Solbakken feels pressure of McCarthy return

Wolves boss Stale Solbakken today admitted Mick McCarthy's return to Molineux has cranked up the pressure on him.

But the Norwegian doesn't feel his own position is under any threat as Solbakken leads his side into battle against McCarthy's Ipswich.

Solbakken is hoping to erase the memory of a season-worst collapse against Peterborough on Boxing Day that has again had some fans questioning whether he is the right man to take the club forward.

But as McCarthy prepares to return to Molineux in charge of a buoyant Ipswich outfit with six wins in 11 games since he took charge, Solbakken confessed the arrival of his predecessor turns the heat up on him.

He said: "If there is any extra pressure on anyone with Mick coming back, it must be on the manager who has replaced him.

"He did very well for a long period of time here and hopefully he will be given a good welcome by the spectators."

Solbakken has seen his friend Henning Berg sacked by Blackburn after just 57 days in charge, while Wolverhampton-born Sean O'Driscoll was dismissed by Forest on Boxing Day with the team eighth in the Championship.

Asked if he feared for his own position, the Wolves boss insisted he is at the club for the long term.

He said: "No, I do not see that I should – I am here to make something happen. I am at the start of it. I'm not daft – I don't think I should still be here if I lose the next 15 games – but I think we're going the right way.

"Given that we are trying to change some of the football and building the club in another direction, it takes time."

Solbakken has warned his under-achieving players that they will be axed if they produce another performance like Peterborough.

He said: "We analyse the games and they have been told that was unacceptable - there can't be a repeat of that in future."