After confirming the club has written to the FA regarding the controversial ending to the FA Cup third round clash at Anfield at the weekend, the Wolves head coach believes the focus of everyone at the club is on achieving a fourth semi-final appearance in the League Cup, and the first for the old gold since they lifted the title against Forest back in 1980.
On controversial ending at Anfield
“Today we are thinking about tomorrow’s match – as always. We are focused on the next match. But you asked me about this, and I have seen the images on the internet.
“I obviously have my opinion and we have said to the FA our comments, and now we are awaiting for an explanation. This is all I have to say.”
On a growing injury list
“Maybe some can be ready. We are going to check tomorrow because at the moment, we don’t have 100 per cent guarantee that they are going to be ready.
“He’s [Ait-Nouri] another player we are waiting for and we don’t know. We have three or four players that we have to wait a little bit more to know about because it was a very demanding match physically against Liverpool.
“We will see tomorrow. Of course, it’s not the best way, but the most important thing is that tomorrow’s match is very important for us because have the possibility to play, to fight, for a semi-final in the Carabao Cup, and this is the most important. We have to forget all the Liverpool issues, the injuries and put the focus in the match.”
On being on the verge of a semi-final
“I’m aware, of course. All of us are aware of this data, and so are the fans too, but we are going to go tomorrow with this aim and this vision, that we are going to be able to overcome a good team.
“We are excited of this possibility, but in the same way, we have a lot of matches in front of us and we are only thinking of the next match and we have to be ready to compete against a good team.
“We are going to try with all our strengths. We are going to try to do it.”
⚽️ Jota, 47'
— Wolves (@Wolves) January 10, 2023
⚽️ Jota, 81'
A Diogo double helped us to a 2-1 win at the City Ground back in 2017 ⏪ pic.twitter.com/bw942lEzWp
On the threat of Forest
“We are aware of what we can achieve tomorrow, so we are ready to go to the match thinking and knowing that this is going to be a hard task, but, in the same way, we have ambition to overcome a good team as Steve Cooper’s Nottingham Forest.
“Of course, they have very good players. I know a lot of them, and they have a very good squad, as all the teams do in the Premier League. In this league, each squad has good players because this is the best league in the world.
“They changed [for Blackpool defeat], but each match is different and I think they are going to be a very different team tomorrow and we have to be ready and to be able to overcome this good team.
“For me, at Anfield was our best team in this moment. Each moment has a different questions that we have to think about. Sometimes my best team at the moment is not the best team for the future. We have to analyse and, in the end, take the best decision.”
On a difficult spell of games
“I am sure that tomorrow’s match is going to be a much harder match than Liverpool, for sure, because we are playing for one semi-final, because we are playing against a very different team, because they are going to play against us with a big energy and with a big commitment and we’re going to have to be in the same way.
“They’re going to be a different team, a different contest, that’s why I’m sure we have in front of us tomorrow a very hard match.”
