The Wolves manager has returned his team to Premier League form, turning a number of heads in the process…
With the 2018-19 English Premier League season drawing to a close, it’s time to start taking stock of some of the more outstanding performances of the season.
While Liverpool and Manchester City race to an unprecedented finish to claim the PL trophy and the likes of the perennial giants Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham struggling to stake claim for a top-4 finish and a Champions League birth, one other club and manager in particular have stuck out with an impressive showing this season: Wolverhampton Wonderers and manager Nuno Espírito Santo.
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Following the triumph of their 2017-18 EFL Championship title campaign and returning to top flight English football for the first time in six seasons, the former FC Porto boss has Wolves on the cusp of European competition next season with a top-8 finish in their sights. No newly promoted team has finished as high in the table since Reading’s 8th place finish during the 2006-07 season.
Despite a budget that is dwarfed by some of the higher-ups in the league, according to Transfermarkt, Wolves have more than held their own this season with the likes of offensive threats in Diogo Jota, João Moutinho, the highly sought after Rúben Neves and standout performer Raúl Jiménez, who has netted 13 goals this year to go along with 7 assists. The Mexican international sealed his permanent move to Wolves from Benfica earlier this year for a club record £30 million, giving Wolves supporters much hope that bigger and brighter things are yet to come.
Nuno’s deployment of Irish wing back Matt Doherty and Atletico Madrid product Jonny Otto have made the Wolves style of football a very attractive one to watch week in and week out, uncompromising in his approach and netting the team a total of 16 points against the “Big Six” sides of the English Premier League. Only Manchester City (25) and Liverpool (19) can boast better records against such competition.
Coupled with a defensive backbone in Willy Boly, Conor Coady, Ryan Bennett and goalkeeper Rui Patrício, Nuno has built a real force to be reckoned with since first taking over the duties as Wolves manager in 2017. His transfer targets have not been wasteful but done with a purpose, boding well for the club’s future.
So he may not have the Mo Salahs, Virgil Van Dijks, Sergio Agüeros or Raheem Sterlings of the world that Jürgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola possess, but he’s getting every bit out of the roster he has, and them some. One would be wise not to bet against the kind of seasoned practitioner Nuno is for seasons to come, especially if he should get some more money to splash around in the next several transfer windows.
What do you say? Who is your Premier League Manager of the Year?