Conor Coady and Matt Doherty interview: Wolves pair chat form, Nuno and the star men at Molineux
Friday 15 December 2017 12:15, UK
It may be the big-name arrivals that have captured all the headlines at Wolves this season, but defence has been just as important as attack in their rise to the top of the Sky Bet Championship.
Centre-back Conor Coady and wing-back Matt Doherty, however, are more than aware of the impact the new signings and manager Nuno Espirito Santo have made.
This time last year Wolves were 20th in the table, two points off relegation. Ahead of their trip to Sheffield Wednesday on Friday night, live on Sky Sports Football, they are four points clear of second-placed Cardiff.
"The new boys have come in and done fantastically well, pushing the club and everything about it on to a new level," Coady told Sky Sports.
"Since they've come in they've bought into everything we're about, what the club is about and what England and the Championship are about. They've been superb since they've been here and helped us get better as players as well."
There had been talk that the likes of Ruben Neves and Diogo Jota may literally freeze up once the cold Championship winter rolled around. There was a slip up and a goalless draw at home to Sunderland at the weekend but, other than that, there has been little sign of that happening.
"I don't think that will be the case at all," said Doherty. "I mean, some of us British boys are wearing gloves! Against Birmingham some of [the Portuguese boys] were wearing a T-shirt to warm up and I was wearing a jacket!"
Jota, Neves and Bonatini were the three big arrivals in the summer and all have contributed massively to their success so far this campaign.
"Jota is an unbelievable player," added Doherty. "Neves has a range of passing which is probably the best I've ever played with and Bonatini is a really elegant striker and a silky finisher.
"They've all hit the ground running and there are no egos or big-time boys."
But if there is a barrier at the club, it only exists in terms of understanding Coady, something the Merseyside native amusingly acknowledged.
"I speak the way I speak and you can see sometimes they just nod and don't have a clue what I'm saying!" he joked. "But they've been fantastic since they've come in. They listen and try and help the team as much as possible."
Doherty has seen a lot in his time at Molineux. Wolves have had 29 different managers in their history, but he has seen eight of them in his seven years at the club.
"I've managed to survive it all so far! But this is probably the most enjoyable period," he said. "There have been times in the past where I've been playing well and enjoying it, but now we're top of the league at the same time.
"There have been a lot of ups and downs. I came here when we were in the Premier League, then there was the double relegation and the promotion straight back to the Championship. Then there was the period of about a year where I wasn't playing before I came back in at left-back. Ever since then I've managed to stay in the team."
And he has no doubt that the current incumbent at Molineux is better than any manager he's worked with in the past. Nuno has turned Doherty into a rampaging wing-back and Coady into a composed sweeper.
"They're the best I've worked with so far," Doherty said. "The attention to detail [is unbelievable]. They're never just throwing together a session they're always working on your weaknesses and trying to improve you."
Coady added: "All the boys knew about where he'd been and that he'd managed at Valencia and Porto in the Champions League. We were aware of his calibre and we wanted to be a part of what was happening at the club, and luckily we are at the minute."
It's safe to say that Wolves are overwhelming favourites to win promotion and lift the title this season. But Doherty was quick to insist that going up isn't even discussed at this stage in the dressing room.
"We don't speak about it at all, honestly! But we know we're a good team playing with a lot of confidence and it will have to be a good team that beats us," he said. "We've slipped a couple of times but always gone on a bit of a run after that."
Coady isn't getting carried away either. Dropping points at home against Sunderland last week proves that no result is a sure thing at this level.
"You always want to get promoted but everyone knows how tough the Championship is and we're not going to get too far ahead of ourselves," he said. "There's a busy period coming up and any team can do you damage.
"We've got to be on it every week to win games and we're just concentrating on how we do."
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Next up is Sheffield Wednesday, underperforming at 15th in the table and with a boss in Carlos Carvalhal who is under pressure.
Equally, they're the prime example of a side who could and would beat anyone on their day.
"Considering the players they have it's quite surprising," said Doherty. "They've been in the mix the last few seasons and none of their players have left. But they've got a lot of experience and I'm sure they'll come good again."
While Coady added: "They're a top team and have players who can really hurt you, and we'll need to concentrate for the 90 minutes."
Don't miss the Sky Bet Championship clash between Sheffield Wednesday and Wolves on Friday night, live on Sky Sports Football from 7pm
