GARY O’NEIL: WOLVES V SOUTHAMPTON PRESS CONFERENCE

How is Sam Johnstone feeling after the injury?

Sam’s fine. He was expected to be involved last week, but he suffered an illness on the day of the game, so he missed out. But he’s trained all week; he’s fine.

A couple of other minor issues arose during the week, but we expect everyone to be okay from last weekend.

How’s his recovery?

He trained today with the group and looked sharp. He trained a little on Wednesday, part of it on Wednesday. So he’s fit again, just trying to pick the right time for him to be back involved, whether that’s tomorrow or whether we wait for a couple of weeks’ training during the international break.

How big does this game mean for you?

I think it feels like an important game, of course. Crystal Palace did, Brighton did. They all do. I understand there’ll be a lot made of this game outside because two teams are at the bottom at this moment, and it feels like there will be a lot riding on it momentum-wise going into the international break.

But I treat all games as huge games. I won’t feel any different tomorrow. I’m looking forward to it, looking forward to standing on the side again with my team, giving everything to try and get the win. The boys are looking forward to it; they’re in a good spot, having had an excellent week’s training with real focus around them. And we’re ready to go tomorrow.

Russell Martin spoke earlier  at his news conference. He said you were two of the moaniest players, as senior players at Norwich, and that no one expected you both to look into management. Are they in your memories?

Yeah, I got on very well with Russ at Norwich. And yeah, maybe we moaned. I think we wanted things done properly, which is probably why we’ve ended up doing what we do, because we wanted things done well. No, he was a good captain for us at Norwich. I got on with him very, very well.

It’s interesting to follow his journey and the way his teams play. Southampton obviously picked up their first win last week, had some very good performances, and play in a distinct fashion. It will be a real test for us again tomorrow. It’s a Premier League game, and they’ve shown they’re going to be competitive this year. Their performance away at Manchester City, the amount of the ball they had, is going to be a real test for us. So we’re going to need to be right at the top of our game, which I’m really confident we can be.

Ten games in, I know you’ll be looking forward, but what do you put the team’s position in the table down to? Is it the transfer business in the summer or just a few fine margins in games that haven’t gone your way?

No, it’s lots of things. Lots of things have happened at the football club, things that have taken place on the pitch. I take full responsibility for my part in that as well. So we are where we are, and there’s nothing we can do about the last ten games or whatever it’s been.

The next one is the one we can affect right now, and the focus and prep for it has gone very, very well. I know the boys are looking forward to the next challenge. We went to Brighton and gave a good account of ourselves, took a good point, and had some real good moments against Crystal Palace. I think one of the questions I was asked after the game was about not creating much. We created four one-on-ones with their goalkeeper in a Premier League game, which is a lot, especially against a back five like Crystal Palace.

So there were some real good moments, and to cut through Crystal Palace like we did and get such clear opportunities so many times shows we are still a real goal threat. So tomorrow, I’m looking forward to helping the team put its first win on the board.

Just finally from you, Gary, in that draw against Crystal Palace, the fans showed a bit of frustration when some substitutions were made. How important is it to get them onside tomorrow at Molineux, and has that affected you or the team at all going into this week?

It doesn’t affect me at all. I understand that the job is my responsibility.

I would expect that at this part of the season, where we are in the league, there would be some negative noises around. Of course there will be. But the players need them. When Molineux is bouncing, the players know they have to play their part in that. But they are giving everything. Anyone who watches our games can see that. Everyone I speak to can see that the team is still fully committed. They give absolutely everything until the last minute. Brighton, Manchester City, Crystal Palace, all the same. We suffered a setback against Crystal Palace, probably undeservedly.

We conceded unfortunate goals but managed to find a way to be the better team again from that moment and push right to the final whistle to try and win the game. They are a group that will just keep going. So the fans’ part in that will be big. But we understand as a team we have our own responsibility in giving them something to get behind, and we plan to do that tomorrow.

Pablo Sarabia made his first Premier League start last weekend. On a human level, have you had to support him, and have the boys had to support him this week because it felt like a difficult afternoon for him?

No, I don’t think so. I think he is very robust and a confident boy. He backs himself to impact football matches, and he did have an impact on the game. He got himself in some fantastic positions.

