Kenny Jackett remains confident he can help Wolves back onto an upward curve and continue the progress of his first two seasons at the helm.
After masterminding a Sky Bet League One title success and a seventh placed finish in the Championship missing out on the play-offs only by goal difference, the Head Coach admits that there has been a ‘deceleration’ during the current campaign with Wolves 13th heading into tonight’s game at Brentford (7.45pm).
“We finished seventh last year and for whatever reason our league position has drifted away from just outside the play offs to halfway,” said Jackett.
“It is frustrating when that happens.
“There was good momentum built up over the last two years but sometimes you end up having to step back slightly to go forwards.
“We just have to make sure we don’t step back too far.
“We are not where we wanted to be – we wanted to go from where we were up towards the top.
“But that is something that isn’t always easy and if it has to be that you take a step back to go forward we will work as hard as we can to make sure that in the long term the club continues to keep progressing.
“We didn’t want to step back, we wanted it to be an upward curve.
“There has been a deceleration but we have to come through that and keep what is a fantastic club in Wolves moving forward positively.”
Jackett acknowledges there is speculation about any Head Coach or manager’s future when results take a dip, but says he and his staff and players remain fully concentrated on bringing about an improvement over the next batch of fixtures.
“It is for other people to speculate, that is the nature of it,” he said.
“For myself it is about working internally at the next game or the next run of games, making sure that short term there is a focus with Brentford quickly followed by Derby.
“Then there is slightly longer term planning as well as if you plan too short-term there can be too many different changes of personnel and shape.
“Combining the short and longer terms is important and the process of recruitment and time for managers or Head Coaches is under debate constantly throughout the game.
“The only thing I can do is focus on the next game and trying to win it.
“If you can do that and win a game or two in the short term then maybe you can build up a run that helps in the long term.
“All of my attention and my focus goes on that.
“But do I read and follow the game generally and how it is for a Head Coach or manager? Yes of course I do.
“It has been very much business as usual here, talking about the team, talking about our plans.
“I understand that the position of a Head Coach or manager at any club is constantly under review – I’m not sure that ever changes.
“You need to get results and win games, without a doubt.
“I am confident in my own ability and confident I can turn things around.
“The overall managerial position or situation for Head Coaches is what it is – I understand that – but I am confident in my own ability to turn the club positive again and continue the upward curve since I arrived."
