Dare we start to dream?

Arsenal have won nine and drawn two of their last 11 games in all competitions.

Arsenal have scored 32 goals in their 10 Premier League games this season.

Arsenal beat north London rivals Spurs 3-0 at the weekend - and manager Arsene Wenger claimed: "We should have scored more."

Arsenal are clearly on fire, and if you're still not convinced of the monumental challenge awaiting Wolves on Saturday, here's Match of the Day's Alan Hansen:

"For all of my philosophy that winning is everything, you cannot deny that it would be good for the game if Arsenal were to win the title because they play brilliant football. They are now playing with some backbone, though."

What a thrilling prospect for everyone who will be at Molineux on Saturday night. A rampant Arsenal side littered with world class footballers - and our Wolves, fresh out of the Championship, and right now playing with the self belief that really does make you "proud to be a Wolves fan".

Dropped points against West Ham, Hull and Portsmouth mean Wolves can't escape from the bottom six just now. But the heart-warming performances against Everton, Villa and Stoke provide a real sense that Wolves can compete seriously in the Premier League - because we are.

A fairly abject first 45 minutes at the Britannia, but a transformed second half performance that provoked memories of that thrilling 4-3 victory over Leicester almost six years ago to the day: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/3206858.stm

Make no mistake, Wolves are playing with masses of desire, but no shortage of controlled play either. But a masterclass in ball retention awaits on Saturday, and that's where Wolves fell down in the first half at Stoke - the ball was given away far too easily.

But with the heroic Karl Henry showing such determination, and Nenad Milijas adding second half class, Wolves did enough to win at Stoke. And how many teams do that?

So we're gunning for the Gunners, with three obvious selection posers for Mick McCarthy.

Based on the second half at the Britannia, he needs to restore Milijas to the starting XI. Who partners the fantastic Kevin Doyle in attack? And who should play at left back?

The decision on the left of defence is a clear one. Either take the struggling George Elokobi out of the firing line, or back him to come good against English football's pass-masters.

Elokobi is clearly a massively popular figure in the Wolves squad, and has so many admirable qualities. But right now, his use of the ball is not Premier League standard, and Wolves are clearly missing the attacking thrusts provided by Stephen Ward.

So it's all set up fantastically. Molineux will be a seething mass of excitement - and you would think Arsenal should be too strong.

But how many of us seriously expected Wolves to be unbeaten in the last three games - while all of us will remember this with such fondness: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/photo_galleries/3405757.stm

Ready for a thriller with the Villa

We've waited more than five and a half years. So another 37 hours is just about manageable.

But the sense of anticipation surrounding the return of Aston Villa to Molineux encapsulates exactly why we all want to follow a Premier League club.

Liverpool at Anfield, Man Utd home and away, and Villa at Molineux - the four games that make my season, make me thrilled to be a Wolves fan in the Premier League.

Deflated after Portsmouth, delighted after Everton - now Wolves run out at what will be a rocking Molineux to face the best team in the West Midlands - who arrive on the back of a superb win over Chelsea.

Villa strike fear into me, a fantastic team with riotous pace that could rip us apart if we are not careful.

But if we are careful, they may not.

Our last league encounter was a humbling 4-0 defeat in March, 2004. Villa were three up after 24 minutes. www.soccerbase.com/results3....

Incredibly, of the 27 players that turned out that day, only one will be playing on Saturday. And I wonder what odds you would have got back then on that player being Jody Craddock?

And what a challenge awaits the Wolves warhorse in the face of Gabby Agbonlahor, John Carew, Ashley Young and James Milner.

Of course we can all predict that Craddock will rise magnificently to the occasion, but even that may not be enough. This Villa line-up really does set alarm bells ringing.

It's easy to build these local derbies up, but this really could be a cracker. All I hope is that Wolves come flying out of the traps, and turn early pressure into a goal.

Remember the fantastic opening 30 minutes against Villa's city rivals in April 2007? A storming, ferocious display full of attacking intent, but no goals, and ultimately a 3-2 defeat.

Saturday's fantastic point at Everton was a real bonus after the Portsmouth defeat, and now Sylvan is settling back into the team alongside transfer "bargain" Kevin Doyle, we do have hope - and we have goalscorers.

We also have a team that doesn't include Kevin Foley - which seems so strange after his spectacular run of form last season. But all credit to Ronald Zubar after his debut, and no-one would ever accuse Mick McCarthy of going back on his mantra of "you earn the shirt, you keep the shirt."

Villa are a top class team that will properly test everyone at Wolves.

But what is there to lose? Throw Matt Jarvis back into the team on the left, hope Michael Kightly comes alive down the right, and go toe to toe with the aristocrats from Aston.

In many ways, this is a bonus fixture for Wolves - we all acknowledge we need to be beating the teams around us, not necessarily the teams escaping over the horizon.

But what a bonus is on offer.

McCarthy needs a case for the defence

When Wolves emerge from the international break, the familiar strains of the Z Cars theme will fill the air at Goodison Park.

How apt - because the current points haul is criminal.

What a fantastic opportunity blown. Eight games, a meagre seven points. Simply not enough.

Now Wolves have their backs to the wall as they contemplate five fixtures against Everton, Aston Villa, Stoke, Arsenal and Chelsea.

Pick the realistic points out of that. I certainly haven't abandoned hope, but points gained over these games will be bonus points in our scrap for survival.

When Wolves needed quality against Portsmouth, they delivered Championship standards against a team that had lost seven out of seven.

Mick McCarthy said he never considered starting with Sylvan or Michael Kightly. But surely a fit Kightly has to play at 3pm, not 4pm - whatever has gone before?

And the crushing statistic for me on Saturday was it took a full seven minutes before substitute Kightly touched the ball.

Of course Wolves were denied a nailed-on penalty, of course we would have expected Ebanks-Blake to convert his one golden chance, but a performance so lacking in quality did not deserve three points.

While Burnley run riot at Turf Moor, with four wins, we've been pretty hopeless against teams that could spend the season in the bottom half.

Four points from games against West Ham, Hull, Fulham and Portsmouth is palpably insufficient when some Premier League giants loom menacingly on the horizon.

Of course we can beat them, and all hope is not lost, but it's a massive ask when Wolves are currently defending in such a sloppy fashion.

There are genuine concerns about our back four's performance, individually and collectively.

And when you think about the men currently providing a barrier in front of Wayne Hennessey, thoughts immediately switch to the one man who's not even involved, despite a big money transfer.

He's got Champions League experience, but how good is Ronald Zubar? How much longer will we wait to find out?

Currently sat alongside him on the bench is another player of international repute, Nenad Milijas. But how good is he in the Premier League? Again, how much longer will we wait to find out?

The performances against Wigan, Man City, Fulham and Sunderland won deserved plaudits.

But Saturday's defeat was a real jolt - and only Kevin Doyle, out of McCarthy's summer acquisitions, has an enhanced reputation eight games in.

