Angry Mick McCarthy today refused to blame Wolves’ FA Cup exit on his 10 changes last night.

Three days before hosting Villa in the Premier League, McCarthy rested all but captain-for-the-night Christophe Berra for the third round replay against Championship side Birmingham at Molineux and lost 1-0.

Every outfield player had played in the Premier League this season – home debutant Eggert Jonsson’s football had come in the Scottish top-flight – and there were six current internationals in the line-up.

McCarthy said: “I’m bitterly disappointed and livid.

“I know questions will be asked about the team and, if people want to point the finger at me, then so be it.

“But I thought that team should be good enough to win. Every one of them were Premier League players.

“If I’ve picked the wrong team, then maybe one of the players who came in should be telling me because they all want to play.”

McCarthy insisted he didn’t sacrifice the cup for Premier League survival.

He said: “The Premier League is paramount to the club and far more important.

“But that’s not the point – we wanted to win this game.

“Winning games creates that winning mentality.”

McCarthy admitted the players who were selected are unlikely to have done themselves any favours.

He said: “I know they can all do it individually but maybe, collectively, they didn’t do it as well as they could have done.”

But McCarthy refused to write off his fringe players after one bad performance.

He said: “We’ve got 17 games left and there’s no point discounting anybody. But I expect a response to this and there will be changes on Saturday.”

McCarthy hopes casualties Roger Johnson, Kevin Foley and Matt Jarvis will be back on Saturday.

See also:

• Stephen Hunt out to stake a claim with FA Cup progress
• Kevin Doyle backed to get back on the boil for Wolves
• Mick McCarthy blast for red card gestures