Gary O’Neil

[Norwegian Wolf]

He grew up in SE London supporting Millwall. I ain’t never seen a Millwall fan with any sense.

 

[Antonline1987]

We didn’t have a defence this leaky last season…… or have signs of these issues at any stage of pre-season. Or the United game which was fully set up and run using the JL work.

These are professional footballers, it shouldn’t take that long, it really shouldn’t. Not with all the video and whiteboard sessions they have to work on things on top of pitch time.

We have actually gotten worse each week under GO…….. the issue is him and his coaching/coaches

you don't remember being thumped 6 by brighton and 5 by arsenal last season then ?

 

[Hot Fuss]

Is just me who actually thinks we played ok?? Really enjoyed the first half, let them in at the start of the second and was 5 mins from a decent point until Sa ****ed up.

I honestly don’t see how the manager can be blamed for Cunha trying to score with his testicles and Sa kicking the ball straight back to them.

Been a tough set of fixtures so far, hopefully 3 points next week.

 

[wolfslair]

you don't remember being thumped 6 by brighton and 5 by arsenal last season then ?

Two games…….. after we had secured surv and also last day of the season at the emirates with nothing to play for.

We have shipped 11 goals in 5 games! Three conceeding three or more.

We are worse defensively this season, two games under JL, yet under GO we have been battered three times and needed a Sa wonder lads to stop Everton putting 3 past us.

We are giving up more shots, the GO trait from Bournemouth than last season…….

We are going backwards at a rate that is very worrying.

 

[wolfslair]

Is just me who actually thinks we played ok?? Really enjoyed the first half, let them in at the start of the second and was 5 mins from a decent point until Sa ****ed up.

I honestly don’t see how the manager can be blamed for Cunha trying to score with his testicles and Sa kicking the ball straight back to them.

Been a tough set of fixtures so far, hopefully 3 points next week.

Played ok and lost 3:1 ok……..

They were battering us and playing through us for fun all second half. We sat back and let them have their way with no fight or bottle to try and take the game back….

Good first half, but the second half was frankly a disgrace!

 

[JamesWolves]

100% agree with McKenna. On the way up, highly motivated.

Going to be interesting to see how him and Lowe cope with that usual Championship rough patch. A year in the championship will do wonders for the two of them, think its a bit too early yet

 

[sc91]

I think you do. I think you fear him doing just enough to stay in his job rightly or wrongly. Every negative is pounced on, every positive neutralised by something else. We weren't expecting to get many points from our first 8 games this year even if Lopetegui decided to stay but you're all using this period as a "GET THE ****ER OUT BEFORE HE HAS A WHOLE SEASON IN CHARGE"
I don't think we'll get relegated, I think he'll get the whole season and it will be backed with the whine of manchildren pining over their ex.

What have you seen over 90 minutes that reinforces this?

Lage could prepare a good game, but 40 odd minutes in, when the opposition manager dares to change something, then it goes to pot, GON is the same, perhaps worse with less experience.

Of course it'll be nice for him to succeed, as that'll mean Wolves are doing well, but I've saw neither or than talks a good game, that falls apart.

 

[loppers86]

After losing 3-1 to Liverpool? Are you okay?

i’m fed up with everything post-nuno, but GON is the straw that breaks the camels back for me.

I’m gonna do a titus oates (metaphorically not literally).

 

[Ian]

We didn’t have a defence this leaky last season…… or have signs of these issues at any stage of pre-season. Or the United game which was fully set up and run using the JL work.

These are professional footballers, it shouldn’t take that long, it really shouldn’t. Not with all the video and whiteboard sessions they have to work on things on top of pitch time.

We have actually gotten worse each week under GO…….. the issue is him and his coaching/coaches

Disagree.... we got hammered in numerous games last season we were/ are weak defensively.
Also I don't think you can say we played worse in that first half than we did against Brighton, Everton or Palace.

 

[sc91]

I think that might be a tipping point for me more than anything else.

I'd say it is more a when rather than an if Rob Edwards is Wolves manager.

