The excitement is almost too much, not even a bunch of hoody rioting idiots will get in the way of this, The Premier League, and more specifically, Wolverhampton Wanderers are back.
With summer rain turning to erm, autumnal rain, football is once more in the Black Country air. The transfer merry-go-round, the rumour mill, the ground redevelopment; it’s all many of us can think about. But how do we think our studded men in gold will fair? Are we happy with the signings? Have we seen enough in pre-season to suggest we can avoid the strains of final day heart palpitations again? With two years under a lot of those belts will the players find an improved Premier League gear?
The signing of Roger Johnson and his appointment as captain is obviously the biggest move at Molineux this summer. Mick McCarthy suggests his towering presence and vocal ways can lend to a calmer and less nervy defence that was prone to numerous point dropping errors last season. He’s in his peak years as a defender and from what I have seen of him previously and during pre-season, I have to agree with Mick. I believe Johnson will be an astute signing that will only improve the defenders around him. If the defence against Blackburn starts as Zubar, Johnson, Berra and Elokobi/Ward, that already with just the one expensive addition looks sturdier than last season. Add to that the possibility still of a new left back before the transfer window shuts, and the lasting whiffs of a Championship defence are slowly being replaced by the sweet aromas of Premier League protection.
O’Hara again is a good signing. He clearly fits in with the other players and from day one of his loan last season has stated his determination to do well. Sure his Twitter feed could have been written by his toddler son judging by the grammar, but we should judge him on that sweet left foot and not his spelling. He and Henry will have to work on positioning to ensure they’re not overrun in the centre if in a 4-4-2 but I can see O’Hara flourishing with a full season as an appreciated Wolves player ahead of him.
With the possibility of another central midfielder and a left back before the end of August I’d be satisfied with this squad. If our key men like Doyle and Jarvis stay fit, if Hunt continues to play his heart out, if Fletcher picks up from where he left off, if players such as Hammill and Kightly can make a Premier League impact and if Johnson can shore up the leaky defence surely we have enough compared to the likes of Norwich, Swansea, QPR, Wigan and Blackburn to avoid the threat of relegation. Having listed those fellow expected strugglers can we even dream of topping the bottom half?
There’s a lot of ifs and buts, that’s how football is, but there’s one certainty, I can’t bloody wait!
Up the Wolves.