César Pesciotto: We need to strengthen our attack while ensuring that our defense doesn't falter.

Cesar Peschoto hopes Wolves can seriously analyze their recent shortcomings and make timely adjustments for the upcoming Sheffield United match, aiming to be in top form. Wolves remained unbeaten in August, and Cesar Peschoto's outstanding performance earned him a nomination for Championship Manager of the Month. However, the team has only managed one point in their last two matches against West Ham United and Birmingham City, and has shown defensive weaknesses, conceding six goals in those two games.  

The head coach revealed that Kieran Trippier may be given another chance to be included in the matchday squad after the first round of the new season. He also pointed out that the team is well aware of the problems that urgently need to be addressed and has been making adjustments through high-intensity training, hoping to end their recent winless streak in this weekend's match.  

César Pesciotto said: "Kieran Trippier has resumed training, but it's not enough for him to start immediately. We will continue to monitor his physical condition and hope he can travel with the team to the away game, where he may have a chance to come on as a substitute. As for Bertrand Traoré, he also needs some time to adjust, since he has mainly been doing individual training, and there is a big difference between training alone and tactical training with the whole team."  

"Neither Jerson Moskra nor Rafiki Saeed are yet ready to return to play, but their recovery is progressing smoothly. Rafiki Saeed's recovery is going better, and I expect him to gradually resume some team training next week. In contrast, Jerson Moskra needs to be patient; his recovery is progressing more slowly, and he has not yet participated in team training."  

Speaking about giving injured players ample time to recover, César Pesciotto said, "Of course I hope they can return as soon as possible, but the medical team won't allow me to do so. Of course, if all the players can return, our overall strength will definitely improve. We will then have more options, and the team's competitiveness and overall performance in matches will be at a higher level."  

"Right now, we can't risk things just to rush things. Our priority is to give them a full rest and make sure their physical condition is stable before considering their return. Of course, I hope the entire recovery period can be shortened, but the relevant departments of the team have their own professional judgment, so even as the head coach, I need to accept and cooperate with their arrangements."  

When asked how to further improve the team's defensive performance, Cesar Pesciotto said, "We can't just focus on the attack; we must also take defense into account while organizing our attacks. If we look back at the goals we've conceded before, we'll find that some of them came from the edge of the penalty area, where the opponents completed very high-quality shots."  

"We had this problem once against Preston, once against Stoke City, and twice against West Ham. Some of those goals were ones we could have handled much better . We need to press the ball more aggressively around the edge of the box. However, this doesn't mean we lost our formation or were disorganized every time we conceded a goal; sometimes, the opponents did score some very beautiful goals."  

"We still have some defensive aspects that need further optimization. When facing long passes from the opponent, the team must quickly drop back and reduce the gaps between the lines, keeping the defense, midfield, and other areas more closely connected to ensure a more complete overall formation. Of course, some of the goals we conceded were indeed difficult to stop because the shots themselves were excellent."  

When asked about how to learn from the draw against Birmingham City, Cesar Pesciotto added: "That game gave us a lot to reflect on. The same was true before against Blackburn. I emphasized then that we had to find the problems and learn from that game, and we have indeed made progress in some areas since then."  

"Our goalkeeper can also play a role in this situation, helping the team to better control the game. When he gets the ball, we don't need to push forward immediately every time. Sometimes we should slow down the pace of the game, patiently look for the right opportunity, and steer the game back to our preferred rhythm, instead of being led by the opponent."  

“Birmingham City displayed strong defensive pressure, employing a high-intensity man-marking tactic. Their overall physical attributes were also excellent, giving them an advantage in duels. In the Championship, we will face many similar opponents in the future. Therefore, we must carefully analyze the experience gained from this match and prepare accordingly.”  

Image source: Internet/Wolves official website