Wolves exited the Emirates FA Cup at the hands of Liverpool at Molineux, never recovering from Harvey Elliott’s early goal, but had the lion’s share of the possession after the break, without forcing extra time. Although sad for the players and supporters that a cup run didn’t materialise this term, the Spaniard admitted sometimes you don’t get what you deserve in football and has called on the group to focus on the primary aim of the Premier League now.
On a frustrating evening
“It’s very frustrating because I felt we started good, after we suffered a goal, and maybe we could do more. After, I think we suffered a lot from the effect of the goal, for the next minutes. I think we changed things and in the second half I can’t talk more for my players, the effort, the commitment, the belief.
“They deserved to win the second half for sure but didn’t. It was very frustrating for us, of course. We had a very good match at Anfield, unfortunate with what happened there, and we had to play this replay.
“I suffer for our fans and our players, but looking for the two matches, we deserved to pass, but this is not about what you deserve, it’s about scoring goals. We scored three at Anfield, but, unfortunately, we know what happened there, and now today, in the first half, I am not happy.
“We started well, but after the goal, a very strange goal, I think we were out of the match in 20 minutes. But then we changed some things and we improved, and in the second half, I can’t say anything about my players because they put all on the pitch and it was a pity for us and for our fans.”
On needing the clinical edge
“To suffer a goal is always a bad moment, we started playing well, we had to take more care in situations, not chances but good situation for us, and we suffered a goal from nothing. After, you have to play against Liverpool and it’s not easy, but in the half, we recovered belief and strength, and we deserved in my opinion more.”
On understanding English tradition
“The positive is nothing when you’ve lost. We wanted to go far in the cup, we can’t unfortunately, we are sad, and of course after that we have to think that the most important competition is the Premier League. While we are competing in the cup, we have a big will to win this match and be able to continue in the cup, of course, so it’s a pity for us.
“I prefer to have the cup. We are in England, and we want to win matches in the cup. I have a big vision to go ahead, but in the end, it’s not about what you deserve, it’s about how much you score, and we didn’t score today, they scored one very strange goal and after we had lots of chances, but we didn’t score, and now we must focus 100 per cent in the Premier League.”
On welcoming Sarabia
“He’s going to be a good player, a good help for us, of courses. In the next days he’s going to start working with us and we are happy with one player like this.
“He’s here because we believe in him and he’s going to be a player that I’m sure is going to help us to achieve our main aim, that is to be out of the relegation at the end of the Premier League. But now, we have to change our mind, to put the focus only in the Premier League and this is all.”
