Wolves manager Mick McCarthy has warned fans to get used a cautious approach in the Premier League – even at Molineux.

The team played throughout Saturday’s 1-1 friendly draw at Doncaster with Sylvan Ebanks-Blake as their only out-and-out striker.

That was the third game in a row boss McCarthy has experimented with the new system and he revealed the team couldn’t afford to be as expansive as they were in the Championship.

McCarthy said: “If anyone is naïve enough to think we can go into the Premier League and play a rampaging 4-4-2 and bash everyone about like we did for the first few months last season – there’s not a chance.

“I think our supporters know what we’re going into. They might as well get used to the fact we’ve got to play differently.

“It’s about making sure we can do something different. We don’t want to be a one-trick wonder.

“We’ll have to match teams up if they play three in the middle of the park.

“We might do it at Molineux as well because if teams have an extra man in midfield, we’ll have to think about it.

“We’re not going to be the best team in the league, we’re not the biggest kid in the playground, so we have to be a bit more solid.”

Key to the new formation will be Serbian playmaker, Nenad Milijas, who played off Ebanks-Blake on Saturday.

The manager added: “Nenad will be an important player, although in the second half he probably ended up with his back to goal more than we would have liked.”