McCarthy Gets Wolves Bacon Slicer

Wolves have sacked boss Mick McCarthy following Sunday's 5-1 home thrashing by Black Country rivals West Brom.

McCarthy has been in charge at Molineux since July 2006 but his side have won only one of their last 13 matches.

"The board took the difficult decision after a run of form which has seen Wolves pick up 14 points in the last 22 league games," read a club statement.

"Terry Connor will take charge of team training in the interim until a new manager is appointed."

The statement added: "The board would like to place on record their sincere thanks and appreciation to Mick McCarthy and he leaves with the very best wishes of everyone connected to the club."

Sunday's loss saw Wolves drop into the relegation zone on goal difference, having collected just 21 points from 25 games.

Some fans vented their anger towards the directors' box during the match and a couple of hundred demonstrated outside the ground long after the final whistle.

Club owner Steve Morgan, who is on a skiing holiday, decided to act 13 games before the end of the Premier League campaign.

With Wolves not involved in the FA Cup next weekend, they do not play until the trip to Newcastle on 25 February.

They began the season by taking seven points from their opening three games, but a 2-0 home defeat by Tottenham prompted an alarming slide.

They have not kept a clean sheet since August's draw with Aston Villa and the fans' anger towards McCarthy boiled over when they trailed Swansea 2-0 in October, although they recovered to draw 2-2.

The 2-1 win at QPR on 4 February ended a run of 11 games without a win in all competitions but the West Brom loss was a fourth successive home defeat.

Former Wolves and England boss Graham Taylor told Sky Sports News: "There was a real lack of leadership on the pitch against West Brom. The players have to look at themselves.

"Their Premier League futures are at risk and, irrespective of form and style, they have to get back to winning ways.

"A new manager can sometimes have an effect on the players for a short period of time.

"Maybe that is behind Steve Morgan's thinking, hoping someone new will get a reaction to help the club stay in the Premier League."

McCarthy led Wolves to the top flight as winners of the Championship in 2008-09 and they finished 15th the following season.

They survived relegation last term thanks to Stephen Hunt's goal against Blackburn with three minutes to go on the final day of the campaign.

Factfile

Born: 7 February 1959, Barnsley

Playing career: Barnsley, Manchester City, Celtic, Lyon & Millwall

Managerial career: Millwall (1992-96), Republic of Ireland (1996-2002), Sunderland (2003-06), Wolves (2006-12)

Molineux Misery for McCarthy

West Brom demolished Wolves 5-1 in the Black Country derby to continue their excellent away form and increase the pressure on Mick McCarthy

The Baggies dominated the first half and deservedly took the lead in the 34th minute when Peter Odemwingie's well-struck shot from outside the area was deflected past Wayne Hennessey.

Steven Fletcher drew Wolves level on the stroke of half-time with a wonderful finish after a slick exchange of passes with Kevin Doyle and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake.

West Brom were not to be denied, though, and regained control of the contest in the 64th minute when Jonas Olsson's shot was fumbled into his own net by the previously impressive Hennessey.

Wolves were then torn apart in the closing stages as Odemwingie's close-range finish to make it 3-1 was followed up by a deflected goal from debutant Keith Andrews.

Odemwingie completed his hat-trick two minutes from time to lift West Brom eight points clear of the relegation zone and leave Wolves in the bottom three.

Albion were the first to settle and Hennessey denied winger Jerome Thomas at point-blank range after Kevin Foley had been pulled out of position.

The Wales No.1 dealt with an effort on goal from Baggies debutant Liam Ridgewell and then Thomas dragged a low shot wide.

Paul Scharner just failed to make contact with a low ball across the Wolves box from Marc-Antoine Fortune.

Wolves were being over-run in midfield and Odemwingie's fierce drive was beat out by Hennessey after Steven Reid supplied the telling pass.

Hennessey produced his second top class save of the half to turn over a deflected drive from Scharner after a mistake by Sebastien Bassong.

Albion were queueing up to have attempts on goal and a Ridgewell effort was blocked.

It came as no surprise when Odemwingie broke the deadlock after 34 minutes.

He was allowed to cut in from the right unopposed and his fierce shot took a deflection off Dave Edwards and deceived Hennessey for his sixth goal of the campaign.

Wolves were at sixes and sevens and seemingly powerless to stop Albion's grip on the game.

But in first-half injury-time Fletcher equalised with a typically opportunist finish.

He combined with Ebanks-Blake before beating the dive of Ben Foster with his shot on the turn.

Hodgson made a half-time switch with former Wolves midfielder Andrews replacing Scharner.

Wolves began the second half on the offensive and Gareth McAuley did well to cut out a low Doyle centre with Fletcher waiting to pounce.

The home side were playing at a higher tempo and Fletcher's 20-yard drive was deflected just wide with Foster scrambling across his line.

Odemwingie teed up Thomas 15 yards out but Jamie O'Hara's challenge did enough to put him off and he shot high and wide.

The Baggies still looked threatening and Hennessey turned aside a Fortune drive.

But from Morrison's corner, Albion regained the lead through Olsson via an error by Hennessey.

McAuley's initial header clipped the outside of a post and then Roger Johnson hoisted his clearance high into the air inside the penalty box.

Olsson was first to react to the loose ball but Hennessey should have held his shot which slipped from his grasp and over the line.

Johnson came close to equalising when his header was cleared off the line by Youssouf Mulumbu via the underside of the bar.

Odemwingie could have wrapped up the points when he broke into the West Brom box but his shot was cleared off the line by Foley.

But he was not to be denied and after 77 minutes struck for the second time.

Ridgewell turned a Morrison header back across the box, Olsson back heeled the ball goalwards and Odemwingie applied the vital touch.

Andrews made it 4-1 with a deflected low drive after 85 minutes and Odemwingie completed his hat-trick from a Morrison cross three minutes later.

Morgan Back Wolves Mick

The Wolves owner, Steve Morgan, has given his backing to Mick McCarthy despite the club being involved in another relegation battle, but insists his comments do not amount to a vote of confidence.

Neil Warnock was sacked as manager of fellow strugglers QPR on Sunday, while the Blackburn manager, Steve Kean, has come in for constant abuse from his club's supporters.

Morgan described Wolves's league position as "unacceptable" but said when asked about Warnock's dismissal: "It's not for me to comment on other clubs. All I can do is comment on Wolves and we do not have a hire-and-fire mentality.

"Of course, we have problems but our philosophy is to work through the problems. This club is about stability and approaching things in a very business-like sense.

"The message is finally dropping with people that this is a club about stability. You don't get stability by chopping and changing your manager all the time. You have to work things through.

"I'd like to think football thinks Wolves do things our way – and our way is about long-term growth, stability and strength. You get strength from teamwork."

However, Morgan denied that his comments represent the sort of vote of confidence which traditionally spells trouble for football managers.

"I've never commented on the manager's job in four and a half years I've been at the club and I'm not going to start now. That is part of the stability if you like, that you never get the dreaded endorsements and the 'votes of confidence'. I never gave it when we won the Championship so it's not a case of doing it in good times or bad times. It's never."

He admitted, though, he was unhappy with the team's form.

"There is no point hiding. Like my old school report used to say, we could do better. It's been disappointing. We expected to be better off than we currently are.

"We have to do better in the second half of the season. There is no question about it. We all share the disappointment that our fans share with our current points tally and league position."