After all the twists and turns.
England Premier Soccer League
strong contingent
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The choice of manager for the new season has finally been finalized - 47-year-old Portuguese coach Nuno Santo has been successfully recruited, signing a two-year contract with the team to officially take the helm of the seventh-placed team in the Premier League. The decision was undoubtedly anticipated, as Nuno's contribution at Wolves is well documented. In
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The coach, who has coached La Liga's Valencia and Portuguese Premier League's Porto, has long won wide acclaim.
However, can Nuno actually make a difference in his new ownership? Given that
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The current situation is quite complex, and the issue is currently inconclusive.
Since Mourinho's early dismissal on April 19th due to poor results and "disaffection".
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The search for a new manager then began. At the time, they had appointed 29-year-old former midfielder Mason as interim boss, but the Englishman clearly struggled with the task, and led the team to defeat in the League Cup final, which also left Kane, the heart of the team, doubly frustrated.
Thereafter.
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A number of managers who were seen as "newcomers" or "potentials" were approached, but in the end it was all for naught. Nagelsmann soon signed with Bayern, Rodgers publicly stated that he would not leave Leicester City, and Dutchman Ten Hahn extended his contract with Ajax. At the end of the day, chairman Levy considered recalling his "old flame" Mauricio Pochettino, but Paris Saint-Germain refused to let him go, and the rumors dissipated.
Subsequently, with Conte's departure from Inter
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The Serie A champions were also close to the coach. However, the Italian's demands for large sums of money and his insistence on not letting Kane go ultimately scared Levy away. In contrast, Nuno was an affordable option, as he was given a modest budget at Wolves, but was always able to play with a relatively 'small' squad at the end of the season.
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The team has achieved good results, especially against the "traditional six".
However, in terms of tactical style, Nuno seems to lack some "flashy" elements. Despite the fact that during the welcoming ceremony of the new manager, Chairman Levy emphasized once again that they want the team to "regain the DNA of attacking, and bring the fans a soccer full of spectacle". At Wolverhampton Wanderers, Nuno's formation choices were mainly 532 or 343, with a preference for solid defense and waiting for opportunities to counterattack when facing strong teams.
As of today.
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The fans don't really have much to say about the new manager. Previously, many of them focused on opposing the hiring of Gattuso, but now they are more or less relieved to see Nuno on board. But the "cautious support" of the fans is not enough.
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The new manager needs the support of the players more than anything else. And his first task after taking over the team will be to fight for the possibility of keeping Kane, despite the fact that the England winger has long decided to leave.
It's doubtful how strong Nuno's personal charisma will be for England's leading scorer compared to that of former nurturer Mauricio Pochettino or the notorious Jose Mourinho, but it's not as if the Portuguese coach doesn't have a bit of a "legend" under his belt. Playing days, Nuno participated in the 1996 Olympic Games, and with the Portuguese Olympic men's soccer team won the fourth place. At the club, he served as Mourinho's assistant, and when Porto won the Champions League in 2004, Nuno was the alternate goalkeeper for the team that did not play in the final.
If Nuno can't convince Kane.
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will have to enter a full rebuilding process. The Portuguese is no stranger to building new teams - after all, he took over Wolves in 2017 when the latter were still in the Championship. It was under Nuno's tutelage that Wolves were quickly promoted and, for the second year in a row, were in the
England Premier Soccer League
The team even reached the last eight of the UEFA Cup in 2019-20. The past season, despite Nuno leading the team to only 13th place in the league, was generally quite excusable, with the compressed schedule caused by the epidemic having overwhelmed Wolves' small squad on the one hand, and the serious injury to star winger Raúl Jiménez in November of the previous year having taken its toll on the team on the other.
Of course, coming to
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After that, Nuno's coaching environment will change a bit. Previously Wolves and Mendes close relationship, many important players in the team are from the super agent's "recommendation". And
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With president Levy as the gatekeeper for reinforcements and the club's new hire of former Juventus chief soccer officer Paratici as team director, the mode of operation is bound to be different from that of Nuno's old employer. The suggestion from the British media is that the Portuguese should start with the youngsters, and that
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Youth training also has a number of excellent "raw materials" that are worth trying out.
There are also a number of players who will be on the to-be-sold list, potentially including the likes of Sissoko, Ollier and Lamela, but the original starters remain a key focus for Nuno to keep an eye on, especially as rumors have been swirling lately that he's been in talks with the
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Discussing the contract extension of Sundowns. And reuniting the team and repairing the rift in the locker room will be a big priority for the new manager. This past season, the
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The main reason for the total collapse from the UEFA Cup exit is that Mourinho has lost his credibility and the team is no longer united.
