Nuno will not change Wolves recipe despite Europa adventure… just like Coca Cola
NUNO ESPIRITO SANTO thinks there is more chance of Coca-Cola changing their recipe than Wolves rejigging their formula.
The Portuguese will lead his team out at a sweltering, sold-out Molineux tonight for the club’s first European adventure in 39 years.
And despite pessimists pointing to the demands of the Europa League making the league more difficult, Nuno will not change.
Ahead of the first leg against Northern Ireland’s Crusaders, the manager said: “Identity is the most important quality you can have.
“Everybody knows how we play, everybody can see what we do.
“This season we are in four competitions but if we try to build a new squad, keep adjusting it and testing it, we will be going around in circles.
“It’s hard to compete at the level we want to. That’s why we need a really strong identity. That’s why we stick to our principles.
“We are like Coca-Cola, which never changes the recipe. Yes, there is Diet Coke or full sugar, no caffeine maybe. But the basic recipe is always there.”
EURO STRUGGLE
Europe is fitting reward for two years of relentless progress under Portuguese perfectionist Nuno, who has hauled the pioneers of European football from Championship mediocrity back to the big time.
Wolves’ seventh-place finish earned the Old Gold the ‘best of the rest’ tag in the Premier League.
But it comes with the added burden of Thursday-Sunday football.
Despite that, Nuno has no intention of tinkering with the compact 18-man squad he trusted last time around.
The manager said: “We work with a very small squad of 18 and we are not going to change.
“We have a model of how we operate and because we qualified for another competition doesn’t mean we are going to change the recipe.
“Imagine we sign lots of players for the Europa League, then something happens and we don’t qualify for the group stage.
“It doesn’t make sense to have more players just because something might happen later.”
STATUS QUO
Nuno fielded the same starting team for Wolves’ first NINE Premier League games last season, a new record.
In total he used just 21 players - the lowest tally in the Premier League alongside Manchester City and Brighton.
Nuno’s players also missed fewer days to injury than any other squad.
That could be pushed to the limit this season, though, with Wolves facing an extra 21 games if they go all the way to the Europa League final.
The former keeper added: “These players have experienced this before, not only European football with former clubs, many play for their national team too.
“They are used to playing during the week.
“Look back at year one when we were in the Championship, how many games did we play then — 46?
“So there’s not much difference to what we’re going to face.”
BACK TO THE ROOTS
Wolves were pioneers of European football in the 1950s when boss Stan Cullis embraced the concept long before it became fashionable.
They were the second English club after Manchester United to enter the European Cup in 1958-59 and also staged a series of ‘floodlit friendlies’ with Real Madrid and Dynamo Moscow.
Now, 39 years after the Old Gold last graced European competition, Nuno can sense the fervour in the city.
He added: “Whenever I go around Wolverhampton I feel the appreciation of the people.
“This is the most important thing, not only for me but the players and staff.
“We work to give joy to the fans. If the fans are unhappy, what’s the point?
“When we were in the Championship we travelled a lot - all the games were hard.
“At that moment I could not predict Europe. So it’s been a good two years and we are proud of it.
“But the work doesn’t stop here.”
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There was more good news for Wolves yesterday when Ruben Vinagre signed a new five-year deal at the club.
The left wing-back, 20, committed to 2024 after impressing since his 2017 arrival, initially on loan, from Monaco.
Sporting director Kevin Thelwell said: “We’re excited to watch and help Ruben develop further.”