O’Neil on Wolves’ Southampton Win: Patience Key Against ‘Awkward’ Opponent

Gary O’Neil provided comments to BBC Match of the Day following Wolves’ victory against Southampton, stating: “Pleased for the group. They’ve given a lot and played better than we had today and came away with nothing. it was a gritty performance. Southampton are an awkward side to play against. We had to be patient. I thought we were excellent in the second half.” O’Neil discussed the team’s focus throughout the week on collective responsibility and extensive work on out-of-possession tactics. He noted that halftime proved beneficial for making adjustments. The manager also expressed satisfaction with the clean sheet, praising Jose Sa for his hard work since Sam Johnstone joined the club. Addressing Matheus Cunha’s contribution, O’Neil remarked: “He’s huge for us. He has such ability but he is one of those players who drifts and takes up positions. We work very hard on him on how it is to be a trusted team player when we don’t have the ball. He’s worked very hard on it after I spoke harshly to him after Brentford away. A big win for us and Matheus Cunha had a big say in it.” Regarding the team’s performance progression, O’Neil highlighted the Brentford away match as a significant point where they performed “miles below our level.” He contrasted this with the belief that they “should have got something off Man City here” and pointed to their subsequent three-match unbeaten streak. O’Neil acknowledged the challenges ahead, stating: “It’s going to be a big fight for us but we know we can turn it around.”