 

[Bawtry Wolf]

This worries me ‘So, not games that we go into sort of needing to win, they are not the ones we are judged on’ whilst true it also demonstrates a relegation mindset. His whole post match interview demonstrates a negative mindset. He was happy with a draw and that’s what he played for - it didn’t work and it was never going to work.

 

[theweave]

All this talk of him not being able to change tactics during a game. Did Klopp? He changed it at half time when he was able to get all his team in. First half his team was getting battered but he couldn't combat it

 

[Super NES]

Just listened to the post match press conference - disappointed in terms of how low he thinks our potential / ability is. Talked as if it was a complete free hit, our players did well to stay in the game for 83 minutes and the different levels of ability. He mentioned we won't be judged against results vs Liverpool.

Just over 6 months ago we beat Liverpool 3-0 (who at the time had trent at RB and not a kid playing CB making his debut), with the same staring 11 barring Bellegarde for Nunes, Gomes for Neves and Neto for Sarabia. Obviously losing Neves is big, but overall i honestly think our starting 11 is better on paper in terms of balance / output when comparing the 2 teams we put out.

This "loser" mentality which he contributing to isn't going to end well. If we lose to teams around us, the games which GON is targetting by the looks of things, it creates HUGE pressure on a squad which is being told we don't expect much against half the teams in the league.

 

[WickedWolfie]

That was the same last year and we ended up staying up. We kept a decent anount of cleansheets. If it continues to be the case iver the games in october and Nivember then we'll have problems. It is something we need to sort out fairly quickly though but I expect it to get worse cos we have Man City next up.
I ain't going to use 3 home games against Man City, Liverpool and Brighton to be the judge of where we end up at the end of the season.

Talk about a spectacular logic fail.

We stayed up last season because we got rid of a ****ing useless head coach and brought in JL who bailed our arses out. Now you are hard on for keeping this season's even more useless head coach.

 

[wolfslair]

Disagree.... we got hammered in numerous games last season we were/ are weak defensively.
Also I don't think you can say we played worse in that first half than we did against Brighton, Everton or Palace.

Second half…. We were a disgrace.

Jl lost by three or more on 4 occasions over a longer period, GO has lost by 3 or more on three occasions already……

So sorry, we are much worse under GO than JL, the ratio of 3+ defeats for GO is 3/5 if you include the United game for him.

But Jl was 4/24 games of three goals or more , so I am sorry you cannot say we are as good or better defensively under GO than JL as that patently isn’t true……. As GO is one game away matching him in a quarter of the games…..

Let that sink in…..

 

[WickedWolfie]

Just listened to the post match press conference - disappointed in terms of how low he thinks our potential / ability is. Talked as if it was a complete free hit, our players did well to stay in the game for 83 minutes and the different levels of ability. He mentioned we won't be judged against results vs Liverpool.

Just over 6 months ago we beat Liverpool 3-0 (who at the time had trent at RB and not a kid playing CB making his debut), with the same staring 11 barring Bellegarde for Nunes, Gomes for Neves and Neto for Sarabia. Obviously losing Neves is big, but overall i honestly think our starting 11 is better on paper in terms of balance / output when comparing the 2.

This "loser" mentality which he contributing to isn't going to end well. If we lose to teams around us, the games which GON is targetting by the looks of things, it creates HUGE pressure on a squad which is being told we don't expect much against half the teams in the league.

Spot on. Tell the players that they don't have a chance against the big boys and they'll believe it. You never heard that from Nuno, JL, to be fair to him Lage, and certainly wouldn't from De Zerbi.

 

[wolfslair]

Spot on. Tell the players that they don't have a chance against the big boys and they'll believe it. You never heard that from Nuno, JL, to be fair to him Lage, and certainly wouldn't from De Zerbi.

Doing exactly what the Southampton manager was saying…….

he is throwing them under the bus and saying that they aren’t good enough to compete……

that is **** poor!

 

[Evthewolf]

I'd say it is more a when rather than an if Rob Edwards is Wolves manager.

And if he was appointed tomorrow, in what position do you think Wolves would finish at the end of season?

 

[wolfslair]

And if he was appointed tomorrow, in what position do you think Wolves would finish at the end of season?

