Former Players and Pundits Discuss Gary O’Neil’s Future at Wolves

Jay Bothroyd, a former striker for Wolves, shared his thoughts on Gary O’Neil’s position as manager during an appearance on BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast, following Wolves’ 2-1 loss to West Ham. Bothroyd stated, “If you’re spending a lot of money bringing in and replacing those players that you’ve let go [in the summer] then fine.” He further commented on squad quality, saying, “Ultimately every time you lose your top players you’re going to decline in quality within the squad.” Regarding O’Neil’s management, Bothroyd remarked, “I don’t blame Gary O’Neil. He’s got his players working hard, there’s no question about that.” He observed the team’s effort, noting, “Even last night, right until the end, they still believed. It’s just those little details and conceding goals.” Expressing his disappointment as a former player, Bothroyd added, “It was really disheartening for me to watch as an ex-Wolves player. I really enjoyed playing there. To see them in this situation – they have top players, it just hasn’t happened for them right now.” Ryan Leister, a Wolves supporter and host of The Wolves Report podcast, also weighed in on the head coach’s future, questioning the club’s ability to secure a superior replacement. Leister remarked, “I don’t think many of the managers would have survived a run like Gary O’Neil’s on now. But could Wolves do better than Gary O’Neil? I’m not sure they could. Does O’Neil deserve to be in charge? I’m not sure that he does.” He then shifted focus to the club’s hierarchy, stating, “But, equally, you have to look higher above than O’Neil. If you keep selling your best players every summer and expect the club to try to retain Premier League status, I think it’s a bit ambitious from the owners.” Leister cited specific player departures, saying, “[Pedro] Neto went. [Max] Kilman went. If this is going to continue then Wolves should expect to be where they are now.” Concluding his remarks, Leister shared his mixed perspective: “I have sympathy for O’Neil but, equally, I think he should be doing better as well.”