Following a first-half when the hosts did everything but find the back of the net, the head coach said his players ‘forgot to play football’ after Marcus Tavernier put the Cherries ahead with their only shot on target five minutes after the break. But despite the result, Lopetegui said his players won’t get too low as they have to restart and regroup ahead of a visit to Fulham on Friday night.
On what was missing from Wolves
“The goal. I think that was it. We started in a good way and dominated the game. We had many chances, many corners and many free-kicks, and we had a good first-half, but that was not enough. We weren’t able to overcome the opponent in the play, but in that situation, don’t lose and don’t suffer a goal.
“But in the second-half, we suffered very early. The only shot they had inside the post and the goal, they scored. But this is football, and we have to accept this.
“After that, especially in the last 20 minutes, we didn’t play in a good way. We wanted to arrive very early for the opponent’s box and when you do that, you forget to play football, and sometimes that makes it easier for the opponent.”
On struggling to break Bournemouth down
“After they scored, we played with a big frustration and this is a pity for me, because it is in these moments when you have to be calm.
“We had time in front of us and you have to keep playing football, but we forgot this a little bit and we were thinking too much in the score. By doing this, you are closer to losing the match and it was a pity because we lost an important match for us.
“But I repeat the same mantra – because it’s true – this is going to be a long and hard race and we have to be ready. Today we are sad and unhappy, but tomorrow we have to be ready to restart and try and get three points in the next match.”
On having greater stats than their opponents
“The only thing that I want is to win the match. That’s why sometimes you have the ball, you shoot a lot more than the opponent and I think we shot 15 times, but we didn’t win. In this situation – don’t lose. Be able to arrive until the end with a clean sheet, which is very important for us and for any team.
“But they can score at any moment because they’re a good team with good players, who had more calm in the last moments to play football. We needed to make the pitch big and not play very direct as we made it easier for the opponent.
“All these situations made it frustrating for us, but we have to overcome this and tomorrow, prepare the next match.”
On staying balanced after defeat
“I hate to lose, of course, and I am sad, but tomorrow, we have to be balanced because this is going to be a very long race for a lot of teams.
“We are maybe going to have happier moments and maybe not, but the most important thing is to arrive strong in your mind to be able to achieve the aims in the last moments.”
On a long season ahead
“The team is trying to win each match to achieve in the end our very difficult aim, which is to be – at the end of the season – out of the relegation. This is our aim for now and this is our aim for the future, but it’s going to be very hard for us and for all of the teams.
“We need a lot of points in front of us, and we have to deserve these points by playing better football.”
