Last year

[Sniffer]

Interesting that the top two in that table went up automatically and the bottom three went down.

Swap Cardiff for Blackburn.

 

[Doctor Doog]

I only got as far as the one after 17 games - short attention span!

 

[Sniffer]

I only got as far as the one after 17 games - short attention span!

Sorry I was only looking at the 18 one and was thinking that it was interesting that 2 out of the bottom 4 are first and second this season!

 

[Tom Hark]

Sorry I was only looking at the 18 one and was thinking that it was interesting that 2 out of the bottom 4 are first and second this season!

Although it's hardly a direct comparison. Wolves then and now are two almost entirely different teams. (I don't know or care enough about Cardiff to be able to say whether that's the case there too.) Wolves 2016/17 could well still have been a bottom-half side even under Nuno. In our case, at least, it just shows what a bit of money well spent can do.

It's an odd division this. I think it's interesting too how relegated sides can equally well either bounce straight back or be struggling near the bottom.

 

[Johnny75]

Some interesting stats. Since the start of the Championship (13 seasons)

• 59% of teams are promoted if they are in the top 3 after 18 games
• 64% of teams finish in the top 2 if they are in the top 2 after 18 games
• 69% of teams are promoted if they are top after 18 games
• 46% of teams are champions if they are top after 18 games

Still a fair way to go and judging by Nuno's comments he knows this, but what a position to be in right now.

 

[Norman Deeley]

Tough not to get ahead of ourselves, but the way the team is playing at the moment, where do you think the current team would be in the Premiership? Somewhere around 9th to 12th is my guess

 

[Johnny75]

Bottom half of the prem. I don't think either wing back is good enough for a top half finish and they would be very important to how we play. I'd also be concerned with only having Leo up top in the PL.

Having said that, building on this squad with a few new players (CB, RWB, LWM, CM and CF) I think top half would be very achievable. Mainly though I think we need to keep Nuno if we have a prayer of a top half PL finish.

 

[Nando]

The Premier League is littered with awful teams with no identity.

It's basically a free for all outside of the top six.

 

[Penk Wolf]

Looking at that, I'd say...

Manchester City - N
Manchester United - N
Chelsea - N
Tottenham Hotspur - N
Liverpool - N
Arsenal - N
Burnley - Y
Watford - Y
Brighton and Hove Albion - Y
Huddersfield Town - Y
Newcastle United - ??
Leicester City - N
Bournemouth - Y
Southampton - N
Stoke City - ???
Everton - N
West Bromwich Albion - Y
West Ham United - Y
Swansea City - Y
Crystal Palace - Y

....we have better side than 9 and 2 not sure about.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

8th for me

 

[Del Woppio]

We'd get tested a LOT harder defensively in the PL, and there's really only Boly that I'm 100% is prem ready. I reckon lower midtable

 

[Tony Towner]

We'd be mid table without too much of a relegation battle. All pretty irrelevant really as a) we aren't up yet and b) if we were in the Prem next year there would be at least 3 top notch players coming in.

 

[FrankMunro-371]

With this Wolves team playing as they are right now we have 28 winnable games left...

Agreed. Though obviously we will not win every game, the quality of the team is such that we should do. It is over 40 years since Wolves have had a team like this.

 

[Dire Wolf]

We'd be mid table without too much of a relegation battle. All pretty irrelevant really as a) we aren't up yet and b) if we were in the Prem next year there would be at least 3 top notch players coming in.

This is true IMO.

 

[Penk Wolf]

I've seen a few people on Twitter saying they've been watching Wolves for 60+ years and never seen a team this good.

 

[Parkins left foot]

So by Boxing Day Newcastle had played 23 games and reached 49 points (Brighton 48 points)

Out next 5 games up to and including the 23rd December will take us to 23 games

So 8 points required from

Bolton (H)
Birmingham (A)
Sunderland (H)
Sheff Wed (A)
Ipswich (H)

2 points a game will take us to 51. I'd be very happy with that.

Some interesting stats. Since the start of the Championship (13 seasons)

• 59% of teams are promoted if they are in the top 3 after 18 games
• 64% of teams finish in the top 2 if they are in the top 2 after 18 games
• 69% of teams are promoted if they are top after 18 games
• 46% of teams are champions if they are top after 18 games

Still a fair way to go and judging by Nuno's comments he knows this, but what a position to be in right now.

Those are more than acceptable percentages and the next 5 fixtures should not be feared

We will not win every game & will have an off day, but should go into every game expecting 3 points

 

[Doctor Doog]

I've seen a few people on Twitter saying they've been watching Wolves for 60+ years and never seen a team this good.

I can't imagine there are too many people who've been watching Wolves for 60 years who know how to use Twitter.

 

[Tom Hark]

I've seen a few people on Twitter saying they've been watching Wolves for 60+ years and never seen a team this good.

It's catching. Just got this email from a friend who went and is not known for hyperbole:

I don't want to get too carried away BUT....I have been watching Wolves for 55 years and I have never seen us play like we did last night. It was breath taking stuff and Leeds were chasing shadows most of the time.

 

[Tom Hark]

I can't imagine there are too many people who've been watching Wolves for 60 years who know how to use Twitter.

Ageism!!!! Ban 'im, mods!

 

[Penk Wolf]

I can't imagine there are too many people who've been watching Wolves for 60 years who know how to use Twitter.

Okay, 55 and 57 then.