The formal name of the club is Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club. The squad also answer to the nicknames of ‘Wolves’ and ‘The Wanderers’.
Founded in 1877 as St Luke’s, the squad train at the Molineux Stadium, their home venue, which has a capacity of just over 29,000. The club is owned by Steve Morgan, and managed by Mick McCarthy.
Wolves enjoyed their heyday in the post WW II years and their purple patch extended from 1949 to 1960, during which time they won the League and the FA Cup several times.
Thereafter, apart from a UEFA Cup final in 1972, and the odd League Cup win, the team went into an extended period of decline that lasted 19 years until their promotion to the Premier League in 2009-10.
This is only Wolves’ second season in the Premier League. Last season, the squad finished at a creditable 15th position, in the League table, thereby avoiding relegation.
In three matches played this season, the Wanderers have had a great start and remained unbeaten, recording a 2-1 win against Stoke City, and 1-1 draws against Everton and Newcastle.
Early Season Preview:
As I have already stated, this is only the second year in the Premier League for Wolves. Last season, Mick McCarthy’s squad managed to stave off relegation.
For some curious reason, newly promoted teams do well in their debut years but tend to have their wheels fall off in the second. Will it be any different with Wolves, this season?
Quality signings this summer raise hopes that Wolves could rise to the occasion and survive the second season, though it could turn out to be a rough ride.
The Wolves squad that played Newcastle to a 1-1 draw comprised: Hahnemann, Van Damme, Craddock, Ward, Berra, Foley, Henry, Jones, Jarvis, Ebanks-Blake, Doyle, Hennessey, Stearman, Mancienne, Zubar, Edwards, Guedioura, and Fletcher.
For the second year running, Kevin Doyle looks likely to be the man Wolves will rely on to help keep their heads above relegation waters. Doyle’s penchant for goal scoring was legend at his former club, Reading.
Incidentally, McCarthy has also signed Doyle’s Reading teammate and fellow Irishman, Stephen Hunt, and if they can emulate, at the Premiership, their successful partnership at Reading, we could be looking at an even more prolific goal scoring season for Doyle than the last one.
Another piece of good news is the arrival of Marcus Bent on loan from Birmingham, a deal that McCarthy managed on deadline day, just before the transfer window closed.
Burnley’s Steven Fletcher returns to top flight football after experiencing relegation with his former team, and with a striking ability matching Doyle’s, Fletcher could lead the dogfight at the bottom of the table, alongside Doyle.
Other than Hunt and Fletcher, McCarthy has signed a pair of defenders in Steven Mouyokolo and Jelle Van Damme. Andrew Surman, Chris Iwelumo and George Friend are the departures from the club, this season.
Given that Wolves have some quality signings this summer, they could be bruise it out with other relegation favourites, but will need more than a slice of luck to escape the second season syndrome.
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