The Black Cats sacked manager Steve Bruce this week and are being strongly tipped to bring in Martin O'Neill as his replacement. McCarthy has also come under fire from sections of his own fans after a run of only one win in 11 games has seen Wolves plummet to the fringe of the relegation zone. But he has tried to maintain an air of confidence and hopes that has rubbed off on his squad. Ahead of Sunday's Premier League clash at Molineux, McCarthy said: "All the time it has been a case of keeping calm after we had won two and drawn one of the first three games or when we lost seven out of nine. "I think it (keeping calm) is led from the top surely. If that is my attitude towards it, I think the players will follow my lead in most things. "I think players take the lead from the manager. If I'm banging the table and chewing all the time, it will give them a problem. I'm not because I think we will get the points and we will play better." McCarthy has seen his players respond to being 2-0 down to Swansea and recovering from being pegged back by Wigan to collect four points from their last two home games. He hopes that experience will stand them in good stead against Sunderland and is not playing down the importance of the game. McCarthy said: "One of the clubs has lost their manager so we can't dress this up as anything else than a really big, important game. "It is huge, but then we beat Wigan and against Swansea we were poor and eked a point out of it. Now Sunderland are one of our nearest competitors. "If there was no tension and excitement, and no-one was bothered, you lot (the media) wouldn't be here, and I wouldn't be talking here. It wouldn't be as exciting as it is and I love every minute of it." Wolves have actually collected their highest points tally in the Premier League at this point of a season - albeit a modest 11 - but McCarthy knows there is room for improvement. He said: "Someone told me that stat but it doesn't feel like it, let me tell you. We need points. We've not performed particularly well in recent weeks. Let's improve on that on Sunday. "We've not been in the bottom three and we might stay up with 11 points the way things are going. There are a few of us finding it tough to get results." McCarthy has sympathy for Bruce, having come in for similar treatment from the Sunderland fans during his spell in charge of the Black Cats. He said: "I can empathise because I've been in that job and experienced exactly the same thing. Mind you, I did only spend £4million in the Premier League and I was even daft enough to think I could make a success of it! "It is not nice, it is a huge club and, if the fans turn on you, it is really difficult." Bruce believes Sunderland fans could take heed from local rivals Newcastle. He said: "The Sunderland fans are very passionate but they are no more passionate than they are down here, or at Millwall or wherever else I've been, Manchester City, Barnsley. "There are just more of them at the big clubs and a lot is made of that. Expectation is huge. "It's funny isn't it. Newcastle are doing well and there wasn't any expectation. Maybe there is a lesson to be learnt." McCarthy will welcome back Jamie O'Hara and Stephen Hunt after suspension, but fellow midfielder Karl Henry serves a one-game ban for incurring five bookings this season.
