Nuno Espirito Santo has been speaking ahead of Wolves’ crunch Premier League clash with Leeds United, and the manager is very much looking forward to coming up against two Whites players in particular.
The game at Elland Road is a real chance for Wolves to make a statement following a pretty mediocre start to the 2020/21 season.
The team have picked up six points from a possible 12 which is not awful, but performances have been disjointed so far.
Things haven’t yet clicked, but one would hope everything starts to fall into place soon.
Tonight’s game will be a very tough one though, with Leeds having impressed in the Premier League early doors.
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Marcelo Bielsa’s side have two wins, took a point off Manchester City last time out and went toe-to-toe with Liverpool on the opening day, narrowly losing 4-3 in the end.
The Whites have some brilliant players, but Nuno was focused on two he knows well in the build-up to the game.
He said (Leeds Live): “So that season was not the best for him [Helder Costa], but in the first season we were in the Premier League, he was immense and had a huge impact on the team.
“He’s a very talented player, but things happen naturally, players move from here to another place. It happens in football. Honestly, I’m delighted he’s showing his quality and enjoying his football.
“It will be a pleasure to see both Rodrigo and Helder again. I have bonds with them that will last forever. It gave me enormous pleasure, working with them both. They are two fantastic players. Talented players.”
Costa only left Wolves permanently a few months ago after spending 2019/20 on loan at Elland Road, while Nuno worked with Rodrigo at Valencia six years ago.
Wolves defence must be unshakable
Leeds really have the potentially to rip any team apart and so Willy Boly, Conor Coady and Romain Saiss or whoever is selected back there need to be fully focused.
It’s also a big test for the wing-backs. Nelson Semedo can prove some of the doubters of his defensive abilities wrong with a good display tonight.
Costa and Rodrigo are indeed two dangerous players, but realistically Bielsa has threats throughout his team and Wolves have a job on their hands.