Former manager Mick McCarthy has been very impressed with Nuno Espirito Santo’s work at Wolves.
Former manager Mick McCarthy has described Wolverhampton Wanderers as “the best team in the league” ahead of his return with Ipswich Town on Saturday, reports The Express and Star.
Wolves are four points clear at the top of the Championship as they prepare to welcome McCarthy back to Molineux, where he spent six years and led the club to promotion to the Premier League.
That is the aim for Nuno Espirito Santo this season, although the Portuguese coach has the luxury of much greater financial backing than McCarthy did when he was in the same hotseat.
Nevertheless, McCarthy has praised the Wolves boss for spending the money wisely and shaping “the best team in the league”, one which is both exciting in attack and resilient in defence.
The Express and Star quote McCarthy as saying: “Wolves are are doing very, very well. It’s took them a while to get it right but they seem to have got the right coach in Nuno Espirito Santo. The players that they’ve brought in, heavens, they had a £13m sub come on the other day.
“But what I’d say, they’ve spent money but it looks like it’s money well spent. Neves in midfield, they look a really good side with a really good team spirit.
“They’re very stoic in the fact they get 1-0 victories. Despite all this flair football, when they need to they’ve defended and won 1-0. I’ve been impressed with that.
“They look the best team in the league to me so it’ll be a tough old afternoon.”
McCarthy has never lost to Wolves as a manager, in 13 matches across spells at Millwall, Sunderland and Ipswich, who themselves are unbeaten at Molineux since 2006 and in seven meetings with McCarthy in charge.
A fine tactician and motivator, the 58-year-old has got Ipswich eighth in the Championship on a shoestring budget. Had he had Espirito Santo’s resources, Wolves may never have been relegated from the Premier League.
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