High-flying Wolves touch down in Perth
7th July 2009, 6:00 WST
They don't have the buying power of their heavyweight rivals but English
Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers rolled out around $50 million of
talent at yesterday's first WACA Ground training session.
Wolves, who earned their place among England's elite by winning the second-tier
Championship last season, arrived in Perth in the early hours of yesterday
morning in preparation for Friday's clash with Perth Glory at Members Equity
Stadium.
The touring squad, which includes £6.5 million ($13 million) signing Kevin
Doyle from Reading, will spend the next 10 days in Perth as they continue to
prepare for their return to the lucrative Premier League.
VIDEO: Glory new boys get it together
<http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/wan/index.php?rn=12735368&cl=14343659>
Wolves manager Mick McCarthy has been busy in the transfer market recently,
snapping up Doyle, midfielder Andrew Surman from Southampton, defender Greg
Halford from Sunderland, Red Star Belgrade midfielder Nenad Milijas and Ronald
Zubar from Marseille.
Zubar and Milijas will join the squad in Perth this week, while former Celtic
defender Bobo Balde is due to start a trial during Wolves' WA stay.
Although Wolves have limited resources and cannot compete with the spending
clout of the Premier League's big clubs - such as the £17 million Manchester
City splashed out for Blackburn Rovers' Roque Santa Cruz - the club can only
hope being shrewd results in Premier League survival at the end of the season.
And Wolves seem prepared to make up for any shortfall by working even harder
through a pre-season program fashioned by former Aston Villa winger Tony Daley.
McCarthy wasted no time cracking the whip after touching down in Perth as the
players ignored potential jet lag to complete a morning gymnasium session
before a lively workout at the WACA yesterday afternoon.
And the early reports from the visitors were positive, despite the showers that
welcomed them on arrival in Perth. Wolves captain Jody Craddock, who was almost
lured to Glory by coach David Mitchell, compared the WACA surface with the best
the Premier League had to offer.
The former Sunderland defender acknowledged that his decision to reject an
offer from Glory had been prudent given the turnaround in his own fortunes at
Wolves.
"I spoke to Dave - it just wasn't the right time," Craddock said.
"At the time I was being asked the question, I wasn't in the team and I got
back in the team and held my place down and managed to lift the (Championship)
trophy at the end of the season, which was fantastic for me. So I got my
reward, which was another contract."
Wolves complete their match schedule against North Queensland Fury at Members
Equity Stadium tomorrow week on a night when Glory also face Mark Schwarzer's
Fulham at the same venue.
Tickets for all matches are available through Ticketmaster.
JONATHAN COOK
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Pig's pudding - it's a mon's dinner aer kid
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