Cesar Peixoto says Wolves must play with their heads rather than their hearts if they’re to win their first game of the season at Preston North End.
The head coach believed his players let their emotions take control in the second half against Blackburn Rovers, which led to a frustrating evening, which was at least salvaged by Raul Jimenez’s late equaliser.
It’s Deepdale next for the Old Gold, who must do without the injured Kieran Trippier and Yerson Mosquera, but will be backed by 5,600 away fans, and Peixoto believes they could have a big say on their side’s performance.
On losing Trippier and Mosquera
“Unfortunately, it’s not good for us because they’re two very important players. We also have JJ Bellegarde injured and Rafiki unavailable, important players for us, and options for the games.
“Trippier’s a key player for us, not only on the pitch but also outside it and in the dressing room. He talks to the younger players, he has a lot of experience and a lot of quality. I have a lot of confidence in all of our players.
“We work with the players in the same way and in the same direction, and they all know what they have to do. Kieran is very important for us, but we have to look forward, find solutions and make sure the team is competitive.”
On taking positives from Blackburn
“A lot happened in the second half of the last game. Trippier had to come off because he felt something, Yerson stayed on but was one less player. That’s why I congratulated the players for their effort. We had a lot of difficulties. Wolfe also had some physical problems because he came back later after the World Cup, but he had to play because Hugo felt something.
“It wasn’t our best second half, but there were a lot of things for us to manage and the team still scored to get the draw. It wasn’t the result we wanted, but they made the game more difficult.
“Now we have to manage the situation. We have other players and we have confidence in all of them. Trippier and Yerson are important players who played throughout pre-season and started our first two competitive games, but this is football. We have to find solutions and work to get them back as soon as possible.”
On changing the group’s mentality
“That’s a key point for us. The players worked very, very well throughout pre-season and they’ve worked well in the first two competitive games. In the second half we lost some organisation [against Blackburn], not because the players didn’t want to win, it was because they wanted to win too much. We started playing more with our hearts than our heads. That’s the mentality we need to change, competing to win every game has to become normal.
“We won’t win every game, but we can’t lose our identity, our way of playing or our way of working just because things aren’t going our way. We need consistency throughout games and throughout the season. I think two or three victories will also help change that mentality.”
On pulling in the same direction
“The fans are very important to helping us change the mentality. There isn’t a negative environment this season, but sometimes, when things aren’t going the right way in a game, I think you can still feel some things from the past.
“The fans have an important role in helping these players because I believe they have more quality than they showed last season and can have a great season. When opponents come to our stadium, they should feel the strength of our supporters and our team. It’s important that the fans, the players, the technical staff and everyone at the club all move in the same direction. That’s a key part of changing the mentality.”
On being backed by 5,600 fans
“It’s amazing. We play for the three points, but we play for them. Football without the fans doesn’t make sense to me. It’s important that they support the team throughout the 90 minutes because when things in the right way, that’s when the supporters are very, very important to try to push the players in the right direction and to fight until the end. It’s amazing. Thanks to the supports, and we try to fight for the three points for them.”
