Gary O’Neil on Ipswich’s Winning Goal: “They Will Never Score Against Another Premier League Team”

Following the defeat, Wolves manager Gary O’Neil told Match of the Day that the outcome represented “a big blow for the group.” He emphasized the team’s effort to recover and dominate the second half, stating, “We were at maximum and felt like we would go on and win the game.” O’Neil described conceding the late goal as “crazy,” a sentiment he had previously expressed. O’Neil continued, noting his limited ability to protect the players from certain issues, specifically mentioning “long balls over the top and then players are taking it upon themselves to change positions from a corner, for some reason.” He acknowledged the significant contribution of the substitutes in the team’s comeback, yet lamented that “we have nothing to show for it.” Regarding Ipswich’s decisive goal, O’Neil mentioned being informed “that it might have been offside,” adding, “We have had a couple.” He quickly dismissed the importance of VAR and potential obstruction, stating, “There are far more pressing matters in my mind than VAR and whether the guy was in the way.” He attributed the loss to “too many mistakes from us again,” stressing that “These cannot happen at these levels.” O’Neil expressed concern about the team’s defensive capabilities, asserting, “We have no chance if we can’t deal with Liam Delap running through. We have no chance if we can’t stand in the right place and head the ball.” He concluded by calling it “a more than disappointing way to lose,” from which “We take nothing.” When asked about the most pressing issue, O’Neil identified “The team. The ability of the team to cope at this level.” He reflected on his experience, stating, “I have worked at this level for, this is my third year now and I have never had such a struggle to help the group cope with being at this level.” He cited an example, “We go to Everton and they boot it up the pitch and we can’t cope,” emphasizing the need to “find answers within the room to find answers.” Despite the second-half display being “us at maximum and them not really threatening,” he noted, “But we still found a way to concede two.” Commenting on the overall performance, O’Neil reiterated, “That is the group performing at maximum today.” He warned, “Until we can defend our goal then we are going to struggle,” and acknowledged that “The emotion affects a lot.” He described the start of the game as positive before Ipswich scored “a goal they will never score against another Premier League team.” O’Neil expressed frustration, recalling, “I saw Delap doing that at youth level bashing people out of the way and it can’t happen at this level.” He accepted responsibility for the set-piece goal, stating, “I will take the set-piece goal as my fault, if people are stood in the right place, but they weren’t.” Regarding Rayan Ait-Nouri’s red card, O’Neil stated, “I haven’t seen it. I have just been told he received a second yellow.” He mentioned speaking with Ait-Nouri during the match, noting the team’s significant pressure and their effort to “push the group beyond our level.” He cautioned against players getting “in trouble,” highlighting the team’s already “stretched” situation: “We need Rayan and now we don’t have him.” O’Neil indicated he would address the matter “internally.” While acknowledging player emotions, he stressed the need for better control, concluding that “For two players not to be in the right place for a corner, at home to Ipswich, in the last seconds, shows they are not able to think clearly enough in those moments.”