Which Way For Jones?
Dave Jones
By Scott Cooper
May 31 2003
With the so-called "Easy" bit of the operation over with Wolves gaining promotion to the Premiership, Jones has to now decide which way he will tackle the big boys in the Premiership.
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Which Way For Jones? |
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Author: Scott Cooper With the so-called "Easy" bit of the operation over with Wolves gaining promotion to the Premiership, Jones has to now decide which way he will tackle the big boys in the Premiership. Jones spent £14M in his two years he has been at the club but now the easy part of the job is done and Jones has to find a way of turning Wolves from a team which finished 5th in Division One to a real force amongst the elite in the Premiership. Jones has three real options. He can wait and give players a chance to prove themselves and then re-assess the situation and make improvements when needed - Although by then it might be too late, or he can splash out big now, leaving the current crop of Players out of a job. Jones however will probably opt for option Three, which will see him doing a bit of both, similar to the way Birmingham City approached their Premiership Assault last season. Jones however insists the £14M he spent in his time at the club so far will stand in good stead in the Premiership. "We didn't bring in the Mark Kennedys of this world just to get there," Jones told IC Birmingham. "It'll be very hard, but I'm not going to the Premiership just to stay for one season. "And the one big thing we already have in our favour is that we have people who've played in the Premiership. It's nothing new to your Kennedys, or a Nathan Blake or an Alex Rae." Mark Kennedy has already proved on several occasions he can cut it as a good Premiership winger, but he`s been there, and the question of why he was sold from a Premiership club in the first place has to be asked. Alex Rae has not been used as well as he would have liked this season, but with his experience he is likely to still have a role to play, however only as a squad player. Colin Cameron and Kenny Miller are both ready to grace the Premiership whilst Shaun Newton, like Kennedy has had his chance to play in the top flight only to be moved back down to the First Division. Wolves also have the two young England U21 Internationals, Jo Lescott and Matt Murray, whom neither would look out of place in the Premiership. They're worth a lot more because of it," Jones said. "Their price would be a lot less if we were still in the First Division. Not that I'm trying to put a price tag on any player's head, or that any player here is for sale, but every man has his price. "Look at Kevin Davies at Southampton. We didn't want to sell him but how we could turn down £7.5 million."
Fans By The Millennium Stadium Before The Play-Off Win
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