Kevin Doyle has warned Wolves they will be fighting another relegation battle if they relax thinking an influx of summer signings will be enough. Boss Mick McCarthy has a stronger squad at his disposal than the one which avoided a quickfire return to the Coca Cola Championship.
But Doyle knows Wolves cannot afford to become complacent ahead of Sunday's home meeting with Aston Villa.
He said: "We've strengthened but they (Villa and other clubs) have also strengthened. It doesn't mean we are going to do better than last year.
"It doesn't mean we are going to automatically be out of the bottom part (of the table).
"We are still going to be fighting for our lives. I'm pretty certain of that.
"It won't be cosy, cosy. It will be difficult. We will see how things develop as the season goes on.
"But, if we relax and think because we've signed some players, that we are going to do fine this season, that is when it will bite us.
"We need to keep that bit of fear in us and keep playing well.
"But in the last couple of league games where we've got beat (Fulham and Tottenham), we could have still easily have got something from those matches."
Doyle believes Wolves can go into the Villa clash with more confidence after their 4-2 Carling Cup win over Notts County in mid-week.
He said: "It was important to win before Villa game. It wouldn't have been nice to lose three on the bounce.
"It would have made the next few days a bit more stressful.
"Now we can go into the Villa game looking forward to it. We were anyway - but it's a good derby game. We played well against them last year."
Doyle is unlikely to be facing his Ireland team-mate Richard Dunne who is battling to overcome a knee injury.
He said: "I always like playing against Dunny. It is a fair but tough game and you don't usually don't get the better of him."
