Bruno Lage explains how Wolves can take ‘step forward’ and reach the top six
Bruno Lage has revealed how Wolves can take the ‘next step’ and break into the Premier League’s top six.
They sit in seventh place after beating Leicester 2-1 at home on Sunday afternoon. They are now just two points behind fifth-placed West Ham and also have two games in hand on the Irons.
Wanderers took the lead early on when Ruben Neves beat Kasper Schmeichel with a great strike from outside the box.
They were pegged back in the 41st minute when Marc Albrighton set up Ademola Lookman for a straightforward finish.
Lage’s men regained the lead after the interval as Daniel Podence finished off a flowing move with a low drive.
The result was not the only positive for Wolves as 2020-21 Fans’ Player of the Season Pedro Neto made his return from a long-term injury. The exciting winger replaced goalscorer Podence in the 81st minute and looked bright during his first appearance in 10 months.
During a post-match interview with BBC Sport, Lage revealed his frustration at the performance, despite gaining all the spoils.
Bruno Lage still wants more from his players
“We won the three points and scored twice but I think it was okay. It was not our best performance,” Lage said.
The manager then detailed how Wanderers can take the next step and break into the top six. “The step forward for me and my players to be a bigger team is when you play these sorts of teams, that create problems, we need to control more of the game,” he added. “In some periods we didn’t in the way we defended and pressed.
“They created a lot of problems but when you look at it we started very well and that is the thing we need to do more.”
On the recent run, Bruno Lage added: “It is [down to] hard work. The are no secrets in football. It is hard work and team work. That is no secret.
“I think we can do something special but we have to continue to work. In four or five days we are going to play against a strong team [Arsenal], they know we are a strong team and we will go there with the mentality of trying to win the game.”
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‘Fantastic win’ for Wolves, says Neves
Midfielder Neves added: “It was a really hard game and Leicester played well. They have a lot of quality and we knew that before the game.
“Our mentality brought us the three points today. When we win like this, even when we don’t play like we want to play, is really good. It is a fantastic win for us, and we just want to keep it going.
“We try to score early in every game and start strong. We did that today, but we didn’t play our game. These kind of wins are really important; sometimes you won’t play your game but you need to win with your strength and your mentality and that is what we did.
“Maybe it was one of our worst games this season, but we were rewarded with the three points because we ran a lot and fought a lot. We deserved the win.
On Wolves’ top four hopes, Neves continued: “We are going game by game, that is our main goal. The opponent and the stadium doesn’t matter, we’ll try to win the game.
The goalscorer was also asked about Neto’s return from injury. “It was great to welcome him back onto the pitch. I wish him the best and hope he can help us this season,” he said.
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