Wolves escape banana skin
“How do they get that? They have to play.”
McCarthy admitted that his first 11 were on their knees after a demanding start to the Premier campaign and he had the luxury of resting them before Saturday’s visit of Hull City.
“I knew that when I picked the team but after Manchester City the players were absolutely shattered and that’s why I changed the whole 11,” he said.
“We changed the team completely with an eye on the Premier League game on Saturday and it’s difficult for the lads when they come in.
“These lads have got to play to get that match toughness and if that team had played three or four games I think we’d have won in normal time.
“The control and passing would have been better and the quality would have been better. Just because of fitness.
“You just hope to get through it. I asked them all beforehand if they thought they were ready to play in the Premiership, and they all nodded.
‘‘They should be even more ready now for that time on the pitch.”
It made a change for McCarthy to experience a penalty win with Wolves after last year’s exit at the hands of Rotherham.
He added: “The penalties were fantastic from both sides and I thought it was never going to end.
“There had been a lot of hard work and effort over the 120 minutes and not a great deal of quality but the standard of penalties was great and we won the game which is all that matters.
“As a team we’re in the hat for the next round of the Carling Cup and that team might be playing again so let’s stay in it as long as we can. I’ve no desire to be out of the cup and my heart was beating 60 to the dozen because I wanted to win the game.”
