Wolves boss Mick McCarthy has ordered his side to step up the Premier League pace and gather the points to make them safe.

The manager takes improving Wolves to Old Trafford to face Manchester United tonight aiming for their third win in a row after victories over Bolton and Tottenham.

That welcome double means the club have 16 points from as many games, a tally which if repeated over the campaign could almost be enough to stay up.

But McCarthy said: “Over the season you need just a bit more than that. If we end up with around 38 we’ll be in the ball park.

“We’ve played 16 games and got 16 points, a point a game. If we can keep doing that all season long it will be the target.

“I said when it was ‘doom and gloom’ two weeks ago that we’d have a good run, win a couple of games and someone else would lose a couple – it will happen again. On Saturday it was as if the clouds had parted.”

McCarthy insisted he’s unconcerned about dropping back into the relegation zone at this stage.

The Wolves boss said: “I’m not bothered if we do – so long as we’re not there come the end of the season.

“All the statistics about being doomed if you’re there at Christmas were blown out of the water by Albion when they were bottom of the table and still stayed up.

“We’ve just got to keep doing what we’re doing and keep picking up the points when we can.”