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Kevin Doyle: Solbakken needed more time

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Kevin Doyle today admitted for the first time that Wolves' players didn't have enough time or patience with sacked manager Stale Solbakken.

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Over seven weeks on from his dismissal, Wolves are languishing in the bottom three without a win in 12 games, with replacement Dean Saunders so far unable to prevent the slide.

Doyle believes the players are paying the price for not doing enough under the Norwegian.

"I really liked Stale; it was tough – I compared it to Brendan Rodgers taking over from Steve Coppell at Reading," he said.

"He tried to change how the team played and got sacked, but look where he is now.

"With Stale it was very similar – he tried to get us playing and maybe we didn't have the players or we didn't have the time and patience to get into that mode.

"There can be resistance to change; some people want to play one way, some want to play another and some enjoy one manager's training and others don't.

"But you have to think bigger than that – you're playing for the club, not the manager."

Saunders became Wolves' fourth manager in 11 months and Doyle admits the constant change has put him and his team-mates off management.

"The whole thing makes me not want to be a manager," he said.

"If you ask a lot of the Wolves lads, they'll say the same.

"I've seen three or four come in and scratch their heads.

"People are working hard, but it's not happening.

"We've got some quality players and we have a good enough squad to be in the top two or three. We've just taken a long time to get used to how the games are in the Championship."

Wolves blocked Doyle's loan move to Celtic in January with no time to sign a replacement but the striker, who is expected to leave this summer, has no regrets.

And he hit out at those who sign long contracts only to force moves when they have years left on their deals, after Albion's Peter Odemwingie's botched attempt to join Queens Park Rangers.

"No-one ever forces anyone to sign contracts, so I don't feel sorry for people throwing hissy fits when they want to leave with two years left or whatever," said Doyle.

"People ask me if transfer talk annoys me, but I say no, because I signed a four-year contract with Wolves, a fantastic contract – they reward me very well.

"So I can't moan and complain if they want to keep me."