You have to prepare and be right all of the time

Last updated : 06 November 2015 By Tony Scholes

Kenny Jackett took over at Molineux following their relegation to League One at the end  of the 2012/13 season, bringing them straight back up and securing a seventh place finish last season, missing the play-offs on goal difference.

His team are currently 14th in the table and return to Molineux after winning the West Midlands derby at Birmingham last Saturday before losing at Bristol City in midweek.

"We've just had two away games and we've won one and lost one," Jackett said. "Obviously that's compounded by losing three games on the trot before those games, but for us we are looking forward to getting back to Molineux and hopefully that can help us.

"It is up to us to really earn again the crowd's backing, because if you play good football you generate a positive home attitude and if we can do that through the terraces there it will spur the players on."

They've been getting some less than favourable responses from their fans and Jackett added: "We finished seventh last year and all of our aims and ambitions are to be above that. With a third of the season gone we're below where we finished last year, there will be criticism, I accept and understand that.

"The good thing is there's two thirds of the season to put that right, we need to raise our game and we know what we have to do. We're looking forward to getting back to Molineux, hopefully that can help us, it's up to us to earn the crowd's backing."

"Burnley are a very good side," he said. "We need to raise our game from where we were on Tuesday. The Championship is a very good standard, the margins are there and you do need to match those on a consistent basis if you want to be pushing up the league and be up and around where we were in the league last season.

"On Saturday we have an opportunity to put some passion into our performance and work their goalkeeper to try to pose our opposition more problems than we did on Tuesday night.

"They (Burnley) have made a strong start, they've got good players in every area and it's not something you can worry about too much. For us we know what we have to do, we have to perform better than we did on Tuesday and if we do that and play to our potential we can get a result against anybody whether it be against a high flying side or a side at the bottom."

Sean Dyche and striker Andre Gray were nominated for their respective monthly awards this week but lost out to Brentford pair Lee Carsley and Alan Judge.

Dyche said: "The players are out there doing it and that's the main thing. If they are doing well, it stands to reason that we are recognised when it comes to awards nominations. The reality is though, as much as they are nice for everyone involved, it's more about the points on the board.

"Not for a moment would I undermine the process because it involves a panel of good people who have to look at the big picture on a monthly basis, but they are an add-on really and the real recognition we look for us the continued belief in each other.

"After that, it leads to wins, it inevitably leads to awards. On this occasion we didn't get them, but I won't mind us not winning it every month if we're being nominated, because that will mean we are putting points on the board."

He added: "It's the old adage, never get too high with the highs and never get too low with the lows. We know where we are and the standards we expect and we strive for them all the time in order to get that automaticity.

"That means training properly, all of the time, so that when it comes to doing it for real you are ready. If you are naturally doing the right things all of the time, those habits become automatic.

"We don't look at the run we're on. That's only mentioned by the media. Just because you've won one game and played well, it doesn't owe you the next. You have to prepare and be right all of the time and we've instilled that into the players. They are the ones who have grabbed it and run with it.

"Even that mentality doesn't guarantee the next result, but if you have that level of demand and a balanced thinking, then I think it gives you the clarity needed in order to perform and win games."

Looking forward to going to Molineux, he said: "We've gained a lot of experience over the last few years of playing at some of the giants of football. That can only stand you in good stead for the big games in the Championship. There are lots of them and Wolves is a great place to go.

"Kenny Jackett is a good man and he's done a fantastic job down the years at a number of clubs. They have been a little up and down this season, after having a very strong season last season, but they are still a good side.

"There's a real respect throughout the division and you come to recognise that even if teams are not having great form, it doesn't make them a bad side. We are fully respectful of that and Kenny will have his team ready."