Wolves Manager Gary O’Neil Discusses Team News, Palace Match, and Season Start

Wolves manager Gary O’Neil addressed the media in anticipation of Saturday’s Premier League fixture against Crystal Palace, scheduled for a 17:30 GMT kick-off. Below are the main points from his press conference: Goalkeeper Sam Johnstone is anticipated to rejoin the matchday squad, and O’Neil expressed optimism regarding the availability of captain Mario Lemina. O’Neil characterized the upcoming encounter with Palace as “a big home game,” noting that “it will be difficult” due to their reputation as being “tough to break down.” Regarding the momentum gained from the late draw against Brighton, O’Neil stated: “We didn’t lack belief but it was a big response from a tough situation. Any team that can come from 2-0 down with five minutes to go shows they have real fight.” Further commenting on the current season, O’Neil remarked: “We understand we’ve had a tough start to the season and we’d love to have more than two points on the board but our belief is intact.” He affirmed that the team intends to “just going to attack” Saturday’s match “at full throttle,” adding that “from the moment we get there until the final whistle we will give it everything we’ve got.” Addressing the parallels with Palace concerning player departures over the summer, O’Neil commented: “We lost a couple of players from last year’s starting XI but we understand and know we have enough in this building to push ourselves.” O’Neil emphasized that it is “really important” for supporters to back the team at Molineux “when it gets tough,” expressing his hope that the players can reciprocate this support with a strong performance and a favorable outcome.