The winger believes Wolves are set to face Chelsea – a side they are unbeaten against in their last four outings – at the ‘right time’, despite having parted company with head coach Bruno Lage at the weekend. But with interim boss Steve Davis and interim assistant James Collins taking the team ahead of their trip to west London on Saturday, and with striker Diego Costa set to feature against the club where he won two Premier League titles, Podence is optimistic that their lack of goals will soon come good.
On recent form
“It’s been the most difficult time to live and be in this club because we’re in the kind of situation that we’ve never been in. We are in a different and difficult situation, and we have to deal with that. With our quality and even with a lot of defeats in the recent weeks; West Ham, Man City, and in the weeks before, that is in the past and we don’t have to pay so much attention to that.
“Of course, we have to learn from our mistakes, but we have to carry on and to be ourselves in these new games ahead. It’s difficult because we have to show our strength now because we are in a difficult position in the table.
“We are not scoring goals, we are conceding a lot, so I think we have to show a different character and personality.”
On parting company with Lage
“It’s very sad because it means that us as players didn’t make a good job because we haven’t been playing in a good way. We are not winning points, we are not winning games, so it’s not all about the boss, it’s about us as well. But of course, when a boss doesn’t have the right results, it’s easy to blame him.
“Changing the system was also a tough decision because we have been playing for four or five years with a back five and now we are trying to build something new and the boss needed time to build it and he had no time, but that’s what it is. Football has things like that.
“It makes us feel bad as well because we are the 20 players going out on the pitch every game, but at the same point, I think we needed something new or a different way to do things because the players we not doing so good in the training sessions or in the matches.
“Something had to change and the club realised the boss had to go. We have to accept it and we have to deal with it, but as players, we have to demand much more from each other. We have to take responsibility.”
On the lack of goals
“It’s really unbelievable. We are so shamed of us because we are there and we are not delivering. I have been speaking about how we have had no strikers, but it’s true and it’s difficult for us as players and as a team to play without one.
“It’s difficult, but now we have Diego [Costa] and it’s time to start believing we will score and it will not be like that all the season. We have to believe it will change and the first step is to believe that we will have our goals in the future and they will come.”
Off to work 💪 pic.twitter.com/so2Qkb0gY6
— Wolves (@Wolves) October 6, 2022
On the impact of Costa
“When he came here, we didn’t know if he could be this good or not because he’s been out of football for some months, and we were struggling, but after one week, we were so sure that it was the right decision from the club and from him to come here.
“It’s very good for us to have him here because his quality is unbelievable, his personality and especially his character in the training sessions, the way he played against West Ham away, you can feel – even if he doesn’t speak so much – his presence and his awareness to be there.
“Against Chelsea, I think everyone knows what he did there, the Chelsea players know what kind of player he is and I think they are a little more scared than they were before. But I think it will be great to play there and receive a welcome from the Chelsea fans.”
On adding aggression to their game
“In the past, I thought he [Costa] wasn’t a technical player and just wanted to fight, but now he’s here, it’s unbelievable to see how good he is with the ball, with his feet, and still fighting for the ball. I can now understand how he scored so many goals and won so many titles in Atletico and Chelsea.
“Playing with him will be very good for us both, so I’m very happy. We needed someone who can fight because I think we have had a lack of aggression and winning duels. It’s very good for us to see that because if someone like him is doing that at 34-years-old, how can a guy like me at 26 not be doing that. If I see him running a lot, how can I do the opposite?
“Just for him being here is great for us because everything we need is running, it’s fighting, it’s scoring goals.”
😬 @daniel_podence pic.twitter.com/gvsP4tZWob
— Wolves (@Wolves) October 5, 2022
On regaining confidence in the capital
“That’s what I believe. We have been so good against teams like Chelsea, especially against Chelsea, so I think it’s one of the best matches we can play now.
“First, because Chelsea is one of the biggest teams – and we are all aware of that – so it will make us be more alert and pay attention to every detail, and the second is the fact that against Chelsea we have beaten them, we’ve drawn against them, so we have been in a good position against them, even at Stamford Bridge, so I think it’s the right match to play now.”
