Wolves
WOLVES skipper Conor Coady has hailed Molineux’s own ‘Special One’ and insists the promoted club can maintain their impressive start to the season.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side followed up their draw at Manchester United with victory over Southampton and had ecstatic home fans chanting: “Nuno’s the Special One”.
As Santo’s old boss and Portuguese compatriot Jose Mourinho struggles at Manchester United, Wolves now stand eighth, above the Red Devils in the Premier League.
Coady said: “The manager is brilliant. You understand everything he says so you don’t really have to ask questions.
“He will pull you to one side and tell you his vision – how he wants you to play and how he want you to do things – and you understand it as clear as day.
“It’s as simple as that so I just think the way he talks and the way he sets you up is key.
“What he brings on the training pitch and what we’ve learned from him day in and day out is great.
“It’s his attention to detail that makes the difference because you understand the majority of the things he says.”
Santo’s side stormed to the Championship title in his first season in charge.
This term they have continued to play their attacking, stylish football and even went toe-to-toe with champions Manchester City in a 1-1 draw earlier this season.
Santo played under Mourinho at Porto during his famous reign from 2002–2004 when they won the domestic title and European honours before he arrived at Chelsea and declared himself the Special One.
But Coady, when asked if he could see shades of Mourinho, insists Santo, a goalkeeper who was in Portugal’s Euro 2008 squad without ever playing, is very much his own man. Coady replied: “No. I can see only our manager. You don’t look at him in any other way.
“He’s got his own style and his own way of playing and since he’s been at this club he has been fantastic.
“I think he’s changed everything to do with this football club and it’s gone in the right direction ever since.”
Victory extended Wolves’ unbeaten top-flight run to five games for the first time since 1981.
A tight game was decided when Santo threw on Adama Traore and Ivan Cavaleiro off the bench.
Fit-again Cavaleiro scored with his first touch (left) in the Premier League with 11 minutes remaining after Traore had caused chaos down the right.
Jonny Castro Otto then finished off Matt Doherty’s cut-back as Wolves kept a third clean sheet in four games.
Coady is now confident Wolves, backed by billionaire Chinese owners Fosun, are here to stay in the top half of the Premier League. He said: “That’s what we plan on doing. We work on it every day to sustain it and we sustained it last season in a tough division.”