Sometimes a club needs to hit rock bottom in order to come back stronger. That was certainly the case at Wolverhampton Wanderers and the west Midlands side are thriving now back in the Championship.

Two years after dropping into League One thanks to a second successive relegation, Kenny Jackett’s side are now pushing hard to make their return to the Premier League.

Relegated from the Championship under Stale Solbakken and latterly Dean Saunders in 2013 - a failure which brought the Welsh boss the sack - Wolves went for an entirely different approach after reaching their lowest ebb in years.

Former Millwall and Swansea City boss Jackett was appointed as 'head coach' and tasked with reducing the club’s sizeable wage bill and rejuvenating an ageing squad.

The former Watford favourite and Wales international did just that, moving on expensive senior pros who had been part of failure, including Roger Johnson, Kevin Doyle - both on loan - and Stephen Hunt.

In their place came younger talents including Millwall winger James Henry, Wigan Athletic forward Nouha Dicko and Sheffield United midfielder Kevin McDonald, all of whom went on to become key parts of a refreshed Wolves side.

Jackett’s reward was the League One title at a canter and a record points total of 103 to boot.

An excellent seventh-place finish in the club’s first season back in the second tier might have been even more impressive had Wolves pipped Ipswich Town to the final play-off place on the final day of the season, instead missing out on goal difference.

The final remnants of the club’s dismal slide into League One left this summer with Doyle heading to Major League Soccer's Colorado Rapids. Sam Ricketts, who captained the side to the title, also left on a free transfer and has since linked up with Coventry City.

Arriving have been midfield reinforcements in the shape of Portsmouth prospect Jed Wallace and Huddersfield Town enforcer Conor Coady.

Later in the window Jackett swooped for experienced Championship goal-getter Adam Le Fondre on loan from Cardiff City and Liverpool’s exciting young winger Sheyi Ojo, also on loan.

Arsenal goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez has also joined on loan to provide competition for Carl Ikeme, who has recently been called up by Nigeria for their African Cup of Nations qualifier against Tanzania next month.

Martinez, an Argentine youth cap, has been in possession of the starting jersey so far this season. The Arsenal youngster, 22, has previous experience in the Football League with Oxford United, Sheffield United and Rotherham United.

It is another former Arsenal youngster, striker Benik Afobe, who has been getting all the headlines since moving to Molineux from the Gunners in January.

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A prolific spell which yielded ten goals in just 11 starts for MK Dons during the first half of last season persuaded Jackett to spend a sizeable fee, believed to be £2 million, to tempt the 22-year-old to the Black Country.

Afobe, who has previously spent time out in the Football League on loan at Huddersfield, Bolton, Reading, Millwall and Sheffield Wednesday, immediately rewarded his manager’s faith by netting 15 league goals in just 23 starts.

It is his partnership with Dicko, though, which has caused untold problems for opposing defences. The pair have 26 between them since Afobe signed on January 17 and their blend of pace and power has proved a potent recipe.

The two sides have twice met previously in competitive action and have a win apiece to their names with Wolves 5-0 winners in the League Cup in 1998 courtesy of a Steve Bull hat-trick and two from Robbie Keane.

Goals from Scott McGleish and Darren Currie had seen the Bees take a 2-1 first leg lead.

Wolverhampton Wanderers XI v Cardiff City (22.8.2015): Martinez; Iorfa, Stearman, Ebanks-Landell, Hause; McDonald, Coady; van La Parra, Edwards, Ojo; Afobe.