Unseen Players Often Perceived as Solutions, Says O’Neil

Wolverhampton Wanderers face a “massive problem” regarding their physical presence, but, as stated by Gary O’Neil, the solutions do not appear to reside within the existing team roster. O’Neil’s dismissal occurred on Sunday after a late home loss to relegation competitor Ipswich. This result positioned the team 19th in the league standings, five points away from a secure position. The team’s defensive weaknesses were evident once more during that defeat. The club, now without a manager, has allowed the highest number of goals in the league this season, totaling 40. Twenty of these goals originated from set-pieces, and a further nine, also a league high, resulted from corner kicks. The club is currently engaged in discussions with Al-Shabab’s manager, Vitor Pereira. However, in an interview with BBC Radio WM prior to his termination, O’Neil had already pointed out the challenges the Portuguese coach might encounter. “If your Achilles heel and your flaws are that bad you can’t cope with two basic things like that [the two goals from Ipswich], then the rest of it almost becomes irrelevant,” he said. “We are massively lacking in those areas and when your weaknesses are that weak then it takes a hell of a lot of effort to make up for them.” “We are doing so much with the group to help them in those moments but we are not finding those answers.” When questioned about whether the solution lay within the existing squad, O’Neil replied: “It doesn’t look like it, does it?” “At this moment in time, we have tried every player. Fans always think the player they haven’t seen is the answer. It was Carlos Forbs and then it wasn’t Carlos Forbs. Then it was Rodrigo Gomes and then it wasn’t. And then it is Tommy Doyle and then it isn’t. It is not that.” “We have a massive problem with physicality against teams. When we really need to find a way to dig in and cope with direct play, cope with balls in the box, we are falling short at this moment.”