Two games that may bring promotion turbo boost

Before Saturday, Mick McCarthy had set Wolves a 12-game victory target to ensure thousands of us have ringside seats in August to see Wolves trade punches with the Premier League heavyweights.

That figure has surely fallen to 11 now, despite failure to hold on to our two-goal lead at Ashton Gate, after Reading's and Blues' weekend travails.

So whatever your viewpoint on Saturday evening - and Wolves' recent form - there is no denying Wolves remain in a fantastic position.

Granted, not as fantastic as it could have been, but fantastic nonetheless.

Before kick-off on Saturday in Bristol, I'd have taken a point. Before kick-off in August I'd most definitely have taken a five point lead at the top after game 28 of a gruelling Championship season.

And that's the sense of perspective that surely needs to prevail around Molineux, and the internet messageboards, as we head into a crucial two-game spell that could conceivably give us a promotion turbo boost.

Lose to Middlesbrough and Reading, and I still think Wolves will win promotion.

But win on Saturday, and avoid defeat on Tuesday, and the confidence levels will rocket.

If McCarthy sees the benefit of going to Reading on the back of a Premier League scalp, he will surely pick our strongest possible team on Saturday.

And that will include Neill Collins and Andy Keogh.

Collins has to play, particularly with Richard Stearman suspended, and although he was a central figure in both Bristol City goals on Saturday, I'm very uncomfortable with the notion that he was solely to blame.

And how anyone could criticise Keogh over the last two games is beyond me? Some of his link-up play has shown real quality, and his selection stopped Wolves being what I sensed they had become at times in recent weeks - a one-dimensional team reliant on long balls to Chris Iwelumo, who then frequently fouled his marker.

Keogh is a very astute footballer, whose talents are not always appreciated. Play him down the middle as a foil for Sylvan Ebanks-Blake. Simple.

And I'm sensing that Matt Jarvis and Michael Kightly are starting to rediscover the form that justifies their star billing - particularly Kightly after excellent goal-creating passes against Blues and Bristol City.

There is an argument for saying Middlesbrough will be the underdogs on Saturday, but Wolves won't underestimate them.

After the shocking performance against Preston, I feared there wouldn't even be an FA Cup fourth round date for Wolves.

But that was my underestimation. I clearly underestimated the resilience of McCarthy's men - and despite what you may read elsewhere, nothing shakes me from the belief that that resilience will see us through.