Jean-Ricner Bellegarde is hoping he can use his experience of qualifying for the World Cup with underdogs Haiti at Molineux to help Wolves get out of their current situation.
Although his club side are still without a win heading into their 15th match of the Premier League season and a visit from Manchester United on Monday evening, the midfielder has been a star for his country this season as his performances led to Haiti reaching a first World Cup since 1974.
And Bellegarde believes the underdog spirit Haiti were able to show as they fought against all the odds to make it to next summer’s competition can be replicated at Wolves, but the players need to stand up, take responsibility for the terrible start to the season and be the ones to get the fans back on side.
On bouncing back after Forest
“It was a tough match to swallow because we had played well against Aston Villa. The performance was good, but, unfortunately, we didn’t find the energy that we’re capable of putting on the pitch.
“It was really frustrating and complicated because it was against a direct competitor in our current situation, and we had the chance to get ourselves going again. We accept that it wasn’t going to be easy, but it was frustrating and very, very disappointing.”
On having no fear on the pitch
“We’re not scared. We’re footballers and there’s nothing to be scared of, or to be afraid of. We know the pressure that comes with that, and it’s normal, because the situation in the league means every match to us is crucial. But that doesn’t mean we’re afraid.
“We always want to do well and we try to do things right, but I believe we didn’t put in the intensity we needed to spark the match and bring the crowd with us and get the result we deserved. That’s why I think the coach wasn’t happy with what we produced, because compared to what we know we’re capable of doing, there was a big difference.”
On getting the Wolves fans on side
“I believe it has to come from us. The fans may disagree with us or may feel disappointed, but even if the crowd is unhappy with us, it’s up to us as players to change things, to make them want to come back and support us.
“We know it’s hard to watch and support a team when your team isn’t winning, so that’s natural and normal, but it’s on us to double our efforts towards turning things around.”
On facing Manchester United and Cunha
“Matheus Cunha is a good player and we know that if you leave him with the ball and give him more confidence then this can be a problem for the whole team.
“But for us, we need to play closer to our strikers so we can help them grow in confidence, and push our defenders to stay tight and put other teams in danger.
“We know they’re a good team, so we can’t let them play, and we need to put in a lot of energy and make things difficult for them.”
On what Edwards has brought to the club
“He has brought a lot of positivity because he understands the situation we are in. He came in with some refreshing things for the players, and he tries to give us confidence, and I think that’s what we need – confidence, winning matches again, and trying to play our football.
“He’s also brought intensity to training and a lot of tactical ideas, but after that, it’s on us players to absorb things quickly. Because at the end of the day, it’s our job to go out there and win football matches. The coach does what he can, but on the pitch, it’s up to us.”
On replicating his Haiti success with Wolves
I have learned a lot from being with the national team, it has taught me another kind of football, another mentality, and it has made me stronger mentally. I’ve had a lot of playing time and the team has relied on me.
“The qualification stage was difficult, and because we weren’t favourites, many people didn’t believe in us – similar to the situation here at Wolves. But in the end, we did it because we were united, the fans believed in us and they fed off the energy that we gave them on the pitch. We need to do that here too.
“If we find that unity, the fans will follow. I’ve seen it with Haiti, the fans doubted us, then they supported us, and now some of them are even Wolves fans, and that will give us strength because we know we can turn things around. Hopefully we can win a match soon and build positive momentum.”