He helps us with the ball. The way he finishes, you would expect him to score both of those chances, and I know he expects to score those. But sometimes things like that don’t go your way. There’s a fine margin between hitting Henderson in the face and it going just past him into the goal. The fact that he takes up those positions for Matheus Cunha to find him shows the attacking quality he can help us with. No, the boys are all ready. They’re all set to go. Pablo’s ready, the rest of the squad are ready, and they understand the nature of tomorrow. It’s a real opportunity for us, but only if we can be at our best.

Goals and assists-wise, his numbers last season were very good. Is he a bit of an enigma for you in terms of what you’re looking for from him, given that it’s his first start and he hasn’t had much chance to impress this season?

I think the physicality of the Premier League can be a challenge for him, of course, and I’ve spoken to Pablo about that. He works very, very hard to ensure that isn’t the case. He’s diligent, he works hard, and he’s excellent around the group.

But the speed and physicality of the Premier League can be testing, and Pablo’s strengths are his intelligence, quality with the ball, and the positions he picks up. When he goes into games like Crystal Palace, he needs to show that side because if it ends up being a fight or a foot race, it becomes more difficult for him. But he does work very hard, and if or when he’s on the pitch tomorrow, he’ll do the same. He’ll help us, pick up good positions, and create chances for others. We’re just trying to find the right moments to use him, which is why he’s not a regular. He’s not one who has played 90 minutes in every game. For that reason, we try to find the right situations that fit what he brings.

You touched on Southampton’s direct approach last week, which was quite unusual. Is it almost the polar opposite tomorrow in what you face?

Yeah, Southampton are extreme in what they do. They’re excellent in the build-up phase and not scared to stay there for a long time. So there will be moments tomorrow where we need to be humble and patient enough to understand that we’re not going to have the ball all the time. We need to be solid and compact, and from that solid base, we can be really lethal as well.

So there are lots of challenges tomorrow, as there always are. Of course, Southampton are at the bottom of the league, and people will see it as a fantastic chance to win. But it comes with its own challenges and will be a very tough afternoon, one I’m looking forward to and very confident in the boys. I think they’ve shown this week that they’re ready, and we’re going into tomorrow looking forward to it.

You said “extreme.” I mean, Jan Bednarek has played more Premier League passes than anyone else this season, which highlights how much the centre-backs have the ball. What does that require of your front players in how they press or approach the game?

Yeah, diligence really in different phases. Whether we’re low or high, they understand what’s required of them. There’s a real focus on that this week because I’m confident that we know where we are with the ball.

As you can see against Crystal Palace, we’re still very capable of playing through the shape and opening teams up. But out of possession will definitely be a test tomorrow. Just because it’s Southampton and they’re at the bottom of the league, it could easily be mistaken for a game where you think you’ll be dominant and have loads of the ball.

But Southampton are very, very different. So front players need to be diligent in what we do out of possession. That will help us establish a strong foothold in the game and cause them our own problems.

Hello, Gary. Inevitably, there’s a lot of attention on you when it comes to anyone in your position. You’ve talked about the support you get from the players; we see that on the field. Is the club entirely behind you?

I don’t ask the club for any backing or support. I’m very comfortable sitting in this seat and standing on the side of the pitch in whatever situation is thrown at me. I understand that this is the nature of the job.

So I’m comfortable in my own skin, very comfortable in the work that’s done here. Since the moment I’ve been here, I’ve given absolutely everything. There have been some challenges thrown at us that I’ve always faced head-on. There’s never been any shying away from anything or blaming anyone else. I think it’s really important that I take full responsibility for everything that happens at the club since I’ve been here.

We embrace every challenge, and that continues tomorrow. It’s no different. I’m really looking forward to standing at the front. I think in difficult situations, you learn a lot about people. When negative noises started on Saturday evening, I felt really comfortable standing there and backed my own decisions on the impact that the three substitutes could have. The fact that we turned the game to 2-1 in a short amount of minutes shows me we’re still on the right lines and that the work being done is very good. We just need to turn it into our first win and we can start to move from there.

