It's win or bust for Mick McCarthy

Wolves manager Mick McCarthy believes it's win or bust time in their Premier League survival mission.

McCarthy reckons the clashes against Fulham, Stoke - their game in hand - and Birmingham over the eight days from this Saturday will go a long way to determining if Wolves stay up.

He said: "It's a huge week for us with the games we've got. I think what we get out of these three matches will be a determining factor."

For a while McCarthy has believed three more wins will be enough to seal safety, but the manager now reckons it could be less after defeats for West Ham, Blackpool and Blackburn at the weekend.

Hammers boss Avram Grant is also targeting three wins, but they have one game less than the six Wolves have left.

McCarthy said: "That would be remarkable because he's talking about a 60 per cent win success rate. If we get three wins out of six, we'll stay up.

"But will we get those three wins? Looking at what's happened this season, it's unlikely.

"It can be done. But I'm a realist - I look at the other teams and think they've got five games left so let's say they get a point a game, then 38 might be enough to stay up.

"We can all speculate, but no one has a clue how many it will take. My view is just to try to beat Fulham."

Despite going bottom, McCarthy remains convinced Wolves will stay up.

He said: "There are enough teams still in it and the games we've got are tough but winnable ones.

"As it is one win could take us out of it. In terms of being bottom, it's not like any other season.

"Whether you're in the bottom three or 17th, 16th, 15th, no one is certain of getting out of it this time."