Nuno On Brink Of Stepping Up

We will have great delight later this week in making a new addition to one of the unique areas of this website.

That’s because Thursday’s Europa League return against Crusaders in Belfast marks Nuno’s 100th league or cup match in charge of Wolves.

Our Managers section pays tribute to the 12 men who have previously reached this worthy landmark – now the bearded Portuguese genius is about to take his place in the elite group.

The healthy number of cup games the club have earned the right to play in over the last two years mean the milestone has been reached in good time.

He becomes the first man to oversee 100 games from the Wolves dug-out since Kenny Jackett, Mick McCarthy having gone to the same mark more than a decade ago.

McCarthy went on to manage in 270 games and stand sixth in the list while Jackett’s final tally of 150 has him in joint tenth spot alongside Ronnie Allen.

There is another list on this site that we are monitoring with interest as the countdown to 2019-20 continues.

That elite band of players who have made more than 200 appearances for the club now stands at 84 and we are keeping an eye on the next likely entrant to their number.

As Matt Doherty continues his recovery from injury and eagerly ponders when he will be able to add to his Wanderers tally of 252 games, one team-mate is head and shoulders above the rest of the Molineux playing staff.

Conor Coady’s outing in the victory over Crusaders four days ago was his 180th for the club – a total stretching across just over four years of service in the West Midlands.

We estimate therefore that the captain will reach the 200-match milestone sometime towards the season’s mid-way point, form and fitness permitting.

Doherty’s outstanding form and availability leave him 44th in the list of Wolves’ highest all-time appearance makers, with Richard Stearman the player immediately above him.

The next manager Nuno is due to overhaul is Sammy Chung, who was in charge of 108 Wolves matches from the summer of 1976 to November, 1978.