After winning the Championship in style during 2017/18, preparations are now in place for the Premier League, with each member of Nuno’s side expected to return for pre-season in good condition.
Players have been given fitness programmes to maintain their condition over the summer and Nuno is already looking forward to the first day of pre-season training with his side.
“The players are going to rest, but they have obligations on holiday, because this year we have seven weeks of holiday,” he said. “They have watches we’re going to control.
“It’s not just a holiday, they have to be prepared because 27th June is the first day we have to improve and the first day we start working for the first game.
“I’ll only take things game by game, my first step is the 27th June, having the boys ready to start working and then 9th August the first game.”
Groundwork is vital not only on the training pitch but also behind-the-scenes, as Nuno and the Wolves staff begin to prepare a squad to make the club competitive in the top flight.
“For the coach, now is the part to really start thinking and making decisions, some of them you have to make whether they’re popular or not. We will make each decision face-to-face, telling them the reason for it.
“We want to keep on growing and getting better, so players will come of course, but we know what we want and at the right moment our fans will know.
“People are working really hard, Kev (Thelwell) and the scouting department, and now it’s time for decisions. Now’s the right time, not during the competition. Finish, celebrate and now let’s get to work.”
Given tremendous backing all season, Nuno is aware of the positive impact Premier League football will have on Wolverhampton and is delighted to have delivered in his debut season in English football.
“We’ve realised what it’s meant, for not just the club, but the city. It’s the surroundings and the people, it’s making our fans feel proud to wear the shirt.
“This is what me and the players work for, we support each other and are proud of being part of something which is on the move. It’s moving, it’s growing, it’s building.
“Things are changing, we have a big, big challenge in front of us. We go there motivated and will do OK.
“Our expectations are simple, we have to bounce back from the last game. We lost the last game of the competition, let’s bounce back in the first game of the next competition in the Premier League,” he added.