Our trip to Everton may prove as tough as the Boxing Day trip to Merseyside.

Be under no illusions, Wolves will need to be very good at Goodison.

We're winning friends - now for some points

There will be no escape from the Pompey chimes on Saturday when Portsmouth visit Molineux.

But it's inherent on Wolves to keep the alarm bells out of earshot.

I'm increasingly proud of our team, remaining positive about our season, but I will confess to being a tiny bit perplexed.

Will the real Wolves stand up? Can the real Wolves stand up? Or will we continue to navigate our Premier League cruise through calm then choppy waters?

So excellent, strong and brave against Fulham, and at times so excellent, strong and brave on Sunday at the Stadium of Light.

But a bemusing 90 minutes ultimately ends with a crushing scoreline. Not a crushing defeat, because there was so much to praise, but a defeat nonetheless against a team that's probably not likely to challenge for the top six this season.

I can live with Sunday's defeat, because I was so proud of the fightback from two goals down. For me the big frustration this season so far is the one point haul from two games against struggling West Ham and Hull.

Perhaps we should forgive first day nerves against The Hammers, but a team serious about securing Premier League safety with relative ease - and that's surely Wolves' aim this season - needs to be beating Hull at home.

And we need to be beating Portsmouth.

But Mick McCarthy will be pouring over his squad list this week and mulling over some important questions.

The biggest of these is whether to restore Sylvan, Kites and Kevin Foley to the team. For me, the answer is a resounding yes.

I'm a long term fan of Andy Keogh, but Sylvan was reportedly on the verge of the England squad over the summer. For me, he just has to play alongside the increasingly impressive Kevin Doyle.

Kightly on the right, providing he is as close to 100 per cent fit as is possible, is a no-brainer. He simply has to play - and will give the fans a massive lift after six months on the sidelines.

But it's imperative that Foley returns in a back four where I've got questions that I'm struggling to find definitive answers for.

Be under no illusions, Michael Mancienne will go on to be a wonderful centre half. But his positioning on Sunday was highlighted as a post-match issue.

And I'll be looking for a big performance from Big George, as the admirable Elokobi has still to convince me that he's settled into life as a Premier League left back.

And isn't it about time Dave Edwards was given an opportunity in the centre of midfield?

He sometimes slips below the radar when the praise is being handed out by Wolves fans, but I love his energy and his eye for goal.

Pairing Segundo Castillo and Karl Henry against Fulham gave us a solid base in midfield after the dismal defeat at Ewood Park, but Wolves won so many plaudits on Sunday for our attacking gusto, and high energy fightback.

Edwards was fairly central to that, and I think he merits an opportunity on Saturday.

Wolves appear to be winning an awful lot of friends this season. And rightly so.

Now we need to start winning some points - before the "big" teams come calling!

Standing shoulder to shoulder with Berra

I've just looked at the Premier League table

And if a sense of order is starting to prevail after half a dozen games, I'm struggling to find much to scare me.

What a great feeling built around the really excellent performance on Sunday against Fulham.

A man's performance, to a man, epitomised by the quite fantastic Christophe Berra, left me sitting in the South Bank, getting re-acquainted with my massively under-used yellow seat, with a contented smile - and a warm appreciation of what Wolves have done since that stunning day in May that none of us will forget.

Now I'm sat looking at the Premier League table - while also content with my decision that I won't pay £41 to watch my team run out at Old Trafford tomorrow night.

It'll be Radio 5 Live Sports Extra for me. Whether I can afford £41 is irrelevant. It's an obscene amount of money, and whoever has agreed that price - be it United, Wolves or both - should hang their heads in shame.

But the Carling Cup sideshow is nothing compared to the main event, and with Wolves nestled comfortably in 12th, let's get back to the league table.

The top seven clubs scare me - Chelsea, United, Liverpool, City, Villa, Spurs and Arsenal - and I'm very wary of Stoke, Everton and West Ham over a 38-game season.

But then what? A lot of clubs that Wolves can go toe to toe with, and accumulate enough points from, if they play with the heart and pace that unsettled Fulham.

And let's not forget, Sunday's excellent win was secured without our undisputed player-of-the-year Kevin Foley - and the unproven but exciting Michael Kightly and Sylvan.

With Kevin Doyle looking increasingly the real deal, and Matt Jarvis steadily improving his supply from the left, Wolves can be better than Portsmouth, Hull, Blackburn, Bolton, Blues, Burnley and Wigan.

This feels so different to the pathetic first attempt at Premier League football in 2003. This feels like Wolves have an outstanding chance to build some concrete foundations - unlike Sir Jack's house of straw that was so embarrassingly blown away in 2004.

I was taken aback by Wolves on Sunday. After such a feeble performance at Ewood Park, I thought Fulham would heighten the feeling of trepidation as we journey on towards our hugely difficult October and November.

But the unflinching Berra, our Scottish braveheart, took me by surprise.
When the going got tough, Berra was a boulder of granite.

I used to love watching Joleon Lescott. He was so often immense at Molineux. Practically unbeatable. But I can't remember many performances of his that would eclipse what we witnessed from Berra on Sunday.

And if that doesn't give us all hope, I'm not sure what will

Ronald muscles in as Wolves raise the bar

One game down, one victory secured, one bad injury - and we're still no clearer knowing which team Mick McCarthy will send out on Saturday August 15.

I think there are five certainties for McCarthy's line-up against West Ham - Kevin Foley, George Elokobi, Michael Kightly, Sylvan Ebanks-Blake and Kevin Doyle.

And I expect the other six shirts to go to Karl Henry, Christophe Berra, Wayne Hennessey, Ronald Zubar, Nenad Milijas and Andrew Surman - with Surnam providing a more solid base on the left of midfield than an unfortunate Matt Jarvis.

So much could happen of course between now and Premier League D-day, but the comments coming out of Australia suggest Zubar will literally muscle his way into the heart of Wolves' defence.

Maybe we'll get Michael Mancienne on a season-long loan, which might alter things, but I'm sure McCarthy rates Berra highly, and he's quickly gone into print in praise of Zubar.

Of course I've watched the edited Youtube "highlights" of Zubar's career in France, and wondered what Wolves were buying, but not many, if any, players reach Champions League level without being a strong athlete.

And McCarthy's decision to buy the Marseille man was obviously not based around six minutes in cyberspace.

If McCarthy does get Mancienne, and that would be massively well-received by Wolves fans, there will be a huge log jam of centre halves at Molineux - with Bobo Balde also on trial for the next fortnight.

Jason Shackell and Darren Ward clearly have no futures at Molineux, but where does that leave Neill Collins? Following a similar path to Rob Edwards?

And it almost certainly leaves Jody Craddock - such a massive influence during the Championship title run-in - and Richard Stearman waiting for injuries or loss of form before they taste life in the Premier League.