I can see that you relish the challenge. We can hear that. You’ve obviously seen lots of managers in your career go through this, and some come through while others don’t. Is that instinctive to you? After playing at a high level for a long time, you’ve witnessed people go through it.

Yeah, of course. I’ve seen people go through it. I’ve been in tough situations pretty much the whole way through since I started managing. I took over my last club in a tough spot and had a tough run before we got to the January transfer window.

I came into Wolves with everyone tipping us for relegation after losing a lot of players this season. We lost two key players and we’re probably tipped to be around relegation again. So I’m really comfortable giving absolutely everything, and the more difficult it gets, the more ready I am. This weekend is a challenge, of course, for everybody. I want the players to harness the same feeling. There’s an unbelievable opportunity tomorrow to show what you are and what you stand for when the chips are down and when a big game is coming. It’s a fantastic opportunity for us, and I’m really looking forward to coming out the other end of this tough run with this group of players because they are giving everything and they deserve something to go their way.

Yes, it sounds like you’re absolutely trusting them.

Yeah, of course. I’m sure every group has its challenges and we’ll be the same, but I trust all of them. You can see in the way we play and the way they respond that there’s no doubt in their minds that we’re still pushing and fully together. There’s an acceptance that this is the job. If you’re going to shy away from it when it gets tough and spend your whole life worrying about losing your job, then you won’t be able to perform well.

So my job and my future is the least of my worries. The next three points for Wolves are all that we’re focusing on, and we’re trying to ensure we get them tomorrow.

Hi Gary. Much has been said about the atmosphere last week and the reaction to the substitutions. Do you anticipate it could get like that again tomorrow if things don’t go your way?

I have no idea. That reaction was for a very small amount of time. The atmosphere in the stadium, apart from that, was as it normally is, with the crowd fully behind the team. After that reaction, we were 2-1 up maybe eight minutes later, and then the place was bouncing again. So, no, I expect them to be fully behind the team.

Of course, in this moment, when you’re at the bottom of the league and if something goes against us and we have to suffer for a moment, the crowd will feel that with us. But I have no expectations on the crowd from my part. They’re allowed to be emotional and passionate about their team, which comes with ups and downs. It will never change the way I feel about the support I’ve had from them because we’ve been through some tough moments and they’ve suffered with us.

I’m just desperate to ensure we give them a good day tomorrow.

Just how difficult is it for a player to perform when every misplaced pass is groaned at? How proud were you of the players for fronting up in that as well?

I think it can be difficult, of course, but this group has shown they’re more than capable of coping. In difficult situations, you get a real opportunity to show the world, the rest of football, me, and your family in the stands what you stand for and what you’re made of.

So it’s really important we see tomorrow as an opportunity because it is an opportunity for us firstly to put our first win on the board, and secondly to show people what we’re made of.

There’s also been pressure on Russell Martin, who’s in a similar position at the bottom. What do you make of his time there? He’s sticking with the style that brought him success and is now under pressure for it. What do you make of his time at Southampton?

No, I think as a manager you have to stick to your beliefs. I respect Russell, and obviously, I know him very well, and would expect nothing less from him.

He’s been on a fantastic journey and done a fantastic job at Southampton. Sacking managers this early in the season when they’ve been promoted seems hasty to me. They would have expected to be in and around a relegation battle, having been promoted. I think he’s obviously an intelligent guy, has a real brand, and you can see his players are still fighting for him. I am surprised he’s come under this much pressure. You never know how much of the noise is from you guys and social media.

But I know Russell will manage it well.

Just finally from me, about the goals conceded. You said a few weeks ago that it doesn’t concern you because the goals you conceded were unexpected, like a few long-range shots. Is that something that concerns you now?

You have to stop conceding, of course. It’s very difficult to win games if you concede two every week or whatever it may be. Off the back of the Brentford game, we’ve looked a lot more solid.

There were some chances against Crystal Palace, obviously. A transition one springs to mind early when we were on top, and a mistake allowed them to go 1-0 up. But we work very hard on all of it. I’m aware of the areas we’re not coping well with in the Premier League, and we work on them every single day. So we’re working hard to cover all bases and give ourselves the best chance of improving our situation.