Having helped Wolves go four games unbeaten since he came into the team, Toti is urging his teammates not to be complacent if they want to extend their run when facing Sheffield United this weekend.
The defender has been key to Gary O’Neil’s new defensive system which has seen the Portuguese play both centre-back and left-back as the team switches between a hybrid back five and four in recent matches.
With an assist now to his name following a silky piece of footwork which contributed to Hee Chan Hwang’s Goal of the Month contender against Newcastle United on Saturday, Toti insists that the team still has plenty more to improve despite their positive recent showings.
On the spirit in the camp
“It’s been good. We’ve been getting the form and everything has been going well, but we want more and more.
“We’ve faced some really tough opponents, especially here at home; Man City, Newcastle and some other opponents, but we’ve been taking it game by game and we want to win this kind of game, not just draw against these kinds of teams.
“We’re happy with the position, but we want more, of course. Now, we will have Sheffield and then we will have Tottenham before another international break, and we will try to have the most points possible.”
On his brilliant assist against Newcastle
“When I started to play football, I was a winger and a striker, and I’ve been a left back as well, so this kind of movement I can do it well sometimes.
“After the game they were praising me and it was a good moment, for sure, but I’m just happy that I could assist my teammate, Channy [Hwang]. I’m happy for him as well because he makes the final work. It’s not just about me, it’s about my whole team.
“But defending is what I enjoy the most. For a defender, the best thing for me is having a clean sheet and not suffering goals, doing the tackles and everything that I have to do to stop the opponent and to help the team at the back, especially.”
On facing Sheffield United on Saturday
“It’s a good opportunity for us, but we cannot think just because they’ve lost nine games that they will now lose 10. We need to think that going there will not be easy and we need to go with everything and not treat the game in a different way.
“If we go there thinking it will be easy, it will be a completely different game. They’re a good opponent, but we are confident that we can go there and take the points.”
More magic footwork from @TotiGomes23 🪄
— Wolves (@Wolves) November 2, 2023
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On missing Neto through injury
“Everybody put their hands on their heads. We were hoping in the moment that the injury was not too serious, but now we already know how it’s going to happen, we just hope he’s not going to stay away for too long because we all know the impact he has on the team.
“We all know the role he has in the team and he’s been helping us a lot with the assists, the goals, the runs he’s been doing – the whole game.
“He's positive and this is the way he needs to be because it’s a bad thing, but these kinds of things happen – it happens to every player at some point in your life, you have the downs – and you’ve just got to keep positive and come back even stronger.”
On O’Neil’s back five/four hybrid
“It is a good system. Even if it’s left-back or centre-back, I will give my best and give everything for the team.
“The role that the coach has given me has helped me a lot. I was very confident and comfortable with the position and doing that role, so I think he’s been helping me a lot.
“We all like the gaffer. Since he came at the beginning, he spoke with every player and he’s been explaining what his game and everything else is, but I think everybody is happy with what he has been doing since he came in and the ideas that he’s been bringing to the training ground.
“He has completely changed our mentality and the way we face the league because when he came, it was in a difficult for us, but the way he came and the ideas and the mentality, he has been really helping us a lot.”
