GARY O’NEIL: WOLVES V BOURNEMOUTH PRESS CONFERENCE

You had a number of problems last week for the Fulham game. Any changes to the players available this weekend?

Yeah, Pablo, Daws, and Santi are all available for tomorrow. They’ve all had a decent amount of training this week. We just need to decide how much is right for them in tomorrow’s game.

It’s good to have all three back because we were a bit short in squad depth last weekend, so it’s a big boost for us.

Given the performance against Fulham, does that give you a nice headache in deciding whether to make changes to a side that performed so well?

Yeah, I’ve thought a lot this week about how to make sure the team is right for this game. Obviously, we went to Fulham and performed very well. But tomorrow’s test will be different, so I’ve considered all week how much training those three would get and whether they’d be fit enough for selection. They have been, which is good. Now it’s on me to find the right balance.

The issues you had last week meant Lemina had to step in at centre-back after the game. Mahteus Cunha said he should play there more often. Do you agree?

I think he can play there. It was a decent discovery for us with the injury to Yerson, along with other factors this season that have left us a bit short in that area.

We all knew he could play in a five, but to be as good as he was in a centre-back partnership of two was impressive. It was nice to see it, as you notice these things in training, but a Premier League game is very different, and he handled a strong Fulham attack exceptionally well.

Talking of Matheus Cunha, another brilliant performance from him as his manager. Does that bring any concern with January approaching, that more clubs might become interested in him? And what discussions have taken place about handling any enquiries?

Firstly, I have zero concern. I want him to play as well as possible, and I want everyone in the world to want him. That’s my job, to help Matheus perform at the highest level.

So, no concerns at all. My relationship with Matheus and his understanding of what we’re trying to do here is very good. I don’t foresee any problems in January with Matheus Cunha. I’ll leave contract matters to the club. We all have a real focus, including Matheus, on tomorrow’s game and making sure we’re prepared to beat Bournemouth. The contract stuff will be handled by the football club.

Would there be any situation where the answer would be anything but no if enquiries came?

Matheus won’t leave in January. Definitely not.

How proud are you of how he’s developed under you, and how far can he go? Is there much more to come from him?

Yeah, I’m proud of Matheus right now because he’s worked hard and is a humble guy.

When I first came, he was open enough to accept the gaps in his game. He’s tackled them head-on and tried to piece it all together. The most important part in any footballer is quality, and he has that in abundance.

All the other aspects around positioning and mentality to defend are workable. What you can’t help players with is the quality they have and their understanding. Matheus has top-level understanding.

We love having him here. He’s an exceptional player and incredibly important to the group and the club. I look forward to working with him for as long as possible.

For you personally, four games unbeaten, two wins in a row. Do you feel the pressure has lifted somewhat?

I didn’t feel under any pressure. I always feel pressure with results, and our position in the table didn’t help. I put a lot of pressure on myself; it’s the nature of the role.

Hopefully, it’s lifted some from the fan base. I hope they’ve enjoyed the last few weeks more than the previous ones. The players will have enjoyed the last four, from the fight back at Brighton to the last stages at Fulham. I hope they’ve enjoyed that. But now what? Bournemouth come, and they’ll be a tough test.

They press the most in the league. They’re incredibly direct. They play many long balls and play forward, testing your resilience. It’s going to be a real test for us, especially at home in front of our crowd.

Hi Gary, just to pick up on that. Bournemouth this season, what do you make of them? Andoni Iraola’s second season and some players you worked with still doing well?

Yeah, good progression. A lot of the players I worked with are still there and doing well.

Some of the ones I’ve looked at in the recruitment department, like Kerkez and Kluivert, are also doing well. No real surprises there. Zabarnyi arrived with a terrible ankle injury that we had to wait a long time for him to recover from. But he’ll undoubtedly be a top-level centre-back.

They’re a good side. They’ve recruited well. The club is in a good spot because they’ve spent a decent amount. They did well with the Solanke deal and made some funds to reinvest. Andoni’s an excellent coach. He has a clear way his teams play. They don’t make many mistakes because they don’t spend much time in build-up. They ask a lot of questions by being direct and pressing, putting many balls behind your back line.

It’s going to be a real test for us. Something probably very different from what we’ve faced so far this season. It’ll be the first of these really that we go into, which will be more of a physical test than a tactical one.

You seem to be guaranteed goals and entertainment with Wolves again this season. I listened to Ange Postecoglau last night when they drew, and he said he’d much rather that entertainment factor be prominent than nil-nil draws or one-nils. Can you comment on that debate and how you want your team to look?

Yeah, I can only comment on the group I’m working with. Of course, we want both. But I’m proud that the number of goals we’ve scored since I’ve been here has increased a lot compared to recent years.

And it hasn’t come from a lot of new signings. It’s come from hard work and developing the players we have. That was something the club needed. They went a long time without scoring many goals. But we’ve leaked too many this year.

