NUNO IS ‘STAYING LOYAL AT WOLVES’
WOLVES boss Nuno Espirito Santo has played down reports linking him to the vacant Everton job.
The Portuguese manager arrived at Molineux in the summer on a three-year deal from Porto and has led Wolves to ten wins from their first 15 games.
However, following Ronald Koeman’s sacking at Goodison Park, Nuno has been mooted as a possible successor.
But the 43-year-old reiterated his commitment to Wolves, insisting the loyalty he demands of his players also applies to him and his coaching team.
He said: “When we joined Wolves in the summer, not only me but my technical staff came with commitment of something important and a big challenge.
“Since the first day we’ve been working really hard on that. The same thing that I ask my players is that every day is a day of hard work and only one focus.
“I think (the Everton link) is recognition of the work the boys and the players are doing. They’re performing well and playing good football.
“It’s normal that this happens but it cannot and does not distract us.
“When you sign a contract you must respect that contract and people who know me personally know what kind of man I am and my beliefs.”
WOLVES continue to sit proudly atop the Championship tree but manager Nuno Espirito Santo insists that his troops cannot loiter to take in the view from up high.
On Friday night, first-half headers from Romain Saiss and Leo Bonatini enabled Wolves to comfortably see off tottering Fulham at Molineux, maintaining their top-of-the-table position heading into the upcoming international break.
However, the Wolves boss is keen to stress to his players the importance of not resting on their laurels, claiming that the word ‘comfortable’ should have no place among their vocabulary.
“We should be proud of what we’ve done but we have to keep going,” said Nuno.
“We are never comfortable. We can never be comfortable on the pitch – never. It’s the worst mistake that we can do.
“I think controlling the situation and playing well, knowing that we have an opponent with quality in front of you; of course we have to defend but we are never comfortable. This word doesn’t exist for us.
“It was a good win and I think it was a good performance. We managed the game well and put on a good performance in front of our pack.
“We have a defensive balance. It’s important that we keep a clean sheet again it is very important for us.”
Conversely, Slavisa Jokanovic’s Fulham will have plenty of time to reflect on their current winless run stretching into a fifth match, with the Craven Cottage chief surmising that his team are sorely lacking in a number of areas.
“This isn’t a new situation,” said Jokanovic.
“It’s a similar story. We are not in our best moment. Not too many things are working for us.
“Some people still haven’t adapted themselves for this competition and we didn’t show enough quality to be competitive.
“We are one team. We must fight all together. We must show our maximum level of quality and be ready to fight. If not, we are in trouble.”
It took just nine minutes for the league leaders to get their noses in front.
Barry Douglas delivered an inswinging corner from the right flank and Moroccan international Saiss gained a yard on his marker Ryan Fredericks while also beating Oliver Norwood in the air to thump home a header past a helpless David Button.
As Wolves attempted to press the issue home, Diogo Jota flashed a strike across the face of goal after paying a one-two with Ivan Cavaleiro, and with 26 minutes on the clock, the hosts doubled their advantage from another dead-ball situation.
This time, Douglas whipped a delivery to the edge of the sixyard box and Bonatini directed the ball home with his head to grab his tenth goal of the season.
In the second period, the visitors’ Floyd Ayite fired wide after linking up promisingly with Rui Fonte while Button did well to prevent Nuno’s troops from netting another set-piece goal, Bonatini connecting with another Douglas corner but the Fulham goalie palming away the effort.
Late on, Brazilian Bonatini should have hit the target when he nodded Matt Doherty’s superb right-wing delivery over the bar but Wolves’ first-half efforts proved sufficient.