Cesar Peixoto is looking forward to getting his Wolves side back out on the pitch against Birmingham City this weekend as the team look to bounce back from their first defeat of the season last time out.
The Old Gold came up short on their travels against West Ham United on Tuesday night, but with the games coming thick and fast in the Championship, Wolves can soon make things right by picking up three points in a West Midlands derby at St Andrew’s.
And despite the loss last time out, Pexioto insists the players are still full of confidence having picked up seven points from their first three matches during August.
On preparing for Birmingham
“We have to analyse the game and use video with the players, individually and as a team. We have to be clinical about what we need to improve because we don’t have much time on the pitch.
“We need to improve some things in terms of our defensive organisation, but we also need to give the players the offensive information for the next game because every opponent is different.
“You can’t give the players too much information. Maybe three or four things defensively and three or four things offensively. After that, our overall idea of the game has to do the rest.”
On getting used to playing twice a week
“It’s normal. I like to play quickly after a defeat because I want the next game to come as soon as possible so we can try to win again and return to a positive moment. We work hard and try to recover the players as quickly as possible so they’re in good condition for the next game. It’s a difficult game, but we’re ready to give a strong response after the defeat against West Ham.
“As coaches, we’d like a little more time on the training pitch to work on things in the right way. But our idea of the game is clear within the team. We have some things to improve defensively, while with the ball I think we’re at a good level.
“This is normal at this time of the season. The team knows what it has to do. Our confidence hasn’t changed because we lost the last game. I think we played a good game, but West Ham were more clinical than us and scored at moments when we were probably playing better. But the confidence within the team remains the same.”
On deadline day dealings
“We lost Wolfe on the last day, so we needed a left-back and I know Konan very, very well. He was available as a free agent, but he has the level to play here, for sure. He’s an international player, played a lot of games at the World Cup and has played in France, Spain, Saudi Arabia and Portugal.
“I know him very well. He has quality and experience from different countries, and I think he’s a good option for us. Like I’ve said before, I want two players for every position. I want them fighting with each other and competing during the week because that makes us more competitive at the weekend.
“Sean [Neave] is a young player with a lot of potential. We have Raul [Jimenez] and Adam [Armstrong], so we wanted a young striker who can grow, develop and earn minutes. It would be difficult to bring in a third striker with a lot of experience when we already have Raul and Adam.
“We also need that option because sometimes I can use Adam on the wing, and when Raul is higher up the pitch I need another player from the bench. Sean has the right characteristics, not only with the ball but without it. He has intensity and aggression when pressing and understands the right triggers. I think he can be a surprise this season and an important player for us.”
Ghislain Konan checks into Compton 🐺 pic.twitter.com/pFCSQIMrWK
— Wolves (@Wolves) September 3, 2026
On Ladislav Krejci and Santi Bueno returning to the squad
“I think it’s the moment when they can start to play. Krejci will stay with us and he’s an option for us. He’s in a better place physically now and is an option to play in the next game.
“They came back later after the World Cup and needed to get themselves into good physical condition. Krejci also had a little injury during that period, which delayed things, but we also weren’t 100 per cent sure whether they were going to stay.
“I prioritised the players I knew were going to stay with us and now we know what’s happening, they’re not leaving, they’re staying with us, and they’re options for me.”
On almost having his squad set for this season
“I’m happy. The window is closed, but there are still free agents and we’re looking at whether we can bring in one more player – a winger, like I’ve spoken about before.
“But we’ve changed a lot. We’ve changed two goalkeepers, changed to Konan at left-back and brought in Jordan James, Sean and Rafiki [Said].
“We’ve changed a lot of players, but it’s not possible to change the whole team. Players have contracts and we have to respect those contracts.
“And when I looked at this team, I saw more quality than they had shown in the past, and I think they’re starting to show that quality in games now. I believe in these players.”
