Big crowd hopes to roar Wolves to top

More than 26,000 tickets have already been sold for the visit of Barnsley on Saturday.

Wolves could go top of the Championship for the first time since winning promotion to the Premier League in 2009 if they better Leeds’ result against ex-boss Mick McCarthy’s Ipswich Town at Elland Road.

Crowds have been up at Molineux this season, while three of their four away league games have seen ticket allocations sold out.

The opening-day visit of Middlesbrough saw Wolves’ first full house on the first day of a season since 1975 with a crowd of 29,692.

And, like that one, the Barnsley figure could top any league crowd seen at Molineux last season.

Only three home league attendances reached higher than 26,000 last season, with the highest being 27,541 for the visit of Blues in February.

The other top attendances were 27,293 for Paul Lambert’s first home game in charge against Sheffield Wednesday and then 27,255 for a West Midlands derby against Villa, which Wolves won 1-0.

Last week’s crowd 23,405 for 3-3 thriller against Bristol City was Wolves’ biggest crowd for a Tuesday or Wednesday midweek match at Molineux for more than five years.

Meanwhile, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola says the Premier League side will respect Wolves when the teams meet in the Carabao Cup next month.

Wolves were drawn away at Guardiola’s side in the fourth round after beating Bristol Rovers 1-0 on Tuesday night.

City, who overcame Albion 2-1 at The Hawthorns to progress, have won the competition twice in the past five seasons.

It will be Wolves first trip to the Etihad since a 3-1 league defeat in November 2011. A month earlier City beat Wolves 5-2 at Molineux in the League Cup fourth round – the last time Wolves went that far in the competition.

Guardiola said of the draw: “Finally, we have a home game. Since I’ve been here we have never been drawn at home so I thank the guys who made the draw!

“We will respect Wolves and we know from experience against Huddersfield last season but we saw what happened in the first game (where they drew 0-0) so we will be ready.

“We are just happy we will be playing at home at last.”