Perhaps somebody up there likes Big Mick McCarthy after all. Given his previous top-flight managerial experience it would be no surprise if the mere mention of the word “Premiership” would have him running for cover behind the couch as if the Daleks were coming.

A kind opening fixture list, however, has ensured that last year’s Championship winners will have enough time to find their feet in the “Best League in the World” before any of the real big guns get Wolves in their sights.

Will it be enough time for the nerves to settle and see the West Midlands club approach each fixture with a growing confidence or a gnawing, creeping sense of utter dread?

At Mark’s request, Sir Paulos and I join forces to tackle the matter head on:

The Statistics

So if we take a sideways glance at Wolves vital statistics during last season it certainly makes pleasant reading for Wolves fans. I present to you – the stats;

So what can we derive from these numbers? Well Wolverhampton Wanderers were by and far the top goalscorers during their championship promotion season with Sylvain Ebanks-Blake leading the charge scoring a massive 25 goals for the club. However it’s at the other end where there is a slight concern for any fantasy football managers looking to invest in Wolves. The 52 goals shipped over the course of the season indicates that they are hardly watertight, indeed their defence was only the fifth best in the division. However it is worth noting that Wolves managed to keep 14 clean sheets during the season, 9 at Home and 5 away indicating that when they concede they normally concede more than once. Remember though that these statistics were against Championship teams which is a very different challenge to the super duper Premier League

The Manager

Sam the Eagle lookalike Mick McCarthy returned to club management in July 2006 when he was named as the new manager at Wolves. This was a welcome return to management after a torrid third season with Sunderland where he was dismissed with 28 games played and only 16 points amassed leading to Sunderland finishing the season with a then record points low score.

Before going on to take the Sunderland hot seat McCarthy had managed the Irish national team for 6 years, taking over from Jack Charlton, and while he rose to the challenge, his tenure could have benefitted from a little Irish luck. A slow start to the qualifiers for the 2002 World Cup saw the Irish finally book their place in the finals. However this tournament will unfortunately be remembered by most Irish fans for the well-publicised spat with Roy Keane than any of the football played.

Certainly his pedigree as an international manager should stand him in good stead and his record at getting teams promoted, Sunderland in the 2004/2005 season as champions amassing an impressive 94 points and Wolves last season, shows he knows how to build winning sides. The worry for McCarthy is whether or not he can cut it in the top flight. His record with Sunderland leaves a lot to be desired and the fans have a reputation for turning on their own players if the match is not going as expected, so should McCarthy’s Wolves begin to falter he might find Molineux a tense ground for the majority of the campaign.

Before we write Mick off however it’s worth remembering he’s managing a different team to the Sunderland one with which he struggled and as such it’s only fair considering the man awarded the Championship Manager of the Season on his most recent achievements. Guiding Wolves to the Premier Division is no mean feat but how did he manage it tactically?

McCarthy employed a 4-4-2 formation for much of the season with very little variance. However the Premier Division is a different kettle of fish and it would make sense that Wolves would employ a slightly more defensive formation. Indeed this has been in evidence pre-season where they have played with a 4-4-1-1 or 4-1-4-1 formation with Milijas playing off of the central striker – primarily Sylvain Ebanks-Blake.

“We played 4-4-2 all season last year, with two flying wingers for most of the time. If we can play it against teams who want to play 4-4-2 against us then maybe. But we’re going to have to try and be a bit more solid because we’re playing against better teams and better players.”

Ones thing’s for sure should Wolves begin to falter McCarthy odds will certainly tumble from 18/1 to be the first manager sacked.

The Promoted Squad

Taking a look at the teams which gained promotion and the stalwarts of those teams is a great guide for understanding who will start for them in the upcoming Premier League season.  It is also an indicator of whether or not a manager likes to rotate or is trigger happy when it comes to substitutions. Wolverhampton Wanderers, the team which romped home with the English Championship, did so with a massive 30 players of which 19 made more than 10 starts.  Perhaps tellingly only three players made over forty starts during the entire season – Kevin Foley, Karl Henry and Sylvain Ebanks-Blake. Indeed Ebanks-Blake was the most substituted player in the Championship being taken off 24 times in 40 games. This was just a fraction of Wolves’s 134 substitutions during the whole campaign giving an average of just under 3 subs a game. McCarthy certainly likes to utilise his subsitutes!  So moving on its worth looking at who featured highly in each position last season…

Taking a look at the defence, including the goalkeeper, Wayne Hennessey was stick on choice in goal throughout the season but with the introduction of Marcus Hahnemann on a free from Reading his position could come under threat. In front of him the defence tended to be chopped and changed throughout the season with the most ever present being Kevin Foley at right back making 45 starts followed by Richard Stearman at centre back who made 32 starts. Stearman however, following a poor run of form at the end of the season, was replaced by experienced defender Jody Craddock for the promotion run in. Christophe Berra signed during the January transfer window from Hearts also came in making 15 starts.  At left back Matt Hill and Stephen Ward duked it out for the left back slot with Ward coming out on top of that little battle. Occasionally Foley moved into midfield as was shown in the final game against Doncaster Rovers with Stearman moving to right back.

