Subs: Johnstone, Lemina, Sarabia, Forbs, Bellegarde, Meupiyou, Cundle, Pond, Okoduwa.
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Nottingham Forest: Sels, Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams, Dominguez, Anderson, Elanga, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi, Wood.
Subs: Carlos Miguel, Morato, Awoniyi, Ward-Prowse, Alex, Jota Silva, Yates, Sosa, Boly.
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Referee: Peter Bankes
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It may not be a surprise to learn that there are more Portuguese managers (four) in the Premier League than English ones (three). Two of them – Vítor Pereira and Nuno Espírito Santo – meet today, with the latter returning to the club and the city he called home between 2017-2021.
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Wolves under Nuno were brilliant: promoted from the Championship in his first season, he then secured back-to-back seventh-placed finishes in his first two seasons in the top flight before a mid-table campaign rounded off his time in the Midlands. Nuno bought well, largely compatriots including Diogo Jota, Rúben Neves, João Moutinho, Rui Patrício, as well as Raúl Jiménez (albeit from Portuguese giants Benfica), Adama Traoré (from Middlesbrough) and Max Kilman (from non-league Maidenhead United). With that squad, plus academy graduate Morgan Gibbs-White, it is easy to see why Wolves qualified for the Europa League.
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Nuno and his Portuguese entourage created an identity and a legacy that survives today in the Wolves squad. The number of Portuguese speakers in the first-team squad is now in double figures (including four Brazilians), while the new-ish manager, Pereira, and six Portuguese staff members adding to the tally. Wolverhampton has changed, too, with Portuguese restaurants and cafes springing up all over the city (although I’m sad to report that the coffee shop, Aromas de Portugal, that featured heavily in our 2018 interview with Jota and Neves is now closed).
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Anyway, welcome home Nuno, sort of. It remains to be seen what kind of reception the top-four chasing manager gets at relegation-threatened Molineux but this should be a lively and (very Portuguese) one.
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Kick-off: 8pm GMT.
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main events
4 minutes: Nuno may have received some praise for his return to Molineux, but Wolves academy product and Forest playmaker Gibbs-White has been booed en masse every time he touches the ball.
2 minutes: Wolves appear to be lined up with a back four. From left to right: Aito Nouri, Bueno, Doherty, Pedro Lima.
Beep beep! We are underway in a black country.
The team is out! Nuno receives a warm welcome upon his return to Molineux. The wolf is an old gold color and the forest is a modified purple number. Oooooooo.
If Forest can keep this up.It is not inconceivable that Hudson-Odoi increases his England caps to three. That left wing spot is definitely up for grabs. Anthony Gordon is probably the frontrunner given his current form, with Phil Foden, Jadon Sancho, Jamie Gittens, Eberechi Eze and Jack Grealish also being considered. am I forgetting someone? Bukayo Saka and Jarrod Bowen could play there, but it wouldn't be their natural position.
England manager Thomas Tuchel was also present.. Tommy Doyle (Wolves), Elliot Anderson, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Morgan Gibbs-White (Forest) are the only English footballers in either line-up.
I can't win
I can't winour guy at Molineux tonight checks in:
Wolves have conceded 10 goals from corners this season, more than any other team, and Vitor is expected to start from scratch by ensuring his starting lineup practices set-pieces in the warmer months. This seems to be weighing heavily on Coach Pereira's mind. Now, check if it works…
No team in the Premier League has been able to maintain possession like this. They have been worse than Forest this season, but tonight they can level on points with second-placed Arsenal. Don't expect Forest's counter-attacking football to change tonight, especially with Hudson-Odoi back in the side.
The first email is from Peter O.: “Happy 12th day of Christmas! Speaking of the partridge in the pear tree, did you know that the Portuguese word for pear tree is “pereira”? This bodes well for Wolves fans who are hoping for one last Christmas present.”
Former Wolves manager Julen Lopetegui He seems to be in trouble at West Ham.
The Wolves' defense tonight was certainly…different.. There is only one natural centre-back: Santiago Bueno. Doherty, Aito Nouri and Pedro Lima are all full-backs or wing-backs.
Wolves manager Vitor Pereira spoke to the cameras tonight about their shape:
It may also be a hybrid system. Sometimes he plays with a back four, sometimes with three defenders. I don't want to play with three centre-backs. I want to play with three defenders. That's not true. Sometimes we use wingers to press higher up.
Let's break down these teams a little.
The wolf has changed a lot! Pedro Lima will make his Premier League debut (he has played twice in the League Cup this season), while Rodrigo Gomez, Jorgen Strand Larsen, Gonzalo Guedes and Tommy Doyle will all return to the eleven. Matheus Cunha is suspended for a big mistake. It was not immediately clear who the captain would be, and Wolves have not announced it on their social media channels.
Murillo and Callum Hudson-Odoi will return to the visiting squad after missing the win against Everton through injury. That's a big plus for Nuno.
Team news!
Wolf: Jose Sa, Doherty, Bueno, Aito Nouri, Pedro Lima, Doyle, João Gomez, Rodrigo Gomez, Gonzalo Guedes, Juan, Larsen.
Sub: Johnston, Lemina, Sarabia, Force, Bellegarde, Meupiyu, Kandor, Pond, Okoduwa.
Nottingham Forest: Sels, Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams, Dominguez, Anderson, Elanga, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi, Wood.
Sub: Carlos Miguel, Morato, Awonyi, Ward-Prowse, Alex, Jota Silva, Yates, Sosa, Boly.
Referee: peter banks
preamble
It may not be surprising to learn that there are more Portuguese managers (four) in the Premier League than English managers (three). Two of them, Vitor Pereira and Nuno Espirito Santo, will meet today, with the latter returning to the club and the city he called home between 2017 and 2021.
Wolves, led by Nuno, were fantastic. Promoted from the Championship in their first season, they finished seventh in the top flight in their first two seasons, finishing mid-table in the midlands. Nuno will join Diogo Jota, Ruben Neves, Joao Moutinho and Rui Patricio, as well as Raul Jimenez (from Portuguese giants Benfica), Adama Traore (from Middlesbrough) and Max Kilman (from non-league side Maidenhead). He mainly recruited his compatriots, including those from United. Add academy graduate Morgan Gibbs-White to this squad and it's easy to see why Wolves qualified for the Europa League.
Nuno and his Portuguese entourage created an identity and legacy that survives in the Wolves team today. The number of Portuguese speakers in the first team is currently in double digits (including four Brazilians), and new manager Pereira and his six Portuguese staff members will further increase that number. Wolverhampton has also changed, with more Portuguese restaurants and cafes popping up around the city (although Aromas de Portugal, the coffee shop featured heavily in our 2018 interview with Jota and Neves, is now closed). Unfortunately).
Anyway, Nuno, welcome back. It remains to be seen what kind of reception a top-four-chasing manager will receive at relegation-threatened Molineux, but it should be a lively (and very Portuguese) one.
kick off: 8pm GMT.
