Can someone cut and paste its behind a paywall for me.
It is nearly four years since Nuno Espirito Santo first grabbed Wolverhampton Wanderers by the shirt collar, gave them an almighty shake and sparked a revolution that would win hearts and minds.
Promotion to the Premier League, a daring FA Cup run and European excursions have been delivered in that time, indelible memories which have put this famous old club back on the map.
There was always going to come a time when Nuno’s magic carpet ride of progress suffered turbulence and, finally, here we are. This season is proving to be excruciating.
The wimpish 4-0 home defeat to Burnley on Sunday was their worst performance under the Portuguese and has triggered inevitable fury, with the future of the head coach now being openly debated and questions over where Wolves go from here.
Frustration from supporters has only increased due to their absence from matches, with the negativity perceived as another classic example of a modern-day fanbase with short memories.
Yet, in truth, this has been building up for a while. Two successive seventh-placed finishes were always going to be difficult to match, but there have been signs of Wolves losing their direction and momentum for some time.
The football has been low on entertainment (and goals), key players are underperforming, and the recruitment is coming under scrutiny.
Key reasons for the slump
Nuno will undoubtedly point to matters out of his control as significant. This entire season has been played amid a pandemic and when Nuno refers to the absence of fans as a major factor it is not the equivalent of seeking ‘likes’ on Twitter.
He has been away from his family, who live in Porto, for much of the past 12 months and management is a lonely existence, against a backdrop of fears over their health and well-being. More than perhaps anyone at Wolves, he needs a break to recharge.
On the field, Nuno cannot have expected such poor fortune.
The loss of Raul Jimenez, who sustained a fractured skull in November, has been so costly and easily on a level with Tottenham being without Harry Kane or Leicester without Jamie Vardy.
His goals, link-up play and versatility have been impossible to replace. While Jimenez is still targeting a first-team return this season, there is a growing feeling that it would be far more sensible to wait until next season.
In Jimenez’s place, the attacking players have struggled. There are still high hopes for Fabio Silva, the teenager signed for £35 million in September, but this season was always going to be too soon for him.
Willian Jose has failed to impress after he was parachuted into the Premier League in January, scoring just one goal.
Other injuries have been costly too. Jonny, the Spanish wing-back, has suffered two serious injuries in the space of eight months.
Pedro Neto is arguably their player of the season, revelling in the challenge of helping Wolves in the absence of Jimenez, but will not return until next season after fracturing his patella. Daniel Podence missed two months earlier this year with an abductor injury.
And what of Wolves’ recruitment, which has been so widely admired since Nuno’s appointment?
His calculated gamble to sell Diogo Jota and Matt Doherty last summer has drawn some criticism, but was a move designed to usher in a new style of football more based on possession.
With Jota’s departure to Liverpool, Wolves were convinced Neto and Podence would step up and, in fairness, both those players have shown they can perform at this level.
Doherty had one year left on his contract at the age of 28 so Tottenham’s bid of £15 million was seen as decent business.
Nelson Semedo, the former Barcelona wing-back, has shown glimpses of promise in Doherty’s place but appears to have been shoehorned into the team, which is finding a new identity. Vitinha and Ki-Jana Hoever have barely figured.
Rayan Ait-Nouri, a loan signing from Angers, produced an outstanding debut against Crystal Palace but his form has fluctuated, though Wolves would point to the fact that he is still only 19.
Where do Wolves go from here?
Their owners, Fosun, are close to their five-year anniversary and remain fully committed, referencing "the next 20 years" in interviews last summer.
It is understood that they are unaffected by the financial issues encountered by some other Premier League investors based in China.
Funds will be made available this summer, though Wolves may have to raise more money by offloading players. That raises the prospect of players who need a fresh start, such as Ruben Neves, Willy Boly or Morgan Gibbs-White, pursuing new challenges next season.
Negotiations remain ongoing with Adama Traore over a new contract and there remains hope that he will sign. If talks do break down, Wolves would look for a substantial fee.
The policy will be similar to last year: no player will be sold unless a replacement can be found, or is already in the club. The club’s recruitment and scouting system will be widened.
Replacing Nuno at this stage would also be a huge risk. His future has been called into question but it is understood that he is hungry to “go again” next season, feeling a responsibility to rebuild the club for a second successive year and take them on another upward trajectory.
He signed a new three-year deal last September and, surely, deserves patience and time to find new solutions.
With five games left to play, including their derby against West Brom next Monday, Wolves need to finish with a flourish and provide some hope for the future.
Nuno certainly needs that old Wolverhampton motto, Out of Darkness Cometh Light, to prove accurate.
There you go GW.
