Championship Assault

The boys are back in town...

Kenny Jackett inspired Wolves to the League One title

So the famous 'Thin Lizzy' song goes, and it seems the perfect opening line for this post. Not only is the blog back, but Wolves are back in the Championship after just one (quite remarkable) season away. Looking back I'm so gutted I didn't post during what was arguably one of the best seasons for the club in recent memory - even if it was in the third tier. Record after record was broken, and the club, players and fans were all re-united in a way not seen since Merlin's magic days of 2006.

Southampton and Norwich both achieved
back to back promotions

So what of this Championship campaign that lies ahead? 46 games in what is arguably the toughest, most competitive and most gruelling league in all the World. For a club of our size, and coming into it on the back of a monumental League One title win, the signs are surely good. That's certainly what the 'experts' seem to think. If you look on most Football League blogs, sports websites and most betting tip sites, a lot of people seem to think we're the team to watch coming into the new season, and that we could make a push for the play-offs. While it is do-able - look at the recent exploits of Southampton and Norwich after League One successes - it is something that many Wolves fans won't even consider. Is it just the same old 'typical Wolves' negativity? Or should we be feeling more optimistic of our chances - after all, if Mick's team of Academy graduates and non-league gems can do it, why can't the class of 2014 finish in the top 6?

Kevin McDonald is the one who makes Wolves tick

Its certainly easy to make a case for it. In Carl Ikeme, we have by far the best goalkeeper outside the Premier League (although David Marshall and John Ruddy may well argue that), whilst Danny Batth and Richard Stearman look to have a solid partnership - even if question marks do remain about their ability to do it at Championship level. In Kevin McDonald, Wolves have a midfielder not seen here in a long time - a cultured player with the passing range to have many a tiki-taka enthusiast drooling with joy. Alongside him, Jack Price or Tommy Rowe are more than capable of protecting the defence and, in Rowe's case, also have a fantastic passing ability. Up front, Leon Clarke looks rejuvenated in pre-season, while Nouha Dicko had a solid scoring record at this level with Blackpool. The spine of the team is in brilliant shape, and the edges aren't too back either. Scott Golbourne looks to be the perfect modern full-back, and skipper Sam Ricketts brings experience and enthusiasm to the right-side. Everyone knows about Bakary Sako's ability - which has greatly improved under Jackett's guidance - and James Henry was frequently around the top of the assists table for the Championship when at Millwall, where he was Player Of The Year numerous times. With Michael Jacobs looking at home in the 'number 10' role, and Dave Edwards looking a threat in the same position, Wolves look to be in good shape going into the new season.

Chris Wood scored 11 goals in 19 games under Jackett at Millwall

Yet question marks remain. Jackett has already identified the need for another striker, and he also appears to be keen on a new centre-back too. Having cleverly decided not to waste an extortionate £2.5m on Harry Maguire, he appears to have turned his attentions to Chesterfield's Liam Cooper, a highly-rated young left-sided centre-back. But, as we saw last season, Kenny Jackett will tinker with the squad as and when he feels it is right, and the results of that cannot be argued with. I would not be surprised if his main target - Leicester striker Chris Wood, with whom he worked at Millwall - joined the club during the loan window once he realises his game time in the Premier League will be severely limited.

The important thing for fans to do is to not panic, like some already are. What many forget is that Wolves only made one signing between the start of the transfer window and the start of the season (Sam Ricketts on a free). This summer we've already made two. Plenty will argue the Championship will be different (and it will) and so we should be making signings already, but this is the only league in the world where a side can be in the bottom half at Christmas, and finish the season winning the league. Making tweaks as we go along could see us get the 3 or 4 wins on the bounce that take us from mid-table to the play-offs. If you chuck all your eggs into one basket all at once, then you're left with very little room for manoeuvre as the season progresses - and that's before I've even mentioned our wage bill issues and the impact of Financial Fair Play.

Ahh... It's good to be back!