Upon signing his four-year deal with Wolves in 2016, midfielder Romain Saiss' arrival was met with a mix of excitement and expectation. Fast forward twelve months, though, bypassing a season of mismanagement and underachievement, his development has stalled significantly.
With new leadership comes new opportunity, however, and under manager Nuno, Saiss has an opportunity to develop into one of the most important players at the club. Against Middlesbrough on Saturday, the Moroccan began his revival.
Partnered alongside £15 million signing Ruben Neves, it was Saiss who controlled the tempo of the game from a deep, central position in the Wolves midfield as Nuno's side claimed a 1-0 home victory.
Though he had previously shown flashes of what he was capable of in a Wolves shirt, it was only on Saturday, surrounded by a core of genuinely capable team-mates and with a new-found enthusiasm, that Saiss suggested he could make the position his own. David Edwards, Conor Coady and Jack Price are also competing for a central midfield spot, with the former a certain starter under previous management.
Nuno's 3-4-3 formation centres around two disciplined midfield players and will afford Saiss the platform he needs to perform. Under Paul Lambert, following a difficult settling period during Walter Zenga's short reign at Molinuex, Saiss was unsuccessful in continuing the form shown at Ligue 1 side Angers in the season prior. Lambert's four-man back-line asked Saiss to drop in between the two centre-backs during transition phases and stripped the Morocco international of any forward momentum.
Against Middlesbrough - early title favourites - Saiss conducted the game.
The 27-year-old was successful in all five of his attempted tackles, registering five interceptions and two clearances. And while the midfielder's defensive duties allowed the forward trio to interchange ahead of him, it was Saiss' engagement with the Wolves wing-backs - Barry Douglas and Matt Doherty - which eventually won his side the game. With Wily Bolly, starting as a left-sided centre-back in Nuno's three-man defence, operating almost as a left-back, Saiss was tasked with keeping the structure of the team and filling gaps which may appear. His, and indeed Neves', ability to open play with a single, sweeping pass allowed the pair to shield those behind them while triggering attacking sequences.
No player made more key passes than Saiss on Saturday, nor could they match the number of defensive actions. In a squad of scintillating promotion hopefuls and against formidable opposition, it was Saiss' simplicity which was applauded.
Solitary showings are rarely the making of a player, yet Saiss' opening performance suggests Wolves' success this season will be determined by the central pairing of he and Neves. For the dazzle of the high-profile incomings at Wolves, it was Saiss who shone on the opening day of the Championship season.
Should the 27-year-old find a consistency to his game, he may prove to be the major asset in this star-studded Wolves squad.
