Clean sheets are always my bone of contention

Last updated : 16 February 2007 By Tony Scholes
McCarthy, who saw his side win at Preston last week, is under no illusions and expects us to give Wolves a tough game tomorrow. "I haven't looked at their run but you are always only one game away from a good performance," he said as he prepares for the game.

"Burnley have got a decent squad of players and Ade Akinbiyi and Andy Gray up front will give them a good partnership up there. Andy is one of the better strikers at this level and I am sorry things didn't work out for him at Sunderland."

McCarthy will come face with two of his former players with Steve Caldwell also in the Burnley side, both of them played last season for Sunderland in the Premiership under McCarthy, but he's hoping to improve his own team's performances.

"Our home performances have been decent but we've been making mistakes at one end and not taking chances at the other. No one can say that we've played badly, but people come off having seen us play well but lost 1-0 and will say rubbish, which isn't always true. We just need to keep playing as we have been but make sure that we take the chances and keep it tight at the back."

Steve Cotterill is hoping the Clarets can get their season back on track after the run that has seen us drop into the bottom half of the table. "Most of the season, but not of late, we've been looking at ourselves as being in the top six of the league. To not even be in the top half at the moment is disappointing but that's down to our own doing. We have got to ensure we have a strong finish to this season, so we have a better basis to start next season.

"Last season at Molineux was excellent and we worked extremely hard to get that result. We also went on a very good run after playing there and that is what we have to try and do again. Certainly for now we have to try to get back into the top half of the table.

"It's a tough game to go but we are looking forward to games. We know, over a period of time, that the win we have been looking for will come and the more games we play the quicker we will get there."

Speaking of Wolves, he added: "They had a great win last week at Preston so we know it will be a difficult game, but we are looking forward to it. Wolves are an honest and hard working team which Mick's teams usually are. He's made a few changes but all credit to him because he's kept them up there.

"They have an identical goal difference to us. We've probably been more free scoring at times, but they have kept a few more clean sheets, which means they have got more points. Clean sheets are always my bone of contention and that's where you try and build from."