After arriving at Compton Park to be appointed Wolves’ new head coach, Cesar Peixoto has vowed to give the supporters a team they can be proud of.
The 46-year-old comes into the club off the back of an impressive season with Gil Vicente in the Primeira Liga and boasts a strong reputation within Portuguese football.
Although Wolves will provide the former Portugal international with his first experience of the English game, he believes his front-footed, aggressive brand of attacking football, which has served him well in his homeland, will translate well to the Old Gold squad and excite the fans at Molineux.
On becoming Wolves’ new head coach
“It feels really good for me. I’m proud to be here at this big, historic club in England. It’s a big opportunity and I’m prepared to do everything to put Wolves where it belongs in the Premier League.
“We have great players, but I think the team can improve a lot with me and I can improve as a technical head coach. I want to put my identity onto the team, build a strong identity at the club and also help the team to grow. This is a big opportunity to show my identity and my way of playing.
“This is an amazing club, and it is important for me to make Wolves play in a way which reflects the fans. It’s a hard-working city with a lot of energy and a lot of passion and I want the team to play like that, to play with passion, to play with good energy, and make the fans happy with our idea of the game.”
On preparing for the Championship
“The right vision is important. Wolves in the Championship is a big fish, and we know we have to play well, we know we have to win games, but with an offensive identity with the ball and a fresh eye over the team, this is the kind of vision I have. The owners also have this vision, so it is important for us, for me and for the club, to build a big team, play well for the fans, produce attractive football and put Wolves in the Premier League.
“But the key is pre-season. It is important because of how tough the Championship is. We have a lot of games and if you do a good pre-season, in terms of physicality, in terms of putting my ideas of the game inside the players, then after that we can attack the season in the best way.
“You don’t have time to work a lot from game-to-game and it becomes difficult, so during pre-season I want to build a strong identity and bring quality players with character into the team who can cope with that pressure until the end.
“It’s important we work as a unit in the club, not only for me, but for the players, all the staff and all the people inside the club to work together as a unit. This is how you can be good throughout the season, not just for one or two games, but the whole season, because it is a tough season. We need all the people helping us to bring good results to Wolves.”
On his style of play
“Firstly, I’m a very demanding coach, but I believe in giving my players the maximum freedom and maximum responsibility. I know very well what I want for the team. I want a team that is organised with the ball and without the ball, I want a team with intensity, being aggressive, wining duels and I want to increase the quality of the players, the quality of the game, play an offensive game, try to press high and try to be the main character of the game.
“I think the squad has talent, it has a lot of quality, but I think the players have a lot to improve with the way I work and my idea of the game. The players have a lot of qualities and more quality than they showed in the last season.
“I’ve looked at the squad and I want to adapt them to my idea of the game, my structure, but we have quality. If we bring some quality players in, I think we can build a great team, but I want to build a great team to fight for promotion to the Premier League.”
On learning from his previous coaches
“I learned a little from all the coaches that I’ve had. Jose Mourinho is an important coach for me, and he was my coach when I was in Porto, and Jorge Jesus also is the coach who I learned more from because he’s more offensive, more aggressive in the games, but I learned a lot of little things from all the coaches I have had in my career.
“But I have to put my idea and what I believe into the game, put that onto the pitch and put that in my team, in my players, because my identity is the most important thing for me.
“After that, we work hard, work on the pitch, in the training session, so when we come to the games, we can start in a good moment and win games.”
On fans having pride in their team
“Fans will see a team with ambition, with strong character, a strong identity of the club, and a strong idea of the game. They will see a team who never gives up on trying to win the three points and I want to make the fans proud of these players.
“I want the Wolves supporters to like the way Wolves play next season. I want to win games, but playing an offensive game, with good energy, with good organisation, and playing for the fans.
“At the end of the games, I want the supporters to be proud of our players, be proud of the way we play and the way we fight game all game to bring the victory, and to achieve the main aim, which is to put Wolves back in the Premier League.”
