Express & Star

Bruno Lage delighted with Wolves' second half display

Bruno Lage has hailed Wolves’ second half display in the victory at Goodison Park.

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After a lacklustre and disappointing first half, in which Everton were the better team, Wolves recovered and dominated the second 45.

A Conor Coady goal just four minutes after the restart was the difference as Wolves managed the game expertly.

“It was very good, but especially the performance,” Lage said.

“The players did everything we planned. We know it’s a tough stadium to play in and a tough team with big experience, but we came with a good plan.

“We knew that a team like that, after they lose 5-0, will come in the beginning to have a good answer in front of their fans, like we did against Watford.

“We were holding on a little bit in the first 20 minutes. We were there, together, compact, solid and after that the game was more calm and we controlled it.

“The second half was maybe one of the best second halves we’ve done. We managed the game and controlled it with the ball and without it. We scored one goal and we deserved the three points.”

A key difference between the two halves was the dominance Wolves displayed in midfield.

Joao Moutinho, Ruben Neves and Leander Dendoncker were all key in the victory as the latter regularly found space in-between the lines on the right side.

“We prepared the game well and put many players around the midfielders - that’s why Leander played today - to have more players in the middle and have more ball possession and to keep the rhythm,” Lage added.

“After 15, 20 minutes the rhythm was calm and we have the players to find the spaces. In the second half it was so good and we need to give credit also to them and what they did.

“The manager tried to change it. He changed to a line of five from a line of four and my players did everything we asked. We adapted, we changed and continued in possession of the ball.

“This is the thing we need to do every game. We have to believe and have courage like the way we played here.

“Every time we had midfielders free to play.

“Sometimes the opponents do that and they made it very hard for us in the first 20 minutes. The inside men had space to receive the ball, especially Gray two or three times. We tried to find different spaces with more men around both midfielders, so after 20 minutes we controlled the game because we had one man more in that space and one man free.”

Hwang Hee-chan came off after 20 minutes with an injury and although Lage could not confirm his condition, he hinted that it may be a back issue.

Meanwhile, the head coach hopes Ki-Jana Hoever could be available in around two weeks.

The defender came off in the loss to Crystal Palace with a hamstring strain but it is not believed to be too serious.

Lage said: “He’s recovering. I don’t know how long but he’s recovering.

“He’s outside working so maybe he needs a couple more weeks.”

When asked if Hoever’s injury is less severe than the hamstring strain Nelson Semedo suffered at the end of February, Lage added: “In the moment I don’t know which ones are more severe because the players recover in a different way and at different times.

“Maybe when we talk before the Leeds game we can say exactly how long they both need.”