West Ham and Wolves began the Championship season as clear favourites for automatic promotion.

However, it is fair to say that neither side has particularly wowed in the first few months of the season, despite the fact that they are both very much in contention to finish in the top two.

The Hammers have made a coaching change, with Scott Parker taking over from Nuno Espírito Santo.

That demonstrates how important earning promotion is for the Irons, and the Wolves are in a similar situation.

Cesar Peixoto has failed to receive a full buy-in from Wolves fans.

To begin, there is no suggestion that Peixoto will lose his job, and Wolves will correctly point out that they are ahead of West Ham in the league.

Some may argue that Nuno was fired with his club only four points behind second place, thus it would be even harsher if Peixoto was fired, given that Wanderers are third and only two points behind Swansea heading into the midweek games.

Nonetheless, there is no doubting that Peixoto still does not have the support of all Wolves fans, which is partly due to their poor performances.

The Portuguese head coach has no discernible playing style, and his frequent changes to the starting lineup are perplexing.

Furthermore, some fans are dissatisfied with his fondness for particular players and replacements, which is why cries of ‘you don’t know what you’re doing’ were directed at Peixoto during Wolves’ recent win against Watford!

Nuno Espírito Santo remains a popular figure at Molineux.

The task for Peixoto will be to duplicate Nuno’s success at Molineux by returning the team to the Premier League.

However, the circumstances are extremely different, and even if they win promotion, Peixoto will not receive the same level of praise as his former Porto comrade.

Nuno’s appointment at Wolves in 2017 marked the beginning of a fantastic journey for the Midlands club, during which they reached heights that few believed were feasible.

As a result, Nuno is regarded as a Molineux legend, having produced the best team in decades, as Wolves returned to the European stage and routinely bloodied the noses of the country’s best clubs.

Furthermore, he bought into the city’s values and formed a special link with its followers.

Many Wolves fans would love to see Nuno Espírito Santo return.

Following that, it appears that any Wolves manager since Nuno has been unfairly compared to him, despite the fact that the owners’ ambition is nowhere near what it once was.

So, with the news of his dismissal, it’s unavoidable that some fans will clamour for Nuno to return to the place he considers ‘home’ as the former Nottingham Forest manager.

Of course, that will not be the opinion of every fan, but Nuno’s departure statement in 2021 stated that this is ‘not a goodbye, it’s see you soon’, implying that he, too, is open to returning at some point.

Despite his shaky start to the season with West Ham, Nuno would be regarded as a coup by any Championship club, so if Peixoto struggles at any stage, it is not difficult to think that calls for the former manager to return will rise, especially given his availability.

Cesar Peixoto must accept the strain at Wolves.

You have pity for Peixoto since this is not his fault, and it is causing him a headache and distraction that he does not need just months into his Wolves career.

Furthermore, it’s not like he is actively loathed by Wolves fans; rather, he hasn’t completely won them over, and some will be overjoyed with their league place.

But, right or wrong, Nuno’s availability will inevitably add some pressure, and it will definitely be brought up with Peixoto at some point.

However, this does not have to be a bad thing; if he accepts the pressure, he will be able to try to develop his own relationship with the supporters.

Ultimately, they both want the same thing: Wolves to join the Premier League, preferably with elegant football.

Instead of Nuno’s shadow looming in the background, he must embrace it as incentive to leave his mark at Molineux, even if he is unlikely to match his legacy.