Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Wonder Wolves
I’M JEALOUS... I’D LOVE TO BE THERE NOW... MORE MONEY, A DIFFERENT VIBE AND A JOY TO WATCH
PAUL INCE admits he feels a tinge of jealousy when he looks at the way his old club is doing its business these days.
The former West Ham, Manchester United, Liverpool and England midfielder made more than 130 appearances for Wolves in a four-year stay at Molineux from 2002.
And in his first year, the 2002-03 campaign, they won promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs.
Ince is adamant that had the levels of investment then been comparable with the sums Fosun International have pumped in now, he could have helped Wolves establish themselves in the top flight.
Instead, they were relegated a year later – and spent the next five years trying to fight their way back up.
They got there under Mick McCarthy, but were relegated again in 2012 and the club slumped further still 12 months later with the drop into League One.
Wolves won promotion back to the Championship at the first attempt under Kenny Jackett and, after Fosun bought the club, they got back to the Premier League in 2018 with Nuno Espirito Santo as boss.
Ince said: “I do kind of feel jealous, in a way, because when I was at Wolves we got promoted under David Jones.
“And if we’d had the finances they have now, I’m not sure Wolves would ever have come out of the Premier League.
“We didn’t have enough money at the club to invest in the team and we went down the next year. But what they have done in the last two years has been unbelievable.
“Listen, money does help, and then you have Jorge Mendes, the agent, bringing in top, top players.
“It helps, but you still have to get these top players to come to Wolves.
“It’s not like they’re coming to Manchester United, Chelsea or Arsenal. That’s not being disrespectful. The likes of Joao Moutinho and Raul Jimenez have been unbelievable, and that shows the pool Wolves have now got as a team and it’s great to see.
“I sensed from Wolves fans over the previous years that they have been a bit frustrated about not pushing forward and not getting to where they want to.
“But now when I go there it’s just a completely different atmosphere. The fans are ambitious, they get packed houses and the football is a joy to watch. I hope they can push for the Champions League place now, fingers crossed, if and when the season resumes. “The last nine games are what Sir Alex Ferguson always used to refer to as ‘squeaky bum time’. You can’t get away with mistakes.
“You can maybe get away with a few at the start of the season because you’ve time to make up for them but when it gets to this stage everything has to be perfect and for that you have to have a bit of luck. “If ever they can get in the Champions League, this is the season to do it, with the inconsistency of Tottenham and Chelsea.
“Manchester United are starting to pick up, but there might be another place if Manchester City fail in their ban appeal.
“In the next nine games everyone has to be 9/10 – you have to be at your optimum.” Paul Ince is a Paddy Power ambassador. To read more, go online to news. paddypower.com