What a year it has been for the Midlands side who have waltzed through the league this year. They currently sit eleven points clear at the top of the Championship and if they get a win against lowly Birmingham City they will secure promotion to the top flight. Wolverhampton Wanderers have been blistering this season but can they continue that form in the Premier League?
It is looking more than likely that Wolves will actually smash the 100 points barrier with four games remaining. They have scored 76 goals this season and conceded just 36 goals; they currently have the biggest goal difference in the league, and it is thoroughly deserved. They have built from the back with an experienced goalkeeper in John Ruddy and Captain Conor Coady. However, Ruben Neves has been the standout player this year.
The Portuguese centre midfielder has been a revelation since he arrived for a club and league record fee; an estimated £15.8 million. Having turned down clubs like Chelsea to join Wolves from Porto, he must have believed in what is happening at the Molineux, and he has been a major player in the Wolverhampton Wanderers show. He has scored some absolute peaches this season but none more so than his latest goal against Derby County when he scored a volley from 25 yards out lobbing Scott Carson.
Players like Neves might have been tempted to leave the club if they failed to win promotion to the Premier League in their first season. But they will all want to stay with the club and player for boss Nuno. The former Valencia manager has a 64.6% win ratio in all competitions this season, and that includes three wins in the League Cup and coming close to knocking out Premier League Champions in waiting, Manchester City.
The grit they have shown this season when things haven’t gone their way is what will make them a side with potential next season. During February and mid-March, they went through a bad run when they drew twice and lost twice to promotion-chasing sides. The losses to Fulham and Aston Villa could have derailed their superb season, but they managed to bounce back and are currently on a six-game unbeaten streak, winning five of those games including a tough 1-0 win over Cardiff City; who missed two penalties in injury time.
It used to be that teams that were promoted stood no chance of staying in the Premier League, but with Wolves, you have to believe that they are a better side than the current three in the relegation zone. There is also an argument that they are a better team than teams lower than 15th place. That does include Huddersfield Town, who were newly promoted this season, but they have been a revelation by defying the odds and only slipping into real danger in recent weeks.
The other two promoted sides, Brighton and Newcastle, have also defied the odds. Brighton are currently 13th, and Newcastle are 10th in the league. The Magpies are currently one of the most inform teams in the country. This shows that Wolverhampton Wanderers can defy the odds next season if they continue to play their own game rather than going into their shells especially against the more established sides in the Premier League.
I believe Wolves have all the capabilities to succeed in the Premier League. They have not been there since 2011/12 season and have been through some torrid times since then but the good times are back. If they continue to play with their philosophy and using those fearless youth players, they can cause shocks next season in the promised land.