Higher than GO

 

[Sussex Wolf]

All this talk of him not being able to change tactics during a game. Did Klopp? He changed it at half time when he was able to get all his team in. First half his team was getting battered but he couldn't combat it

It was a relatively simple but effective change. Surely GO would have anticipated Klopp would change things, and in what way? Jeez, even the TNT Sports pundits called it at HT before Klopp made the change, and they’ve not had the training that GO apparently has. So with that in mind, why were we so unprepared for it?

 

[SingYourHeartsOut]

His in game management is awful, Liverpool made changes at half time and he didnt really do anything to react to them.

This is probably my biggest worry. Lage (or his staff) was a good analyst of the opposition and often set us up well. He never seemed to be able to react during a game when the opposition changed though, and O'Neil seems very similar. No game we haven't come out and looked decent, no game where we've improved as the game has gone on.

 

[wolfslair]

This is probably my biggest worry. Lage (or his staff) was a good analyst of the opposition and often set us up well. He never seemed to be able to react during a game when the opposition changed though, and O'Neil seems very similar. No game we haven't come out and looked decent, no game where we've improved as the game has gone on.

Lage is a better manager than GO….. sorry but he is, he has won a Portuguese title and also smashing it in Brazil.

GO cannot do that

 

[Sussex Wolf]

Lage is a better manager than GO….. sorry but he is, he has won a Portuguese title and also smashing it in Brazil.

GO cannot do that

They’re both crap.

 

[theweave]

It was a relatively simple but effective change. Surely GO would have anticipated Klopp would change things, and in what way? Jeez, even the TNT Sports pundits called it at HT before Klopp made the change, and they’ve not had the training that GO apparently has. So with that in mind, why were we so unprepared for it?

You could also say that it was fairly obvious the way we would setup so why was Klopp so unprepared for it first half and why couldn't he change things during that first half, he had to wait until half time. He was lucky it was only 1-0. Klopp is heralded as one of the best managers in the world whereas O'Neil gets labelled a PE teacher is my point

 

[wolfslair]

They’re both crap.

But one is better than the other

 

[JR WAS KING]

you don't remember being thumped 6 by brighton and 5 by arsenal last season then ?

And 4 against Leeds

 

[Chisels_n_ommers]

He needs to have at least one of Lemina and Gomes at full pelt in games.

At the moment they are absolutely bossing every midfield for 45 minutes then the sheer work load is killing them and us.

Play Lemina for 60 minutes, bring Gomes on at half time.

Then the following game play Gomes 60 minutes and Lemina on at half time.

Hopefully Doyle and Traore can fit in.

 

[Steampunk Rules OK]

Is just me who actually thinks we played ok?? Really enjoyed the first half, let them in at the start of the second and was 5 mins from a decent point until Sa ****ed up.

I honestly don’t see how the manager can be blamed for Cunha trying to score with his testicles and Sa kicking the ball straight back to them.

Been a tough set of fixtures so far, hopefully 3 points next week.

Yes it’s just you.

 

[northnorfolkwolf]

Just listened to the post match press conference - disappointed in terms of how low he thinks our potential / ability is. Talked as if it was a complete free hit, our players did well to stay in the game for 83 minutes and the different levels of ability. He mentioned we won't be judged against results vs Liverpool.

Just over 6 months ago we beat Liverpool 3-0 (who at the time had trent at RB and not a kid playing CB making his debut), with the same staring 11 barring Bellegarde for Nunes, Gomes for Neves and Neto for Sarabia. Obviously losing Neves is big, but overall i honestly think our starting 11 is better on paper in terms of balance / output when comparing the 2 teams we put out.

This "loser" mentality which he contributing to isn't going to end well. If we lose to teams around us, the games which GON is targetting by the looks of things, it creates HUGE pressure on a squad which is being told we don't expect much against half the teams in the league.

I saw his post-match interview exactly as you say. It was disappointing to put it very mildly. It was as if little Wolves really had no chance against mighty Liverpool; I honestly believe that was what he was saying and that was what was in his thought processes before the game. Looking back that's why I'm sure we sat back 2nd half and played for a draw. In GON's mind a draw would have been a good result. We can't go into games with this mind set. If the manager sees us as 2nd class the players will soon believe that too. FFS we were a top 7 side not that long ago; that's the mentality GON needs to drive into these players. I don't think he can do it.

