Relegation Profile: Wolves

Position: 17th
Points : 40
Goal Diff: -19
Final Day Opponents: Blackburn (H)
Best odds to be relegated: 8/1 - WilliamHill
Best odds to stay up: 1/10 - Totesport

Season Review:
The notion that Wolves would be as long as 8/1 for the drop heading into the final day seemed like lunacy, even at the start of May. In a scrap all season, a run of seven points from the last three games has taken them to the brink of survival. If they get relegated now, the 40 point mark can longer be regarded as ‘magical.’

Season Highlight:
The crunch derbies against West Brom and Birmingham yielded a vital four points this month; the 1-0 win at Villa Park in March was perhaps even sweeter. Molineux has resembled a fortress more than any of the other grounds belonging to the bottom few. Chelsea were beaten there in January and Man Utd suffered the same fate in February, at a time when McCarthy’s side were rock bottom.

Season Lowlight:
Looked like the men from the Black Country had lost their way at the worst possible time when an April 4-1 defeat to Newcastle was swiftly followed by a 3-0 home debacle against Everton. By Christmas, Wolves had lost to Blackpool, Blackburn and twice to Wigan. The Championship beckoned.

Survival Hopes:
The 3-1 win at the Stadium of Light last Sunday means that at least two of the sides below Wolves must pick up points to stand any chance of overhauling McCarthy’s side. They are the only team still in danger with a home fixture on the final day. Blackburn are welcome opponents having gone winless on their travels in 2011.

Verdict:
Only a calamity can stop Wolves now. Hard to imagine they won’t take at least a point off Rovers; if that happens then two of the three below will need to win away to tough opponents. The chances of that are somewhere between unlikely and impossible. The 1/10 on staying up looks about right.