WE’VE seen ourselves in recent weeks that in times of trouble, you need a strong leader, and that’s why I think Wolves’ decision to sack Mick McCarthy was a stupid one.

I don’t mean any disrespect to Terry Connor whose job is a tough one because he knows he wasn’t the first, second or probably third person approached to take over.

I think it is rapidly becoming clear, though, that it was a bad move putting him in charge.

The one thing you have to have mapped out when you decide to sack a manager is who can step in to replace him, and preferably someone you think can do a better job.

In this case it seems Wolves did have someone in mind. When push came to shove, though, they turned it down, and so did the next bloke. In the end it looked a complete circus.

I know things weren’t going well under Big Mick and they had suffered some bad results, but you could see he was capable of getting more from his players by some of the wins he did get. They had a chance.

You need experience at this end of the table and it’s a huge gamble to put someone with no first team managerial pedigree into the hotseat with so little time to turn it round.

It’s a big lesson to everyone that the grass isn’t always greener.

Having said all that, I do think there will be a time that Wolves start to get a few points. I’m not saying they’ll get out of it, but we need to make sure it isn’t us who starts to give them some hope when we go to Molineux on Saturday.

There’s a lot of history between the two clubs, believe me, I know, and I think we have got to go there and try to capitalise on the fact it doesn’t look like a very happy club right now.

It can be a very hostile crowd and the start we make is all-important. If you nick an early goal, then their supporters will start grumbling and put more pressure on Wolves. That’s exactly what Owen will want.

Last weekend Wanderers coped with the pressure the Blackburn game brought. They handled it superbly and if there was any doubting the mentality of the squad, there’s your answer.

White Hart Lane was a different kind of pressure, and only the players will know how tough it was to walk back out on the pitch, or into the dressing rooms, after what happened with Fabrice.

They gave it a good go, and they should be praised for that, but now it’s back down to the bread and butter. We need points.

YOU have to take your hat off to Adam Bogdan, because his season just keeps getting better and better.

When he first came into the team he had some mighty big shoes to fill. We all thought it would just be for a game or two, and then Jussi Jaaskelainen would be back in, but he's still there and becoming more and more confident with each week.

I doubt he’ll ever have a better game than he did against Tottenham the other night. I’d hate to think what the scoreline could have been without him.

When I first saw him I knew he was going to be a good keeper, one for the future. I didn’t think he would necessarily be breaking through right now, though.

The pressure was really on him at first. Jussi was there itching for a game but it’s hard to put an argument together saying you should be selected when you can see how well Adam is playing right now.

He’s shown a lot of mental strength since that shocker he had against Chelsea. The “goal” Tim Howard put past him against Everton could have affected him too because keepers tend to over analyse things like that.

That’s why Owen has kept faith with him.

Adam is a great example to the younger players in the squad because he’s bided his time, taken his opportunity and now he’s keeping a player like Jussi – arguably one of the best around in the last decade – out of the team on merit.

He’s number one now and he deserves it.

IN years to come, I hope supporters look back on this season and say “that was the year we did it for Muamba”.

This survival fight could be a memorable one because it seems we have taken strength from everything that has happened over the last couple of weeks.

We’ve acted in the right manner, gained a lot of respect, and it has gone a long way to showing people that this is a club run in the right way, from top to bottom.

It could have been a horrible story but it has turned into such a happy one. The fact Fabrice is alive and opening his eyes every day is a positive.

Everything happens for a reason and it’s now a case of moving on to the next chapter, starting with getting ourselves safe.

Next season is still a long, long way off but I can see it being a good one, if only we can focus on the short-term goal.

I’M delighted that Fabrice Muamba is on the mend, and doesn’t that just tell you about the power of positive thought?

So I’d like to ask Wanderers fans to keep another former player in their thoughts, and support him as best they can.

As you’ll know, my old team-mate Gary Parkinson suffered a stroke a year-and-a-half ago and on Saturday, April 21, there will be a fundraiser for him at the Reebok’s Premier Suite.

Phil Brown will be one of the guest speakers and there is bound to be a load of current and former players giving their backing too.

Tickets are priced at £30 and can be bought from the hotline on 07970 415607.

More information can be found on www.garyparky.co.uk I WAS in Las Vegas last week, visiting the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam, and watching Rod Stewart live at Caesar’s Palace.

I’d like to congratulate my Under-15s, who won the tournament over there and now go on to the Nations.

Rock ’n’ Roll, you might say – but it’s back down to earth again this weekend, when I’m travelling over to Grand Rapids, Michigan, before going across to Detroit.

Not really got the same ring to it, has it?