Ron Atkinson: Wolves to get promoted or relegated, Aston Villa contenders

Atkinson, who got his first taste of football as an apprentice at Molineux during the club’s 1950s heyday, believes Nuno Espirito Santo’s team head into the campaign an unknown quantity. Another summer of change saw Nuno replace Paul Lambert as head coach, while 11 new players have arrived and Atkinson admits: “They are the one team I am not sure about.

“They might romp the league or they might get relegated. I honestly couldn’t tell you.”

Of the new arrivals, only former Norwich duo Ryan Bennett and John Ruddy have prior experience of the Championship and Atkinson reckons that may work as a disadvantage.

“I think the Championship is a specialist league, for managers and players,” he continued. “I think you take a big risk when you bring in people who are unfamiliar.

“I was very impressed with Helder Costa last season. But the others they have brought in, I honestly don’t know.

“If they were coming into the Premier League you would say, yeah, they must be good players. I can’t work them out at all.

“The manager does not know the league. He might turn out to be a revelation. He might also come in and struggle. They didn’t have much success with Walter Zenga.

“That doesn’t mean it won’t work. You only need to look at David Wagner last year at Huddersfield. The best foreign manager in the second tier in my book was Jean Tigana at Fulham, he did a great job.

“But Wolves are an unknown. It would not surprise me if they won the league. Neither would it surprise me if they got relegated. It’s tough to get a bearing on them.”

Atkinson is far clearer about the prospects for Villa, the club he led to a League Cup victory in 1994, and predicts they will be challenging at the top.

Steve Bruce is beginning his first full season at Villa Park under pressure to win promotion following the disappointment of last season’s 13th-placed finish.

The big news of the summer was the arrival of five-time Premier League winner and former England skipper John Terry, while Bruce has also added further experience in the likes of Glenn Whelan, Ahmed Elmohamady and Chris Samba.

“I think Villa will be right in the hunt, particularly once Jonathan Kodjia is fit,” said Atkinson. “I think Steve knows they have to be in there.

“He knows the game. I know that sounds obvious but he won’t be too complicated. His centre-halves will defend, that will be their main job.”

Terry has joined Villa after more than two decades at Chelsea and though he arrives with a big reputation, Atkinson believes the 36-year-old will not have everything his own way in the second tier.

“John Terry will be the catalyst for Villa,” he said. “He will either be the best player in the league or it might get a bit frantic.

“I watch a lot of Championship football. It’s a good league. Very often you see better games than in the Premier League.

“Teams in that league will be bombing up. The Premier League is a bit more patterned.

“He might find people are running in behind him an awful lot. He will have to see how he gets on with that. He will certainly command respect among his team-mates.”

In Ron Atkinson’s autobiography, The Manager, published by deCoubertin books, is out now in paperback.