The 2018/19 season was a season to remember for Wolves fans. Promoted teams often struggle to retain their position in the Premier League, however Nuno Santo and the Wolves board had other ideas.
With smart purchases, delightful attacking football, incredible discipline and maybe just a hint of luck, they landed themselves in a Europa League place for the upcoming 2019/20 season. With their European campaign already underway after beating Northern Irish side Crusaders FC 6-1 (on aggregate), it is safe to say that their season has started on a similar note to the way their previous campaign concluded – Nuno is producing a winning formula with the Wanderers.
The top-six found it particularly difficult to play against Santo’s side, with the West Midlands side claiming wins against Spurs, Chelsea, United and Arsenal last season. With improved discipline against relatively smaller opposition, a top-six finish really doesn’t look too far out of the question. However, one of the top six would have to really slip up as despite Manchester United’s poor form last season, they still finished nine points ahead of Wolves.
In the current climate, making transfers is almost a necessity in order to remain in the position that Wolves left themselves in last season. Six players have been added to Wolves’ permanent payroll, including the ever-important Raul Jiménez and Leander Dendoncker. Pedro Neto is an exciting skilful right-winger who signed from Lazio for £18m in a double deal alongside Bruno Jordao.
The Portuguese 19-year-old only managed four appearances last year for Lazio with a combined total of 43 minutes. He is aware that he will not be a regular starter for Wolves but with a price tag of £17m, the youngster should definitely get his fair share of minutes under Santo.
Italian Patrick Cutrone signed this summer for £16m. 27 goals for AC Milan across the two previous seasons was enough to spark the interest of Santo and his team, and alongside Jimenez he could be a deadly force.
Wolves had an excellent season last year, and often alongside success comes top-team interest. However, Santo’s side have done an excellent job of keeping all of their main players from last season. The only notable absentee is 23-year-old Englishman, Kourtney Hause. The centre half joined newly promoted Aston Villa for a fee of around £4m, adding to a multitude of players brought in by Villa this summer.
With the introduction of attacking players, it will be interesting to see how Santo manages his side. His preferred formation was 3-4-3, which allowed for the two wings backs – Jonny and Matt Doherty to have attacking freedom, which really suited their counter-attacking style, particularly against the top teams. Initially, playing five at the back could seem like a precaution by the Spaniard, however, the effectiveness of this formation would be hard to ignore for the following season.
If anything, Wolves’ summer has given their attacking options an incentive. Competition for places is healthy for a team who are on the up, as Wolves clearly are. After narrowly missing out on an FA Cup final to Watford, Wolves will be keen to do one better this season. Their focus may be on the teams who finished above them this year, but that should not lead to complacency. Leicester, Everton and West Ham will all be pushing for that Europa League spot in 7th place, and with smart signings made by all sides, it could lead to a very interesting “best of the rest” battle.
Wolves were unbeaten in their preseason efforts, with their most credible result being a 0-0 draw with Premier League winners Manchester City, proof that Wolves have retained their power to upset the big sides. One thing that will put Santo’s team to the test is the sheer number of fixtures, with the domestic cups, Premier League and Europa League to worry about; it could be a long a gruelling season. Keeping his players fit will be the toughest test, and it will be interesting to see the progression throughout the season.
One of the players who could be instrumental to Wolves’ success is Ruben Neves. Despite being only 22-years-old, the Portuguese international is just an absolute joy to watch. His four goals and three assists in 2018/19 do not give credit to his ability to see the game of football in a completely different light.
More often than not, it was the vision of Neves that picked out the perfect pass to begin the counter-attack. Whether it be starting an attack or a defensive pass, you can almost guarantee that the ball will land perfectly into the path of the intended player. With many years ahead of him as a professional player, he will only improve, and it could be incredibly exciting to see him develop as a player and hopefully help bring Wolves more success in the future.
Jimenez will also be vital in Wolves’ bid to better themselves. His 13 goals and seven assists in the 2018/19 season proved incredibly important. The 28-year-old Mexican bolsters strength, skill, good feet and an eye for goal – qualities that earned him that £35m price tag. Alongside the attacking quality Wolves have got this season, he has every chance to prove again why he deserves his starting place in one of the Premier League’s top sides.
After being in the second tier of English football only two seasons ago, it must be hard for Wolves fans to comprehend the turnaround of their club but they will wish longevity to this success and hopefully build on their already impressive progress in the Santo era in Wolverhampton.