Today's opening win against Perth Glory ultimately means nothing, and the injury to Chris Iwelumo is a cruel blow to a player who'd fought back to fitness after Lee Carsley's horror tackle.

But this Wolves squad is in a massively better position to tackle English football's elite than the Wolves squad training at RAF Cosford ahead of their doomed Premier campaign in the summer of 2003.

Kevin Doyle - a right Royal signing!

Kevin Doyle and Mick McCarthy have been talking to Midlands Today's Ian Winter after the £6.5m transfer from Reading to Molineux was completed. tinyurl.com/doyleyoutube

The full BBC online story is here: tinyurl.com/kevindoyle

Anfield awakens Mardenborough memories

If you were only allowed to attend one Wolves game next season in the Premier League, what would it be?

For me, it's the Boxing Day trip to Anfield, provoking magical memories of my trip to Liverpool in January 1984.

No-one gave us a chance, even though Liverpool were without the injured Kenny Dalglish, as the team anchored to the foot of the table arrived on Merseyside.

But I'll never forget 3.13pm on January 14.

I can still picture Danny Crainie skipping past Phil Neal on the left, and crossing for Steve Mardenborough's shoulder to send the ball looping over Bruce Grobbelaar.

It was such a fantastically unexpected win, although Wolves over the previous few years had enjoyed great success against the Reds at Molineux.

Both John Richards and Mick Matthews secured single goal Molineux victories, and who will ever forget the stirring evening of November 25, 1980?

Wolves 4 Liverpool 1. It still reads as an unbelievable scoreline.

For me there's something magical about Wolves playing Liverpool. English football's team of the 50s playing the team of the 70s and 80s.

Whether it's Anfield , and the atmosphere created within, or just the fact that Liverpool are one of the world's best-known football clubs - and Wolves have earned the right to once again face the Reds.

Overall the fixture computer has been relatively kind to Wolves at the start of the season.

Relatively, the fixtures in August and September have scope for points accumulation. But we'll have to hold our nerve through October and November.

Today's the day the excitement becomes a reality, and even if we struggle through a sequence of games that bring us head to head with Everton, Villa, Stoke, Arsenal and Chelsea, I'm sure we'll still be in there fighting.

And I'll still have Boxing Day to look forward to.

Dann the man sparks transfer excitement

On the day Cristiano Ronaldo decided to run off to Spain rather than face George Elokobi, serious signs are emerging than Wolves are ready to make their first forays into the summer transfer market.

And if by this time next week Wolves' Premier League ranks have been swelled by Scott Dann, Marcus Hahnemann and Nenad Milijas, I'll be a happy Wolves fan.

Criticism of the Wolves hierarchy over their summer transfer inaction is frankly laughable.

What's the rush? And who have we missed out on so far?

It was always going to be mid to late June before any transfer rumours became reality, but it does look as though the moves for Dann, Hahnemann and Milijas are serious ones. You can just sense it.

We should have signed Dann when he was still at Walsall, and that will be a costly error. But it's all relative as Wolves tap into the Premier League millions.

Over 38 games Dann, Richard Stearman and Christophe Berra, with Jody Craddock as back-up, will do me, even if they struggle to handle Wayne Rooney, Fernando Torres and Didier Drogba in six of those matches.

I like what I read about Milijas, but haven't abandoned all hope of David Jones, Karl Henry and David Edwards making an impact.

And Hahnemann would be a shrewd signing, even if I believe that Mick McCarthy will show sufficient and justified confidence in Wayne Hennessey to establish himself in the Premier League.

On Wednesday our Premier League dream will come to life with the publication of the fixture list.

These three potential signings would confirm that Wolves have learned from the painful mistakes of 2003.

And there's still time for us to sign Michael Owen.

Relegated Wheater ticks all the right boxes

A weekend newspaper headline suggested Mick McCarthy was going to pick over the bones of North East football as he builds a team that will hopefully be competitive at Premier League level.

Well this evening, while I listen to a fascinating Radio 5 Live debate involving Chris Waddle, Mark Lawrenson, Mike Ingham and North East expert Ian Dennis, that thought fills me with absolute dread.

Except one player, who I think would be an excellent addition to the Molineux ranks - step forward Middlesbrough central defender David Wheater.

The situation at Newcastle is beyond belief - 15 players earning £50,000 each and every week, and a staggering level of club debt.

And 15 players plus who singularly failed to halt a slide out of the Premier League with hardly a whimper.

It's an unmitigated disaster at St James' - and I want McCarthy to steer completely clear of any player who failed in this season in the black and white stripes.

Damaged goods on mega money - that's not the kind of player we need to add to our thrusting young guns, all desperate to establish our team in the only league that matters.

Middlesbrough don't have the astronomical wage bill, but they do have eye-watering debts. On 5 Live this evening, it was suggested the debt could top £90m - with at least £69m attributed to chairman Steve Gibson's haulage business.

And in a recession, a haulage business is not a sure-fire financial winner.

If ever there was a warning for Steve Morgan and Jez Moxey, it's what I've been hearing on national radio tonight.

But Wolves will be shrewder than that as they take their place in a Premier League that gives me real hope of survival at the very least next season.

Burnley, Blues, Hull, cash-strapped Pompey.... we have to believe that we can properly compete at this level.

And I think Wheater would be an excellent signing, if nothing else for the dignified way he's conducted himself since relegation at the Riverside was confirmed.

This is what Wheater said in the aftermath of the weekend defeat at West Ham: "I've got two more years left here so it is up to the manager.

"I'm happy to stay. I've supported Boro all my life. They are a team I want to play for and try to get them back up."

What an outstandingly loyal attitude from a 22-year-old with England squad experience, and the benefit of a loan spell already under McCarthy at Molineux.

But there's a but, and that but gives Wolves the chink of light to make their move and land a central defender with plenty of Premier League experience.

Wheater went on to say: "I won't ask for a transfer but if the manager accepts another bid then that is a different matter."

Middlesbrough need to sell, Wolves need to buy. And Wheater would be a great signing.

Were Campbell's ears burning?

After all the exciting transfer rumours following our title-winning promotion to the Premier League, finally a fact.

Mick McCarthy has confirmed he's been talking to Sir Alex Ferguson.

But where does that leave us? In reality, precisely no further forward in trying to second guess the transfer activity of McCarthy, Morgan and Moxey.

However, if you have been sifting through the increasing list of potential Molineux recruits - from the probably fanciful Michael Owen to the fantastically named Oguchi Onyewu - it won't have escaped your notice that Fraizer Campbell's name has figured.

And the young striker who's developing football education has taken him from Old Trafford to White Hart Lane via Hull's KC Stadium might just be the man that McCarthy's inquiring about.

He scored 15 goals in 34 appearances for Hull, but his loan spell at Tottenham would hardly be called a success, with only one Premier League start for Harry Redknapp so far.

