O’Neil Stands Firm Amidst Wolves’ Struggles, Citing “Incredible Transition”

Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Gary O’Neil, who holds a 32% win percentage at the club, is facing increased scrutiny following his team’s detrimental defeat against West Ham, yet he maintains his conviction that he can reverse the club’s current trajectory. The 2-1 loss at London Stadium on Monday marked Wolves’ third consecutive defeat, positioning them second from the bottom in the Premier League standings, four points adrift of safety. The match commenced with both managers under pressure regarding their employment; while the situation has reportedly stabilized for West Ham United boss Julen Lopetegui, O’Neil’s position continues to be precarious. The Wolves manager attributed the outcome to “four big decisions” that went against his team on Monday and a transfer approach that has resulted in a reliance on younger players, but affirmed that all involved are dedicated to ensuring the club retains its Premier League status. “I am not concerned,” O’Neil stated to BBC Sport when questioned about his role. “I am really proud of the group and everything they have given me. I can only ask them to give their best.” The Wolves manager expressed confidence in retaining the backing of his players, notwithstanding the club’s current standing. “We won’t give up and we’ll keep pushing,” he further commented on Sky Sports. Tomas Soucek scored from a set-piece on Monday night after being left unmarked, highlighting a major factor in Wolves’ current predicament: their inadequate defensive performance. The team has allowed 38 goals in the Premier League, which is the highest number for any top-flight side this season. Set-pieces, specifically, are proving to be their vulnerability. Following Tomas Soucek’s back-post header on Monday, they have conceded a league-leading 15 goals from set-piece scenarios this season, excluding penalties. They have only twice previously conceded a greater number of such goals in the Premier League: 20 in the 2003-04 season and 18 in the 2011-12 season. Both of those seasons concluded with the club’s relegation. Wolves dismissed set-piece coach Jack Wilson in October, and the persistence of this issue is likely a source of concern for the club’s leadership. “Wolves have to defend the set-piece better,” remarked former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher on Sky Sports. “They’ve conceded 15 goals from set-pieces this season. Seven more than any other team. They have a huge problem here.” O’Neil was appointed by Wolves in August of the previous year, taking over from the current West Ham boss Lopetegui, and successfully guided them to a comfortable finish clear of relegation in his inaugural season. During the summer transfer window, Wolves transferred defender Max Kilman to West Ham for £40m and forward Pedro Neto to Chelsea in a £54m transaction. O’Neil indicated that player departures have complicated his role. “The club has been through an incredible transition since I came in,” O’Neil further stated. “We’ve signed some players who will be really good for this club for the future, but we have lost an awful lot. It makes it harder. “[Since I’ve been here] we have lost £200m worth of talent. We understand it will be tough. We will knuckle down and get going again.”Whenever this journey ends with Wolves I’ll be proud of it.” A foul on Goncalo Guedes within the penalty area was reviewed by the video assistant referee, yet no penalty was awarded. O’Neil conceded that Wolves’ set-piece defending requires improvement, but also believed that crucial decisions disadvantaged his team at London Stadium. Regarding the corner that resulted in West Ham’s initial goal, the ball seemed to have last touched West Ham full-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Subsequently, for the Hammers’ second goal, O’Neil was of the opinion that a foul had occurred on Wolves defender Santiago Bueno during the play’s development. When it was suggested to him that a new phase of play had commenced following the potential foul on Bueno, O’Neil responded on Sky Sports: “That is crazy. He was going to head the ball away, so next phase of play is irrelevant because we would have cleared the ball.” O’Neil additionally believed his team was denied two penalties, stating: “The foul on Goncalo Guedes was a blatant penalty. There was a little one on [Jean-Ricner Bellegarde] too, it was small contact but enough to make him fall over.” “It is disappointing they didn’t go our way. It was a combination of us not quite doing enough and the decisions going West Ham’s way meant we came away with nothing.” Three consecutive losses have placed Wolves in a precarious position within the relegation zone, though a glimmer of hope remains. This Saturday, they will host fellow struggling team Ipswich, who have secured only one victory in 15 Premier League matches to date, before traveling to face Leicester, currently 17th and four points clear of the relegation zone. Carragher further commented: “You look at the fixture list and sometimes the club might think whether they want to bring a new manager in and it will be some decent games for the new man to start with. That will be in the back of Gary O’Neil’s mind.” “If everything goes well against Ipswich Town and Leicester City in the next two games, they could be out of the bottom three. “O’Neil will be desperate for that chance to rectify what has happened this season.”