Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa is one of the signings of the Premier League season – with Gary Neville awarding him the title of the year. Monday night football. Sa himself is delighted.
“I saw it,” he says. Sky Sports, A smile on his face. “It’s good to see a legend with a big name in football talk about me. Of course, I’m very excited about being in the best league in the world.”
He deserves recognition. The Wolves were crucial, as they have only conceded twice in their last seven games. Only Manchester City have the best defensive record in the Premier League right now.
Sa has been making savings and his presence has been felt especially proactively. Rui Patricio, a former Wolves player, has won the 100th Century trophy for Portugal. Sa is waiting for his debut, but the feeling among fans is that he can only improve.
“Rui is a very good goalkeeper so it was difficult to replace him, it is not easy at all. But we have a very good team here. They helped me get used to the league, football, and that helped me a lot. But it gave me the confidence to help them.”
Importantly, the opportunity came at the right time. Sa 28 is an adult goalkeeper. “Maybe a year earlier might be better. But I think if I had waited another year it might have been too late. It’s too late.”
Three seasons of European football with Olympiacos, winning two league titles. “Because I played a lot,” he explains. “This helped me grow because I wanted to play, I needed confidence. The past years have been great for me.”
They were important because he had played amazingly before. As a youngster at Benfica Academy – at the same time with Wolves boss Bruno Lodge – he moved to Martitimo as a substitute goalkeeper before being appointed to Porto for the great Iker Casillas.
“Even young goalkeepers teach you something because you don’t know everything. You always learn.
Now Sa is ready for his own attention. With the help of new Wolves goalkeeper Tony Roberts, he has improved. “Tony is a great man, a good friend and a great coach. All goalkeepers learn from him. I have improved a lot.”
Perhaps it is worthwhile to look at some statistics to determine the impact of the San Wolves. He has saved four of his five shots on the penalty spot, the best of any Premier League goalkeeper – and not particularly close.
If those statistics are a bit misleading – depending on the quality of the bullets fired – consider the expected data. This depends on the exact location, type, and location of the target. Again, Sa comes out with huge credit.
These numbers show that Sa has four or five goals more than the average goalkeeper. He is second in the Premier League behind Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsdale – another summer signing who is much admired, but worth more.
These amazing ceasefire statistics are just part of the story. Sa is the second-in-command of the right guard – to snatch him before the chances of him coming off the line.
“Before I came to the Wolves, I used to love going out of my way,” says S. “I like to win when he plays the ball behind the defender. But here we are doing a lot because the coach wants the defenders to be high and I have to be there to help them.”
The ball is comfortable on his feet. “We train every day. Always. I have to do it.” At times, he may even seem a little too attached to the needs of the people. “I let people feel relaxed. Inside, I have butterflies,” he said.
But his distribution has made a huge difference to Wolves’ game, not all short-term. Volleyballs on the field are bringing the team to the field and threatening to counter-attack.
Ngolo Cante does not want to talk about the penalty kick against Chelsea. “It’s always the same on us. It wasn’t the first.” But Raul Jimenez scored one goal against Southampton as he ran for the winner.
“I’m still happy,” he said. “I could have done two or three at Olympiacos but they didn’t score. Raoul scored. I’m trying to do different things.
It is easy to imagine why those players welcomed San to the team and why he calmed down so quickly. He played against Daniel Podensse at the Olympiakos, and Ruben Neves was on the bench with Willie Bolly during his final game against Porto.
“I also know a lot of guys from the national team. They are amazing players and it would be nice if they could help me get used to my new life because when you have a lot of Portuguese players you can ask them about the rules here. It can help you.
“But the other guys are amazing. We have an amazing team and I think this is reflected in the table and we work as a family. If I’m wrong, my friend is by my side. If they make a mistake I will be there for them.”
“This is the case with all the players. It gives me more confidence because I know they will always be for me. As a goalkeeper you need a good defense. When you have a goalkeeper who can help you, b.
“At first we were training because we had a new coach with a new strategy but we are improving and we are happy.”
Live MNF
Monday, January 3, 5:00 p.m.
Monday, live Sky Sports, That will be tested when the Wolves play Manchester United at Old Trafford. For Sa, he promises to be his first game with Cristiano Ronaldo. “I have practiced with him but I have never played with him. It will be surprisingly difficult.”
Sa, who spent three years in Madera with Maritimo, understands better than most that he opposes the Portuguese icon. The airport there is named after Ronaldo, although Sa says he has not visited the player’s private museum in the Sea of Fun.
The match will be a reminder of how far Sa has come. “We want to win at Old Trafford. I came here to play in these great stadiums. That was the goal.” For first-time signatories, it’s time to think about how much the new year wants to go.
He is sincere about the Wolves targets. “We can go to European competitions and we are fighting for that.” His hopes are clear, as he hopes for the first World Cup this year. “It’s a dream and I will fight for it one day.
“We’ll see until then. I’m here to learn and improve.
“I want to be better tomorrow.”
Watch Manchester United v Wolves live in the Sky Sports Premier League on Monday at 5pm. Home – 5:30 p.m.
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