The era of Nuno Espirito Santo was perhaps one of the better times to be a Wolves fan in the modern age.
The Portuguese head coach had Wolves achieving milestones that, a few years before his arrival, fans would not have anticipated.
A big part of that success was, of course, his coaching, but he was also aided by being given a strong squad to compete with.
Something that the current batch of head coaches has not been given. However, Rob Edwards is said to be backed by Fosun in January.
The new Wolves chief would no doubt love to have just a sliver of the talent Nuno had at his disposal, and now one of the key men from that era is considering a big decision about his time in football.
Rui Patricio considering retirement after being left with no club
At the age of 37, Rui Patricio is beginning to think about life after his playing career.
According to journalist Nicolo Shira via Portuguese outlet O Jogo, the former Wolves number one is considering retirement, as he has been left without a club.
Patricio was linked with a move to Parma, but that deal never went through, and instead, he lingers on the free agent market.
The former Old Gold player was last signed with United Arab Emirates side Al Ain on a short-term deal over the Club World Cup.
It has been a long time at the top level for the goalkeeper, who spent 12 years at Sporting CP before joining Wolves in 2018.
It was an ambitious signing back then, with the shot-stopper having been a key member of Portugal’s EURO 2016 winning run just two years earlier, and it turned out to be quite the success.
When he left Wolves in 2021, both parties did not wish for their time together to end, but with just one year left on his contract, the club decided to cash in on Patricio.
Rui Patricio’s time at Wolves will be remembered well
Rui Patricio will always be remembered fondly at Molineux, and he was a key part of that Nuno Espirito Santo side that got through to the quarter-finals of the Europa League in 2019/2020.
The time around Patricio marked a much better period for Wolves supporters than it is now.
Patricio was a core component of a squad that had European aspirations, and now the roster is trying to fight off relegation.
Wolves seemingly had the ambition to become a staple of the top half of the Premier League table, and signing quality players like the Portuguese ‘keeper has been something they have failed to do recently.
Fosun need to look back at the time when the likes of Ruben Neves and Rui Patricio were at the club and try to replicate their success.
It was a model that worked, and what they are doing now is the total opposite. And the latest news out of Birmingham has only fuelled negative sentiment towards the owners.