Wolves chief Jez Moxey insists they weren't showing "disrespect" to the rest of the Premiership with their shadow selection for the defeat at Manchester United.
Moxey stands by manager Mick McCarthy in the wake of criticism, including from Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger.
He told TalkSport: "I understand the argument that the fans are putting forward but there is one man who is responsible for picking a team and that's Mick McCarthy.
"That's the responsibility that we give him, I think everyone knows that and it's his decision and his decision alone as to the team he feels is best suited for the best interest of the club to one, win a game; and two, try and stay in the Premier League. It's not about one game, it's about 38 games and clearly we need to be judged at the end of the season and Mick will be.
"You win games, you lose games and you draw games and we've got a squad of 20-odd players. We try strategically to get at least two players in every position that is capable of playing in the Premier League to keep Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League and it's up to the manager to select the team that he feels is best for us to one, win a game; and two, stay in the Premier League and he did that in the full knowledge that there might be sort of questions being asked of us today."