Wolves boss Rob Edwards admits Liverpool game felt ‘different’ after Diogo Jota tributes

Wolves staff including manager Rob Edwards paid a special visit to Anfield on Friday evening

Rob Edwards detailed Wolves’ visit to Anfield on Friday night(Image: Getty Images)

Rob Edwards detailed the “really poignant moment” his Wolves side paid their respects to former player Diogo Jota ahead of an emotional game at Liverpool. On Friday evening, the Wolves head coach, along with Jota’s Portuguese compatriot Jose Sa and the club’s interim executive chairman Nathan Shi, laid wreaths outside Anfield in memory of Jota.

There was then a moment of reflection for the whole Wolves squad, which included Rui Pedro Silva and Matt Doherty who both worked closely with Jota during his time at Molineux.

Saturday was the first meeting between the two clubs Jota represented during his time in England, and was attended by his wife Rute Cardoso and her two sons, Dinis and Duarte, who joined the mascots in walking out with the teams before the game.

And Edwards said of the tribute on Friday: “It was a really poignant moment, really emotional for one or two of our staff and players who knew him really well. It was right and really good we did that last night and paid our respects.

“With his family here again today, it would have been emotional for the two clubs he represented so well and gave so much to. Liverpool are a very classy football club and always respect their players.

“You could feel before the game it was different. I certainly could. I don’t know whether the players could, I can’t speak for them.”

Liverpool’s 2-1 win on Saturday afternoon means rock-bottom Wolves still have only two points from 18 games, despite giving the Reds a scare in the second half when Santiago Bueno pulled a goal back after a quickfire double before the break from Ryan Gravenberch and Florian Wirtz.

“It’s another loss, so it’s difficult,” said Edwards. “The lads are getting really fed up with this, and I know they are hurting as well.

“But I’ll watch the game back and take some of the emotion out of it and look at some of the good things as well.

“The feeling second half is I saw a lot of running, endeavour, brave risks and a lot of quality against a top team. We can take a lot from it but we aren’t taking any points.

“When their second goal went in it was normal Anfield again, we just hoped we wouldn’t get in that washing machine when Anfield gets going.

“Liverpool weren’t able to get some of the action going they can here, so that’s credit to our boys for slowing them down.”

Edwards added: “We started the game not too bad, but then Liverpool began to force us back, they changed one or two bits and they pushed us high and we weren’t aggressive enough where we wanted to press them.