Julen Lopetegui
Julen Lopetegui believes Ruben Neves’ uncharacteristic goal in the 3-0 rout of Liverpool shows the Wolves skipper is becoming more ‘complete’. Neves rounded off Wolves’ emphatic victory at Molineux by arriving late inside the box to collect Adama Traore’s centre and finish from close range. It wasn’t the sort of spectacular goal Neves has become known for since pitching up in Wolverhampton five and a half years ago.
Julen Lopetegui said: “Good players have to be complete players,” said Lopetegui in his post-match analysis. “In this case he is improving in the phase of play. When he can, he arrives with quality. Each moment of the match is different. In the last moments they are taking a big risk and we have a lot of space, so it was easier for us to try and damage them. Sometimes you get it, sometimes not. But he arrived with a good mentality, with timing in the box, and it’s important to add quality in this kind of situation.”
Wolves started the match inside the relegation zone after Everton’s victory over Arsenal in the lunchtime kick-off. But an own goal from Joel Matip, followed by further strikes from debutant Craig Dawson and Neves, capped an unforgettable afternoon at Molineux. Lopetegui was quick to point out that Wolves aren’t yet out of the woods ahead of their important double-header against relegation rivals Southampton and Bournemouth.
Julen Lopetegui added: “We are happy because we won and we got three important points. “The players made a big effort, but this is all. It’s only three points – we have not done anything at the moment. We have to continue working hard and looking for the next match. We did a very good first half. In the second half they pushed a lot. Liverpool is one of the best teams in the world so it’s normal that you are going to suffer. After 20 or 25 minutes (of the second half) we recovered a little bit of control, and we were able to damage them more by attacking the spaces.”
