I hope Wolves pay for Mac's surrender

So everything Roy Keane said about Mick McCarthy was right after all. His decision to wave the white flag at Old Trafford on Tuesday brought football into disrepute. Facing a Manchester United side there for the taking, McCarthy decided to take it easy. Why did he not just phone Fergie earlier in the week and suggest a three-goal win for United by default and save everybody the bother of turning up? The Spurs team Wolves beat on Saturday are a damn sight better than this current United mob. On Saturday's evidence so are Wolves.

I made a conscious decision six weeks ago to oppose Manchester United every match. The only way to make money from punting is to be one step ahead of the bookies - and bookies have not yet realised that this is a United in serious decline.

Even better, neither has Fergie. So, yes, I backed Wolves at silly odds on Tuesday. Silly me. On the bottom of the Wolves teamsheet I hear that McCarthy wrote a note saying: "Dearest Fergie, have three points on us, and a prosperous New Year. Yours obediently, Michael." It must have made the Molineux faithful ashamed to be Wolves fans and that hasn't happened since last Friday. Loyal Wolves fans paid £42 a head to watch their reserve team.

The first team aren't even worth that much - I mean in the transfer market. Footballers strive to reach the Premier League for the chance of playing at places like Old Trafford, yet McCarthy basically told his best players he's saving them for the delights of Fratton Park and the KC Stadium.

After the trip to Old Trafford, Wolves had four days to prepare for the visit of Burnley - not Barcelona. In McCarthy's defence, you have to ask when was the last time a newlypromoted side beat United? Oh yes, it was Burnley earlier in the season.

This is no McCarthy witchhunt, but I now hope to God Wolves go down on goal difference. They are 5-6 to be relegated. That's with Hills who are also betting on how many of the second-stringers who started against United are in the starting XI against Burnley on Sunday - and zero is just 6-4.