Wolves boss Paul Lambert: Our mistakes cost us
Paul Lambert called for his Wolves team to smarten up after mistakes cost them dearly in a 2-0 home defeat to Sheffield Wednesday.
Wolves' winless run was extended to nine games after goals from Fernando Forestieri and Kieran Lee gave the Owls a deserved victory.
Defensive frailties were evident for most of the first half and although Wolves improved after the break they never looked like getting back into the game.
Lambert conceded he was surprised at Wolves' consistent errors at the back.
He said: "For how strong we were last week, this week individual errors cost us. And that's against a really good side. They punished us.
"We started the game really well, Conor (Coady) has had a great chance and maybe should have hit the target.
"Then the penalty changes the course of the game. The ball should never have travelled 70 yards across and we should still have cleared it at the back post - I thought Kortney was favourite to clear it. There's no debate on the penalty.
"For the second goal we actually have the ball and we lose it.
"So it's individual errors. We've got two young 21-year-olds (Dominic Iorfa and Kortney Hause) in the back line who've played a lot of games but we need to be more streetwise than that.
"Confidence dropped for a spell. You can't play football and make individual errors as we did.
"That ball should never have travelled 70 yards and then we can't stop the cross. And we should have defended the back post better - so there's three mistakes in one move.
"I'm surprised because last week we were really strong. But Sheffield Wednesday are a team that just missed out on the Premier League. That's the difference. If you want to aspire to that, that's who we're going to have to compete with."
The introduction of Nouha Dicko at half time resulted in an improvement, with the striker going close to scoring and lifting the tempo of the team.
Lambert said of the second half: "I thought we were more on it in the second half. Nouha Dicko coming on was a major thing for us.
"If we can get him really fit and starting games he's going to be a big plus.
"He's now hopefully pushing for a start.
"The second half I was more pleased. But we've got to take chances when they come our way and cut out individual errors.
"I thought we dominated the middle of the pitch, which was a lot better. But by that time the horse had bolted."
Wolves are now 21st in the Championship table with only goal difference separating them from the bottom three.
Lambert, who spoke of top six ambitions on the day he joined the club three weeks ago, admitted Wolves were fighting at the wrong end of the table.
"We're looking behind us," he added. "If you don't do that you're naive. We have to get ourselves out of this position.
"We're just in the door and we have to get away from that.
"There are a lot of new players, some lads who don't know the league and what it entails.
"We're going to have to hit the ground running pretty soon.
"For how strong we were last week, this week individual errors cost us. And that's against a really good side. They punished us."
More than 27,000 turned up at Molineux - Wolves' biggest home attendance for 18 months.
"It was great support, they were absolutely brilliant and it was a great atmosphere," Lambert added.
"If you can get this right it's a cracking place to be at. But you've got to be able to handle the crowd and the occasion of the game.
"Sheffield Wednesday are ahead of us in a lot of aspects."
