Reuters Soccer Blog
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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.”
McCarthy defended his action by saying: “They were all first-team squad players who played tonight, not reserves and I have to say there were some really good performances. That team did as well as we did against Arsenal and Chelsea.
“It was my decision and I took it and the responsibility lies with me. Burnley are having a good season and we have to be fully at it…I’m not prepared to get injuries before Sunday because then we have Liverpool, Manchester City and West Ham.
Were the players selected all in the first team squad?