did, we’d have chances to score goals and win the game.”
On winning on the road
“Sometimes it’s hard. Today, the stadium was emotional. The fans around us, it’s a big environment. Also, our fans are there every time away and they give us support. In the end, we need to enjoy the game, no matter what.
“There’s pressure against other teams, we need to come with courage to try. After, if you lose after a performance like that, it’s our work, we move on. Playing like this, we’ll win more games than the way we played against Crystal Palace.”
