Wolves captain Roger Johnson has hit back at sections of the club’s supporters, who have been letting their displeasure with recent results known to manager Mick McCarthy.
Molineux has become increasingly hostile in recent weeks as the side have been struggling on the field, with the Wolves boss being on the receiving end of the majority of supporters’ criticisms.
A number of fans have resorted to booing tactical decisions and substitutions, while also chanting “you’re getting sacked in the morning,” – when 2-0 down during Saturday’s match with Swansea City – in the manager’s direction, a game that the Midlands outfit went on to draw 2-2.
Speaking to Wolves’ official website, Johnson has leapt to the defence of the former Republic of Ireland and Sunderland boss, saying that it is not the manager, but the players who need to improve.
“We don’t want to hear that at all, but you’ve got to look what happened – we brought two subs on and we drew 2-2,” said Johnson.
“So you tell me who’s right?”
“It’s not nice to hear. I wasn’t here a few years ago when the manager was doing better but I’m sure they were singing his praises then.”
“It’s not good when we go 2-0 down and we’ve lost five games in a row.”
“I’m a football fan myself and at times you do jump on the bandwagon and question decisions. But some of the shouts I heard on Saturday were below the belt. We don’t want to hear that and it’s not on.”
“The fans have got short memories – they can have a pop at me for saying it, but we don’t need that.”
“It’s not the manager; if you brought someone else in here, what’s going to change? The players will still be here, and so will the fans.”
“He’s a good manager and what he’s done for this club speaks for itself.”
“I know what football’s like and the first person people look to criticise is the manager. He’s by himself and you can’t sack a whole football team.”
“So I’m telling you now, the only people to blame right now are the players, not the manager.”
Johnson, a summer signing from Birmingham City, is confident that having halted a run of five straight defeats, Wolves have put in place the foundations for a run of improved form, but he feels that a more united atmosphere is needed around Molineux.
“We’d lost five games on the spin, confidence is low and we went 2-0 down again, so we thought we were heading for a sixth successive loss,” continued the 28-year-old.
“So we were pleased to have got a point out of it.”
“It’s very hostile – we were trying to keep the ball, playing from side to side and you’re being booed for it.”
“Yet that’s good enough for Chelsea and Man United, then they play the ball when they think it’s right.”
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