 

[SingYourHeartsOut]

Lage is a better manager than GO….. sorry but he is, he has won a Portuguese title and also smashing it in Brazil.

GO cannot do that

Yes, not disputing that. I mean it took a long time for it to fall apart under Lage. His lack of in game management and poor man management were both weaknesses for me. I think O'Neil might be similar but worse, then what happens next? So far he's come out with insane drivel about how he's sorting out the mess Lopetegui left, but he's ticking over into blaming players (like Sa), and then he loses the dressing room, and then we really see it fall apart.

 

[Bawtry Wolf]

He needs to have at least one of Lemina and Gomes at full pelt in games.

At the moment they are absolutely bossing every midfield for 45 minutes then the sheer work load is killing them and us.

Play Lemina for 60 minutes, bring Gomes on at half time.

Then the following game play Gomes 60 minutes and Lemina on at half time.

Hopefully Doyle and Traore can fit in.

To be honest I would perhaps put a Doyle or Traore in to make a midfield three and play Neto and Bellegarde wide with Sasa or Hwang up front. Ideally I’d love to play Neto, Sasa, Bellegarde and Hwang with Cunha to come on for Bellegarde. The problem is that Lemina and Gomes can’t keep up their first half efforts. It either needs two replacements at 60 minutes who can maintain the quality or they need/should be fitter but we have ditched the specialist fitness coaches.

 

[SingYourHeartsOut]

Is just me who actually thinks we played ok?? Really enjoyed the first half, let them in at the start of the second and was 5 mins from a decent point until Sa ****ed up.

I honestly don’t see how the manager can be blamed for Cunha trying to score with his testicles and Sa kicking the ball straight back to them.

Been a tough set of fixtures so far, hopefully 3 points next week.

I did wonder on the way home, is the game about moments or is it a whole? You could easily look at those two incidents as defining the game, but then again you could look at the way that for the 3rd time this season we totally capitulated in the second half.

 

[Norwegian Wolf]

It was a relatively simple but effective change. Surely GO would have anticipated Klopp would change things, and in what way? Jeez, even the TNT Sports pundits called it at HT before Klopp made the change, and they’ve not had the training that GO apparently has. So with that in mind, why were we so unprepared for it?

Andy Gray also called the change at half time in the BEIN studio in Qatar. Pretty obvious what was going to happen and yet our coaching set up had no clue at all what to do about it.

 

[Stourport wolf]

Talk about a spectacular logic fail.

We stayed up last season because we got rid of a ****ing useless head coach and brought in JL who bailed our arses out. Now you are hard on for keeping this season's even more useless head coach.

Most pundits were saying Wolves were too good to go down, even when we were bottom last year.
Many pundits have said from the beginning of the season, that we will go down this season.
A lot of that has to do with selling players and not replacing them with high enough quality.
We have settled for downgrading and trying to do things on the cheap. I think that choice comes from the very top at Wolves.
Lopetegui didn't think he could get a song out of the squad and would have definitely known the outgoings and money available to spend. Lopetegui did well with a squad and additions which were frequently talked about as not relegation material, GON has a squad which has been mentioned many times as relegation material.
Different scenarios for me. I only know that Lopetegui didn't want to be at Wolves and didn't fancy his chances and that GON is giving it a go.

 

[Chisels_n_ommers]

To be honest I would perhaps put a Doyle or Traore in to make a midfield three and play Neto and Bellegarde wide with Sasa or Hwang up front. Ideally I’d love to play Neto, Sasa, Bellegarde and Hwang with Cunha to come on for Bellegarde. The problem is that Lemina and Gomes can’t keep up their first half efforts. It either needs two replacements at 60 minutes who can maintain the quality or they need/should be fitter but we have ditched the specialist fitness coaches.

I don't believe they would have lost fitness in 4 weeks. Playing a game a week.

They would be as fit as they were 4 weeks ago.

IMO it's the sheer workload and possibly a lack of pacing in games (by the two of them).

