A recognised central striker is yet to score for the old gold this season, but under the new head coach, goals had been shared around regularly until the blank against Bournemouth last time out. That loss saw Wolves return to the training pitch in determined mood to put things right, and while Lopetegui wants to see goals from his strikers, he’s adamant the responsibility, along with clean sheets, belongs to the whole squad.
On strikers aiming for goals
“Goals are always the most difficult things for all the teams. All the players are involved in the responsibility to score and win the clean sheet. It’s a good thing for the strikers to score, for confidence, but I think with working hard the goal is going to arrive soon.
“We are trying to improve the team in all the facets. Sometimes you score more goals or not, we scored three goals against Liverpool and two against Southampton but didn’t score against Bournemouth.
“Maybe we can do better, and we are going to try to work hard to improve our team. This is one phase, but for me it’s the same importance to score and not suffer goals. Football has to be balanced.”
On learning from every game
“When you win, it’s not all perfect, and when you lose, it’s not all bad. They [Bournemouth] scored in the first moment they arrived in the box, but it can happen. For me, the most important thing is always to be ready for the next challenge, the next match. Now we are thinking and talking and are ready for tomorrow’s match.”
Taking on Fulham on Friday.
— Wolves (@Wolves) February 21, 2023
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On injuries in the camp
“He [Boubacar] has worked with us, and is step by step better, but is not ready to stay in the squad list.
“I think Hwang’s in the last part of the recovery, we will see. I don’t know, one week more, two weeks more, depends on the last moment, the sensation and feeling of the players.”
On looking to bounce back
“Each match in the Premier League is going to be a very hard task and difficult. In the same way, it’s a big challenge, a chance for us, we are going to play against, for me, one of the teams that is in the best way now.
“They are playing very well, with good scores, they have good players and played a lot of time the same players. They have a very good coach, I know Marco [Silva], he’s doing fantastic work, but in the same way it’s a challenge for us. We have to be ready for a very good match because they only way to take any positives there is making a big match in all facets of the play.”
On preparing for Fulham
“I know him from working in Portugal, we were at the same time working there, and he’s having a very good career. Now, talking about the present, they are a very good team in all facets, not only the offensive phase.
“We’ve prepared with the same feeling, the same spirit, hoping to be able to play good, and be able to beat a big opponent. In the same way, it’s a shorter week, we play Friday, but it’s normal.
“We have to think of ourselves, we respect all the teams a lot, but we go there with the intention to be able to make a good play, and to be able to beat them, this is our aim of course.”
On working on mental side of the game
“Of course, the mind and mentality work is very important. Sometimes you start winning, sometimes you start losing. You know at the start of the match the difficulties you’ll find in the way, but you have to be ready to work on this, having a good mentality. This is very important, to be strong in your mind to overcome different bad moments in the match.”
