Paul Lambert: Next year will be better for Wolves

A 3-1 defeat to Derby County was a scoreline that flattered 10-man Wolves who were second best all afternoon at Pride Park.

The Wolves boss is already eyeing up transfer targets as he bids to put together a squad to challenge for the top six in 2017/18.

And he said: “We’ll be a lot better next year, that’s for sure.

“I’m telling you right now we’ll be better next season. This club needs a few to come in, there’s no two ways about it.

“You can never promise anything, but one thing’s for sure you’ll come out the traps next season.

“This club, with the size of support it’s got, has to be on the front foot.

“If someone’s going to beat us, you make sure you’re on your backside. I think we’re too inconsistent and I think we have to have a mindset of next season starts from scratch. We have to go toe-to-toe.”

Almost 3,000 fans sang their hearts out at Pride Park and Lambert paid tribute to them.

He added: “They were unbelievable, absolutely fantastic. They’ll be the same next Sunday.

“But ultimately we’ve got to give them something as well. Listen, I’ve seen it at Stoke, Liverpool, against Villa, Chelsea, it’s a brilliant support.

“But you cannot keep accepting what’s been happening over the past few years. There’s got to be some sort of barrier where it stops and you say ‘Right, we’re going to go for this’.

“If everyone buys into it, we’ll push. I’ll not accept anything less.”

One of very few positives was the performance of Nouha Dicko, who looked back to his old self and created a number of chances for himself, as well as setting up Ben Marshall’s goal.

“I thought Nouha was excellent,” Lambert said. “He had two or three chances, he made them himself. Dicko’s a massive threat.

“I’ve said before he needs a pre-season. He’ll get that in the summer and be a lot better for it, but you can see what a threat he can be.

“Those performances have been too little, for him and us, but I think he’s going to be a really top player next season.

“He needs a pre-season, because with his injury, which kept him out for 14 months, he didn’t really get that, and a footballer you need to be conditioned to be able to play right through the winter.”