When I received the offer from Wolves in the summer of 2021, I did not hesitate. This was the ideal project for me.
I was offered a three-year deal. During that time, I was required to rejuvenate the squad while also changing the rhythm of play in matches. The club encouraged me to play a more offensive, possession-based style of football.
I loved the quality of the first-team squad, though certain changes were needed, and I was impressed by the youthful talent at the club’s academy. And, of course, I had the opportunity to play in the Premier League. In other words, the chance to compete against the greatest teams and coaches in the world.
However, this was not going to be my first experience in British football. I had worked there years before, between 2015 and 2018, as assistant to Carlos Carvalhal – first at Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship, and later at Swansea City in the Premier League. So my background made me feel ready for the challenge.
Results didn’t come right away. We actually lost the first three Premier League games of the 2021/22 Premier League by identical scores. All three, against Leicester City, Tottenham and Manchester United, ended 1-0. Despite those defeats, though, our performances in those games made us confident that the wins would eventually come.
Between October and November, the team achieved the solidity we were looking for. We were able to convert our good performances on the pitch into points in the table. The best period for us then came from mid-December and into January,
when we took 13 out of a possible 15 points. That included a deserved win at Old Trafford. By the end of February, we were among the teams to have conceded the fewest goals across all of Europe.
“WHEN HE LEFT, IT WAS A MAJOR BLOW FOR THE TEAM”
These solid results, combined with our strong place in the league, allowed us to dream of qualifying for European events in the second half of the season. By mid-March, we were eighth in the league, one point away from a European position.
Looking back, I believe we squandered a fantastic opportunity. However, several circumstances diverted us from our intended course of action.
In January, our performance had improved, and we were competing for Europe. We could have been more aggressive during that transfer window, adding competition to certain crucial positions. An additional forward, for example, is someone who can play within the box while also being good in the air. This was not practicable, however, and I accepted the club’s decision.
Our striker was Raúl Jiménez. He was an excellent player and a terrific friend who played with head protection that made it nearly hard for him to head the ball. We didn’t have somebody to replace Jiménez when he was injured or suspended, or to play beside him as a second center forward, as I prefer to do in some instances. There were other mobile players available, but none had the same traits as Jiménez to fill the role of number nine. That is essential in any team, but especially in a tournament as high-level and demanding as the Premier League.
Additionally, in January, Adama Traoré
loan to Barcelona. He had always been a key player for us, either playing from the start or coming from the bench to have an impact on games. He had been extremely important for us even that month, providing the assist for the winning goal at Old Trafford and scoring in our victory against Southampton. When he left, it was a major blow for the team. The squad had quality, but it was undersized. So losing any key player hurt us a lot. Especially in the centre of attack, where our depth was at its weakest.
“WITH ALL THE ADVERSITY WE HAD FACED, I THINK WE HAD A GOOD SEASON”
We also went into the last few games of the season without three of our first-choice defenders: Nélson Semedo, Max Kilman and Romain Saïss. All three were injured, and so was Rúben Neves – a very important midfielder for us in controlling the game. Hwang Hee-chan and Daniel Podence, who gave us solid performances and goals in attack, also had some muscular problems. They weren’t always able to feature.
I must admit that, aside from the injuries, the fact that some players were nearing the conclusion of their contracts did not help us achieve different outcomes in the final matches.
Finally, all of these inadequacies harmed our chances of qualifying for European football. We ended 10th in the Premier League, and despite the challenges we experienced, I believe we had a successful season.
We performed admirably both at our own stadium and away from home. We won eight Premier League away games, including one at Tottenham and one at Manchester United, which I previously noted. To put everything in perspective, Wolves hadn’t won at Old Trafford in over four
decades. It was unquestionably a historical victory. My overall impression of that season with Wolves is really favorable. Not only because of the results, but most importantly because of how we played. We did not play defensively in our triumphs over Tottenham and Manchester United. We attacked with courage and generated numerous opportunities.
However, I come from a winning culture, so that season remains somewhat frustrating to me. If we had fit players and a different way to replace Jiménez, we may have ended the league in the position we deserved. That ranked considerably higher for me than tenth.
