Wolves skipper tells fans to ‘blame the players’
Roger Johnson has called on Wolves fans to lay-off on criticising manager Mick McCarthy and blame the players after they vented their frustrations at him during Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Swansea.
Supporters were unhappy with McCarthy’s substitutions when he brought Nened Milijas and Adlene Guedioura in the 68th minute in place of wingers Adam Hammill and Matt Jarvis with Wanderers two goals behind.
Chants of ‘you don’t know what you’re doing’ reverberated around Molineux although his changes were soon justified with his side battling back to claim a point.
Skipper Johnson has now pleaded with fans to give McCarthy a break and put the blame for their poor form firmly on the backs of the players.
He said: “He knows very well what he’s doing because he is an exceptional manager who has done great things for this club.
“And as for the sack, we can only hope the board wasn’t listening to that sort of thing because it was below the belt. They should stick by the boss and point the finger where it belongs – at us, the players.
“They booed when he made the changes but I hope they are looking at what happened and asking themselves honestly who was right in the end.”
Goals from Kevin Doyle and Jamie O’Hara saved Wolves’ blushes and Johnson admits he’d rather the fans ‘have a pop’ at him than take out their frustrations on his manager.
“Fans are fickle and in the gaffer’s case they have short memories. He was a hero when we started the side with three wins on the trot and when he kept the club up last season. Yet here they are calling for him to be sacked.
‘They can have a pop at me, no problem, because I’m not up to scratch at the moment and accept that I need to start doing the job I was brought in for.
