RODGERS BACKS CONNOR FOR WOLVES STAY

Swansea manager Brendan Rodgers believes Terry Connor deserves to stay at Wolves.

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Terry Connor: Yet to win as Wolves boss

Terry Connor: Yet to win as Wolves boss

Swansea manager Brendan Rodgers believes Terry Connor deserves the chance to bring Wolves back into the Barclays Premier League, despite overseeing the club's relegation from the top flight.

Last weekend's 2-0 defeat to Manchester City confirmed the Molineux outfit's drop into the npower Championship next season, ending a three-season run in the Premier League.

Connor has yet to taste victory since taking over following Mick McCarthy's departure in February, losing eight of his 10 games in charge.

But Rodgers insists the 49-year-old deserves the chance to take the job on a full-time basis following his efforts in difficult circumstances, as the Black Country side prepare to travel to the Liberty Stadium on Saturday.

He said: "Terry has done a terrific job there, he was really thrown in at the deep end and has handled himself admirably and he is a guy who deserves a chance going forward believes with that job.

"He has done remarkably well in relation to steadying the ship but unfortunately he hasn't been able to help them stay up, but he is someone who deserves the chance to get the club back up there.

"He has been there a long time and he knows the soul of the club.

"I think everyone would agree, looking at the sacking of Mick, that it was something that did not make sense, especially after the event where there was maybe no plan in place to put someone else in.

"Terry has come in and stepped forward and I believe if given the chance he has every chance of taking the club back up again.

"They have been around for a little while at this level and they have the infrastructure in place to jump up again."

While Wolves' relegation has been confirmed, Swansea are all but guaranteed another season in the top flight, needing only a point from their final three fixtures to be mathematically safe.

But Rodgers insists there is no way his side will be taking Wolves lightly.

He said: "They will come here knowing their fate and I always anticipate that it will be a tough game and we won't be relaxing, our focus is to win as many home games as we can and this is another opportunity to do that.

"Terry has made it clear their objective was to play 38 competitive games and when you are a professional you are paid to compete.

"The one thing with the players I have seen at Wolves is that whatever they lack they don't lack that spirit and competitive edge.

"These players have fought all the way through the year and I don't see that changing."

When the two sides met at Molineux in October, Swansea were denied victory as they let a 2-0 lead slip in the final six minutes to only pick up a point.

The disappointment of that result proved to be a major spur for Swansea's season, and Rodgers believes the lessons learned that day have been vital.

"At the end of that game I said to the players, because they were so disappointed and deserved more than a point, that the biggest crime was not throwing away the two goals, but whether we would learn from it.

"I felt that would be the key and the way they have answered that has been magnificent.

"In our next game we were 2-0 up against Bolton and it went to 2-1 with 15 minutes to go, and the way we handled that was superb. That constant improvement is very important to ourselves."

Rodgers will have a fully-fit Nathan Dyer to call upon against Wolves after the winger recovered from the illness which forced his early withdrawal at Bolton, with Steven Caulker having also overcome an illness.

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