Wolves captain Roger Johnson believes the players are to blame for Mick McCarthy's dismissal

The former Birmingham defender feels personal performances are at fault for the club’s current plight, but claims the team is strong enough to avoid the drop this season

14 Feb 2012 16:03:00

By Joe Wright

More On :  Wolves, Roger Johnson
Pre Season Friendly,Roger Johnson,Notts County v Wolverhampton Wanderers
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Wolves captain Roger Johnson has stressed that the players are to blame as his side continue to struggle for form.

Sunday’s 5-1 defeat at home to West Brom saw the Molineux club slip into the Premier League’s relegation zone, just two points above bottom club Wigan.

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Mick McCarthy was dismissed as manager just 24 hours after the Black Country derby, but Johnson believes it is the players who must shoulder the blame for the club’s current predicament.

When asked how much of the fault lies with the players, the28-year-old told Sky Sports News: "All of it. The manager can maybe take five to 10% [of the blame].

"The rest of it is down to the lads. We have let Mick down, the club down and ourselves down."

Wolves have won just one of their last eight matches, but the former Birmingham man is confident his side have enough quality to beat the drop.

He said: "Thankfully we have got enough games to get enough points to get out of trouble.

"We probably need six wins from 13 games and we have a good enough team to do that."

Club owner Steve Morgan is set to return from a family holiday on Wednesday in a bid to find a replacement before the club’s next match with Newcastle.

Former Charlton Athletic boss Alan Curbishley is the current favourite to step in to the breach at Molineux, with Steve Bruce and Blackpool boss Ian Holloway also among the candidates.

Chief executive Jez Moxey has denied they were seeking a replacement whilst McCarthy was still in charge, but insisted it is part of the job to scout for new managers in as short a space of time as possible.

He said: "I like to think that we are football professionals, so we understand what is happening in the market place, that we understand who is and who isn't around.

"It's part of our job. It's like a manager who has to scout players. But there wasn't any plot in the background.

"At no point was any phone call made by anybody at Wolverhampton Wanderers to any potential manager prior to the point of us telling Mick McCarthy, the players and the staff of the situation.

"That's when the calls started."

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