Terry Connor: Time for Wolves to punch weight

Terry Connor today ordered Wolves to start fighting back to avoid becoming the biggest losers in Molineux history.

Should fellow strugglers Bolton win on Saturday, a seventh successive defeat would condemn Wolves to their worst losing run in front of their own fans in their 135-year history.

The 5-0 mauling by Manchester United made it six in a row – the worst in a single season – and equalled the record of Stan Cullis's 1951 side sustained over two campaigns. Connor, however, challenged his players to start punching their weight to end their run of one win in 16 games.

"When your backs are against the wall, either you slump to the ground, or you start fighting back," he said.

"And that's the attitude we've got to have.

"We've got to start throwing some punches – you can't just stand there and take it. And that's what the boys have been good at in the past."

Asked how he was going to address the home record, he said: "It's very difficult.

"I'm not sure what we're going to do other than be positive, be bold and be determined to change that so it doesn't become seven.

"So it's about being upbeat – let's look at this game in isolation, and it's a case of 'can we get the right result?'That would not only take care of that bad run, but it would also lift everyone for the remaining seven fixtures.

"We're one win away from changing it."

With Wolves four points adrift of the safety line with eight games left, many fans have already written off their chances. But Connor revealed he and the players have shut themselves off to any negativity.

"Everyone talks about doom and gloom and says negative things such as 'you're getting cut adrift' to put it on myself, the players and the club," he said.

"But we don't see it like that. We have to shut out the negativity –we're trying to remain positive and upbeat.

"Until someone tells me it can't be done, we'll be fighting for everything."

Connor believes Wolves will deliver when they are at their lowest ebb, such as Sunderland and Wigan at home earlier in the season.

"We've shown enough times that when the chips are down and we need a win, we give the right response," he said.

"And Saturday's game is approaching that so we have to be the same."

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