Gary O’Neil discussed Matheus Cunha, Toti and the fully committed mentality of the entire Wolves squad in his pre-match press conference on Friday afternoon.
The head coach is preparing to face his former club Bournemouth at Molineux and is doing so in a better place after recent performances, which have led to a four-match unbeaten run. O’Neil is also welcoming back four players into the squad which beat Fulham impressively last time out, and while he’s got a selection dilemma on his hands, it’s a positive problem to have, he admits.
On team selection dilemmas
“Pablo, Daws and Santi are all available for tomorrow. They've all had a decent amount of training this week, so we need to decide how much is right for them in tomorrow's game. But it’s good to have all three of them back, because obviously we were a little bit short last weekend, so a big boost for us. Sam's fine. He's been in and out from squads because he's had two illnesses, but he's fine, so I expect him to be in the matchday squad tomorrow.
“A lot of thought this week around how we make sure the team is right for this game. We went to Fulham, and we performed very, very well, but tomorrow's test will be different. Considerations all through the week around, firstly, how much training those three were going to get, and whether they would get enough to be in a position that I can select them and they have, which is good. So, it’s now on me to make sure we find the right balance.
“I think he can play there [Lemina in defence]. We all sort of knew that he could play there in a five, definitely, but to be as good as he was in a centre back partnership of just two was very impressive. You see these things in training, but in the Premier League game it's very different and he handled a very good Fulham attack exceptionally well.”
On Cunha getting better and better
“He's worked very hard and he's a really humble guy. When I first came, he was big enough and open enough to accept the gaps that he had in his game, and then he’s just gone head on into trying to tackle them and trying to piece the bits together. The most important bit in any footballer is quality, and that's the bit he has in abundance.
“All the other stuff you can work on with him, around positioning and mentality to defend and get back under the ball – all that is workable. What you can't help players with is the quality that they have and the understanding that they have, and Matheus is top level at that. We love having him here, he's an exceptional player, he’s incredibly important to the group and to the football club, and I look forward to working with him for as long as possible.”
On everyone being fully committed
“The group is in a fantastic spot. They push each other every day, every single one of them, there's not one in there that is not fully committed to the cause, which is where you need it to be. That's the bare minimum that you need in the Premier League. You need everyone pushing in the same direction, which we have.
“It has been a real positive and people like Toti, Cunha, Mario and Craig Dawson have been exceptional for the group, so has Pablo, senior players have really stood up in those tough runs. Daws’ voice around the place and his performance, Pablo the same with his voice in training. It's been in a real good spot, considering the tough run that we had to go for it. “
On only bringing in good people
“It was important message me and Matt [Hobbs] discussed a lot. Every signing we make now needs to fit the culture. I spoke about playing for Wolves when I first arrived, and you have to earn the right to wear the jersey. It's a big club, and the supporters spend a lot of time and a lot of money and a lot of energy giving everything to try and support the football club, and to just have people pulling the shirt on because they're here doesn't sit right with me.
“We are trying to make sure that every signing we make has quality and is a real good person and is able to work and be pushed and fit into what we've already built. You see that with the additions that we've made, Pedro Lima, Joao Gomes, Rodrigo Gomes, top, top guys that are always going to give absolutely everything for the shirt.”
On Wolves games being entertaining
“I am proud that the amount of goals that we've scored since I've been here has been a massive upturn in what the club has been able to produce from recent years, and not with an influx of new signings and an array of attacking talent arriving from all over the globe, just with hard work and development of the players that we have, which has been good. I think that was something that the club needed. It was a long time that the club went without scoring a lot of goals, but of course this year we've undoubtedly leaked too many.
“If you look at the season as a whole, and you take out the two real off days that we had against Chelsea and Brentford, then the goals against tally isn't as bad as it looks at first sight, but it is something that we're working on. I do want the team to be entertaining. I want the team to enjoy playing. I want the fans to enjoy watching them, and I want to be able to see my team and my style, but I don't want to concede as many goals as we have, obviously. So still result over style for me, but ideally let's try and make sure we do it in our way.”
On Toti’s continued improvement
“He had the physical attributes to play at Premier League level, no doubt. He was quick enough, he was strong enough, and then we had to work on some of his understanding of defending firstly, and how to defend some spaces, and we're still working very hard on that stuff. And then the big bit with him was trying to get him to a better level with the ball, not technically, because technically he's capable, just trying to give him better pictures that were clearer for him and give him a better understanding.
“The real trump card is everything you give him, he will literally keep trying until you blow the whistle and tell him to go. He'll just keep doing it for as long as he can. He'll keep trying to get better. He's a great lad to have in the group, the lads love him, the coaching staff love him, and he's one of them guys that you root for. When you see him doing well, the journey that he's been on it, you are really pleased for him. It'll be a big test for him tomorrow, because Bournemouth will be direct, and we'll need to defend that direct play. Really pleased with the progression that he's had, but not satisfied, because it's still a long way to go.”
