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‘We were lucky to stay in the game’ - Nuno admits City had Wolves on the ropes
Wolves' chief Nuno Espirito Santo felt his side were lucky to get back into the game after Norwich City's power-packed first half in a 2-1 Premier League win at Carrow Road Picture: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd - Credit: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd
Wolves’ chief Nuno Espirito Santo admitted Norwich City let his side off the hook in a 2-1 Premier League comeback win at Carrow Road.
The Canaries should have been out of sight at the interval - with Rui Patricio denying Kenny McLean, Alex Tettey and Teemu Pukki on numerous occasions. But Romain Saiss and Raul Jimenez hit back following the break to cancel out Todd Cantwell's opening goal.
"We let Norwich play, they play so good, all the vertical lines causing us problems," he said. "They have very good players, exciting, the one-two combinations that required a lot of hard work, when you want to defend them.
"In the first half we were not doing it.
"They created many chances and we were lucky to stay in the game, but we stayed in the game.
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"Second half was much better, we react, we adjust and controlled the game in the second half. We pressed high, we recovered balls, we created chances, we managed the game. So happy, but not so happy with the first half.
"But this is what happens when you are growing, you learn from your mistakes and you immediately react, that's growing."
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The Portuguese boss conceded his side were indebted to Patricio's string of fine saves in the first half to move them within two points of the Champions League places.
"He kept us in the game, it's his job. I want all the players (to perform in big moments)," he said. "There are so many ways to play football, last week we had a fantastic goalkeeper against us, today was our goalkeeper, this is football. Like I say it's his job.
"We don't think about that (the top four). We don't compete for the table, we compete to perform.
"We judge ourselves on how we do things and in the first half we did very bad and in the second half we did very good.
"This is the standard. We go game-by-game, since the beginning, it's always the same.
"We stay humble, no matter what success we have, stay humble, we keep on working, keep on improving.
"Things will naturally come where you want because you prepare yourself to compete."
