Emmanuel Frimpong 'saved' from a red

Wolves boss Mick McCarthy today admitted he took Emmanuel Frimpong off to save him from a red card at Tottenham.

The on-loan midfielder had already been booked for a tackle and was receiving constant abuse from the Spurs fans for his Arsenal connections before McCarthy withdrew him in the 67th minute of the 1-1 draw.

And the Wolves chief confessed he took the 19-year-old off before he saw red.

"I took him off because he might have got a second booking," said the boss.

"I said to him at half-time that if he got warned for another one I might have to take him off.

"I'm sure Spurs would have loved to have been playing against 10 men and I wasn't going to let that happen. For safety's sake I took him off."

Frimpong was clearly angry as he took his place among the substitutes in the dugout and had to be warned by the manager to calm down.

McCarthy added: "I've been there as a young player when you're coming off and 30,000 or 40,000 are giving you dog's abuse.

"You have to smile and have a sharpened pencil between your teeth and just take it. And he was fine – he was really good.

"He put in a mature performance and I was really pleased with him."

Meanwhile, Wolves reserves' clash at Hinckley with Villa's second string was today postponed because of a frozen pitch.

It will now take place tomorrow at Bodymoor Heath at 1pm.