Nuno’s sacking was a complete shock but then again it wasn't really. By the standards of the last three years, this season had been a failure. Injuries to key players have not helped, flogging Jota hasn't either as even when off form he was a tough little fucker to mark for ninety minutes...having empty stadiums has probably affected Wolves more than most too. Yes, all fans like to think they’re the loudest but the amount of pros who comment on Molineux‘s noise is a testament to our level of shoutiness..All this has taken a toll on the squad and most notably on Nuno.
He was beginning to look like a shell of the man we had taken to our hearts and had also taken us to our hearts too. Much of the football we played was a mirror image of how Nuno appeared to us. Lacking sparkle, imagination, totally moribund...but what can you expect from a loving, caring family man who was estranged from his kith and kin by a thousand miles for the best part of fifteen months? I defy anyone not to be badly affected by that...
But I don't want to focus on the last year and a bit. I’d rather focus on Nuno’s time at Wolves as a whole. Did he leave the club in a better position than when he came? Yes. Are there better players there now than when he came? Yes. Has he given the Wolves fans pride in their club? Yes. Has he got a magnificently luxurious beard? Yes.
It wasn't only about football though. Wolverhampton is the staple of music hall jokes up and down the land and has been for many years. We usually get it shoved down our throats about what a shithole the place is and by extension the people too.That’s nonsense of course but that drip, drip of negativity wears you down and it seemed to wear the city down too, so when a parade of exotic strangers from far away places come into town and start handing out compliments about the city it galvanised everyone, even those like me who haven't lived there for many years...what makes it better was how heartfelt it all was. If Nuno was a snake oil salesman he was a bloody good one...
In the words of Ron Manager “Football is a cruel mistress” and it certainly can be but Nuno was afforded the send-off he deserved and there was plenty of tears shed both from him, his staff and fans alike...not only did he help the club believe in themselves. He helped the fans believe in themselves also. Hell, he even helped a whole city believe in itself! There are not many football people I take notice of and listen to when they speak but when Nuno waxed I was ready to drink that Kool-Aid...
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So thank you Nuno for bringing pride back to my club and back to my city. A city that will never forget you and your wonderful contribution to its wealth fare and if there’s a go fund me for a huge fuck-off Nuno The Redeemer statue I'm in...
