Kevin Foley: Wolves are short of excuses

Wolves' stand-in captain Kevin Foley today insisted the solution to the team's problems lies within as they prepare for the derby double header against Blues and Albion.

Foley acknowledged the huge disappointment felt by the players at the latest setback, Saturday's 3-0 Premier League defeat to Blackburn.

And despite boss Mick McCarthy today being given the green light to improve the squad in January, 26-year-old Foley, who has skippered the side for the last two games in the absence of Karl Henry and Jody Craddock, is convinced Wolves possess the quality to avoid the drop.

"Things are going against us but we can't keep saying that," said Foley. "It's down to us to change it, we can't rely on bits of luck.

"It's up to the players who are playing to make sure we get the right results we need.

"We had a bit of luck against Sunderland last week when Kieran Richardson hit the post and then we kicked on from there.

"This time we lost 3-0. I don't know if it was a 3-0 game because it was very open in the second half.

"We're still confident we can get out of trouble because we've got the ability and we've got the never-say-die attitude, so I'm 100 per cent sure the boys can turn it around.

"Fortunes can change — we've just got to be positive and look forward to getting as many points as we can over the Christmas period."

Defeat at Ewood Park made it five losses in six games and 10 from the last 13 but Foley insisted heads won't drop.

"We won't let it get in our heads because we know there are massive games coming up," said the Ireland international.

"We know if we're not ready for those derbies then we'll lose, full stop. But we'll be ready. We've got two games against local rivals and we've got to be focused on them now."

Defeat at Blackburn came after Wolves showed character to topple Sunderland 3-2 and Foley insisted morale hadn't been affected by the Rovers setback.

"It's been fine. If we hadn't won last week, I think the lads would have been down but we won and we showed a real fighting mentality to come back into it," said Foley.

"We've looked back at the Blackburn game to see what we can do better.

"We got caught on the break a few times but that's bound to happen when you're chasing the game, and their keeper pulled off some great saves at the other end.

"But we keep chasing games and it's something we've got to learn from.

"Hopefully we'll put it right on Sunday."

Wolves sank to the bottom of the Premier League for a few hours for the first time this season with the reversal at Rovers, before West Ham's 1-0 defeat at Sunderland put them below Mick McCarthy's side again on goals scored.

But after languishing in the relegation zone for the last two months, Foley said the prospect of being rock bottom only sharpened the focus on survival.

"Even when we've been in the bottom three for the last couple of months, I haven't taken much notice because we've been playing well enough to warrant a higher place," said the utility man.