McCarthy confident of Sylvan strength

Mick McCarthy today kicked off the countdown to Wolves' curtain-raiser at Plymouth by insisting any abuse coming Sylvan Ebanks-Blake's way "won't bother him a jot".Ebanks-Blake returns to Home Park for the first time since his £1.5m move from Argyle in January, while he was fined £2,500 for hitting a Plymouth nightclub bouncer with his girlfriend's handbag last month.

But Wolves boss McCarthy says the Championship Golden Boot winner - who has recovered from his poke in the eye against Blackburn - is so single-minded, any catcalls won't unfocus him.

"He won't be bothered by anything. He's so single-minded it won't bother him a jot," said McCarthy. "It's sticks and stones, that's all.

"I'd like to know the person that will intimidate him because he can look after himself. I don't think there will be a problem.

"I don't think there's any added pressure on him. He's playing for us now. Going back to your old club, you just want to show them what you're missing.

"At away grounds, you expect their fans to give you grief.

"When I was playing, I used to love opposition fans giving me grief because it meant I was playing well.

"It's when they start cheering you and singing your name because you've made a cock-up you've got real problems."

* Wolves' new goalkeeping coach is UEFA 'A' licence holder and former Wales under-21 coach Pat Mountain.

The 32-year-old - one of the youngest to achieve both outfield and goalkeeping elements of the top qualification - takes up his first full-time role to replace Bobby Mimms after leaving Cheltenham.

Mountain has spent the last four seasons at Whaddon Road where he divided his time between there and Hereford.