Wolves' Nouha Dicko knows Blackpool well

Wolves striker Nouha Dicko admits Blackpool was the making of him as a Championship player.

Now the hit-man is looking to show the struggling Seasiders what they are missing.

The Tangerines side Wolves and Dicko are preparing to face at Bloomfield Road tomorrow will bear little resemblance to the team he left in January 2013.

Months before he was part of the squad that reached the Championship play-off final at Wembley only to lose 2-1 to West Ham in a group containing players such as Barry Ferguson, Tom Ince, Matty Phillips and Kevin Phillips.

Just three players – former Villa pair Isaiah Osbourne and Nathan Delfouneso, albeit in his second spell – plus Angel, remain from the 18-man squad Dicko was a part of in his final game for the Tangerines on New Year's Day, 2013.

Dicko scored nine goals in 32 games over two spells for Blackpool, but only six of those appearances were starts, as he gained a reputation for finding the net coming off the bench.

The Seasiders were only beaten in one of those nine games he scored in, at Peterborough in March 2012.

And the following month Dicko lodged himself in Wolves head coach Kenny Jackett's memory bank with Blackpool's second in a 2-2 draw against his future gaffer's Millwall side.

Dicko admits he has fond recollections of his time by the seaside.

"There are so many different tests in this division but this one will be one in particularly special to me because I've played a few games for them," said the Mali international.

"They helped me develop as a player so I'm really excited to be playing against them. But I hope we continue to play well and that it's another win for us.

"I will try to do my best and if I can upset them, I will do. I hope it's another good game - I'm always excited to play any game in the Championship because they're always exciting matches."

While Wolves have hit the ground running on their return to the Championship with four wins in their first five games, Dicko got off the mark with his first goal in the 3-1 win against Blackburn before the international break.

For Dicko, the relief at opening his Championship account reinforced his cast-iron belief that he can be a regular scorer at this level – as he suggested during his time at tomorrow's opponents.

"I feel I've played well in all of the games and I feel great on the pitch but it was good to score my first League goal," said Dicko.

"I have never had any doubts about my capacity to score in the Championship because I know what I can do. I always say it's good to score but the most important thing is the three points."

Wolves' excellent start has surprised many nationally, with few expecting them to be challenging for promotion.

But to Jackett and the players, continuing where they left off in League One was within their capabilities.

"I know what the team can do so I'm not surprised by what we've done so far," said Dicko.

"Some people are surprised to see us where we are but in the dressing room we're not because we know the quality we have.

"We have started really well and I'm not surprised by the performances of the team. We're playing well at the moment and we could and should have had five wins in five games.

"It just shows that we need to keep working hard on little things that we need to improve on. Four wins in five is very good and I hope September will be an even better month."

The 3-1 win against Blackburn last time out was by common consent Wolves' hardest test so far this season.

Their proud defensive record was breached by Jordan Rhodes's penalty and Dicko believes they should have won more emphatically.

"We had to work hard but I think it was a deserved win," he said. "I don't think it was a penalty so I think we should have won by at least 3-0.

"We're not thinking we've achieved anything but we have ambitions and we need to keep doing the things we did against Blackburn if we're to do well and achieve what we want to this season."