Wolverhampton Wanderers have endured a trialling time since the departure of Nuno Espirito Santo in 2021.
Three managers have had the unenviable task of attempting to eclipse the former's achievements but have failed dramatically.
The Portuguese manager took Wolves back to the Premier League and led them on a European journey, reaching the Europa League quarter-finals in the 2019/20 season, but those preceding him have led the Old Gold in the opposite direction.
Looking down the table rather than up, their plight at the bottom of the league table hasn't been helped by the Financial Fair Play (FFP) restrictions imposed onto the club as Wolves were forced into selling their prized assets before they were able to spend this summer.
While a grey cloud is hanging over Molineux currently, the arrival of Nuno in 2017 and the astute recruitment that followed, proved to be the catalyst for their recent success.
With the backing of super agent Jorge Mendes, the Old Gold were able to attract some of Portugal's brightest young talents as Diogo Jota and Ruben Neves shocked the footballing world when they swapped Champions League football for the Championship.
Those two signings, in particular, demonstrated their ambitious intent, inspiring them to win the title at a canter.
How much did Wolves sign Diogo Jota for?
Signed on a season-long loan spell from Atletico Madrid in 2017, Jota quickly showcased his explosive finishing attributes, notching up an impressive ten goals before January as Wolves exercised the option to make his move a permanent one at the end of the season.
Securing the services of the 21-year-old for around £12m (€14m) would prove to be one of the best pieces of business the club has ever done.
The Portuguese, who possessed boundless amounts of talent, settled in quickly to the physical demands required in the Championship and during his stellar 2017/18 campaign – in which he recorded 23 goal contributions in 44 appearances – Jota admitted that he's adapted to his game to suit the second tier and is coping with the rough treatment.
He said: "I tried to adapt my game. In Portugal we don’t have a physical game like here."
With his ferocious physical attributes and phenomenal technical attributes coming to life in the second tier, Jota would soon translate those performance levels into the Premier League as Wolves qualified for Europe on their top-flight return while Jota chalked up nine goals and five assists in 33 appearances.
In the following campaign, his impact in the final third would slow down with only seven goals in 34, however, that drop in form didn't warn Jurgen Klopp away from his talents.
Prior to his move to Liverpool, the enigmatic German admitted in an interview with BBC Sport: "He's been on my list for two or three years" and Klopp's dream of working with the player would come true.
How much did Wolves sell Diogo Jota for?
Wolves desperately tried to hold on to Jota but when Liverpool came calling with a £41m bid in the summer of 2020, it was impossible for 33-cap international to turn down the opportunity to play with world-class players.
Seeing Jota depart would have been a bitter pill to swallow for Nuno and perhaps a contributing factor to their drop down the table, but the sale of the Portuguese did make them 241% increase on their initial £12m investment.
Now an integral part of the Liverpool side aiming to challenge for the Premier League title, Klopp's admiration for the player has only grown stronger since he made the switch to Merseyside.
How good is Diogo Jota now?
Lauded as "exceptional" and "so valuable" to the Reds by his manager, Jota has used the competition from the likes of Cody Gakpo, Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez as fuel to shine in the face of adversity, exemplifying his talents through his ability to make a decisive impact despite restricted game time.
The £140k per-week star is brilliant at combining his movement in the box with explosive finishing to provide a consistent source of attacking output.
Indeed, according to FBref, he ranks in the top 1% against his positional peers across Europe for non-penalty goals, top 4% for assists, top 8% for touches in the attacking penalty box and despite his 5 foot 10 frame, uses his sublime jumping power to place within the top 7% for aerials won, all per 90.
Since Jota departed Wolves, it's no surprise to see their output in the final third take a dramatic tumble, and Liverpool's improve exponentially.
