Managerial setback for Silas – Wolves' Where Are They Now?
Wolves’ love affair with the Portuguese is there for all to see – and it has been a fruitful relationship over the past few years.
Nuno Espirito Santo has transformed the club, with the help of compatriots Ruben Neves, Diogo Jota, Joao Moutinho and Rui Patricio.
And that contingent should come in handy as Wolves host Braga in the Europa League tomorrow.
But not every player from Portugal has turned out to be a success for Wolves.
Silas, it has to be said, goes down as the biggest flop of the lot.
“We’ve picked up an absolute bargain because if he fulfils his potential he’ll be fantastic,” said boss Dave Jones upon signing the midfielder from Leiria in 2003 for £1million.
Well, Silas did not fulfil his potential in gold and black – he did not come remotely close to doing so.
Three years at Molineux yielded only nine appearances, no goals, and loan spells away at Maritimo and Belenenses.
He has just been dealt the first major setback in his managerial career, too.
Given he played under a young Jose Mourinho at Leiria, we should not be surprised Silas sought out life calling the shots on the touchline.
But after 61 games in charge of Belenenses SAD – the new name of the club he used to play for, after reformation last year – he was sacked earlier this month.
Five games into this season, Silas had failed to guide his team to a win, or even a goal.
They lost 1-0 to Santa Clara in the Allianz Cup, 2-0 and 1-0 to Benfica and Boavista respectively in the Primeira Liga, and drew 0-0 with both Portimonense and Santa Clara.
It has been reported in Portugal that Silas and the club gradually got on less over the last several months of his reign.
And when the results started to turn, there was no other outcome.
Belenenses SAD won their first game without Silas too, beating Maritimo 3-1 last weekend. But, hopefully, he returns to the dugout soon and finds success.
You suspect he is not throwing in the towel as, despite failing at Wolves, he carried on playing until he was 40. He is certainly a determined character.
