Wolves boss Mick McCarthy today launched an attack on the critics savaging his side as Premier League bullies and vowed there is plenty more to come.

McCarthy’s side return to action at Fulham on Saturday having been slammed for using ‘rough-house tactics’ in their last two games against Everton and Newcastle.

But the manager is having none of it, saying: “I think this perception that we’re a team roughing people up is completely wrong.

“We’re a team competing in the Premier League and you have to do it.

“I think people have got the wrong end of the stick.

“Let me tell you: Whatever went down against Newcastle a week last Saturday will be for the other 17 teams we’ve still got to play here.

“Everyone else that comes here have got the same to come – it’s a competitive place.

“I don’t see us going to places and other teams pulling out of tackles.”

McCarthy is anxious Wolves aren’t labelled as a dirty side.

Tackle

“People like to hang tags on things but don’t go labelling us like that we play our football and we compete,” he said.

“We tackle properly and we’re going to continue doing the same.

“If you don’t stand up to it, you get beat.

“There was one tackle highlighted against Everton and the reality is people should have been talking about the break and the goal we scored.

“Against Newcastle, we stood up to a really experienced team who I don’t think should even have been in the Championship.

“The Newcastle game was a tough old match but there were no shrinking violets in their team either.

“That first tackle by Karl Henry on Joey Barton was a proper one. The best players are competitive and so are the best teams.”

By TIM NASH