Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Mick McCarthy denied he had labelled all Wolves fans “numpties” prior to Saturday’s vital 3-2 EPL victory over Sunderland.

Sylvan Ebanks-Blake’s late strike sealed only their third win of the season and McCarthy afterwards praised the “fans who turn up here and have been brilliant.”

Fans on internet messageboards and radio phone-ins have been critical of the Wolves boss. And McCarthy said last week: “I don’t listen to radio phone-ins. They are numpties, those who ring up.”

And he said this week: “I’m delighted for everybody and in particular the fans who stuck with us.

 

“There has been some suggestion I’d had a go at them. That wasn’t right. I had a go at the “numpties” who phone up radio stations and do blogs and things like that.

“Our fans who turn up have been brilliant this season…and I said that as well.”

Nine defeats in eleven games led to speculation that McCarthy’s job was at risk. This increased when club chairman Steve Morgan sat among Wolves’ fans at their recent 2-1 defeat at Blackpool.

But McCarthy claimed he had his chairman’s backing, saying last week: “I’ve had fabulous support from Steve and I don’t sense that there’s a problem.”

Defender Joey Craddock will be out for another two months with the leg injury he picked up in mid-October.

His return was expected to be imminent but scans have revealed a more serious injury than first thought.

Wolves visit Blackburn in the EPL this coming Saturday.