Express & Star

Wolves blog: Have the club already made their signing of the season?

Three more years – Wolves have given Nuno Espirito Santo and his backroom staff a one-year contract extension, tying them to the club until 2021.

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There is no doubt Nuno and his team have all earned significant salary increases following the club’s promotion to the Premier League.

There is also no doubt they deserve it, after winning the Championship title at their first attempt.

Much like the renewed love of the England national team following their most successful World Cup campaign in 28 years, the link between Wolves and the fans has been strengthened considerably under Nuno.

Only a few years ago Wolves had double-dipped into League One, and relations between the club and the fans were at their lowest ebb for a while.

Kenny Jackett did bring some of that connection back, but it is under Nuno and Fosun that the bond has been at its strongest.

He has brought beautiful, winning football into Molineux and we are watching the kind of players in an old gold shirt not seen for generations.

His appreciation of the fans in interviews and on the touchline are clear to see.

He is a masterful tactician – every time Wolves were subject to adversity last season, they learned from it and became stronger.

His 3-4-3 formation was never changed to counter the opposition – and most teams were unable to prevent it week after week.

Wolves fans speak about Nuno as an almost divine figure – he has clearly ingrained in the club culture and we hang on his every word.

Perhaps one of the things Jackett was missing was outwardly showing his passion – this is one of the things that endeared Nuno to the Molineux faithful quickly.

Of all the great memories from last season, some of those that stand out include Nuno’s celebration in the stands at Bristol City and his on-the-pitch delight in vital wins at Middlesbrough and Cardiff City.

For him to join second-tier Wolves, having already managed at the upper end of world football, was to some extent a leap of faith. His trust was repaid as he was supplied with players to fit in with his ideas and Wolves hit the ground running.

His efforts have drawn the attention of other clubs – Everton reportedly wanted Nuno just months into his tenure, whilst it has been reported Arsenal had been interested in Nuno as a replacement for Arsene Wenger.

But he has always stated the good work is not just down to him, but his entire team. This was typified when he won the Manager of the Month award and had his team around him for the obligatory photo – it wasn’t even Nuno holding the award.

Though it is of course a team effort, there is little doubt that Nuno is the integral cog in the Wolves system.