Wolves vs Blackburn Rovers preview - Bull backing for `magician` McCarthy - 7M sport

Wolves vs Blackburn Rovers preview - Bull backing for `magician` McCarthy



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Posted Sunday, May 22, 2011 by PA

Wolves vs Blackburn Rovers preview - Bull backing for `magician` McCarthy

Club legend Steve Bull believes Wolves can establish themselves as a Barclays Premier League force along the lines of Stoke and Fulham if they clinch a third successive season in the top flight.

Wolves will go into Sunday`s home game with Blackburn knowing that victory will ensure their safety irrespective of results elsewhere.

Bull, Wolves` record goalscorer, feels survival will be an even bigger achievement than last season and that manager Mick McCarthy should be branded "a magician" if they attain that goal.

He told Press Association Sport: "I think Wolves can definitely kick on if they survive this year like Stoke and Fulham have done.

"They always say the first couple of years are the hardest to stop in the Premier League.

"Once they've cemented that place, they can go on from strength to strength. Stoke and Fulham are the ones to follow.

"That is what Wolves got to start striving for now, a bit of stability in the Premier League.

"Hopefully Mr (Steve) Morgan (chairman-club owner) will put some more money into the club and will strengthen in certain positions where we've been lacking this season."

Bull has no doubt that McCarthy is the man to stay at the helm even if Wolves are relegated.

He said: "If Mick keeps us again this year, he is a magician.

"Mick seems to have the knack in certain games of getting points at the vital times.

"He did it last year, he's done it last year, but it isn't over. We are still in the mix but I'm sure Mick will turn it around.

"I don't want to talk about going down but stability is the main thing.

"I think Mick the man to stay even if Wolves are relegated.

"He has got the crowd behind him and the chairman behind him and that's all you need.

"If you've got the team behind him as well, which he has, that's a job well done."

Blackburn's Spanish defender Michel Salgado claims there should be no big celebrations if Rovers avoid the drop because they should not have allowed themselves to be dragged into the relegation scrap in the first place.

Steve Kean's Rovers travel to Molineux with both sides needing to win to be certain of avoiding relegation though much depends upon results elsewhere.

The pressure of a relegation fight is a novelty to Salgado, who is more used to preparing for Champions League finals during his many years with Real Madrid, but the Spanish defender insists he is up for it.

Salgado said: "We are playing for survival and for me I have never been involved in such a game. It's totally new for me, but I will be ready. When you have a winning character it's the same.

"We just need to keep going with the performances of the last four or five matches.

"Maybe it was our mistake, when we were in seventh place - the highest for two and a half years - everybody was talking about getting into Europe and maybe we relaxed a little bit and now we are talking about relegation.

"That's why when I look around the dressing room I feel we will have nothing to celebrate when we gain survival because we have the players to be in a better position.

"It's nothing to celebrate but we need to be safe and we have had problems with injuries, a takeover and a change of manager, big changes, so you need time to settle things down."

Salgado, 35, would not be drawn on his own plans should Blackburn end up in the npower Championship and believes the club is on the brink of a promising period of success.

He added: "To be honest I don't want to think about that, I'm thinking about playing in the Premier League for next year.

"We didn't spend any money for the last three or four years so it's normal to be struggling in the league with everybody else splashing out so much money.

"Now we are in a different situation because we have a chance to splash out some money ourselves, some big funds are coming up, and that's why this game is so important."

Chris Samba, Hoilett and Junior Jones have given Kean a boost by shaking off injury niggles so only long-term absentees Ryan Nelsen and Vince Grella are unavailable.



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