Lemina and Gomes together at full pelt boss every midfield. Our defence looks assured with that in front of them. And chances are created for the forwards.

But they can't do it for 90 mins. It's not humanly possible. It's not down to fitness, it's down to style of play by them. Don't forget, they are up against opposing midfields who haven't played at the same intensity as them for the first 45, who come on strong.

If Tyson Fury goes out in round 1-3 all guns blazing, he'll be gassing by round 8. It doesn't mean he's not fit. It means he's paced it differently to a fight where he's consistently pacing.

I believe Lemina is our most important player in this particular Wolves side (Gomes is up there too). If you looked at our performances the graph of our being on top and playing well will probably follow the individual performance graph of Lemina

 

[Big Saft Kid]

If Chelsea and Arsenal win today, a 3-point gap will already have opened up between the bottom 6 and the rest -- after 5 games!! Those bottom 6: us, Sheff U, B'mouth, Everton, Burnley, Luton will already be in a mini-league, 3 of which will go down. We are currently 'top' of this mini-league. I suggest that this is how GON sees it. There are 30 points available over the season to members of this league in games against other members of it. Get those 30 points and you are more or less guaranteed survival if you add in 4 or 5 in draws against the rest of the league. A pretty depressing prospect.

 

[groundhogwolf]

Two games…….. after we had secured surv and also last day of the season at the emirates with nothing to play for.

We have shipped 11 goals in 5 games! Three conceeding three or more.

We are worse defensively this season, two games under JL, yet under GO we have been battered three times and needed a Sa wonder lads to stop Everton putting 3 past us.

We are giving up more shots, the GO trait from Bournemouth than last season…….

We are going backwards at a rate that is very worrying.

Why oh why do you overreact, we’re you with us during the many championships seasons, sometimes it takes more than a couple of weeks to build something in fact anything.
So your solution I guess is boot O Neil, allow Shi to pick yet another no hoper and repeat until we are relegated.
Let’s face facts Fosun got lucky with Nuno, there is absolutely no reason to trust them to bring in a manager.
For me the players are playing for O Neil and aside from Cuhna’s glaring miss (not managers fault) and every week Kilman’s inability to be aware of the runners around him (almost every week, not managers fault) we are creating chances and scoring every game.

 

[wolfslair]

Why oh why do you overreact, we’re you with us during the many championships seasons, sometimes it takes more than a couple of weeks to build something in fact anything.
So your solution I guess is boot O Neil, allow Shi to pick yet another no hoper and repeat until we are relegated.
Let’s face facts Fosun got lucky with Nuno, there is absolutely no reason to trust them to bring in a manager.
For me the players are playing for O Neil and aside from Cuhna’s glaring miss (not managers fault) and every week Kilman’s inability to be aware of the runners around him (almost every week, not managers fault) we are creating chances and scoring every game.

We are accepting relegation…. So you are ok with that? I am not…..

He isn’t good enough, so why stick with him and make relegation even more likely?

Playing so well for him we have played like drains and conceded 11 in his short tenure and only one good half outside of the United game that he couldn’t have influenced due to being in post 24 hours.

 

[Westbakejazz]

Is just me who actually thinks we played ok?? Really enjoyed the first half, let them in at the start of the second and was 5 mins from a decent point until Sa ****ed up.

I honestly don’t see how the manager can be blamed for Cunha trying to score with his testicles and Sa kicking the ball straight back to them.

Been a tough set of fixtures so far, hopefully 3 points next week.

Sa kick almost reached the halfway line. Liverpool had over 40 yards to carry the ball back. I’m no fan of sa but blaming him for the goal is silly. We were playing kick and hope football at that moment. The failure was Gon not taking off tired legs, he sent Doherty on to help Semedo , why not take Semedo off?.

 

[Evthewolf]

Higher than GO

14th instead of 15th for example. Not worth getting too worried about, really.

Genuine question for those touting, Edwards or Potter. Can you just remind me what they have won as a manager and what particularly stands out on their CV?

That’s right, the Potter who looked way out of his depth, at Chelsea and Edwards, who’s team is currently sitting rock bottom of the PL.

Be careful what you wish for.