Nuno Espirito Santo says pay-per-view 'clearly not working' for fans

Nuno Espirito Santo is the latest Premier League manager to criticise the pay-per-view model, insisting it is “clearly not working”.

Wolves will face Crystal Palace at Molineux on Friday night with the game costing supporters £14.95, and Nuno believes the low viewing figures prove the experiment is failing.

Many Wolves supporters are planning to boycott the televised match and have donated the money to charities including The Well food bank  in Wolverhampton.

The Premier League resisted calls to slash prices earlier this week after a meeting of the 20 clubs, despite average viewing figures of under 40,000.

Supporters have been unable to attend top-flight games since last season was paused on March 13, with Nuno frequently vocal on how the absence of fans has affected his team.

He said: “I think it is clear that it is not working. The numbers show that the fans are not engaging to what is happening now and it’s evident that it’s not working.

“They should find a better solution. Unfortunately the perfect one [fans being permitted to attend games] is one that we can’t have. I don’t have a solution for it.”

Nuno, meanwhile, has admitted Wolves will have to show patience with record £35 million signing Fabio Silva as he adjusts to English football.

Silva, 18, arrived from Porto in September with a huge reputation but has played just 40 minutes as a substitute in the league so far this season.

In Wolves’s last three games he has been an unused substitute, yet Nuno said the teenager is firmly in his plans.

“He is a goalscorer and he can definitely help us,” said the Wolves head coach. “It requires time and it is a big change.

“He has the squad to help him and he is speaking the language better. Step by step he will get there.

“He has been involved in previous games, but not always at the best moment or with a favourable score. He is working very hard and every minute of the training session has to be very useful for him.”

Wolves could go second in the table with a big win over Palace.