Source: Team_Talk
Wolves boss shows his loyalty
McCarthy has resisted the temptation to wield the axe and make wholesale changes to the team following their worst performance of the season during last weekend's 3-1 defeat against Blackburn at Ewood Park.
The former Republic of Ireland boss is confident they will not play as badly again and he is aiming to give the players the chance to make amends as Wolves go in search of their first home win of the season.
McCarthy said: "If I wanted to make wholesale changes after what happened last week then this match would have been the perfect time to do it.
"But you can't imagine me doing that based on one game when everyone had played so well so far.
"The performance was really poor after the first 18 minutes so I am not going to judge all those players who played on that one performance."
The clash with Fulham gives McCarthy the chance to come up against a side who have been able to establish themselves in the top flight in the way that Wolves hope to do.
But McCarthy knows that is easier said than done - especially when he points out two teams considered as Premier League stalwarts, Middlesbrough and Newcastle , were both relegated last season.
"We want to stay in the Premier League and progress in the Premier League," added McCarthy.
"But you can see how cruel it can be because West Brom have been up and down and two clubs who have just gone down, Newcastle United and Middlesbrough, have been in the Premier League for how long, 10 seasons?
"Just because you have a good season or a couple of good seasons it doesn't preclude you from being down at the bottom end. We all know how hard it is to survive but that is our aim."
McCarthy has previously admitted that ultimately Wolves' survival hopes in the Premier League are likely to depend on how well they play at Molineux.
With Fulham having struggled on the road in recent seasons, tomorrow's clash would appear to be an excellent chance for Wolves to get their home campaign up and running with their only win so far this season coming at Wigan.
McCarthy added: "Any little chink of hope that we can get which is in our favour then we will try and use it to our advantage.
"But last season's record hasn't got anything to do with this season's has it? It just hasn't."
Austria striker Stefan Maierhofer, who scored on his debut at Blackburn last weekend, will make his home bow against Fulham and McCarthy has high hopes for the 6ft 7ins giant who was snapped up from Rapid Vienna.
McCarthy likes the way Maierhofer has taken to life at Molineux and he said: "Stefan is just like all of the players who have come in.
"They get on with it and muck in and become part of the squad.
"I like good characters.
I don't want to spend my time looking after them.
"You have to manage them all.
They all have their own characters and egos like we all have but what you really want them to do is all muck in and mix in.
"I don't want to have to be doing extra man management trying to motivate people.
We have got good characters here and that is what I like."
