When Mick McCarthy took his place in the dugout at Molineux for the first game of the 2009/10 season against West Ham United, Premier League survival was his primary aim for the next nine months. When he sat down in the same seat for the final game against Sunderland safe in the knowledge that Wolves would be playing Premiership football next year, he probably enjoyed their 2-1 home win a whole lot more than he thought he might have done.

Newly-promoted sides can often start well. Despite the opening day defeat, the following Tuesday brought redemption as they travelled to Wigan and came away with a 1-0 win. Wins were never easy to come by and domestic cup ties brought some solace. Wolves beat Swindon on penalties in the Carling Cup but lost to a single Danny Welbeck goal at Old Trafford in the subsequent round. The FA Cup also brought an early victory at Tranmere but a loss in a replay to Crystal Palace was, in hindsight, probably a turning point in the season.

 

Whilst defeats kept coming, they were rarely heavy and it was Wolves comparatively solid defensive unit that provided a goal difference only West Ham of the bottom seven clubs could better. Kevin Doyle top-scored with 9 goals, all in the Premier League, but with central defender Jody Craddock second top with 5, high on McCarthy’s list of priorities for the summer will be additional firepower up front.

Wolverhampton Wanderers finished a very creditable 15^th in their first Premier League campaign following promotion from the Championship. The club can look forward to next season with the experience of a successful campaign under their belt and the confidence that they are capable of repeating this feat next year with a few new faces.