So the 21-year-old Campbell, maybe! Or maybe it could be central midfielder Darron Gibson, who's already had one largely unspectacular loan stay at Molineux.

Or maybe another exciting Manchester United midfield prospect, Rodrigo Possebon.

Frankly, none of us have got a definitive clue, so it's probably easier to identify areas where McCarthy would like to strengthen.

He's probably keen on an extra central defender, some more Premier League quality in central midfield, and for all Andy Keogh's excellent end-of-season form, and Chris Iwelumo's prolific autumn run, an extra striker to share the goal burden on Sylvan is probably highest priority.

Which brings me back to Campbell. Even if Carlos Tevez moves on, you would think Sir Alex would be happy to loan Campbell out again - particularly with Dimitar Berbatov, Wayne Rooney and the emerging Danny Wallbeck and Federico Macheda in his armoury.

And Cristiano Ronaldo is not the worst option you ever saw as a central striker - even if he does sulk when substituted.

So I'm guessing the conversation was about Campbell - although it could have been Sir Alex ringing up to enquire about Sylvan's availability.

Fabulous Foley deserves fans' plaudits

So much has changed at Molineux since Wolves won their last Premier League game, exactly five years ago today.

But one thing remains exactly the same from the team that beat Wayne Rooney's Everton 2-1 to the team that will line-up to receive the Championship trophy on Sunday.

The 2003/4 team had a fantastic right back, and the 2008/9 team has a fantastic right back.
For Denis Irwin read Kevin Foley - and that fact has been wonderfully acknowledged by the Molineux masses.

Even speaking as a fan who voted for Sylvan (with my decision based on his sheer weight of goals), the victory by Foley in the player of the year award sums Mick McCarthy's Molineux ethos up perfectly.

Good teams need stars like Sylvan and Michael Kightly, but promotion-winning teams need stars and unsung heroes.

And the beauty of Foley's accolade is that unsung heroes are massively appreciated, and unsung heroes can become star names.

The 24-year-old former Luton man is a star performer, and it's heartening to see that 51 per cent of 6,000 Wolves season ticket holders wrote his name on their voting slips.

How Foley, the most consistent signing of the McCarthy era, was not worth a place in the PFA Championship team of the year is beyond my comprehension.

He's so cool, so calm, so intelligent on the ball, so solid....so like Irwin, a rare hero of the Premiership season.

Foley admitted to being "gobsmacked" after landing the award, but he had no need to be.

Now he will bring his undoubted defensive talents to the Premier League - and a regular starting berth in the Republic of Ireland team could become a reality over the next 12 months.

McCarthy has made some great signings at Molineux, and much of the spotlight has so rightly been shone on Sylvan and Kightly for their spectacular achievements.

But suggesting Foley could prove to be McCarthy's best-ever Molineux signing is no act of folly - and committing him to a new long-term contract could be a very sensible bit of summer business.

From Berra to Wheater - we salute you

Mick McCarthy used 59 players in his quest to deliver Premier League football.
Some played bit parts, and others were simply magnificent as Wolves finally returned to the top flight against QPR - a Quality Promotion Result www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A50111...
And my top 10? Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, Michael Kightly, Karl Henry, Kevin Foley, Jody Craddock, Andy Keogh, Wayne Hennessey, Stephen Ward, Neill Collins and Gary Breen.
Christophe Berra
Jay Bothroyd
Gary Breen
Jan Budtz
Jamie Clapham
Leon Clarke
Mark Clyde
Neill Collins
Carl Cort
Jody Craddock
Craig Davies
Mark Davies
Freddy Eastwood
Sylvan Ebanks-Blake
Carlos Edwards
David Edwards
Rob Edwards
Stephen Elliott
George Elokobi
Craig Fleming
Kevin Foley
George Friend
Darron Gibson
Stephen Gleeson
Lewis Gobern
Michael Gray
Marlon Harewood
Wayne Hennessey
Karl Henry
Matt Hill
Carl Ikeme
Chris Iwelumo
Matt Jarvis
Jemal Johnson
Daniel Jones
David Jones
Andy Keogh
Michael Kightly
Kevin Kyle
Mark Little
Michael McIndoe
Jackie McNamara
Michael Mancienne
Charlie Mulgrew
Matt Murray
Lee Naylor
Kevin O'Connor
Seyi George Olofinjana
Darren Potter
Nigel Quashie
Kyel Reid
Rohan Ricketts
Jason Shackell
Graham Stack
Richard Stearman
Sam Vokes
Darren Ward
Stephen Ward
David Wheater

Eternal thanks to Mick and his squad of 59

On July 21, 2006, Mick McCarthy walked into Molineux and urged us not to expect miracles.
The MM initials on his jersey did not stand for Merlin the Magician, he famously remarked.
Well 1,003 days later, and with varying degrees of help from 59 footballers www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A50112... McCarthy has got us back into the only league worth playing in.
We are Premier League, and standing on the centre circle in a sea of black and gold at 5pm on Saturday was a very special feeling.
And all hail McCarthy - and we'll worry about how to survive in the Premier League after the season's finale against Doncaster.
While I'm in statto mood, his league record with Wolves reads: P136, W66, D34, L36, F190, A155, P232.
His Molineux career has not been without rocky, fractious moments, but overall what a brilliant achievement to galvanise a club that was in disarray post Glenn Hoddle.
And how fitting it would be for McCarthy to secure the Championship title at his hometown club next weekend.
A focus on young players hungry to achieve something, rather than Molineux's previous approach of paying big wages to over-hyped, under-performing players, has ultimately paid a massive dividend.
And Wolves really are in a decent position to aspire to the standards set by Stoke and, dare I suggest, Wigan and Bolton.
McCarthy has signed players on the up - Kightly, Sylvan, Berra, Foley, Elokobi, Keogh, Jarvis, Edwards, Vokes and Stearman.
Whether they will all be Premier League hits can be debated, and will be, but they carry better hopes than the Wolves squad that were promoted in 2003.
In 12 months time, Molineux may well be reverberating to the strains of the Great Escape.
And if that's our aspiration for the spring of 2010, I don't think that's being defeatist.
It's being realistic.
Home games will undoubtedly hold the key, and the level of outstanding support we've given our team particularly over the last two months will be the minimum requirement.
Molineux will be rocking every game next season - be it Saturday lunchtime, Saturday afternoon, Saturday evening, Sunday afternoon or Monday evening.
Welcome to the Premier League - and welcome to the Premier League fixture list!

Wolves open training session - April 16, 2009

Wolves open training session - April 16, 2009

Wolves open training session - April 16, 2009

Wolves open training session - April 16, 2009

Wolves open training session - April 16, 2009

Keogh sets standard for Harewood to follow

Some people just would not listen, but I always told you Andy Keogh was a good player.

So how poetic it was that the win which will define Wolves' season had the young Irish striker as its focal point.

