Tommy Doyle had praised Vitor Pereira for increasing the togetherness in the squad as Wolves go into the new year looking to build on the Portuguese’s first few weeks in charge.
After ending 2024 with three games unbeaten following Pereira’s arrival at Molineux, Doyle believes every player in the squad now has the capability and confidence to step up and prove they can be the people to take the club forwards – especially as the team will be without talisman Matheus Cunha for the next two games following his FA suspension.
On fighting back to take a point from Spurs
“I think it's a great point. It's not an easy place to come to, a big pitch, the way they play as well, it’s very intense and aggressive, so to come away with a point and just continue our good run is nice.
“The stuff that we're working on is coming out on the pitch, then obviously the second half was a bit different. We needed to be a bit more resilient, which we were. You know you're going to be under pressure against these teams that have good players, so it’s all about soaking it up and dealing with it and I thought we did.
“Then the equaliser is a top finish and that's what you need – sometimes you need those bits of brilliance. It feels good to get that when you work so hard in the game. When you get something like that, it puts us in a great moment which we're enjoying right now. A new manager brings new ideas, and I think you've seen the difference in a lot of the players, and we feel a lot more together.”
Jorgen's seventh @premierleague goal of the season.
— Wolves (@Wolves) December 30, 2024
🇳🇴👏 pic.twitter.com/5dcZmQ3z4n
On working under a new head coach
“The change was probably needed near the end. You can see how a lot of lads are kind of revitalized, and a lot more lads are getting minutes and the squad is being used. Everybody feels good and the changing room is in a great spot right now, and I think that's down to the manager and his staff.
“There are things that we don’t want to go into, but sometimes when you have a new face, it's nice for the players. Obviously, we have a lot of Portuguese and Brazilian players and the communication is good with them, and their English is perfect as well, so there's no issues with the English boys.
“We just feel a lot closer and you can feel that on the pitch now. We're fighting and we're playing with that enthusiasm, we're holding accountability of each other, and the manager holds us accountable as well.
“If we under-perform, he lets us know, and if we perform, he gives us rewards, so that’s what it's about – fighting for shirts, and that's now more than ever, that the lads are fighting for the shirt and the lads are performing, which is brilliant.
“We're in a good spot, we end the year on a high, and now we've got to take this into the new year. We’ve got to keep building on this and keep pushing, and if we keep this form up, we will finish the season really strong.
On Pereira calling him a ‘special player’
“It’s obviously nice to hear, but I'm the same with the boss now as I was with Gary. I'm always giving 100 per cent for him and I'm glad that he sees that.
“It’s my job now to get myself on the pitch more often and he's given me opportunities more than what I had previously, so I feel a lot more part of it, which is a good feeling.
“I’m just giving everything for him and his staff and my teammates, because if we all stick together and do that, we'll go far.”
On Cunha’s two-game ban
“We've all got to step up. That's the whole point in having a squad. It's obviously difficult to replace his certain qualities, but we'll have to find a way, and that's part of the game, and I'm sure we will.
“It's just about getting the best out of each and every player. It's not just about 11 players now, it's about the whole squad, and everyone feels part of it. There were changes made [against Tottenham] and I'm sure there'll be changes for the next game and the game after that.
“Everybody can play, which is a good thing. It's not just one set team, everybody's pushing for places, as am I, myself, so it feels really good at this moment in time. It's good to work with and you can feel that passion.
“Obviously, you can see that from the celebrations that we had together, the passion is there and you can see the love for the game. When you see results, it's easy to have those moments, but even in the bits where we were probably under pressure a little bit, and we were losing, we stuck together, and that's a real positive, probably more so for me than what it's like when you're winning. It's just good to be around at this moment in time, but we've got to keep that going.”
On Hwang’s goals giving him a confidence boost
“Channy’s brilliant. Again, I think it’s about getting the best out of him. He has some amazing qualities, but he needs confidence as well.
“Last season, he scored 12 goals and to score 12 goals and then not be in it as much as he was, is a little bit crazy, but he's scored two and two now, he will get your goals, as will Jorgen and Guedes can even play in there as well, so we've got three strikers there that can play across the front line, because Channy can also play in that 10 position.
“There are goals up there, so for him, he knows he’s just got to keep working hard every day, and he'll get his chances under this manager, which is the most important thing.”