If you look at the season and take out the two really off days against Chelsea and Brentford, the goals against tally isn’t as bad as it looks at first. It’s something we’re aware we need to work on. I want the team to be entertaining. I want the players to enjoy playing, and I want the fans to enjoy watching them. I want to see my team and style. But I don’t want to concede as many goals.

So, it’s still results over style for me. Ideally, we do it our way.

You singled him out last week as someone who has improved a lot since signing for a modest fee. What has he done to reach that level? Obviously, Lemina gets praise rightly so last week. He’s the senior figure now. In terms of his performance and how much he’s improved under you, how do you see it?

Yeah, he had the physical attributes to play at Premier League level. He was quick enough and strong enough. We worked on his understanding of defending first and how to defend certain spaces. We’re still working hard on that.

The big part was getting him to a better level with the ball. Not technically, because he’s capable, but giving him clearer pitches and better understanding. The real strength Toti has is that he keeps trying until the whistle blows. He’ll keep working to improve. He’s a great lad to have in the group. The players and staff love him. You root for him when you see him do well.

You’re really pleased for him considering the journey he’s been on. It’ll be a big test for him tomorrow because Bournemouth will be direct, and we’ll need to defend that well. Adam Smith puts many balls behind the back line. Marcos Sanessi does the same. He’ll have a lot of work to do, but I’m pleased with his progression. But I’m not satisfied because he has a long way to go.

His attitude to learning, not just football but outside it, is great too. He’s talked about launching a clothing range at some point. He’s very much into fashion. That surprised me. Some of his clothes are terrible. 

He seems to have a nice balance off the field. He’s eager to learn other things. He’s a great guy, which is why everyone roots for him. If he has a bad game, everyone is disappointed for him because we know how hard he’s worked and how well he wants to do. He gets a lot of support here, as do all the players.

I support them all with everything I have. I try to get them in a place where they feel comfortable enough to perform, but they also feel the right pressure to know they need to. Hopefully, we’re in that sweet spot right now, and we’ll try to carry that forward tomorrow.

You mentioned the three that are back, which is great. What about Sam Johnstone?

Sam’s fine. He’s been in and out of squads due to illness, but he’s fine now. I expect him to be in the matchday squad tomorrow..

Hello, Gary. Thinking of what you were saying about Matheus and Toti, you used the word humble about Matheus. You mentioned Toti’s personal qualities. I wonder if, alongside quality, that’s what you need most as a coach. That willingness to learn and the application to do so?

Yeah, we’ve worked hard on the balance of the group. The club was going through an interesting transition when I arrived. The mentality wasn’t quite right for pushing hard for elite-level performance every day. Now it’s in a much better place.

The group is in a fantastic spot. They push each other every day, and every one of them is fully committed to the cause, which is essential in the Premier League. Everyone needs to be pulling in the same direction, and we have that.

It’s been a real positive. Players like Totti, Cunha, Mario, and Craig Dawson have been exceptional for the group. So has Pablo. The senior players have really stepped up during tough times. Dawson’s voice around the place and his performances have been vital. Pablo has been the same with his voice in training.

We’ve been in a good spot considering the tough run we’ve had.

When you’re looking to recruit players, you’re looking for quality, but is it now equally important to find the right people? If you don’t, you risk spoiling what you have.

Yeah, it’s an important message. Matt and I discuss it a lot. One of the first things I said was that every signing we make now needs to fit the culture. I spoke about playing for Wolves when I first arrived. You have to earn the right to wear the jersey.

It’s a big club. The supporters spend a lot of time, money, and energy supporting the football club. Having people pull on the shirt just because they’re here doesn’t sit right with me. We’re trying to shift the culture. Matt and the recruitment team have bought into it, and we ensure every signing has quality, is a good person, and can fit into what we’ve built.

You see that with the additions we’ve made. Pedro Lima, João Gomes and Rodrigo Gomes are top guys who give everything for the shirt.

Just one last thought. You’ve found out Mario can play in a back four. These are bonuses for you as a coach, right?

Yeah, it is a bonus. It’s important not to get carried away because one game doesn’t always mean Mario can do that forever. I think he can play there if needed. But it was just one game. When we’ve faced some difficulties in that area, we didn’t manage to recruit one. The one we had high hopes for this year, Yerson, suffered a serious injury.

We did manage to sign a very good centre midfielder from Brazil, and we have Tommy Doyle in that area. So, using Mario in a different spot is definitely helpful for us. He was excellent with the ball in the back line, which will be important tomorrow against Bournemouth.

Everyone needs to handle the ball. We need to make sure we progress up the pitch with good understanding and technical quality. So, it’s a big test for us tomorrow, and I’m looking forward to it. The bigger teams we’ve faced, like Chelsea and Arsenal, focus heavily on tactics and positioning. Tomorrow will be different. There will be a lot of physical tests, and I’m eager to see how the boys cope.