Over 99 league appearances, no other Wolves player has so polarised opinion in the Mick McCarthy era.

The criticism he's taken over two years has sometimes been an outright disgrace, but you just knew that the noisy minority were wrong, and the often too-silent majority knew that he was a player with real ability.

A lack of goals have always been the problem, especially when you contrast his record with Sylvan's.

But what an unfair comparison that is - Sylvan is a phenomenon.

So how Keogh and his supporters will forever cherish their afternoon at Pride Park, as the player who never ever gives less than 100 per cent got the goals to match his effort.

And what priceless goals they were too, on an uncomfortable afternoon where Wolves defended dreadfully but somehow still sent the away end into a sustained frenzy of excitement when the full time scores from St Andrew's, Bloomfield Road and Bramall Lane flashed up.

Thank heavens for the outstanding Wayne Hennessey, the aforementioned Keogh, the dogged Karl Henry, and a powerful cameo from Marlon Harewood.

Harewood does a great impression of caring about Wolves - punching his badge during his warm-up, and a passion-filled celebration at the end of the game.

But when he failed to chase Christophe Berra's over-hit through ball shortly after coming on, you could sense (and clearly hear) the disgruntled frustration of Wolves fans who expect, demand and deserve Keogh-style effort.

And I think Harewood heard it too - because he instantly stepped out of neutral and surged through the gears impressively.

His delivery for Keogh's winner was priceless, and Harewood has an outstanding opportunity to revive his career at Molineux. It's completely up to him now.

But we don't need touchline gestures - we need determination, effort, bravery, and goals to compliment Sylvan.

In simple terms, we need him to be just like Keogh.

Young guns have Premier League in their sights

The equation is simple - four games, three wins and Premier League football is assured.

Derby, QPR, Barnsley and Doncaster stand between Mick McCarthy, Wolves and promotion.

And we may not even need three wins.

There's no Sylvan, no Kightly, no Iwelumo - but there's also no hint that Wolves are going to throw this outstanding opportunity away.

Granted, Monday at St Andrew's was a 90-minute disaster, but Southampton were blown away on Good Friday - and before collapsing at Blues, Wolves were very solid in March.

And credit McCarthy for his team selection against the Saints. Marlon Harewood was a complete nonentity against Blues, a massive disappointment on a massively disappointing night.

It would have been easy for McCarthy to stick with the on-loan, big-name, big-money Villa man, but he played fair by Sam Vokes and Andy Keogh - and how they repaid him.

Harewood did not deserve to start the game, and the two young guns proved just why.

Keogh, an intelligent footballer who's too often judged unfairly on goals alone, was excellent, and young Vokes thoroughly deserved his standing ovation.

A towering goal inside the first minute highlighted a performance full of strength and running.

Losing Sylvan is a massive blow, because he's a goal machine, but we head to Derby on Monday with 3,000 fans ready to back the understudy strike force to take centre stage.

As we drifted away disconsolately from Molineux after losing 1-0 to Plymouth on February 28, who would have imagined that we'd be in this wonderful position - with Keogh and Vokes leading our assault on promotion?

But that's probably been McCarthy's biggest trick - keeping squad members happy and included, so that they step up to the plate when needed.

And they've certainly been needed. Keogh, Vokes, Matt Hill, David Edwards and the inspirational Jody Craddock have all played important roles as the pressure's mounted and the injury toll's risen.

Hill has looked increasingly comfortable at left back, while Edwards, who was perhaps unfortunate to be replaced at Blues, was an all-action star on Good Friday.

Promotion won't be won on Monday at Pride Park, and it'll be a very tricky game, but I have a sneaking suspicion that it will lay the foundations for a truly memorable trip to Barnsley on Saturday week.

Captain Craddock pilots promotion course

Sometimes a picture says more than a thousand words.

And the delight with which Michael Kightly's goal at the City Ground was received by fans and team mates alike was clear for all to see.

A massive away following, and a massive result - thanks in no small part to the scorelines from St Andrew's and Selhurt Park.

No-one can pretend this was a quality Wolves performance. In fact quality on the ball was the one major thing lacking from this display.

But there won't have been many more gutsy, committed displays in the Championship on Saturday.

Make no mistake, these Wolves players want promotion, and now it's looking increasingly likely that the dream will become a reality.

Built on the fantastic determination displayed by the back four, and the sensational work rate of Sylvan, this was a victory to be really proud of.

Sylvan will probably win the player of the year award, and if he doesn't Kevin Foley will.

And that's absolutely right, but it's a shame there won't be some way to mark the brilliant late-season contribution from Jody Craddock.

No-one has done more to drag Wolves out of their winter malaise, and it was a fitting gesture by Mick McCarthy to leave Craddock as captain despite the return of Karl Henry.

Craddock is simply rock solid right now, winning all his headers and tackles alongside Christophe Berra, who gets better game by game.

Craddock took over from a struggling Richard Stearman against Cardiff, and Wolves have lost one of the seven subsequent games.

With Craddock and Berra in tandem these past seven matches, Wolves have kept four clean sheets and conceded just four goals.

It's not just promotion winning form, it's championship winning form.

And Craddock's outstanding contribution leaves me wondering if there will still be a place for him in McCarthy's squad next season.

Marlon on his way to Molineux?

Wolves have tonight confirmed they are in talks with Aston Villa striker Marlon Harewood.

Any deal is unlikely to be completed before Wolves head to Harewood's former club Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

Harewood has obviously been a peripheral figure at Villa Park since his £4m move from West Ham.

The loan signing would make perfect sense to me.

Despite Super Mick's pre-season declaration that Wolves have four strikers ready for first team action, the reality has been that the goals are only really likely from Sylvan and Big Chris.

I'm still a fan of Andy Keogh, and Sam Vokes has great potential, but Keogh doesn't score enough, and Vokes has struggled to make a contribution unless it's from the bench.

Harewood has incredibly only started one Premier League game for Villa in two seasons, making 28 substitute appearances.

I guess there are two sticking points to the Harewood deal going through.

Will he accept a cut in wages? And will he be prepared to swap a Premier League bench for a Championship bench?

As that's clearly where he would start at Molineux behind Sylvan and Big Chris.

Berra and Iwelumo stand tallest amongst giants

As a former centre half himself, you'd think Wolves manager Mick McCarthy would be well suited to the task of signing central defenders.

But over the course of his almost three seasons at Molineux, there hasn't been much clear evidence that it's his transfer market speciality.

There would be few complaints from Wolves fans about the service provided by Gary Breen, although his Molineux career coincided with a decline in pace, but question marks have persisted elsewhere.

The £600,000 spent on Darren Ward has proved to be a waste, and the £1 million shelled out on Jason Shackell is completely perplexing.

