Jamie Redknapp has raved over four Wolves players as he hailed the Premier League new boys as the best promoted team since Kenny Dalglish’s Blackburn Rovers.
Writing in his weekly Daily Mail column, the high-profile pundit claimed the Midlands giants have recruited shrewdly and play “exciting, attacking football with the swagger of an established Premier League team”.
Redknapp identified four of the regulars who have particularly impressed him, midfield duo Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho, and centre-backs Willy Boly and Conor Coady.
“Their relationship with agent Jorge Mendes has allowed them to bring in some serious talent,” Redknapp wrote in the Mail. “Last season it was Ruben Neves, who lit up the Championship with his box-office long-range goals.
“Now the midfielder is working in perfect harmony with Joao Moutinho, a player who I have admired for a long time. Whenever I saw him in action for Monaco and Portugal I thought he had the aggression and dynamism to thrive in the Premier League. He capped a dominant display with a sensational strike at Old Trafford.
“Wolves may be thrilling to watch but they are resolute in defence, too. Willy Boly is a warrior and I love that they are captained by a Scouser in Conor Coady.”
OPINION
The quartet identified by Redknapp have all began the season in fine fettle, with the three-man defence suiting the playing styles of Liverpool academy product Coady and Frenchman Boly. The pair are teak-tough, and are improving by the week, especially in terms of composure and distribution. But it is the Portugese central midfield pairing of Neves and Moutinho that really make Wolves sing. The pair are at different stages of their career, the 21-year-old Neves is a rising star of European football, while 32-year-old Moutinho is a more established class act. They are on the completely the same wavelength and are dovetailing beautifully in a team built so expertly and shrewdly by manager Nuno Espirito Santo. It shows what an impact smart recruitment can make when combined with a coach with the skills, experience and passion to get the most out of them.