Steve Bull: New man will have a tough act to follow

Let me start with a salute – and I am sure all Wolves fans will be happy to join me in this – to our now former manager Mick McCarthy, writes Steve Bull.

It seems strange to say that. Mick has become such a big part of the club that I am still not used to calling him our 'former' manager.

It will probably be a few years before we realise just how big a role he played in getting Wolves back into the Premier League but I think that will always be appreciated by the fans.

He's a top bloke as well. I like to think that we have become pals in the last few years. We've played a few rounds of golf together during which it was pretty clear to me that the only thing that mattered to him was the welfare of Wolverhampton Wanderers FC. He gave the job everything and we have got a lot to thank him for.

That's why it was sad to see his body language at the final whistle on Sunday. The old fire was missing. The way that he shook the players hands, the way that he took the defeat . . . I just sensed that he already knew that could be it. That there would be no way back for him.

I think the world of the guy but if I'm honest, even I would have sat down that night and had to think very, very hard about what to do next.

It was a horrible performance. In all my years, in all the derbies I played in and all the ones I have watched as a supporter, I have never known anything worse. The first half was bad enough and how we got to the interval at 1-1 was down to Wayne Hennessey. We just did not turn up.

But what happened after that was an outright humiliation for Wolves, a humiliation that was probably the final straw. If Wolves had lost that game 2-1, played well, been a bit unlucky perhaps, I think Mick would still be with us today.

But the way team caved in was too much to bear. Such was the anger being directed at Mick, he had sadly become part of the problem and not the solution.

Now Wolves have to act quickly to get a man in of the right calibre.

For me, if there were a Sam Allardyce-candidate out there and available right now I would snatch his hand off. Big Sam is a local lad who I know would love to work this patch but he isn't going to be leaving West Ham. Somebody of his qualities would be just what the doctor ordered.

Alan Curbishley appears to be leading the way – and I don't have a problem with that. I know he has been out of the game for a while but we are talking about a guy who was close to the England job not so long ago. You don't get to that level without having something to offer.

He's got the experience and the know-how to get us out of this mess. And the real point in all this is that we can still get out of it. Absolutely.

I think our next three fixtures are perfect for re-launching our season. Newcastle and Fulham away and then Blackburn at home. These should not be looked at as nails in our coffin but fantastic opportunities to turn the season around.

That's what Mick's successor will be thinking. He will want to get us re-organised and make us tough to beat and take it from there. The boys are willing – we know that – and there are good enough players there.

And if Mick's successor does even half as well as the man he has replaced, then he won't have done a bad job.