Most Wolves fans have total admiration for the never-say-die attitude of Neill Collins, but real reservations exist about his ability to defend calmly, and the redoubtable Jody Craddock suffered the ignomany of a loan spell at Stoke when many Wolves fans considered him still worthy of first team contention at Molineux.

Of course Michael Mancienne was completely fantastic on loan from Chelsea, and summer buy Richard Stearman had given sterling service until his recent removal from the firing line.

But questions persisted about McCarthy's defensive transfers, and the queries increased after a difficult start to his Molineux career for £2.3m signing Christophe Berra.

Now of course he signed at a time when Wolves were shockingly low on confidence, and that has to be a massive factor behind his difficult start to life at the top of the Championship.

But with Wolves seemingly now back on track, Berra was quite outstanding at Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.

Not seemingly blessed with blistering pace, which many fans argue is vital if Wolves are to stand any chance whatsoever in the Premier League next season, Berra was a man mountain at Hillsborough.

And there's a calmness about him too - with or without the ball.

With the always admirable Craddock alongside him, in a back four where Matt Hill also impressed, Berra looked every inch the £2.3m international defender that he is.

It was hard to believe this was the same player who looked so uncomfortable seven days earlier against Plymouth.

And while Berra rose to the occasion, it was Wolves' team spine that stood firm. Wayne Hennessey came for crosses, the recalled David Jones added a touch of authority to central midfield, and Chris Iwelumo and Sylvan ran themselves into the ground.

If Wolves can hang on to Sylvan, he can become a Molineux legend. His goal record is remarkable, and his all round battling centre forward play is a delight.

But it was Big Chris who I was most impressed with - still running his heart out in the dying seconds of a win that was so wildly acclaimed by both fans and players at full time.

He still makes too many fouls, and could do with a goal, but he stood tall on an afternoon when Wolves had so many giants.

Palace relief - now we need Sheffield steel

Ten games to go, five points clear and a record of one win in one.

My, how that sounds better than a return of one win in 11!

Deride Mick McCarthy all you like for his often used comment about his lads "putting in an honest shift".

But it's clear that the effort and commitment coursing through the veins of his players is a big reason why Wolves went to south east London last night and, in appalling conditions, ended this horrible run.

This is a massive week for Wolves, and bouyed by victory at Selhurst Park, we all head to Hillsborough with renewed optimism.

We can argue about McCarthy's team selections since the turn of the year, and many of us have, but this depressing run has all been about a shocking lack of confidence.

And the boss was running out of post match options. There's a limit to the number of times us supporters can listen to our manager say: "We were hopeless." And that limit had been reached.

But confidence delivers calmness and control on the ball - and when Wolves take control, they take some beating in the Championship.

A key characteristic of a Wolves fan is to dwell on what's gone before, but now the emphasis has to be on the future.

Thanks to the equally pathetic results for Reading and Blues, we are in a wonderful position.

Wolves were losing games, but they never lost us matchday fans. And I was proud to be part of the South Bank that gave such a rousing burst of support in the second half against Plymouth.

So into the final lap - the last 10 games that will decide our destiny.

Trips to Sheffield Wednesday, Nottingham Forest, Blues, Derby and Barnsley - then Molineux dates with Ipswich, doomed Charlton, Southampton, QPR and Doncaster.

Predicting our points haul is clearly pointless, and the reality is that Wolves have still only won two games out of 12.

Now is the time for McCarthy to stick, come what may, with Sylvan and Big Chris upfront, providing he is fit, and I don't think Wolves will lose on their travels again this season. And we could certainly have five tougher home games.

A Wolves team that did what it did last night is a Wolves team worth backing in the final furlongs.

No excuses - Sunday really is the day to deliver

The irony will not be lost on 20,000 Wolves fans who will file into Molineux on Sunday with hope in our hearts, but fear and trepidation in our heads.

In the one dugout will be the manager who presided over a Wolves promotion capitulation in 2002.

And in the other will be the boss surely increasingly anxious not to follow his example.

It's official - Wolves have reached "rock bottom".

So says Mick McCarthy in an interview on the official club website which is headlined: "The Only Way Is Up."

All this from a club who still sit on top of the Championship in the race for Premier League football. Don't they say the league table never lies?

Well this one does.

Wolves have won once in nine games, and there is a rational argument for saying we haven't played well since thumping Sheffield United at the end of November.

And next up is Jones' Cardiff side who are unbeaten in 11, and presumably determined to ratchet up the apprehension currently hanging like a dark cloud over Molineux.

Apprehension breeds frustration, and that leads to anger - and that's a familiar scenario for those of us who've followed Wolves for the last 30 years.

The nationwide view of Wolves fans is probably a fickle band of moaners. But I don't buy that. We are passionate - but have become accustomed to despair.

Betrayal is a strong word, maybe too strong. But even when we ended 19 years of hurt to reach the Premier League in 2003, we were let down by a club not brave enough to spend the money that would have kept us up.

Our dream withered and died. We needed some Premier League class - we got Silas, Isaac Okoronkwo and Oleg Luzhny.

There's probably something in the psychological make-up of a Wolves fan that anticipates pain and heartbreak - but in our defence it's happened so often in the past.

However, McCarthy's Wolves, up until Christmas at any rate, had been different. Once the club hierarchy cottoned on to what the fans had known for years - that Molineux was absolutely crying out for young, hungry footballers - we came to embrace a new generation that we backed to the absolute hilt.

Not even a 6-0 hammering at the hands of Southampton would stop us giving our new Wolves a standing ovation.
We believed in them, and they delivered - and McCarthy was "Super Mick".

But after a series of poor results since November, and increasingly desperate performances, the pressure is massively on.

These young starlets have been rewarded for their efforts over the last two and a half seasons, and Premier League managers have cast envious glances at Michael Kightly, Sylvan Ebanks-Blake and Wayne Hennessey.

Now our big players have absolutely got to stand up and be counted on Sunday.

But the man who holds the key to Wolves' ambitions over the next three months has to be the manager.

For the last three away games, he's combined Karl Henry and on-loan Nigel Quashie in the heart of midfield - and we've lost all three.

And I was left bemused after the "rock bottom" performance at Burnley last Saturday, listening to McCarthy pondering whether he was setting up his team with too much emphasis on attack.

Well a midfield without David Jones and/or David Edwards does not suggest huge attacking intent to me or, I venture to suggest, thousands of other Wolves fans.

We should be celebrating Wolves being top of the league, and embracing the excitement. Wolves fans shouldn't be turning on honest players like Neill Collins and Andy Keogh.

But that's where Wolves are at. It's a real shame - and it requires a massive performance on the field, and in the stands, on Sunday.

Midfield muddle epitomises Molineux malaise

I'm not sure which sounds worse: two wins in nine games, or 10 points out of a possible 27?

And although we're still four points clear at the top of the table, I'm getting worried.

Standing within the massed ranks of yet another superb away following at the Ricoh on Saturday, I expected more. Much more.

