Julen Lopetegui insists Wolves can’t take their foot off the gas after victory last time out as they are still “in the middle of a fight”.
Last weekend’s victory over Chelsea was much needed in the battle against the drop, but the big games keep on coming, with Brentford coming to town, and the Spaniard is expecting an even tougher test this weekend. The Bees have enjoyed a fine season in the Premier League, and having studied his opponent, Lopetegui wants to put all focus on Saturday, knowing Wolves are one of nine teams fighting for the same aim.
On continuing the good work
“We are in the middle of the work. This is my mentality. We haven’t done anything yet. We have the same possibility to be safe as the rest of the teams fighting with us. We have to put the focus only on the next match. 100 per cent on the next match. Don’t think about the other things. We are in the middle of the fight.”
On becoming more consistent
“It’s a challenge to be consistent and continue in a good way. Each match is a new opportunity so we prefer to be positive, look at the match as a chance, so we have to be ready to take advantage of the chance. The demand we’re going to have is going to be very high.
“We want to find opposite goal and not suffer a goal. It’s not easy with the quality of the Premier League, Saturday isn’t going to be easy because we have in front a strong offensive and defensive team. For me, it’s a very complete team, set pieces, they have a lot of good things as a team, so we have to be ready.”
On preparing on the back of a win
“Always when you win you are, of course, happier, but the next day you are worried about the next one – Saturday, against a very good team in Brentford. They have good players, a good coach, a lot of time working together, and the result is very good team. We have to be ready to do a big match.
“I think they are a very good team, they have good players in all the lines. They have developed this idea for a long time, this is one of the strengths of this team, for sure.”
On no fresh injuries
“At the moment we don’t have an update on injuries, fortunately. We have to choose from the players that are ready.”
Building up to Brentford.
— Wolves (@Wolves) April 13, 2023
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On Jimenez and Ait-Nouri missing out
“Raul is one player more. He’s trying to recover his space. This is the aim for any player, the commitment to fight in their daily work here, trying to find a space and he’s trying for sure.
“Rayan the same, he’s one player, he has played here and he’s fighting inside, and other teammates are trying to do the same. Our job is to choose and their work is to fight to win the space in the team. Of course, it’s good always for the team.”
On no defeats after taking the lead
“I always want to score. I’ve repeated a lot of times, but it’s key not to suffer a goal, to work with a clean sheet is important, and after try to score in different ways. We are not going to change anything, we are going to do the same, to compete, to be able to overcome the kind of opponent we have every day and this day we have a very hard opponent. They are going to demand a lot of strength from our team, so we have to be ready.
“Always it’s a good thing to score, but we scored first against Fulham and drew. If you score, you have to be ready to score a second goal and if you suffer a goal, you have to be ready to overcome the moment and put the focus on the present. You have to be ready to do your best in each moment.”
