Former England defender Stuart Pearce has warned Wolves to “be careful what you wish for” as they close in on what could be a Europa League qualifying spot for next season.
The Molineux outfit have been hugely impressive in their first season back in the Premier League, coming up as Championship champions last year and depending on who wins the Champions League and Europa League, could seal a European spot in seventh.
However, Pearce urged Wolves to be wary of the impact a European campaign can have, pointing to Burnley’s plight after their impressive 2017/18 campaign.
Speaking on Sky Sports’ The Debate (25/04, 22:33) the former England star said: “It’s incredible, they were being touted last summer as a team that potentially could do quite well but talking about doing quite well and actually delivering…
“(Could they deal with a European campaign?) Their recruitment’s been brilliant last summer for this season, I think they’re going to have to expand the squad again if they’re going to take on a Europa place. Like Burnley, (they) suffered all season.
“Wolves can learn a lesson from that. Be careful if you get into Europe. Be careful what you wish for in some ways.”
Opinion
Time and again we see Premier League sides qualify for Europe only to struggle either on the continent or domestically. As Pearce says, it comes down to the size of the squad and you need a team full of quality and talent to make an impact in Europe as well as getting results in the league. Wolves do not have a great big squad right now, Nuno Espirito Santo choosing to operate with a strong core of regular players in his starting XI and occasionally rotating. That would have to change if Wolves did find themselves in Europe, but you imagine they would relish the challenge. It is not like they are cash strapped and could not invest in bolstering the team with a handful of new arrivals, courtesy of their mega-rich owners. If they can sign as many impressive talents as they did last summer, then there is no reason Wolves cannot be the dark horses both in the Premier League and in the Europa League.