Balancing act

The search for new Wolves players continues, with the focus on youth being balanced by a desire to recruit a couple of players in the Paul Ince-Denis Irwin mould.

Speaking to the E&S, Jez Moxey said

"The main focus is still on getting together the nucleus of a team which will take us into the Premiership and last for five or six years.

"But we were very fortunate a while back to bring in players of the stature of Paul Ince and Denis Irwin and it would be perfect if we could come up with something like that again.'

If only.

Players of that calibre and experience drop down a division as often as rocking horses foul pavements, although the odd Premiership player has been known to, usually with some modicum of success, but always at a cost, and there's the rub.

Wolves have a rigid wage structure in place which would probably have to be shattered to tempt the likes of Irwin and Ince to Molineux again.

Something Mick McCarthy has previously steadfastly refused to do.

It is also being punted about as the reason Wolves failed to land Lee Carsley from Everton, who opted for a move to St Andrews instead. Possibly.

Possbly not.

One thing is clear. It is easier and cheaper to find youngsters wanting to make a reputation than it is to find veterans looking to seal one in the twilght of their career.