Wolves fans who abused McCarthy are a bunch of knee-jerks

By Steve Stammers

Published 10:00 26/10/11

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Tonight at Molineux, the fans of Wolverhampton have been given the chance of redemption.

The abuse that was hurled at their manager Mick McCarthy on Saturday was little short of obscene. No-one is denying disaffected supporters the right to voice their opinions. They pay their money and all that...

But on the back of a bad run of five matches, to call for him to be sacked was both irrational and ridiculous. Especially when just a few weeks ago, after wins in the first two games of the season, McCarthy was being hailed as one of the best Wolves managers ever. The lines to radio phone-ins were jammed with those singing his praises.

The slump followed and McCarthy - who happens to be one of the most honest and down-to-earth bosses in the country - responded by working himself and his players even harder. The reward came in the last five minutes against Swansea. Wolves had been comprehensively outplayed but hung in and refused to surrender. Two goals salvaged an unlikely but valuable point. Not before, however, thousands had called for McCarthy to go a good 15 minutes before the final whistle.

McCarthy was hurt. He is rarely one to show his feelings but he was clearly hurt. His achievements on a limited budget have been laudable but they counted for nothing last Saturday. The chance for the fans to make amends comes tonight against a Manchester City outfit who could field a third team which would still have cost more than McCarthy's first choice.

But don't hold your breath. The modern fan is an accurate reflection of modern society. They want success and they want it now. And never has that been more evident than this season. Indeed, this weekend come to think of it.

Earlier in the campaign, many Arsenal fans were saying Arsene Wenger's time was up after a makeshift team were hammered 8-2 at Old Trafford by Manchester United. Not so many rumblings now after a decent run that has taken the club into the top half of the table and included Champions League wins against Olympiacos and Marseille as well as a honourable draw in Dortmund.

Then Leicester sack their manager after a 3-0 home defeat by Millwall. The Foxes, by the way, are just two points away from the play-offs and are now looking for a manager with an international profile and with global contacts. Sounds like Sven Goran Eriksson would fit the bill. One problem. That is the man they have just sacked.

Finally Old Trafford on Sunday. Manchester City hammered United 6-1 in a victory that smashed all kinds of records. These things happen. It is called football. So who do a number of fans blame? Rio Ferdinand or Patrice Evra? David de Gea in goal? Wayne Rooney up front? Nani (yes, he was out there)? Jonny Evans for the horrendous positional sense that forced him to bring down Mario Balotelli and earn a red card?

No, they verbally attacked members of the Glazer family who were leaving the ground en route for London.

It couldn't be that City, on the day, outplayed United and were by some distance the better team after the first 20 minutes. No - someone has to be blamed and so the Glazers became targets.

Just as Mick McCarthy was to blame on Saturday according to a few thousand morons in the South Stand at Molineux.

McCarthy has never backed away from a confrontation as a player or manager. Ask any striker who played against him and ask Roy Keane. It would be interesting to see him go head-to-head with one of the group found strength in numbers as they insulted him during the match against Swansea.

It might just get physical - and, from McCarthy's point of view, you couldn't blame him.

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