Skipper wants Wolves to make amends for derby defeat
Captain Sam Ricketts today kicked off the countdown for Wolves' derby at Shrewsbury after claiming it's the ideal game for the "hurt" dressing room to bounce back.
Greenhous Meadow boss Graham Turner's first competitive match against Wolves since leaving Molineux in March 1994 is the emotional backdrop to the teams' first league meeting since April 1985.
But Ricketts – a former player of Shrewsbury's neighbours AFC Telford United – is looking for an immediate response from his team-mates after Tuesday's 1-0 defeat to Walsall as they prepare for the short hop along the M54.
"The dressing room is hurt but we've got to use it as a positive to kick us on again," said the skipper. "We spoke about it in the dressing room and we were bitterly disappointed to get beat, but Shrewsbury away on Saturday is a great game to have to bounce back – these are games you look forward to.
"Shrewsbury is the sort of match we want and we'll have great travelling support like we have done for all of our away games.
"We're really itching to get back on track.
"We all wanted to go unbeaten through the season but unfortunately, these things don't happen. We weren't playing as well as we could do before losing, but we were winning games.
"Against Walsall, we possibly played better and didn't win."
Ricketts believes the setback should remind all the players to be at the top of their game.
"We always want to improve and we're going to use the defeat to re-affirm a few things and nail down a few things," he said.
"It might be a case of taking one step back to take two forward."
Ricketts insists Wolves will improve as the mix of youth and experience blends.
"We've had a fantastic start for such a young side and the more we play together, the better we'll be," said the Wales international.
"It's a case of carrying on doing what we're doing and the performances will come.
"We're going to grow as a team, and we'll get stronger, better and more confident."
Fans anxious at Wolves' first league defeat of 2013-14 have criticised the change in formation, the lack of creativity in midfield and the axeing of Scotland striker Leigh Griffiths, who was among the substitutes against Walsall.
But Ricketts stressed: "I'd have taken our points total after seven games before the season started," he said.
"It's only September and there's no need to panic."
