Wolverhampton Wanderers Season Preview

Wolves finally get second crack at the Premier League, but it remains to be seen if their squad is anything but one for the Championship.  To be honest Wolves is probably the team I'm least familar with.  I don't know why really.  They've been on my radar for a while thanks to an old friend who was a rabid Wolves fan (Hi, Steve!) and their prior, um... gracing of the top-flight.  But I just don't have a sense of the team.  They seem to be a very good attacking squad with buzz around their young strike force, especially Sylvan Ebanks-Blake.  However, to my eye the defence looks unready for this level and the fact that they are already dealing with injuries to key players and that some of their summer signings aren't likely to be ready to play come opening day... it just doesn't sit well with me.  That being said, I think there are some fantasy opportunities with Wolves, particularly with Milijas.  If McCarthy can build a team around him - it would be hard in such a short time, but I'm thinking of precedents like Izzet at Leicester, Dugarry at Birmingham or Okocha at Bolton - there might really be something there for fantasy managers for sure, and for Wolves fans (Hi, Steve!) as well.

Possible Starting XI: Hennessey, Foley, Caldwell, Zubar, Elokobi, Kightly, Henry, Milijas, Jarvis, Doyle, Ebanks-Blake

Players to watch:

Michael Kightly - The flying winger.  Injured now, and frankly all too often in his still young career, Kightly is expected to be a big part of Wolves attack chipping in with goals and creating from the flank. 

Nenad Milijas - Along with Wigan's Jordi Gomez, Milijas was the Premier League newcomer I was most excited about.  A tall, skillful attacking midfielder, Milijas should be the fulcrum of Wolve's attack.  He will take responsibility for their set-pieces.  And McCarthy will likely play him as a support striker, "in the hole", when they go to a 4-5-1 against the bigger clubs or on the road.  He scored tons of goals in the Serbian league, albeit that was the Serbian league.   Still, he was the first name on my team sheet for the new season.

Kevin Doyle - Which Kevin Doyle did Wolves buy?  The one who scored 13 for Reading in a Premier League season and 18 in each of his two Championship seasons with the club, or the one who slumped to six goals in a forgetable (and doomed) 2007/2008?  Of course Wolves will be hoping that it is the former, and that all of his top-flight experience (such as it was) will help their other strikers make the leap as well.  I'm not convinced, and he's hurt to begin the campaign.  But If Wolves are to get it going, Doyle will likely be a key part.