Recently by Paul Berry

SO the "silly season" as it's known - every football club in the land being linked with every single player going - is now well and truly upon us.

If Wolves were to sign all the players they have been linked with in the month since wrapping up Championship hostilities, we'd probably be looking at a squad of 50-plus already.

Still, agents, journalists, football clubs, players - they all have a job to do and they all want to improve their lot if at all possible.

Hence the raft of gossip and speculation which hits the papers in the summer and, let's face it, without which life with no football (yes thank you Steve McClaren) would be pretty boring.

WOLVES have gone back in for Kyle Lafferty then - not really a surprise there.

Once Mick McCarthy decides on a player, he tends to stay decided.

And having had a £1million bid rejected for the Burnley frontman last summer, McCarthy's having another pop.

Wolves are in a better position this year. Although Steve Morgan was heavily involved in transfer discussions at the time of the first Lafferty bid, he wasn't officially at the helm.

Now he is very much in charge, has had a season to digest the thrills and spills of the Championship and is ready to splash the cash.

But what are the chances of Wolves landing the highly-rated 20-year-old?

INTERESTING to note Harry Redknapp's comments after Portsmouth's final game of the season yesterday.

Despite finishing eighth in the Premier League - their best return for 53 years - and despite a certain FA Cup final just around the corner, it seems a run of four successive defeats had some of the Pompey faithful moaning.

And many declined to stay behind for the traditional end-of-season 'lap of honour'.

Redknapp admitted he had no truck with the jeerers, and believed they were fans who have "jumped on the bandwagon" amid Portsmouth's last few years of success.

Portsmouth, lest we forget, were promoted with Wolves back in 2003.

Having managed to survive that crucial first season, they have gone from strength to strength, and will be favourites to become the first team from outside the top four to win the FA Cup since 1995.

If their fans are moaning, then what hope for the rest?!

THERE it is then, the Wolves retained list. A fair few potential goings, which suggest a fair few potential comings as well.

Any surprises? Not overly.

Wolves have got a good two years' service out of Gary Breen, albeit his last season was interrupted by injury.

Breen was an unruffled and influential leader on the pitch, and a calm and eloquent presence off it. Didn't like giving interviews for interviews' sake, but when talking was always extremely interesting and erudite.

A future manager in the making perhaps?

SO AFTER all that, after 46 gruelling games and the sort of rollercoaster season which Wolves probably haven't seen for many a year, it all came down to one goal.

Seyi Olofinjana's solitary 85th-minute strike to dispose of Plymouth was enough only to join nervy Watford on 70 points, Tommy Smith's equaliser for the 10-man Hornets at Blackpool meaning they limped over the finishing line on goal difference.

By that one measly goal. One measly goal which stood between Wolves and sixth-placed Watford.

One measly goal between another season in the Championship and moving within sight of the lavish Premier League gravy train.