Cesar Peixoto felt his team will learn from their opening day draw against Blackburn Rovers and has called for his side to play more with their heads than with their hearts.
Wolves claimed a late point from the first game of their Championship campaign thanks to goals from Marshall Munetsi and Raul Jimenez – the Mexican’s first on his return to the club – in a game which they dominated the first half before struggling to create opportunities after the break.
Peixoto felt his players lost their organisation as they fought to get back into the game after Blackburn took an early second half lead, but believes the players will improve as they get used to a new division.
On having to settle for a draw
“I wanted the three points all the time. I think in the first half we were the better team, we created the better chances, had more of the ball and attacked more.
“In the second half, when we conceded the goal, I think we started playing more with our hearts than with our heads. We lost some organisation and that made things more difficult for us. Then we had injuries and a lot of things happened during the game.
“But even with one player less, the players showed a big heart and fought until the end, which is what I want. It’s one point, but we were fighting for three points all the time.”
On a difficult second half
“Firstly, we started playing more with our hearts than with our heads. Secondly, we lost some organisation. We didn’t wait for the right triggers to press, win the ball back as quickly as possible and then play in our way. Blackburn also dropped deeper and there was less space between the lines and less space behind their defensive line.
“We tried to switch the ball from one side to the other and put crosses into the box, but we didn’t win enough first balls or second balls. We lost a lot of second balls. I also think we needed to make more fouls and be more aggressive in the duels.
“Because we lost some organisation, we didn’t create as many chances as we did in the first half. But it’s normal at this stage. It’s the first game and not everything is going to be at 100 per cent. We have to analyse the game, watch it back, talk with the players and work hard to improve.”
On importance of taking a point
“It’s a big difference. One point is one point. We wanted three, but that point is important for us. The way we scored is important too. We had injuries, we were playing with one player less and a lot of things happened during the game, but the team had the heart to fight until the end and score.
“I think that brings confidence and belief to the team because I want my team to fight until the end and the players never gave up on the game. That’s very important for me. Now we have to analyse the game, work hard and improve for the next one.”
On the atmosphere inside Molineux
“The atmosphere in the stadium was fantastic and the support was amazing. We wanted to give the fans the three points. I think this team needs two or three victories to increase its confidence and give us more mental stability throughout the 90 minutes. That will also help the supporters believe more in these players because they’re working very hard to improve and fight for the three points.
“For me, the crowd and the whole stadium were amazing. I loved the atmosphere. We need to support these players because they work very hard. In the second half today, we didn’t lose our organisation because the players didn’t want to run or didn’t care, it was the opposite. They wanted to win so much that they started playing more with their hearts than their heads. They never gave up.
“Now we have to get the team playing like we did in the first 45 minutes for the full 90. That’s our big goal. It’s normal to have these things in the first game of the season and I’m happy with the effort from the players, but I’m not happy with the result.”
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On learning about the Championship
“I’ve analysed the Championship and studied the teams that have been promoted in recent years a lot, so I knew what to expect. But experiencing it live is different.
“My goal is to give the team mental stability for the full 90 minutes and make sure we don’t lose our organisation. If you lose your organisation in the Championship, it’s very difficult because the ball can go quickly from one end to the other. When we’re organised, work hard and recognise the right triggers, we can make the game be played in our way. That’s what I want.
“Of course, we have to adapt certain things to the Championship, but we also have to get the team playing for 90 minutes in the way we played during the first half tonight.”
On the difference Jimenez makes
“I watch Raul taking penalties in training and he’s one of the first players I would choose to take one, so I was confident he would score. He’s a very important and experienced player for us and he brings the kind of experience that this team needs.
“Players like him and Trippier can bring confidence and mental stability to the team and when Raul came into the game, I spoke to him and told him that the team needed his experience and confidence. I wanted him to talk to his teammates and help them stay calm and mentally stable.
“At that stage, the players were running a lot and we’d lost some organisation, and we needed to wait for the right moments and play in the way we want to play.
“I think Raul tried to help us with that. He still doesn’t have many minutes because he returned late after the World Cup, but he’s a very important player for us.”
