3 min read
19th Oct 2021
James Collins was left disappointed by an under-par performance from his Wolves under-23 side in their defeat to Southampton on Monday afternoon.
The head coach admitted there were two or three poor displays by members of his squad, who have struggled for goals this season, but acknowledges the need for improvement which is a given to players at under-23 level, as they prepare for a life in professional football.
On defeat to Southampton
“Where do I start? I’m disappointed obviously, disappointed with the start of the game, I thought we started poorly and we let them get a foothold in it, which we’d spoken about not doing, so that was disappointing.
“Then I felt we had some chances, we had the one that looked like it was over the line, that then gets you back into it and I thought we grew into the game in the first-half.
“It was a little bit end to end, a little bit frantic, but they pressed and we were pressing as well, but then second-half I thought we were probably the better team, but I never really felt like we were going to do enough to get back into it.
“I don’t think our football was good enough, I don’t think our goal threat was quite good enough, but we did get one or two chances and at times when you don’t play brilliantly well, someone can pull you out of trouble by finishing an opportunity, and you get away with a draw or even 2-1.
“I thought all round we didn’t get the luck, but you make your own luck, and our football wasn’t good enough for us to complain.”
On not taking chances
“Overall, we should have won the game, but I can’t stand here and say we were far better than them and out-footballed them and should’ve won in that regard, but we did create enough chances to win a close game.
“We’ve conceded one goal and lost the game. We haven’t scored enough goals this year. Sometimes that’s from creating chances, sometimes that’s from taking chances, here I felt we created enough, but we didn’t take them.
“I know they don’t mean to miss, but you’ve got to take them because as you get further up the leagues and further up their careers, that’s what games are decided on.”
