McCarthy defends selection policy

(GSM) – After Wolves’ impressive 1-0 win at Tottenham Hotspur, manager Mick McCarthy chose to change the whole starting line-up ahead of his side’s match against Manchester United. Only the squad’s American goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann survived McCarthy’s rotation.

Some of Wolves’ fans chanted “we want our money back” in the end of a one-sided match which ended 3-0 in favor of the English Premier League champions. However, McCarthy has come out to defend his team selection policy.

Premier League Rule E20 states that clubs are required to field full-strength sides in every match but a League spokesman said it is unlikely to be enforced because managers often tend to rotate their squads.

Wolves play Burnley on Sunday and McCarthy recognizes that the match is of great importance for his struggling team in their bid to stay away from relegation.

“Having played Tottenham on Saturday and all the ratings were nine or nine and a half out of 10, every single player, and we lost a couple through cramp, and we’ve just got a really busy period coming up,” McCarthy told BBC Radio Five.

“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.

“Maybe I will have to have a counter-argument but that was my decision to do it. We could have got beat whatever team I put out and I might have lost somebody with a hamstring or calf strain because they were all struggling after beating Spurs.

“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.

“I’ve got 20 players in my squad and I’ll need all of them between now and January.”