In Midfield throughout the season two players were virtually stick on – Karl Henry the holding midfielder making  42 starts and Michael Kightly making 37 starts. The later was the key creator in midfield chipping in with a huge 20 assists, the most in the league, and 8 goals. Elsewhere David Jones, David Edwards and Matt Jarvis made key contributions with Jarvis contributing 9 assists and 3 goals.

Up front the most consistent performer was the aforementioned Sylvain Ebanks-Blake who bagged an impressive 25 goals and contributing 6 assists in 41 appearances. You have to slip down to Chris Iwelumo for the next top scorer but his feats are equally impressive scoring 14 goals in only 26 appearances. Other strikers who chipped in were Andy Keogh and to a lesser extent Sam Vokes.

So there you have it, the low down on the players who contributed their thing to Wolves promotion push. My advice to you would be to act with great caution before backing many of these players. Other than probably Foley, Henry and Ebanks-Blake i’d be worried that the remaining players places would be put under pressure from the cheeky chappies in the next section.

The New Signings

Ronald Zubar is a quick, powerful centre half signed from Marseille for around 3million Euros. Having represented France at every level up to under 21, Zubar also has the previous two seasons worth of Champions League campaigns under his belt. The 24yr old is an adaptable player; a converted centre half, he begun his career as a defensive midfielder, and can also play right back if required.

Greg Halford is another multi-functional addition to the squad. Comfortable in defence or midfield, Halford has signed from Sunderland for an undisclosed fee after spending most of last season on loan to Sheffield Utd. Although only 24, he has already played more than 250 senior appearances, scoring 34 goals in the process. Something of a long throw specialist, too.

Nenad Milijas, a left-footed creative attacking midfielder, arrives at Molineux on the back of a highly successful season in his native Serbia, which saw him finish as top scorer (22 times in all competitions) , Player of the Year and Most Valuable Player. Bought for an undisclosed fee from Red Star Belgrade, the highly-rated 26yr old playmaker had been linked with the likes of Roma before deciding to head for the Midlands on a four year deal.

Marcus Hahnemann arrives on a one year, free transfer deal after his contract with Reading ran out following the Royals failure to return top the Premiership. The 37yr old’s vast experience will ensure he is a good back-up option for Wolves main man between the sticks, Wayne Hennessey.

Andrew Surman comes in from Southampton in a £1.2m deal that could rise to £2m. The former England U21 player is comfortable in centre midfield as well as on the wing, and despite slightly lacking in pace, is a fantastic passer of the ball. The highly-rated youngster will be looking to prove he is capable of stepping up in class after moving from his boyhood heroes.

Kevin Doyle was purchased from Reading in a four year deal reported to be worth £6.5m. A proven goalscorer, the Irish international will add some proven Premiership experience to the Wolves frontline, playing alongside Sylvan Ebanks-Blake if Big Mick does decide to go 4-4-2 from time to time. His fantastic ability in the air should see Doyle thrive once again in the Premiership, where he excelled last time under Steve Coppell’s guidance.

Michael Mancienne returns to the Wolves fold for a second spell on loan from Chelsea. Having previously spent two months at Molineux last term, the England U21 defender is already well known to McCarthy and with his ability to play both at centre half and right back, will be hoping to add the stability he brought to the defence in his last spell at the club.

Mick McCarthy’s signings so far have been a mixture of Premiership experience and adaptable, multi-functional players, but don’t be surprised to see more faces through the “In” door at the West Midlands club before the end of August, as according to chief executive Jez Moxey, “We’re still looking for more even now” .

The Watchlist

Winning the Championship last season will have given Wolves confidence going into this current campaign and their opening fixtures in this season’s Premiership will only increase that self-optimism. Not until their twelfth game of the season will Big Mick’s boys face a “Big Four” side, and their first five games – WHM, wig, mcity, HULL, bla- should give an indication as to whether Wolves are up to the task ahead. Given his previous Sunderland nightmare, McCarthy will be looking for the side to get off to a flier to settle any nerves, and here are the players whose input will be critical to their success and stability this season:

Wayne Hennessey (4.0) Big Mick’s number one will be determined to show the form that made him the club’s Player of the 2007 Season, and so highly regarded by the tabloids. Much will depend on the Welshman’s performances.

Kevin Foley (4.0) Considering his more-or-less guaranteed starts, is quite possibly the best-priced Wolves defender, given the new signings are costlier FPL picks.

Greg Halford (4.5) Though classed as a defender, the chances are Halford will play in midfield. At 6 foot 5, with a scoring record of almost 1 in 7 (he also takes his share of direct free kicks) could well turn out to be a bargain.

Michael Kightly (5.5) It is essential to the club’s ambitions that his recovery from a metatarsal injury is a swift and proper one; if so, his goals and assists will be vital.

Nenad Milijas (6.0) If McCarthy turns to the recently talked-about 4-1-4-1 formation, he’ll be playing just off the lone striker, a role perfect for him. Should take most direct free kicks, too; may well be the club’s star man this season.

Sylvan Ebanks-Blake (5.5) With the straightforward start afforded by the fixture list, he could really get off to a flyer this year if he has his shooting boots on. One of a few ex-Man Utd frontmen out to prove Fergie wrong this season.