Worried Wolves fans flock to Steve Bull webchat

The ever-popular former England international was taken aback by the demand for his views on the current Molineux troubles in a season which finds his old team languishing at the foot of the Championship.

The live webchat broke all records as the thick end of nearly 700 questions flooded the system and more than 4,000 readers logged on to catch up with the former striker's views.

Bull spent more than an hour yesterday sifting through the comments and queries.

He said: "I'm sorry but I couldn't answer all of the questions."I felt bad for all those folk whose questions I couldn't get around to answering but I think we dealt with the main themes to come out of the session.

"I even enjoyed some of the cheek from Albion fans – good banter. But perhaps we can do it again when I can set a week aside to deal with them all."

But Bull was not surprised by the interest in his views on key topics of the moment.

It inevitably included his thoughts on the appointment of Dean Saunders and the under-fire hierarchy of chairman Steve Morgan and chief executive Jez Moxey.

Bull was firm in his defence of Morgan, the multi-millionaire owner who has found himself in the line of fire following managerial appointments and the commitment to Molineux's redevelopment.

He said: "There were a lot of fans clearly questioning the chairman's commitment to the club. But trust me – I have spent time with Steve and like to think I know him.

"I can absolutely assure them that he is totally committed to making Wolves a Premier League force again with a stadium to match.

"It's natural, at times like this, for everyone to get angry and upset about how things are going but the club is in good financial order and with a clear plan of where it wants to go.

"Believe me, I've known a time when things have been a lot worse than this at Wolves."

Bully took up just such a theme when asked by 'Wolves Brothers Always:' "Steve what are your thoughts on the new stand? Why have we wasted so much on such a white elephant that we won't fill?"

Replied the club's recrod-goalscorer: "I know this is another big issue for Wolves fans, but you can't tell me it hasn't enhanced the ground.

"Imagine what Molineux will be like with the stadium completed – magical. It's one of the reasons why I believe Steve Morgan is in for the long term.

"He's delayed the ground to concentrate on the academy and the playing staff. Wait and see."

Still the contentious issue of events a year ago figured. Asked another reader: Do you think Wolves were right to sack Mick McCarthy when they did?

Bull replied: "I don't like to see managers being sacked but when a team is falling like that, the gaffer takes the bullet.

"I can honestly say listening to fans – and my own view – it might have been the wrong time to do it. It could have been done earlier or later. But when is the right time?"

There was support for struggling forwards Kevin Doyle and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, a challenge for the players to accept the responsibility for Wolves' current plight and backing for Molineux fans often accused of undermining the players' confidence with too much impatience.

Bull said: "All fans the same in my eyes and not just Wolves fans – they have the right to voice their opinions and the players have to take the flak on the chin the same way they take the applause.

"I have been there and know this – it never affected me but some players can't cope with it and some can. The fans are NOT to blame.

"At the end of the day, without you lot out there we wouldn't have a job."

Bull suggested a little inside knowledge was at work when he dealt with questions about whether or not he expected transfer business this January from fans clearly suspicious little or no business will be done.

"Just wait and see," he told one reader. But when asked to point the finger at who he held responsible for the current plight, he had no doubts. "I think the players have to take responsibility for where we are now.

"In time, I think there will be faces coming in and many going out. The board? I think EVERYONE at the club will feel responsible for where we are now and I know it will be resurrected in time.

"But, ultimately, it's always down to the players."