Mick McCarthy has told his faltering Wolves side they can win seven in a row again – if they cut out the defensive horrors that marred their defeat by Preston at the weekend.

Wolves return at Birmingham in the FA Cup, seeking some welcome respite to their worst run of the season after taking just two points from their last nine.

McCarthy’s side have made history this season by becoming the first Wolves team to win seven games in a row twice. The manager feels they can do it again.

He said: “Why not? I prefer to think that way than the negative way. I remember saying when we’d lost three in four that ‘we’re a good team with a good group of players who are confident and right up for the fight’, and nothing’s changed.

“I sense a feeling if we win, we’re fantastic, if we lose, then we’re not so great, not confident, not up for the fight. We said this last time and then we won seven on the bounce again.

“But if we defend like we did on Saturday, we won’t streak away – that’s not just defenders, but us as a unit all over the park. We can’t give goals away and expect to win games.”

Wolves hadn’t played for 12 days before Preston and McCarthy had centre-half Richard Stearman playing at right-back, for only the second time since he moved to the club. Jason Shackell was also playing for the first time since November 25.

But McCarthy denied rustiness was to blame.

He said: “I don’t think so. We defended abysmally for three goals. If you give three goals away, it makes it very difficult to win a game.”

McCarthy also denied confidence had suffered during the dip in results.

He said: “No, not at all and that would be backed up by recent games. We didn’t play particularly well against Sheffield United but could have won it, at Blackpool we played well as an away team but conceded from a corner and a free-kick.

“Other than that, I don’t recall Wayne [Hennessey] having much to do. Similarly on Saturday we started well, so if that’s a team lacking in confidence, then I don’t think that’s the case.”