‘We Won’t Be Changing Our Approach’

Nuno Espirito Santo has insisted that Wolves will not be changing their footballing approach just because they are away from home ahead of this weekend’s trip to Pride Park Stadium.

Derby County will host the Portuguese head coach’s side for their first home fixture of the 2017/18 Sky Bet Championship season on Saturday, kick-off: 3pm.

The meeting also represents Wolves’ first on the road this campaign after starting with back-to-back home fixtures.

Santo’s side won both of the games 1-0 – against a Middlesbrough side strongly fancied for an immediate return to the Premier League, and against League 2 Yeovil Town in the Carabao Cup.

With two wins and two clean sheets recorded, Santo is satisfied with the start his Wolves side have made to the season, but insists there is more to come.

“I’m happy, but I’m not delighted,” the 43-year-old told Wolves.co.uk.

“There is still a long way to go, but this start to the season has proved that with hard work and spirit we can do things.

“We have to progress and we have to get better because as the season goes on we are going to face different opponents and different challenges – starting on Saturday against a very good team.

“It’s going to be a tough game, but we’re ready for it.”

With this weekend’s game being the first away from the comforts of Molineux, it will, naturally, pose a very different challenge.

Santo, though, insists his side will not be changing how they approach games, whether they are at home or away.

Instead, he has called on his players to prove they have the character to play style of play he wants from them on the road.

Looking ahead to the weekend, he added: “Derby is going to be a tough game. They have a good team, good players and a good coach.

“We know what we are going to face because we have prepared the team and prepared the players. For me, it’s all about us and what we can do on the pitch.

“It doesn’t matter whether we are playing away or at home. We have to have the character to play our own game.

“This is the first one (away from home) and we will try to do that. It’s about building a philosophy for the long-term and if you change from it, you are stepping from that path.

“We won’t change our ideas or our processes and we will have the same preparations for games, whether they are at home or away.”