Julen Lopetegui gives reaction as Wolves lose 2-0 to Liverpool
Wolverhampton Wanderers v AFC Bournemouth - Premier League
Photo by Jack Thomas - WWFC/Wolves via Getty Images

Julen Lopetegui gives reaction as Wolves lose 2-0 to Liverpool

Wolves have lost 2-0 to Liverpool in the Premier League tonight.

Wanderers turned in an awful performance at Anfield, with Virgil van Dijk and Mo Salah on target for the hosts.

Photo by Jack Thomas – WWFC/Wolverhampton Wanderers FC via Getty Images

Wolves actually started well. But after about 20 minutes, the level dipped.

It was a poor quality game. Both sides were really sloppy in possession and clear cut chances were few and far between.

Wolves hardly offered anything in the final third the whole game, which was hugely frustrating considering how shaky Liverpool have been at the back this season.

Arguably, Julen Lopetegui got his team selection wrong, going with four central midfield players.

He once again used Matheus Nunes from the left, with Joao Moutinho operating in front of Ruben Neves and Mario Lemina.

It just didn’t work, and Jimenez was starved of service up top.

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And the manager’s substitutions did not work either. All the players that came on were poor.

Tonight’s performance was alarming, and Wolves have a heck of a lot to work on if they are going to pull clear of the relegation zone come the end of the season.

Speaking after the game, a very disappointed Lopetegui said (via BBC Sport, 10:30pm): “Maybe we could have disrupted their rhythm. We weren’t able to do much damage in the space. We put Adama [Traore] on but didn’t find the moment, they were aggressive on the press. In the first half we overcome some moments on this press, in the second half no.

“When you have this type of match, you have to keep the ball and be calm. In the first half we did this, we matched them, but in the second we did not have these chances.”

Photo by Jack Thomas – WWFC/Wolves via Getty Images

“I think that we did not play in the game plan we had in our head. In the first half much better, in the second we did not keep the ball. It was a shame, but they deserved to win.

“Today is not easy for me to keep positive thinking, maybe in a few days.”