When Wolverhampton Wanderers decided to sack Bruno Lage, few were expecting them to go this long without a manager.
Normally, when a club makes such a big move, they either have a replacement already lined-up or have a good idea of whether or not they can sign someone quickly, but in Wolves’ case, well, that isn’t what’s happened.
Julen Lopetegui was seen as the favourite, yet when sacked by Sevilla, he decided against taking up the Molineux job to spend time with his family.
Then came Pedro Martins, who turned down the chance to manage Hull City in hope of something better, which Wolves can certainly offer him, but despite claims from Portugal that an agreement was close, nothing concrete has followed.
This has led to a lot of talk of Nuno Espírito Santo, currently in a role at Al-Ittihad, returning to his former club to save the day, but that isn’t happening either according to the man himself.
He addressed the speculation in a press conference after a 1-0 win over Al-Wehda, relayed by Arriyadiyah: “My life in football as a player and manager is long. Everything about my exit from the Federation is rumours, and my mind is now focused on the team’s camp and how to prepare it during the down time.
“We will work during the coming period to play with two squads after the players return from the World Cup break. I wish the Saudi national team success in the World Cup.”
That doesn’t sound like a man about to leave his job to return to Wolves, and it seems the Premier League club will have to continue in their search elsewhere for a new manager.
