WE WROTE THIS PIECE FOR BBCSPORT IN THE IMMEDIATE AFTERMATH OF WOLVES LOSS TO WEST HAM - LOOKING AT O'NEIL'S UNTENNABLE POSITION
Sorry Gary, but your time is up. Gary O’Neil seems like an amicable person, but football is a results-driven sport. Wolves have reached a point where change is no longer optional—it’s essential. Despite moments of tactical insight, his tenure has faltered under mounting issues that can no longer be ignored.
The result carries an air of grim irony as O’Neil loses to his former club, and Wolves former manager Julen Lopetegui. The London Stadium is also the same ground where Bruno Lage his predecessor‘s reign ended.
The goodwill he earned last season has hidden deeper issues in the squad. Patience is gone, especially after the Everton meltdown, which should have been the breaking point. For many, the West Ham match serves as nothing more than an unnecessary delay.
Wolves remain a side riddled with the same weaknesses they had at the start of the season. Defensive fragility, catastrophic errors in set-piece situations, and a lack of cohesion have continuously plagued the team. I’m at a complete loss as to how professional footballers forget the fundamentals of football. Wolves have talented players, but under O’Neil, they’ve become a disjointed group of individuals.
Wolves’ problems are too glaring to ignore, and O’Neil has done little to suggest he can turn things around. Progress has been non-existent. West Ham should mark the end of his Wolves tenure—even if we had won. A reset is critical for survival, and Wolves must act decisively before it’s too late.
O’Neil isn’t solely to blame for Wolves’ struggles—the club’s hierarchy must also face scrutiny for their role in the decline. An overemphasis on signing players as long-term investments, rather than addressing immediate needs, has left the current squad ill-equipped to compete. Fosun’s self-sustainability model, while pragmatic in theory, has been a significant contributor to this predicament. If Wolves are to reverse their downward trajectory, the owners must urgently reassess their level of commitment and strategy for the club’s future.
Maybe a new manager with fresh ideas can turn things around but currently we look like a team headed for the Championship.
1 Comment
by JOHN A DAVIES
Rubbish, typical knee jerk reaction when things go wrong re 1964, try looking at the broader picture like lack of support from above, atrocious var decisions like at west ham, 1st goal was a goal kick not a corner, 2nd goal resulted from what should have been a foul on Bellegarde and should have been disallowed, we should have had two penalties but once again var FAILED to intervene add to this west ham would have been down to ten men – hardly O’Neils fault, sacking him will solve nothing.