“THAT WAS THE BIG MISTAKE WE MADE”
In the following pre-season, my first objective was to convince the management that the good results we had enjoyed could be repeated in the future. We had to foresee it.
Some players were coming to the end of their contracts, though, and we lost important players like Fernando Marçal, Romain Saïss and, early in the new season, Willy Boly, Conor Coady and Leander Dendoncker. Unfortunately, the club had failed to bring in enough replacements during pre-season. We only brought in a centre-back, Nathan Collins, from Burnley.
And that was the big mistake we made. I was very vocal, warning of the potential problems and insisting on having the new players for the pre-season, but I still hold myself responsible. Maybe I wasn’t persuasive enough about the importance of having the squad ready as soon as possible.
Any further reinforcements, who would come from outside England, would need time to adapt to a new country and, above all, to a competition like the Premier League.
To make matters worse, the following season was to have a modified calendar because of the World Cup in Qatar, which would be played in the middle of the English season (November/December 2022). As a result of this change, there were more matches than usual in August, September and October. This only added to the importance of that specific pre-season; we needed to prepare the team to play well and be competitive from very early on – and often every three days.
So, when the season began, my idea of what the squad should look like was very far from the reality. A competitive squad ensures healthy internal competition among the players: each day, every single player must know and feel that they have to fight for a spot in the next line-up.
“WE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM ON OUR HANDS AGAIN, AND IT WAS A BIG ONE”
Nevertheless, we had a fantastic pre-season. Raúl averaged almost a goal a game before getting injured in our final friendly. When you only have one centre-forward at your disposal, problems emerge. Starting the season without a centre-forward was clearly a limitation. The records show that, in that season, we never lost a game when we started with a recognised centre-forward.
So we started the season with a different dynamic than the one with which we had prepared the team during pre-season. We were playing well, with plenty of chances to score, but that was very difficult without a striker.
Our first win of that 2022/23 season came on matchday six, when we were finally able to count on newly signed centre-forward Sasa Kalajdzic. Sasa’s presence in the team gave us back the momentum we had been working on all pre-season, as well as that important reference in the striker position. Soon after, however, he too was injured, and didn’t play the rest of the season. We had the same problem on our hands again, and it was a big one.
My coaching staff and I have always believed in our capacity to overcome adversity, and we did the same with Wolves. However, the board chose to sever our connection. In such cases, it is always easier for the club to replace the manager.
Nonetheless, they later admitted the issues we had discovered, including the fact that the squad was not competitive enough for the Premier League. They needed to bring in quality players such as Craig Dawson, Mario Lemina, João Gomes, Pablo Sarabia, and Matheus Cunha.
We always gave our all in every moment. That is certainly what we accomplished in the 2021/22 season: 15 wins, eight of them away, 11 clean sheets, and 51 points. No one followed us
“CLUBS MUST LOOK AT MANAGERS AND UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY CAN PROVIDE IN THE LONGER TERM” 
I believe Wolves fans recognized the struggles we endured while at the club. It is extremely tough to score goals in the Premier League without a centre-forward. And the fans enjoyed how we performed in the first season. I always did my best to address difficulties with what I had on hand.
Before recently, I had never discussed my time at Wolves in the media. This is the first time I’ve done so, but I’m quite pleased of the job we did, and I realize that, most importantly, I look back on that period with very positive recollections.
Looking ahead, it would be good to find a project that is tailored to your specifications. One that reflects our beliefs about playing, training, and leadership, as well as our excellence-oriented culture, which is deeply ingrained in our DNA, and talented youth eager to play professional football. Short-term stability can be achieved through success, but more than ever, teams must look at managers and understand what they can provide in the long term. And, given the present players and available investment, what financial and competitive outcomes can the manager really expect?
We did this at Benfica, where we won titles using academy players while simultaneously achieving financial success. We also did this at Wolves, when we played fantastic football and helped Max Kilman solidify his position.
inside the team. Ideally, we would locate a new project where we could continue to use this strategy.
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