Wolves are struggling, and it's not just because we're shipping soft goals. Pretty much everywhere I looked on Saturday were issues and problems.

Now Mick McCarthy points to a better second half showing, and reckons we were worth a point had Sylvan not missed his penalty, but Wolves need to be playing better than this.

Fortunately Reading and Birmingham are giving us a helping hand right now, but if Cardiff win their three games in hand, the pressure will be on.

So to the issues and problems.

How did Wayne Hennessey let such a soft shot slip under his body in the build-up to Coventry's first? I thought that was pretty feeble goalkeeping when bravery was called for - and he was also complicit in Norwich's third on Tuesday night.

Why did Matt Jarvis waste countless opportunities to deliver effective crosses? I lost count of the times he skipped down the left, but practically every centre was either too low or mis-directed.

Why was Michael Kightly playing inside-right instead of outside-right? Still our best creative option, but clearly not playing with pace or confidence. A rampant Kightly creates a rampant Wolves - and neither has been seen for weeks. And why doesn't he hug the touchline anymore?

Why isn't Sam Vokes getting a chance when Chris Iwelumo's form has completely deserted him? Big Chris has 15 goals, but hasn't scored since November 25. Increasingly, he's finding it easier to upset referees than find the net - and surely Vokes, with two goals in three substitute appearances, is worth a run now.

And why did Wolves line-up with Karl Henry and Nigel Quashie at the heart of midfield?

Quashie gives it his best, but what message is being sent by deploying two similar players in midfield? David Jones is a better passer than either, and David Edwards is more athletic.

And there is no disguising the fact that Quashie was deemed surplus to requirements by a manager struggling to properly kick-start Birmingham's promotion push.

Wolves burst to the top of the league in the closing months of 2008 with some delightful attacking play that dazzled the fans, and left opposition defences in large amounts of disarray.

Most of those players were on show at Coventry yesterday, but it all felt a bit one-paced. Maybe even lethargic - and muddled in midfield.

I vote a rapid return for Jones in midfield alongside Quashie or Henry, Vokes alongside Sylvan - and Kightly and Jarvis to start delivering and living up to their star billing.

And despite the goals conceded column, I still can't a better back four than Kevin Foley, Richard Stearman, Christophe Berra, and Stephen Ward.

This isn't a crisis, but it's not very clever.

Wolves back on track for Match of the Day

It's a crying shame it wasn't in different circumstances, but Wolves got a rare mention on Match of the Day on Saturday.

Unfortunately Messrs Lineker, Hansen and Shearer were talking about the impressive Premier League debut of Mark Davies for Bolton.

But it's a start - and my faith that Wolves will be a word that figures much more prominently on BBC1 from August remains unshaken.

In fact my faith was strengthened by a performance against the Hornets that reminded me why Wolves are deserved leaders of the Championship.

While Reading were slipping up slightly, Super Mick's men confidently and competently dealt with Watford with a performance that was a bit of a throw-back.

On a sticky pitch, Wolves rediscovered a fair bit of the zip that has clearly been missing since the start of December.

So ok, it wasn't a rampaging performance, but there were spells when Wolves were fairly rampant, pinning Watford back with lively attacking breaks.

And there were several performances that confirmed my long-held view that McCarthy's squad will really take some catching in the race for Premier League football.

No wins in five games had played into the hands of the doom merchants, but the Championship league table still shows us four points clear of second place - and six clear of lucky Blues.

Victory was never in doubt for me at Molineux from the moment it became clear Richard Stearman was going to enjoy a terrific afternoon alongside the ever-popular Jody Craddock.

And at the opposite end of the pitch, the recently subdued Sylvan Ebanks-Blake was back to his barnstorming best.

I thought Sylvan was fantastic. He got his goal early on, then battled for everything, including the centre circle tussle that ultimately led to Andy Keogh's goal.

Sylvan's goal record is sensational, and on Saturday so was his work rate.

I had a sneaking suspicion that Craddock would play in place of the heavily-criticised Neill Collins, and he was top class. But I've another suggestion - that may have been his Molineux farewell.

But where this leaves million pound signing Jason Shackell is now a matter of obvious debate, with Christophe Berra hopefully making his debut on Tuesday night against Norwich.

If the Berra deal is completed, McCarthy's transfer window activity will surely be deemed a great success - a desperately-needed central defender, a solid midfielder as cover or assistance for Karl Henry, and a lively winger as cover for Matt Jarvis and Michael Kightly.

While some people have been losing their heads, McCarthy has calmly guided Wolves through a difficult December and January - and I don't see why we couldn't fly through February.

Collins "guilty" but Wolves still in the clear

He's been in the dock for many weeks now, and defendant Neill Collins seemingly has been convicted of all charges by Wolves' increasingly unhappy internet jury.

Even members of his own defence team appear to have stamped "case closed" on the file.

A desperate own goal and an indefensible red card provided a fresh tide of abuse for a player who has always done nothing but his absolute best for our team.

The argument is clearly whether his best is good enough. And Wolves' pursuit of Hearts' Christophe Berra may well answers that.

I was sickened by the farcical nature of his own goal, and disgusted by his dismissal.

But the bile being thrown at the young Scottish defender is, in my opinion, definitely out of proportion to his performances.

Collins is a victim of something resembling a baying mob, who certainly won't be turned by this article, even though that's not my aim.

Their verdict is a comprehensive anti-Collins stance.

I'm not even saying that position is totally wrong. At times Collins, particularly when the ball is at his feet, has struggled.

I just saying the level of abuse at one of our players is out of proportion to his fantastically honest endeavour - and depressingly sad.

But coupled with Collins is the notion that Wolves have started to "bottle it" and are destined for the lottery of the play-offs.

Come on lads, get a grip.

We are still two points clear of Reading, and four points clear of a Birmingham team that by common consent have been absolutely abject in recent weeks.

So Collins is officially guilty - although I still maintain that evidence will be provided by the defendant defender between now and May to overturn that decision at a re-trial - but please don't tell me Wolves are still not excellently placed to maintain a serious promotion challenge.

By all means tell me next Wednesday if we've picked up no points from back-to-back home games against Watford and Norwich.

But losing at Reading, by virtue of just one crazy moment in the very first minute, will fire Wolves up. Just you watch.

And in seven days' time, six more points in the bag remains, for me, completely realistic.

No academy awards for Wolves over Davies

For me, the Mark Davies issue is not about blaming the player or his manager.

It's about shining a light on Wolves' much-heralded academy, and asking if the conveyor belt of talent is really producing young footballers with a realistic chance of playing for a club that is definitely a strong Championship side, and potentially a battling Premier League outfit.

The Wolves team that slipped out of the FA Cup at the weekend was missing six current first team regulars.

The omission of rested quartet Kevin Foley, Michael Kightly, Sylvan Ebanks-Blake and Andy Keogh was coupled with the exclusion of the injured Stephen Ward and suspended Richard Stearman.

