A letter of thanks to Mick McCarthy

Dear Mick,

I write this as we enjoy our finest hour! I felt that I should drop you a line to express my sincere gratitude at the happiness you and your team have brought to the fans of Wolverhampton Wanderers over this last season.

At the end of last season I called for a change in management at Molineux, having sat through some dire football and witnessed a team that never quite gelled.

You proved me and all the other nuggets wrong. The three-year plan you laid out with the much-maligned Jez Moxey has come to fruition and Wolves are in the Premier League, it's absolutely incredible.

You have done some fantastic transfer business this season, bringing in players who have made a real difference to the balance and the quality of the team.

You brought in the excellent Richard Stearman, who may feel a little aggrieved to be now sitting on the sidelines after such a promising start to his Molineux career.

David Jones and Christophe Berra have also increased the quality in midfield and defence, while striker Sam Vokes will only get better and better.

We also have George Friend who has shown glimpses of being a cracking player, when given a rare opportunity in the side.

For me, the best signing this season is the colossus that is Chris Iwelumo who has chipped in with a healthy 16 goals for the season, despite missing a large chunk of it through injury.

Kudos to the way you have used the loan system to your advantage as well. Michael Mancienne was an absolute revelation when he joined the club and formed a fantastic partnership alongside Richard Stearman.

Carlos Edwards, Kyle Reid and Marlon Harewood have also created some vital goals between them.

Fans are probably still scratching their heads as to why Nigel Quashie, a player who wasn't good enough for Birmingham, was brought into the club.

We could understand the logic as cover for Karl Henry, but why then play the two of them side by side?

But you were proved right, although it pains me to say it, by shipping out Freddy Eastwood to Coventry.

He has since scored a massive three goals for the Sky Blues and is now bleating on about how he can be a success next season, if the fans stick by him.

How you managed to prise £3.3million from Stoke for Seyi Olofinjana without the use of pistols or ransom notes still remains a mystery.

Of the big money signings, only defender Jason Shackell could really be deemed as a failure, but if you knock on Stoke's door, perhaps you could steal another three or four million for him?

Some fans are still bitter about losing Mark Davies for a pittance to Bolton. But I know that the Trotters have put him on a massive salary and if he doesn't want to fight for a gold and black shirt then good riddance.

This season has been full of goals and some absolutely magical displays. Up until the end of 2008, we were playing some of the best football seen home and away for over a decade.

We were simply over powering teams with fast, incisive attacking displays.

You finally had the luxury of playing wingers Michael Kightly and Matt Jarvis in tandem and they wreaked havoc.

We annihilated Nottingham Forest at home 5-1, then we destroyed Sheffield United away 3-1. The team have been in the top two of the league nearly the whole season and have stayed there right to the end.

We had our predicted winter sticky patch with everybody fearing the worst when we lost at home to Plymouth., After finishing February without winning a game, suddenly the chasing pack were on our tails.

Apart from that horrendous performance at Birmingham, March and April have been a godsend. Where other teams have faltered, Wolves have marched on to gain promotion and fill this city with pride once again.

So what now Mick? Whereas six years ago we were promoted through the playoffs and had limited time to prepare for our top flight assault, we now have the luxury of four months to assemble a squad which will hopefully see us through that first tricky season of Premier League football.

What we don't want, is a repeat of the summer of 2003 where we started with the signing of the useless Oleg Luzhny and added the likes of Isaac Okroronkwo, Silas, Henri Camara, Joey Gudjonsson, Vio Ganea, Carl Cort and Steffen Iversen.

We spent a pittance and got exactly what we deserved by finishing rock bottom of the Premier League and headed back to the Championship with Leicester and Leeds after just one measly season.

Obviously the answer isn't just to go and spend silly money on any old player in the vain hope it will be enough to keep us up.

Of the promoted teams from last season, Hull and Albion have both spent tens of millions of pounds, only to still be in trouble at the foot of the table.

Stoke have been the big spenders with over £30million spent on transfer fees alone and are looking the best placed for survival, having invested in the right areas with the right players.

We don't want to be one season wonders again in the Premier League. We know that the likelihood is that we are going to be scrapping for survival, but will it take £10, £20 or £30million to stay in the top flight for another crack in 2010/11?

Obvious gaps in quality at the moment would be in the middle of defence, middle of midfield and another striker to take some of the weight of top scorer Sylvan Ebanks-Blake's shoulders.

Of course, some fans will argue that we need nearly a whole new team and that at present we only have a handful of players who could cut it in the top flight. I disagree.

I think that if goalkeeper Matt Murray can stay fit - which is always a big if - we have one of the best goalkeepers in the country.

With Wayne Hennessey and Carl Ikeme also in the wings, you would have thought this would be one position that we have an embarrassment of riches in.

Defensively, Christophe Berra, Kevin Foley and the returning George Elokobi possess enough ability and if Mick doesn't think that Richard Stearman is ready, which I personally do, we should splash out £5 or £6million on someone who is.

Players like Joseph Yobo, who can't get a sniff at Everton, or Emanuel Pogatetz from Middlesbrough if they get relegated.

Failing that, could we get Michael Mancienne from Chelsea back on a season-long loan?

Midfield is where we may well need the biggest investment. We should break our transfer record to see if Tottenham's Tom Huddlestone or Cardiff's Joe Ledley would consider joining us.

We'll also need proper cover on the flanks for Kightly and Jarvis - with someone like Burnley's Chris Eagles or Stephen Hunt, who is known to be unsettled at Reading, ideally placed to come in and make the places more hard fought.

Up front is where we really need to make our ambitions count. If Reading don't make it out of the Championship this year, then how about also trying to grab Kevin Doyle - who must be sick of the division by now - or Jason Scotland, who I could see being a perfect foil alongside Sylvan in attack?

We can't have any passengers in the Premier League. It's a cruel game, but even if a player has put their heart and soul into getting Wolves promoted, if they are not good enough then they need to be shipped out.

You have a great chance to establish this club back in the top flight and I know you will put all your Yorkshire grit into making it happen.

You and the team will have our full backing and we can't way for the excitement of the top flight to begin.

Thanks again Mick, you have done us all proud.

Let the good times begin!

All the best

Nathan Lloyd