Jody Craddock is looking forward to a crunch Premier League clash after an international break gave the 34-year-old a chance to recharge his batteries.
Craddock is a survivor of Wolves’ only other appearance in the Premier League back in 2003-04 where they were always adrift of the pack but this season looks like being a different kettle of fish.
In the bottom three but only a whisker away from safety, optimism is still high in the Black Country that they can avoid the drop. They face Chelsea this weekend and then a crucial local derby against Birmingham on November 29, and Wolves’ supporters will be hoping for a six-point haul to put them in a good position with the congested Christmas programme just around the corner.
Ian Clarkson spoke to Craddock as he concluded his exclusive interview for Givemefootball.
Q: The squad doesn't have a lot of Premier League experience - will that be a problem?
A: There isn’t much Premier League experience in the squad but I think that can sometimes be a good thing. There is not that fear factor and I think that is showing in the way we are approaching games.
Q: Can all three promoted teams survive?
A: Burnley have made a fantastic start at home and that is keeping them in a decent position. Both Birmingham and ourselves haven’t started too badly either and there is no reason why all three teams couldn’t stop up.
Stoke and Hull proved last season that it is possible to survive and I am sure all three teams will want to survive this season.
However, all I am bothered about is Wolves and I am concentrating all my efforts on making sure we are a Premier League team next season. It is absolutely massive to this club that we survive, really important.”
Q: You have a big local derby against Birmingham on the horizon, don't you?
A: Birmingham is a big game for us and not just because it is a derby fixture. It is also a game that both sides will feel they can win but it is a game we need to win as we need to get as many points as possible from the teams who are in and around us.
We don’t mind who we take the points off but the fact that it is a local derby definitely adds extra spice to the occasion. We have already come from behind against both Villa and Stoke to force a draw so we can approach this game in confident mood.
