With his mouth now stretched beyond the bounds of human imagination, Mick McCarthy, as usual, started well in his new job.
He got Wolves to fifth in 2006/07 before losing in the play-offs to West Brom. The next season he only managed seventh, missing out on sixth courtesy of Watford’s superior goal difference, but the third time did indeed turn out to be lucky for McCarthy.
Wolves won the Championship with ease last year as Manchester United youth player Sylvain Ebanks-Blake amassed 25 goals, including this corker against Charlton.
Still, winning the Championship is no guarantee of Premiership survival, although the teams going up this year will no doubt look to Stoke and Hull and feel they could emulate their success.
With Wigan, Sunderland, Portsmouth, the aforementioned Stoke and Hull, and newly promoted Birmingham and Burnley all likely to be swilling round the relegation mixer this season, Wolves will have every right to fancy themselves to stay up.
A good start will be crucial, not only because of morale but also because their opening fixtures constitute one of the easiest runs they’re going to get all season.
At home to West Ham on the opening day, then away to Wigan before a 5-0 battering away at Man City and then a home tie against Hull. If they don’t get at least five points from those, heads might start to drop. A couple of bad performances in the back-to-back fixtures away at Sunderland and at home to Portsmouth at the end of September could then effectively end their season, and McCarthy’s tenure.
As for bolstering their squad, the only names added so far have been Reading’s veteran keeper Marcus Hahnemann and Red Star Belgrade’s Nenad Milijas, who they apparently pinched from under the nose of Roma.
Milijas is an attacking midfielder who scored 16 goals last season, and at age 26 he fits into club owner Steve Morgan’s policy of signing younger players with potential.
However, attempts to sign Coventry’s Scott Dann were thwarted by fellow Championship promotees Birmingham City. Attention has now been turned to West Ham’s Calum Davenport, although I wouldn’t fancy him holding together my back four.
Wolves’ pursuit of Reading’s Kevin Doyle is also likely to be unsuccessful with Everton, Bolton and Fulham all offering more attractive homes for the 25-year-old.
It looks like it could be a busy summer for Mick McCarthy as he tries to persuade anyone who can write to put pen to paper at Molineux, but he can take some solace from the fact that he’ll probably have very little to do come the end of November.
I don’t fancy Wolves’ chances of staying up. Their squad boasts little Premiership quality or experience, and their campaign will largely depend on just how poor their relegation rivals are.
The bookies think Birmingham, Burnley and Hull will all be bad enough to allow Wolves to stay up. What do you think?
Read part one of the Wolverhampton Wanderers story here.