Paul Lambert has enjoyed his first week as Wolves Head Coach – as he aims to bring a fresh intensity to the team’s training programme.
Lambert has enjoyed a busy first week not only on the training pitch but also in visiting Molineux to meet office staff, taking in the club’s Museum, and meeting a group of fans who are active in blogging and commenting about the club in the media.
He has also re-introduced access to the Compton Park training ground on a regular basis, the first open session taking place yesterday.
"It’s been really good so far,” he says.
"I went down to the stadium the other day and said hello to everyone in all the different departments, because the club needs everybody to work together.
"I was in the museum the other day and it’s absolutely brilliant.
"There were some things you remember when you were growing up as a kid.
"I remember Andy Gray scoring in that League Cup final (against Nottingham Forest in 1980).
“And I remember the strip with the three Wolves on it. That was my era growing up, I think it was an Umbro kit.
“The whole club – the facilities really are excellent. That’s the beauty about the club, it’s got everything here already, plus the fanbase behind it.
"Any football person knows the size of it, and the history attached to it. You want the stadium to be full – we’ll try and get people in.
"If I’m fortunate to get it going it could be really great."
On meeting the fans, Lambert explained: "It was interesting.
“The fans will be here long after I’m here, so it’s important to get a feel for it, and how they think about things.
“It was interesting to hear what they had to say, and I told them what I’m going to try and do here.
"Every club is different on its own merit.
“But the fan expectation level will always be there, at every club. And quite rightly so – it’s their club and they want to see success.
"Every club you see certain things you can try and change, or keep, but the expectancy level is always the same."
Whilst very keen to get a feel for the club and what supporters both think and expect, Lambert knows full well that the main commodity for him in his new role is fairly simple – to pick up some positive results.
With that in mind he wants his squad to train as they play, and show a level of intensity which will prove good preparation for games in the Sky Bet Championship.
"The only downside has been we don’t get everybody back until Thursday,” he said of the internationals still away from Compton Park.
"Other than that it’s been really good.
“The lads have been, as you’d probably expect with a new Head Coach coming in, excellent, and have raised things a little bit.
"But the proof’s in the games – that’s the bottom line.
"I’m a great believer in the fact that if you train well every day you’ll take that into a game.
"I’m not one for really slow sessions where it’s stop-start and stop-start – I think you lose intensity. If you train hard you’ll play hard and that’s something we’re going to try and do – and enjoy our football.
"It’s been very good so far.
"I thought they had to raise the bar of the intensity level. I thought they had to get around the pitch better than what they’re doing. So it’s to get them ‘at it’.
"If somebody goes by you, you have to help your team mate – don’t leave anybody isolated if you can, because you’d expect the same if you were isolated.
"The basic thing was to get the tempo of the training up and get everybody enjoying their football."
Lambert continued: “I can’t wait to get going and I can't wait for the first game at Preston.
"When you’re out of it, that can be nice at times because you need a break, but when you get back in you think, yes, I’m going to do it my way.
"The welcome from Wolves has been great, I really appreciate it. I’m not the same manager that I was at Villa, or Norwich.
“The game evolves and you see different things. But everybody needs everybody and there are some really good people at this club."
Lambert is keeping a close eye on keeper Carl Ikeme’s fitness this week but has also been impressed by the form shown in training by Andy Lonergan.
"We’ve got two really good goalkeepers here,” he said.
