watch our summary of Gary o'neil's press conference
Gary O’Neil has acknowledged that the upcoming FA Cup match against Brighton & Hove Albion will be a significant challenge for his team. The players, however, are resolute in their ambition to secure a spot in the quarter-finals. After successfully navigating past Brentford and West Bromwich Albion to reach the fifth round, the Old Gold now have a chance to progress to the last eight of the FA Cup for the first time since 2019.
Despite the short turnaround between Sunday’s Premier League triumph over Sheffield United and Saturday’s upcoming top-flight clash with Newcastle United, O’Neil faces the tough task of ensuring his limited squad is well-prepared to deliver positive results in all three matches. As the team approaches the FA Cup game at Molineux, there is a collective eagerness and anticipation among the players.
O’Neil emphasises the importance of managing player fatigue and making strategic decisions regarding team selection to maximise performance in the upcoming fixtures. The tight schedule and physical demands of playing multiple games in quick succession present a challenging period for the squad. However, the team remains focused on achieving success and maintaining momentum throughout the season.
Reflecting on the recent match against Brighton, O’Neil highlights the team’s strengths and areas for improvement. He acknowledges the unique challenges posed by Brighton’s style of play, particularly their proficiency in building up attacks and exploiting spaces. The team is preparing to face these challenges head-on, drawing confidence from their previous encounters and recent positive results in the league.
The ongoing recovery of Matheus Cunha is progressing well, with the player showing positive signs of improvement. Despite the need for further assessments and careful monitoring, Cunha’s optimistic attitude and progress are encouraging as he works towards returning to full fitness.
GARY O'NEIL ON BRIGHTON
“I thought we did well at their place in the league and had the better of the chances, just about. They’re obviously a very good side and have an excellent way of doing things which they know very well, and they cause teams problems.
“We need to be prepared for that and there won’t be too many surprises on how they go about what they do because they’re very consistent, but it’s very difficult to stop. We’ve done some work on it today with the boys on their understanding and hopefully we can implement what we want, because the boys have done well with that over the course of the season, but the last few weeks especially. Six wins in the last nine games.
“They’re in a good spot and looking forward to the challenge of trying to get into an FA Cup quarter-final.”