Ward applauds surprise appointment

Wolves full-back Stephen Ward believes the appointment of Stale Solbakken could been a welcome tonic for the club following relegation.

The Republic of Ireland international is yet to meet his new boss as he is busy preparing for Euro 2012 duty with his country, but Ward is hoping that a fresh voice in the Molineux dressing room will help them bounce back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.
Solbakken is already busy at work laying out his plans for next season to his backroom staff and deciding which players he wants to keep on as well as identifying the stars he would like to sign.
Ward told BBC WM: "It's probably what we needed. It did need freshening up.
"Getting relegated was a big wake-up call for a lot of people at the club.
"When Mick McCarthy departed, it was more the timing that shocked everybody. That's why the latter part of the season was really tough for us all.
"But there's no better way of freshening things up than bringing in somebody from a different culture and a different background.
"He'll want his own style, to do things in his own way."
The Wolves defender admits that he was taken by surprise at the Norwegian appointment at the time of the announcement, but having done his own homework, the 26-year-old can see that he brings with him a real pedigree.
Ward is now convinced the club's hierarchy deserve applauding for looking further afield for a new manager after seeing the team fail to win a single match during Terry Connor's three-month stint in charge at Molineux.
He added: "It was a bit of a shock to the lads really. There were other names mentioned, younger managers in and around the leagues looking for a bigger job. And I didn't know a whole lot about him.
"But, looking at his CV and after hearing what he said to the lads, it looks a good appointment.
"He's got vast experience and done really well at clubs he's been at and he's managed in the Champions League."