Food for thought – These Premier League newcomers could easily make it to the Europa League next season

Wolves should fancy their chances of making it to the Europa League qualifiers

After a fantastic season in the Championship last year, Wolverhampton Wanderers made it to the top tier of English football. Nuno Espirito Santo’s men were expected to fight for their survival in the Premier League but the manager brought in radical reinforcements to bolster the squad ahead. He brought in the likes of Rui Patricio, Willy Boly, Joao Moutinho, Adama Traore, Raul Jimenez (loan deal) and Diogo Jota (loan deal made permanent).

However, as things stand, Wolves have surpassed all expectations and the new boys have taken the Premier League by storm. With some strong performances, Wolves have not only won hearts but have also sent a clear message to other mid-table teams. If the first seven games are anything to go by, Wolves mean business and they intend to compete with the big guns of the Premier League.

Santo’s men took everyone by surprise when they held Everton, Manchester City and Manchester United to draws. However, that was only the result. Unlike other mid-table teams, Santo’s men did not sit back and defend against the big teams. Instead, they showed the intent to bag all three points from those games.

They have shown the character and the resilience to deal with oppositions on their merit and the reputation of the big teams haven’t had any psychological impact on their style of play. To sum it up, Wolves haven’t looked like newcomers.

While Fulham and Cardiff City have struggled to fight it out against the big teams and find themselves at the wrong end of the table, Wolves currently sit 9th in the standings with 12 points. Furthermore, Santo’s men are in high spirits after a 2-0 victory over Southampton this weekend which took their winning streak in the Premier League to three games.

Another impressive thing about their game has been their level of consistency. Leicester City might have better players in their ranks but they have failed to pick up points on a consistent basis while Watford just seem to have run out of gas after four consecutive wins.

Nuno Espirito Santo, who took charge of Wolves in 2017, has made a name for himself as a tactician in English football. While he prefers to keep things simple and does not experiment too much with the starting line-up, the 44-year-old seems to have a specific game plan for each and every game. 

Coming to the players, Wolves have quality players in every department and the manager seems to have all bases covered. Thankfully, all the summer recruits have settled down and have successfully adapted their game to suit the challenge of the Premier League.

While Rui Patricio has been one of the best goalkeepers in the league, Joao Moutinho has formed a formidable partnership with Ruben Neves. The Portuguese duo has complemented each other by working in tandem. Willy Boly has been as solid as a rock at the back.

Diogo Jota and Jonathan Otto have combined well down the left while Helder Costa and Matt Doherty have linked up excellently to craft a lot of attacks down the right. On-loan sensation, Raul Jimenez, has been clinical with his finishing as well.

It is quite evident from that every player has his role clearly defined by the manager and that has brought the best out of the team.

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Wolves have made a brilliant start to the season but the biggest challenge for them will be to maintain the same level of consistency. They are definitely not relegation contenders and have the makings of a solid mid-table side who are more than capable of finishing in the top ten.

However, going by the kind of promise they have shown in the early stages of the season, securing a Europa League qualifying spot next season should not be a step too far for Santo’s men. Burnley did it last time and there are strong odds that Wolves might emulate the same feat this time around.