Reuters Soccer Blog

Was McCarthy taking the mick at Old Trafford?

Did Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Mick McCarthy damage the integrity of the Premier League or did he make a valid, pragmatic choice to help keep his side safe by playing a virtual reserve team that lost 3-0 at Manchester United on Tuesday?

Most Wolves fans felt cheated when they saw that the team he fielded at Old Trafford showed 10 outfield changes from the side that beat Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday with only goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann keeping his place.

They paid 42 pounds for a ticket as well as making the long trip from Wolverhampton to Manchester on a freezing night and most did not appreciate what they perceived to be a totally defeatist act by the manager.

The message the fans got was: “We’ve no real chance of beating United, so I’m keeping the first choice players for the important game with Burnley at the weekend — one we CAN win.”