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Good afternoon and welcome back to Molineux for another very important game in the Premier League against Leeds United.
Every match is important in this league because each time we play we have an opportunity to get the three points that we want, and we need, if we are to achieve our aim this season.
We know that we have a very important match in front of us today, and we understand that we are in the last part of the season now, so we have to be ready to face these matches head on and look at each match as a final.
But in the same way, we have to be balanced, we have to have order, and we have to approach the match with a lot of motivation and commitment, knowing that we have to play football while being able to overcome the teams we are going to play.
Although we didn’t get the result we wanted against Newcastle last weekend, that game is in the past and the present is only Leeds – and that is where all our focus has been since the start of this week.
I would like to offer a warm welcome to Javi Gracia and his staff, players and supporters who are joining us at Molineux today. I know Javi’s career well having previously played against each other when I was at Sevilla and he was with Valencia, and he’s a good manager with a good team, and he knows the Premier League.
It’s going to be a very hard and very tough match and we have to be ready to beat a very good team with very good players. Leeds have a lot of quality, a lot of pace, and they have the best data in all the physical averages in the Premier League, so we understand the task we have ahead of us this afternoon.
But every team in this league has quality, which is why both us and Leeds are in a very close fight with a lot of other teams, all with their own aims.
At this moment, we are very clear in our aim, we are very focused, and we have a big illusion and ambition to play the match, but now we must put the focus in ourselves and in our strengths.
We also need the support of our fans because we are hoping to have a big atmosphere in the match. For me, the support and the environment that our fans create in these kinds of matches is vital to helping us achieve our aims.
We are sure that our fans will be aware of what kind of match this is going to be and how important their support is in this match, because this extra spirit and this extra support is going to be key.
We felt that against Tottenham in our last game here and we felt it at Newcastle last weekend, and we will need everyone in our stadium behind us again today.
Thank you for your support and enjoy the game,
Julen.
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Supporters can find the head coach's notes, as well as a host of bespoke content for the visit of Leeds, in the latest matchday programme, which is available to purchase here for just £4.