Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo has revealed his admiration for Manuel Pellegrini as he looks to put more pressure on the West Ham manager.
The Molineux men travel to the Hammers on Saturday, with both sides winless from their opening three Premier League games.
Pellegrini spent around £100million in the summer as he conducted a huge revamp, bringing in Felipe Anderson, Issa Diop and Fabian Balbuena among others.
West Ham are bottom of the early table, conceding nine goals, but Nuno respects Pellegrini, who won the Premier League with Manchester City in 2014.
He said: “We met in a UEFA Forum in 2014-15. It was a big moment for me because it was the first time I had been to the forum of managers in the Champions League.
“We have met at the Premier League lunch, we speak, I admire him because of the clubs he has managed and the way he did it.
“I really appreciate it and admire him as a coach but it’s two teams, two managers – the players, they are the artists of the game.
“There’s no ideal opponent, you cannot choose, you have to adapt, face them, stay humble and fight for each ball.
“We’re going to go with our idea, respect West Ham and play the game. We are motivated and prepared so let’s hope for a good game.”
Ivan Cavaleiro is the only absentee for Wolves, with the forward struggling with a back problem.