Paul Cook urging Wolves fans to keep the faith

Twenty years ago, Wolves were in crisis after a wretched run as they faced Sunderland at Molineux. The match-winner Paul Cook talks to Tim Nash about the parallels today

Wolves' desperate need for a Molineux win against Sunderland still sounds familiar to Paul Cook.

It's almost 20 years to the day that the former midfielder scored a priceless winner for Graham Turner's Wolves against the same opposition on December 7, 1991 after a run of eight defeats in 11.

That's almost identical to the eight-losses-in-10 run Mick McCarthy's side are on as they prepare to host the Black Cats this Sunday.

"John Byrne and Gordon Armstrong got sent off in the first 15 minutes and we spent the rest of the game trying to break Sunderland down," said Cook.

"I got the only goal, a volley after 82 minutes after I arrived late in the box. It was one of those where you know where it's going to go as soon as it leaves your foot.

"I'd been booed for 80 minutes and we just couldn't break them down – they got all their men behind the ball. Not that I remember it, like!"

The quickfire Scouse humour and intensity of his passion for the game is never far away when you talk to Cook.

And after a 650-game career that confounded some of the excesses of his earlier years, it's being channelled in the right direction too.

The one-time Molineux midfield maestro has built himself a reputation as an up-and-coming manager at Sligo Rovers, where he has masterminded back-to-back FAI Cup successes and a runners-up spot in the League of Ireland.

So he takes a keener interest in his management peers than perhaps he did as a highly skilful but carefree midfielder who could enthral and infuriate in equal measures.

But Wolves matters are never too far from the 44-year-old's thinking.

And ask him about any parallels between now and that run 20 years ago and he becomes deadly serious.

"I remember that win bringing great relief at the time because we all wanted to do well for Wolves," recalled Cook, whose playing career included a two-season Premier League stint at Coventry after Wolves and ended with helping Accrington Stanley into the Football League.

"But sometimes what happens is that you have too much success too quickly and people get used to it.

"It happened with Graham winning back-to-back promotions and maybe it's happening with Mick now.

"But Wolves fans could not wish for a better manager than Mick McCarthy. You don't see him spending the multi-millions that other managers have spent."

Cook added: "Wolves have a really loyal army of fans. But no one has ever been able to control the crowd's expectations. That's been there since I played there and can be a good thing because they want the team to do so well. It seems to me that staying up isn't good enough for Wolves fans.

"But they need to realise that staying in the Premier League is actually a massive success for Wolves because there are plenty of top Premier League clubs who are paying much more money to players.

"At the end of the season, they should print a league table of wages and then people would realise what a fantastic job he does. Apart from Kevin Doyle, Steven Fletcher and the two summer signings, you don't see Wolves spending £6m or £7m on players."

Cook the manager is a more considered figure than the midfielder, remembered for the sublime left foot. And now he's the other side of the fence, it's clear he appreciates the difficulties of management.

"What fans would love to do is change the manager and sometimes it would be better for that manager if they did and bring a favourite in who the crowd want, and for that fella to take the team down," added Cook.

"Then they might realise what a good manager they had in Mick McCarthy. It's hard for fans for realise, but success at Wolves should be judged on staying out of the relegation places.

"Fans have to accept the strength of the league and that there are certain fixtures that you can look to take points from. At Coventry we used to break it down into batches of games.

"The important ones are those in that group around you because those will determine your fate – it's all about getting 11 wins and five or six draws. You will never see a Wolves team beaten for lack of effort – a lack of quality maybe – but that costs money. Sunderland have spent millions and their wage bill is maybe twice the size of Wolves'. Mick has an eye for a player, as he's proved with many of the lads he's taken there."

Cook sees similarities between Turner and McCarthy, and believes both aren't given the credit they deserve. "Both are great role models," he said. "When you're winning, it's easy to be a good winner. But it's about conducting yourself well when things aren't going well. You also don't see him publicly slagging off his players, and sometimes that loyalty needs to be repaid by players and the crowd.

"It's a remarkable quality because it would be an easy thing to do but they recognise that there are enough people out there willing to do that."

The latter stages of Cook's 219-game Wolves career were played to a backdrop of a Molineux being transformed by Sir Jack Hayward's multi-millions. Now it's happening again under Steve Morgan and Cook believes his old club are progressing in the right manner.

"Mick's taken them such a long way, and they're doing it the right way," he said.

"The infrastructure is there, but you have to be prudent too because look what happened to Portsmouth, so it's all about staying in that league."

Cook is hoping his management skills serve up a return to mainland Britain in the not too distant future.

"I got close to the St Johnstone job a few weeks ago," he said.

"I'm looking to come back soon but you have to take the right job.

"Success in management is all down to players. Good players will bring you success, bad ones get you the sack.

"Wolves have got good players, so you can tell Mick I'm after his job!"