Source: Team_Talk
McCarthy hits back at Wolves critics
Mick McCarthy says Wolves made no bad tackles at Fulham and have been unfairly branded as dirty - so will not be changing their style.[LNB] McCarthy's side have hit the headlines and been criticised for all the wrong reasons of late after picking up 13 yellow cards and one red in their last two Premier League matches.[LNB]Wolves collected seven bookings in the draw with Newcastle and then a further six and the red in Saturday's last-gasp defeat at Fulham, resulting in two separate fines from the Football Association totalling £75,000.[LNB]The issues surrounding Wolves have been further exacerbated by the fact Fulham striker Bobby Zamora sustained a broken leg following a fair challenge from Karl Henry.[LNB]Although the critics have turned on Wolves, McCarthy sees no reason why his players should change their approach for Saturday's visit to Spurs, or for any other game.[LNB]"What concerns me, and I've watched the game twice now, is that there wasn't a bad tackle in the game at Fulham," said McCarthy.[LNB]"Funnily enough I watched the Tottenham-Wigan game (on video) and Phil Dowd (in charge at Fulham) was the referee in that, and I looked at some of the challenges and thought 'we had bookings for those'.[LNB]"I've gone through the bookings and there wasn't a bad, malicious tackle, and there we are with six bookings and a sending off.[LNB]"I know what I make of it, but what everybody else makes of it, I can't do anything about.[LNB]"We're not a dirty team, but at the moment it looks like we are because of circumstances.[LNB]"I try my best not to offend anybody, but if that's the way people want to perceive me and my team, there's not a great deal I can do about it.[LNB]"But it's wrong, a whole pile of nonsense actually, but such is life.[LNB]"It suits a lot of people to suggest Mick McCarthy's team is that way inclined, but I've never, ever been labelled with that.[LNB]"There's not a great deal I can do about it, and we will continue to play the way we have been playing.[LNB]"All my teams have always played football, or been competitive, and that's the way we will continue to be."[LNB]With blunt sarcasm, McCarthy added: "Just look at my team and find me all those really nasty players we've got at the moment.[LNB]"But that's the way it is so we'll have to change by playing silky, free-flowing football and beat teams by two or three goals to get everybody off our backs.[LNB]"I'm sure the media frenzy will go somewhere else soon anyway."[LNB]McCarthy concedes Henry has shown no ill-effects in training this week despite natural concern and disappointment at what unfolded with Zamora.[LNB]"If you're involved in any such incident, as a fellow professional you're going to have great empathy, certainly sympathy towards him (Zamora), but then we all have," said McCarthy.[LNB]"He felt deeply for him, and I believe he has spoken to him, which I'd expect him to do.[LNB]"But it was a fantastic tackle, and there should be no blame or any fingers pointed at Karl, and I don't think there have been.[LNB]"There were one or two tries that I thought were a little out of order, but he knows, and I guess Bobby knows, which is the main thing.[LNB]"So carry on Karl. He's trained this week and he's been his usual self. He is fantastic."[LNB]McCarthy has at least been heartened by the support received by Henry from Fulham manager Mark Hughes and midfielder Danny Murphy, even if there was initial anger from some quarters at the tackle.[LNB]"For those that have supported Karl, great, thanks," added McCarthy.[LNB]"For those who tried to whip up a storm on Saturday, they should be ashamed of themselves because Karl is a very honest player and he didn't deserve that.[LNB]"But for people in the game who know, then it was a good tackle and no malice from Karl at all."
