Jones relishes prospect of return to Saints

Time is a great healer, one of Dave Jones' inquisitors asserted as the Wolverhampton Wanderers manager met the media to discuss his FA Cup return to Southampton, the club that suspended him prior to a permanent parting when he faced charges over a past job as a child-care worker. Like "no smoke without fire", it is an adage Jones no longer uses.

The questioner continued, only to be interrupted by Jones. "No." Cue a different approach by the reporter. "No." And another. "No," repeated Jones, finally elaborating: "The people that accused me [of sex offences], that will never go away. But you have to get on with life. If you let it fester, you don't do your job."

Whether he will ever fully forgive Southampton's chairman, Rupert Lowe, for not backing him in the face of allegations which collapsed in court is less clear. Wolves' sixth-round visit to the St Mary's Stadium tomorrow will be Jones' first visit to the Saints' new home since he left, despite invitations from Lowe. Was it a deliberate snub? "Yes and no," Jones said pointedly.

"I always said I'd only go back with my team in the Premiership – I forgot about the Cup. I still speak to the chairman. We'll never agree on the decision he made. But I had a friendship with him as well. He made a business decision I didn't agree with. He thinks he did the right thing. I don't. But there's no reason why I shouldn't shake his hand. I still have a good relationship with him.

"I don't know what my feelings will be like, or what sort of reception I'll get. But I left because of circumstances beyond my control. The Southampton people were superb to me before and during my troubled times, which I'll never forget. My family loved it there and my daughter still lives in the area. From the calls and emails I've had, I imagine that when our coach pulls into the hotel there will be 500 waiting to see me and buy me a drink."

Jones certainly has no quarrel with Gordon Strachan, Lowe's latest and, so far, most successful manager, although the Merseysider admits having tackled the Scot on the touchline when Wolves met Coventry last season. "Gordon was trying to get the ball back in play quickly," he said, the stern countenance breaking into a grin. "I wasn't going to allow that."

Ironically, the principal threat to the First Division promotion contenders, and 16-1 seventh favourites, will come from a player he bequeathed them. James Beattie was a young squad player at Blackburn Rovers when Jones invested in his potential. Now only Thierry Henry of Arsenal outscores him in the top flight and he has represented England.

"I was in the process of trying to build Southampton's future," Jones said. "Unfortunately I never saw it come to fruition, but that's fine; that was my job. Good luck to them. There's no animosity. They've got a new stadium and they're no longer relegation fodder – everything Rupert promised, he's delivered."