Mick McCarthy realistic on Wolves' final position

Mick McCarthy today spelled out the Premier League reality facing Wolves when he declared: "We've seven places to play for".

McCarthy wants to build on last season's 15th-placed finish by gatecrashing the top 10.

Yet despite splashing out a club record £18m this summer, the bookies have made Wolves one of the three favourites for the drop with promoted duo Albion and Blackpool.

And McCarthy admits Wolves are still fighting a battle to beat the drop.

"We'll be trying for 10th to eighth, but we're playing for places 11th to 17th," said the boss. "If I'm here next year having just finished 15th, I'd be delighted.

"Look at the reality - can we finish in the top 10? Birmingham finished ninth, but it's unlikely we will.

"So you can virtually discount the top 10 and we don't want to be in the bottom three, so we're only playing for seven positions."

The £40m redevelopment of Molineux hinges on Wolves staying up, with chairman Steve Morgan due to give the go-ahead at some point during the season, a fact not lost on McCarthy.

"The only way all this development can really all happen is by staying in the Premier League," added McCarthy. "So I'd take 17th now and stay up again."

McCarthy, who in later editions of yesterday's Express & Star discounted a move for Michael Mancienne, believes the Molineux masses share his realism.

"Ask every fan if they'd take 15th now and I think they would," he said.