Fresh report now reveals just how close Gary O’Neil is to Wolves exit.
A fresh update regarding the future of Wolves boss Gary O’Neil has emerged ahead of his side’s clash with Crystal Palace.
Winless Wolves face relegation rat-race
Wolves bravely battled back from 2-0 down to rescue a point at the AMEX stadium in their most recent Premier League outing, with Matheus Cunha finding the net in stoppage time to complete the comeback after Brighton had squandered a glorious chance to make it 3-1.
After the game, O’Neil held up his hands, admitting that he had got it wrong in the first half.
“I’m a little bit disappointed, with myself really, that I started with five [at the back]. I know we did well with a five-back against Manchester City, and [I thought] the lads deserved another go at it.
“I didn’t think a five-back would fit very well against Brighton today, but at least we were quick enough to change it at half-time.
“At 85 minutes, when Brighton scored their second goal, I thought I was going to be stood here answering some more tough questions.”
However, beyond the short-term jubilation the reality of their situation once more set in for Wolves, who are one of three sides yet to win a game this season and sit 19th in the Premier League almost a quarter of the way into the season. They have just two points and have conceded a mammoth 25 goals, five more than any other side in the division.
Gary O’Neil given two games to save his job
Now, a fresh report has claimed that the Wolves boss is under increasing pressure to deliver results at Molineux. So far, there has been an acceptance that Wolves have faced one of the hardest starts to the season of any Premier League season, playing all of the current top five (Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool and Aston Villa) as well as Newcastle United.
Now though, there is set to be a change of tone, with Football Insider reporting that the next two games are crucial in O’Neil’s future in the Wolves technical area. The Old Gold face 18th placed Crystal Palace in their next game, before a mammoth clash with bottom of the table Southampton ahead of the November international break.
Wolves’ next five games
Crystal Palace (Home)
Southampton (Home)
Fulham (Away)
Bournemouth (Home)
Everton (Away)
And they claim that poor results in those games will “change the mood’” in the Midlands, with the upcoming games “critical” for O’Neil’s future, though it is added that the Wolves boss “still has the backing of the changing room”.
However, failure to pick up points against their direct relegation rivals may prove too much for both the Wolves fans and the board, with the prospect of a drop to the Championship likely to become an increasing reality.
Should Wolves part ways with O’Neil over the international break, any new manager would be the beneficiary of a favourable run of games, with the Old Gold not facing a member of the “top six” again until Boxing Day.
