This season, Wolverhampton Wanderers have regularly been hailed as one of the best teams that English football's second tier has ever seen. They clinched promotion to the Premier League without kicking a ball on Saturday, and then saw off local rivals Birmingham City with ease the next day, as supporters celebrated a return to the top flight after six years away, during which they sank as low as League One.
It's been an interesting and occasionally fraught journey back. On the final day of the 2012-13 season, a 2-0 defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion sealed a second successive relegation. Jamie O’Hara and Roger Johnson, big earners whose perceived lack of fight and professionalism was seen as symptomatic of the club’s demise, were booed by supporters at the end of the match. Wolves were in utter disarray.
Kenny Jackett took over from the hapless Dean Saunders and set about reinvigorating his squad. Several of those accused of coasting were dropped down to the reserves, as he replaced them with youth team players and low-key signings. Jackett was determined to help supporters reconnect with a club that had lost its way, and led Wolves back to the Championship at the first attempt. He took them to the cusp of the play-offs before stagnation set in.
Fosun International arrived on the scene in July 2016 and immediately shook things up again. Out went Jackett and in came Walter Zenga as the new Chinese owners pursued a more high profile and continental approach. A difficult first year and some ropey recruitment left the impression that they were trying to change too much too soon. The approach was unfocused and promotion remained a distant dream.
Former Porto manager Nuno Santo was the latest choice to occupy the dugout and no one knew quite what to expect as the squad was freshened up once more. Ruben Neves’ arrival dominated the headlines but some questions remained. How long would it take the new players settle? Was it possible to impose an entirely new style of play on a disparate group of players? Would Fosun pull the trigger again if Wolves got off to another slow start?
Any residual doubts were soon allayed as they opened the season with three wins in a row. John Ruddy, Willy Boly, Ruben Neves and Diogo Jota added genuine quality in the right areas. Nuno Santo showed great conviction in sticking to a philosophy that many thought would be difficult to implement in the Championship. They’ve dominated possession and scored freely. Just a single point from their final three games is needed to wrap up the title.
Wolves have played with a relentless intensity and attacked using the full width of the pitch. Wing-backs Matt Doherty and Barry Douglas have been integral to the system's success, as play is switched quickly from one flank to the other. In defence, Conor Coady has been given a new lease of life as a ball-playing centre back. He’s risen to the challenge and become the club’s leader in the process.
There's no doubting how impressive Wolves have been this season, and also how much of that is owed to Jorge Mendes. On Sunday, the Portuguese super-agent was at Molineux to watch several of his clients enjoy another win. The crowd implored him to wave to them, acknowledging his part in achieving this promotion. He has facilitated the moves of players, Neves in particular, who are operating on an entirely different level to the rest of the division.
Mendes, and the largesse of billionaire owner Guo Guangchang, will be integral to dictating how far Wolves' future ambitions extend. More than mere survival, they will be targeting a top-half finish in the Premier League with the resources and connections at their disposal. Money certainly talks in football but that same underlying sense of unity and clear purpose will be needed to maintain their upward trajectory.
