Express & Star

Kenny Jackett: I'm able to handle the flak

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Kenny Jackett admits there is 'always pressure' being a manager and that it was right that expectations were high for Wolves this season.

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The under-fire boss maintains undimmed belief in his ability to turn Wolves' fortunes around both in the short and long term.

An Express & Star poll this week saw a slight majority of more than 8,000 voters (57 per cent) call for a change at the helm.

But Jackett, whose demeanour has remained stout, calm and forthright throughout this tricky spell, said his motivation was high to address Wolves' problems.

"I think you're always feel under pressure wherever you are," he said of his current position.

"If you're seventh in the league, like we were, there's a pressure to get in the top six. If you're in the top six you want to get into the top two.

"If you have a great first year as I did you're stepping up a level and you want to rise to that challenge as well. My personal motivation is very high to address the problems we have.

"It's been a poor run of results and certainly culminated in a league position we don't want to be in. There's nobody more determined than myself to put that right and see Wolves climb the table. I'm very confident in my own ability. I've been through the situation enough times, of success and not getting it right, and it being in transit, and working away to produce the next team.

"Sometimes it takes a bit of time and you have a successful formula at one stage, or maybe for whole seasons. We've had a winning formula for two years. This season I haven't found it enough and I understand the spotlight comes on myself."

Wolves ended last season earning 30 points from 15 matches and, having missed out on the play-offs on goal difference alone, found themselves among the pre-season favourites for promotion in August.

A poor first half of the season, particularly at Molineux where Wolves have won just two games, sees them closer to the bottom three than the top six.

Were expectations too high at the beginning of the campaign?

"I don't think so," Jackett said. "Everyone wants to do well and is optimistic.

"At the start of the season we'd have two relatively good years, more good than bad. After that everybody is right to be optimistic and excited about the season and expectations for it are always high, I don't think there's anything wrong with that."

And of the players' current morale, Jackett added: "The players are very good, determined to get it right, they've worked very hard and have a determination to try to arrest this run of form. They're hurting. They'll be more disappointed than anybody with the last two results and where it went wrong from good starts."