After a dominant 2017/18 EFL Championship campaign that saw them finish in first place, Wolves were promoted to the Premier League. After getting promoted, many teams go down the following season, are in a relegation battle, or return to the Championship within a few years.
Many wouldn’t have been able to predict their next few years in the top flight for Wolves, where they have never been in a relegation battle once. Quite the opposite, actually, they have managed two top 10 finishes, with a third nearly guaranteed, in their four years in the top flight. But how have they been so good since getting promoted?
Clever Recruitment
Getting promoted to the Premier League comes with a significant increase in revenue. However, a lot of the time, that considerable cash injection makes teams spend without intelligent scouting and fit. Their current players are too good for the Championship and not talented enough for the Premier League, and relegation odds usually reflect when a team makes the wrong recruitment, for example, Norwich and Watford were favourites there this season before succumbing to their expected fate.
Those who follow the Premier League know that Wolves have a large Portuguese contingent. When Fosun International took over the club in 2016, they implemented Jorge Mendes as an agent for the club. His favourable relationship with Portuguese players and being a ‘super-agent’ has allowed Wolves to buy some of the most talented players in Europe, including Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho. That also doesn’t consider signings like Raúl Jiménez, Leander Dendoncker and Willy Boly. Having such a deep and talented squad has allowed them to push for European places and become a Premier League mainstay.
Style of Play
Since appointing Nuno Espirito Santo, Wolves have played with three at the back. Bruno Lage has picked up from where he left off by implementing a similar system that has allowed cohesion within the squad. Conor Coady usually sits in the middle of the defence, where he can pick up the ball and play out from the back. Having a playmaker like Moutinho and Neves in the centre of the park allows play to stay ticking over. Jimenez acts as a focal point up front where the ball can come and the wide forwards play off of him, creating avenues to attack.
However, Wolves’ style of play is predicated on their defensive solidity. A solid foundation gives their attacking players the freedom to face an unsettled defensive block on the counterattack. The wingbacks work tirelessly with three commanding central defenders to provide both cover and attacking outlets. Having that balance has allowed Wolves to become one of the most consistent performers since being promoted.
Coaching Staff
What is apparent is that the coaching staff have played a significant role in the progression of Wolves in the Premier League. Espirito Santo laid a solid foundation that not many newly promoted teams have, with a perfect balance between defensive solidity and attacking flair. Knowing a team’s capabilities and executing them is really difficult for newly promoted sides and continuing that trajectory is a credit to Lage’s work.
The backroom staff, coaching staff and even the board prove that newly promoted sides can thrive in the Premier League, but everyone involved must share the same goal.
