Wolves boss Nuno fully aware of Black Country derby importance
Nuno Espirito Santo insists the importance of the Black Country derby was made clear to him as soon as he landed on these shores to take the Wolves job.
Wolves going up against Albion at Molineux - nine years on from the last meeting between the fierce rivals.
It is Nuno's first derby, but he is well aware of how much it means to supporters.
He says beating the Baggies was the first thing he was told to do when he arrived in England during the summer of 2017.
"From the first day I arrive. I remember, now he's a friend of mine, he picked me up at the airport," said Nuno.
"He helped me carry my bags and when I sat down, I recall that he said 'I don't care about anything else, I just want you to beat West Brom'.
"That was the first message that he gave to me, a long, long time ago!
"So, I think everybody inside the club is aware of what it means to supporters."
Both sides go into the game needing a victory, with Wolves looking to halt a five-match winless run in the Premier League.
Many players have etched their names into folklore after past derbies, but Nuno is focused on the group over individuals potentially becoming heroes.
"We don't think about that. This is a consequence of what we have to do," he said.
"It's not our spirit. First, it's the team, then the individual. It's always about the team and the squad - everyone who works here. It's never an individual.
"Let's think about how we're going to do things. After, we'll see.
"We have prepared well, and we are ready."
It is a new experience for Nuno and all of his players, though skipper Conor Coady has also stressed it is a game he was wanted to play in ever since he joined the club six years ago.
On if there has been a different feeling amongst the group, Nuno added: "No. We just notice that we need to improve.
"We need to improve, and it's not about only me being concerned - it's a general feeling.
"This is a good chance to bounce back from what happened in the previous game.
"That's what it always been since three and a half years ago.
"When you have a bad performance or the game doesn't go as you wish, the next one is the opportunity to do things better.
"So, we want to perform well and compete well. This is the feeling of the squad."
