Madness to suggest Walter Zenga should get Wolves sack

Villa got rid of Roberto Di Matteo after 11 league games – and that had some Wolves supporters suggesting that, with the likes of Steve Bruce and Sam Allardyce available, Wolves should do the same.

Such is the short-termism and short-sightedness with which the game is now perhaps irrevocably engulfed.

In fact it's depressing to even feel the need to write a defence of Walter Zenga at this point.

Are there any viable football circumstances in which a manager should only be given 11 games to plan and mould a successful football team in his image? Any talk of Zenga's job being at risk on October 4 is, in a word, ludicrous.

Under pressure to produce results? Of course he is, who isn't? But to suggest that Wolves wash their hands of the Italian and move on to someone else after a couple of bad results is folly.

Rather than point to two admittedly poor defeats to Wigan and Norwich, it's far more relevant to the bigger picture to highlight the bond that Zenga has repaired between the club and the fanbase.

Apathy was at dangerously high levels last season as Wolves meandered to a 14th-placed finish, drawing eight matches 0-0 along the way.

Zenga has undoubtedly been the main driving force behind rejuvenating the supporters.

His passion and enthusiasm have endeared him to his public, and those same qualities have been transferred to his players.

His methods may be a little eccentric, but his experience is undeniable and he's not been afraid to make radical changes to get results.

Substitutions and mid-game tactical changes have been one Zenga's strongest suits. And when he's got it wrong he's acknowledged his failings – witness George Saville, Ola John and Paul Gladon, none of whom made an impact off the bench at Wigan, not being involved at all on Saturday.

His ruthlessness and decisiveness means he will jump in head-first and make mistakes, but after a season of safety-first football, the Wolves supporters will surely prefer a more daring, risk-laden approach.

Yes, he has a number of weaknesses – he wouldn't be managing in the Championship otherwise – and his post-match messages, which have varied from hanging his players out to dry after Barnsley to defending them in the extreme after Norwich, could do with some work.

But what Zenga needs, or any manager who has to integrate 12 mostly foreign signings into his squad while managing in a new country, is time.

Time to plan and mould a successful team in his image.

Jeff Shi says that being in and around the play-offs at Christmas should be Zenga's target.

Well there are 12 long weeks before then, so let's hold fire on the rash judgments for now.