McCarthy vows to keep cool as Wolves scrap for survival

Mick McCarthy has pledged to remain Mr Cool during the chaos of the nerve-shredding scrap for survival.

Wolves boss McCarthy insists he will be the epitome of calm as he attempts to guide his troops to safety, ahead of a monumental game at Burnley today.

McCarthy is only out of the relegation zone on goal difference and his side have only secured one league win since beating Burnley before Christmas.

The trip to Turf Moor is then followed by two daunting away games at Aston Villa and West Ham ñ and three defeats will test even McCarthyís optimistic outlook.

But he has called for calm at Molineux and claims he can still succeed in his mission to avoid an immediate return to the Championship.

He said: "Me being calm is not an act, I'm not an actor. Whatever the emotions are, they tend to come out with me.

"But I have reason to be calm because we have been playing well. I am cool and confident that the way we are playing, we will be fine.

"If I thought we were going down, I would be a lot more agitated and chewy with people. I'm not sat here with false bravado, giving it the big one. I just think we will finish with more points than three other teams.'

Getting knocked out of the European Championships by Macedonia in the 95th minute and going to big World Cup matches when everything hangs on them gives you this experience. I would have been angrier when I was younger.

McCarthy reckons four wins from the remaining ten games will be enough to secure survival.

And he has eased the pressure on his players by insisting that defeat at Turf Moor still won't be the end of the world.

He added: "Four more wins would probably be enough but that would be an achievement for any of the clubs down there. Especially when you think we have only won six out of 28 so far.

"We have to stop Burnley scoring because the place erupts when they do. Twenty four of their twenty five points have come at home and they were getting the bird in the first half against Stoke.

"It is a huge game but what's the point in me making it sound any bigger? We won't be out of it even if we lose because I don't think for one minute that Wigan, Sunderland, Bolton and West Ham think they are out of it yet. It's all to play for.

"We have taken as many points away as teams out of the bottom ten and we are probably capable of having as many chances away as at home."