Wolves striker Diego Costa has admitted Julen Lopetegui’s intensity ‘sometimes leaves you feeling a bit worn out’.
The veteran has been speaking about the head coach’s way of working, after he arrived just before the World Cup.
Lopetegui has had a great initial impact at Wolves.
Results-wise it’s been a bit hit and miss. But performance levels have certainly picked up under the Spaniard.
One of the most notable things about Wolves under Lopetegui is how much fitter everyone has become.
Reportedly, Lopetegui was surprised by the general level of fitness of the squad when he arrived. And he has clearly taken steps to improve improve those levels.
Wolves fans have seen how passionate and intense Lopetegui is on the touchline in games.
New signing Craig Dawson said recently that it feels like he is another player.
And now, Costa has echoed Dawson’s comments. The 34-year-old said (Express & Star): “Lopetegui conveys a lot of energy, it’s like he’s playing alongside you.
“He’s really intense in training, we get no rest, he’s always asking us to run more. I think this has had a big impact on us.”
Costa, who earns around £50,000-a-week at Molineux – has had a long career and has worked under many coaches.
And he seems very taken by his latest mentor Lopetegui. But he does admit that his intensity actually leaves you feeling tired.
“He’s also tactically very intelligent,” he added. “But the intensity he applies in training, he is always asking us for more and more, and that sometimes leaves you feeling a bit worn out, a bit lazy, but he’s always at you.
“I think that’s something which has been really notable for us players since his arrival.”
Julen Lopetegui intensity might just be what saves Wolves this season
It is no surprise to hear Costa say this, given how frantic Lopetegui can be on the touchline in games.
The man rarely sits down, and it’s great to see him constantly cracking the whip and demanding more.
There was a lethargy about Wolves during the final weeks of Bruno Lage’s reign.
But Lopetegui has come in and addressed this right from the get go – and it has been paying off.
Obviously he is high level when it comes to tactics and ideas. But Lopetegui upping his squad’s fitness levels might just be the main thing that helps Wolves survive this season.