At 0:30am BST this Sunday, Wolves will welcome the 6th round of EPL match against Liverpool at home. Before the match, Wolves manager Gary O'Neil attended the press conference and expressed his views on the team's current situation, players' status and the upcoming match.
On Liverpool and its new manager Jürgen Klopp's successor Jürgen Sloter, O'Neill had high praise: "He's been very good and it doesn't surprise me that he's had a good start. Liverpool are quite well run and organized and have a strong squad. He (Slotter) is an excellent coach."
However, the Wolves are also facing a lot of challenges, especially the injury of the main player Mosquera, which has damaged the team's strength. O'Neill expressed his regrets: "Mosquera is a great kid, he's got great energy and a great attitude to life. His absence is a huge loss for us because he has shown signs of being able to reach the level we expect. But it also gives opportunities to other players, like Alfie Pound, who has a chance to go further in the Premier League game."
Speaking on the health of Totti Gomez, O'Neill expressed cautious optimism: "We'll have another look at him tomorrow morning. He's taken part in some training this week, but he's not fully fit yet. We'll decide whether to play him or not based on how he is tomorrow." At the same time, he also mentioned other injury problems in the team, but emphasized that the team has a good mentality within itself and will not let injuries be a hindrance.
On the challenges facing the team at the start of the season, O'Neill says he is not worried: "We have to accept where we are and then do everything we can to improve our performances. We are working at full strength every day to try and get the team in the best possible position against Liverpool." He cited Arsenal as an example of how winning games doesn't have to look good or feel good, the key is to find a way to win.
Finally, O'Neill emphasized the need for the team to learn from past mistakes, "We've lost in the final moments of some games, and that really needs to improve. We need to show respect for the team, but we also need to find the breaks. Whether it's through counterattacking or controlling possession, we need to make sure we complete the whole program." He believes that as long as the team can come together and overcome the difficulties, they have a chance to cause Liverpool problems at home and earn valuable points.
