EFL Championship: 5 Things we learned from the opening weekend
Although diehard supporters of England's top tier are anxiously anticipating the resumption of the Premier League season this coming Friday, there was plenty of football league action for followers to sink their teeth into this past weekend in the EFL Championship.
This season, England's second division welcomed the likes of relegated Middlesbrough, Hull City and Sunderland, as well as promoted the Millwall, Bolton and Sheffield United.
With more than half of the clubs in the Championship fancying themselves for promotion, the season ahead is sure to be as enthralling as always and the opening weekend of games saw numerous very tight affairs.
Having cast my eye over the action, here are five key points which surfaced during the first round of matches.
#1 Molineux: A potential fortress
All in all, it was a pretty miserable campaign for Wolves last season, who slumped to an eventual 15th place finish, clear from relegation but a long way off from the desired playoff spots. On Saturday, under new management and parading a host of fresh faces, the West Midlands side defeated promotion favourites Middlesbrough 1-0 to ease nerves that a similar fate awaits them this term.
Why should Wolves fans fear such a reality though? Quite simply, they shouldn't.
It is of course just ninety minutes of football into a relentless marathon, but under the stewardship of experienced Nuno Espírito Santo, Wolves are perfectly equipped to surprise everyone in a similar fashion throughout the entire campaign. Central to this would be their home form and Wolves made Molineux an uncomfortable venue for Boro on Saturday.
Santo's side consistently peppered the opposition goal with a total of ten shots and tightened at the back with the likes of Saiss and record signing Neves in deep midfield often suffocating a blunt Middlesbrough front line.
Few teams will visit the West Midlands outfit this term with a more experienced and valuable side than Middlesbrough's and so it seems that Wolverhampton Wanderers could be a tricky side to face away from home for every club.