And that was all perfectly understandable with Tuesday's trip to Reading of far greater importance to Wolves' season.

But the team that Mick McCarthy put out against Middlesbrough contained only one home-grown player - goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey.

We had a former Shrewsbury Town youngster at right back, a current West Ham youngster on the wing, and a former Bournemouth youngster at centre forward.

And even our strongest possible team only has one player - the aforementioned Hennessey - who's emerged through the academy, and I think that's worrying.

In fairness, right back Mark Little and left-sided Daniel Jones have forced their way into the first team squad during the McCarthy era, but even if Little was fit, you couldn't expect him to oust the fantastic Foley from McCarthy's team.

Jones is clearly not part of McCarthy's Championship run-in plans, and neither are Lewis Gobern or Stephen Gleeson.

So will these young men ever be ready for the "big time"?

Apparently, if you believe Bolton's Gary Megson, Davies is, and it's clear he's been winning rave reviews at Leicester in League One.

Only two people really know why Davies is being considered for sale, and has put in a transfer request.

That's the 20-year-old midfielder himself, and his manager.

Plenty have passed comment on Davies, and maybe his style of attacking midfield play does not fit into McCarthy's system.

If Wolves were to lose a player of such undoubted potential, having nurtured his talents for 12 years, to an established Premier League club like we did with Joleon Lescott, most fans would say: "Fair enough."

But something has gone wrong here. If McCarthy doesn't want Davies in his squad any more, that's his right as manager.

But he's offered Davies a new contract, so presumably he does, although that may be a mechanism to strengthen Wolves' claims for compensation at any tribunal.

So Davies would appear to be deeply unhappy. How can a club that places such great store by its academy have allowed this position to develop?

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.

Sluggish Wolves need some fresh impetus

When Mick McCarthy looks at his calendar in his Compton training ground office today, he'll see three remaining January weeks that could define the next four months.

Saturday's shocker against Preston was only the second home defeat in 14 games this season.

But you sense it had been coming. Not since Wolves dispatched Derby 3-0 on Tuesday December 9 can anyone honestly say that Wolves have been flying at the top of the table.

We're still four points clear, but the last five performances, culminating in Saturday's calamity, have hardly suggested promotion is a racing certainty.

Sluggish is a word that describes Wolves right now - and our next two Championship games take us to the cauldron that is Bristol City's Ashton Gate, and the home of our nearest challengers, Reading, for a game that defines the word massive.

Throw in the FA Cup battle at Blues, and a potential fourth round tie with Middlesbrough - and all this in the middle of the transfer window when so much is expected, perhaps demanded, of Messrs McCarthy, Moxey and Morgan.

Look at the Championship top scorers' table, and two of the three top places are occupied by Wolves strikers.

But Sylvan Ebanks-Blake and Chris Iwelumo, in particular, are living off their amazing Autumn exploits - and the service to them from the flanks is virtually non-existent.

Saturday's shambles saw only Stephen Ward and Neill Collins emerge with any credit - and they were part of a frail defensive unit that let Preston in three times.

Richard Stearman may have played many games for Leicester at right back, but he's a central defender, and a very good one at that.

He's certainly not a marauding full back, which is what Wolves' style of play demands, and his discomfort at Blackpool and against Preston sums up Wolves at the moment.

But the biggest concern to Wolves fans, and presumably to McCarthy and the player himself, is the form of Michael Kightly.

It's just not happening for him. Forget talk of multi-million pound offers from Newcastle and Bolton. There is a sensible and rational argument that suggests Kightly is currently not worthy of a place in the Wolves team.

He's not playing with any zip or confidence, and if Kightly doesn't click, Wolves can struggle.

Kightly has had a meteoric rise. Form is temporary and class is permanent, and Kightly is class. But I just want to see him back hugging the touchline as a left back's worst nightmare.

One obvious option available to McCarthy, before any potential new signings, is the immediate recall of David Jones in central midfield.

And what about the front two? Sylvan keeps the goal account ticking over, but frankly is doing little else.

And Iwelumo, who missed two fine chances on Saturday, is looking like a striker who enjoyed a fantastically hot streak earlier in the season, but is now struggling to offer anything more than a frustrating succession of foul challenges.

I still have absolute faith in McCarthy and a team that are determined to succeed. But they need help.

Losing Kevin Foley to a hamstring injury showed what a vital component to the team he is, and we could do with one of our two outstanding young goalkeepers really stamping their mark on the No 1 shirt - because Carl Ikeme was not without blame on Saturday, and Wayne Hennessey was at fault up at Blackpool.

When Wolves next play a league game at Molineux, against Watford on January 31, supporters will hope there are new faces in the team.

That's not to forget the absolutely outstanding effort that has got us to this point. It would just be an acknowledgment that this is a brilliant chance for Wolves to eclipse what we achieved in May 2003.

I don't think we'll blow it - for no other reason that the aforementioned McCarthy, Moxey and Morgan know we can't afford to.

McCarthy ready to unshackle Shackell

When the transfer window slammed shut at the end of August, million pound signing Jason Shackell would hardly have expected to wait until it next opened for a chance to properly launch his Wolves career.

Injury in the home win against Swansea, and then the stunning performances of on-loan Michael Mancienne, left Shackell not even able to land a place on the bench.

With Neill Collins earning the right to be "first reserve" behind Mancienne and Richard Stearman, Shackell has a Molineux career record of two starts and eight substitute appearances - including that cameo between the sticks at Preston.

But with Mancienne recalled to west London, and Mick McCarthy expected to shuffle his pack at Blues in the FA Cup, this could be an excellent chance for Shackell to muscle his way into the promotion push.

Stearman is obviously and deservedly McCarthy's first choice, so the battle is on for Collins and Shackell, with Jody Craddock also nearing fitness. And Shackell has the added benefit of being a left footed central defender.

I'm a massive fan of Collins' wholehearted approach to life in the Wolves team, but there is the occasional slip - like the bemusing way he booted the ball behind for a corner at Blackpool on Monday night when he wasn't under any obvious pressure.

So Shackell needs to step up to the plate, and show us why he was so well thought of at Carrow Road, and why he was worth £1m.

McCarthy won't reveal his team plans for tomorrow, but I expect Shackell, Sam Vokes and maybe Carl Ikeme to feature.

Super Mick, who's closing in on Rangers striker Alan Gow, could potentially even rest the outstanding Kevin Foley and goal king Sylvan, leaving Shackell alongside Collins with Stearman once again at right back.

If Wolves were languishing in mid table, tomorrow would be a massive game for me. But I have to admit, and I'm almost ashamed to say it, the FA Cup means little or nothing in the grand scheme of things.

Only one thing matters between now and May. It's a nine letter word that begins with P and ends in romotion.

But tomorrow could be a really big game for Shackell.