Gary O'Neil, Manager of Wolverhampton Wanderers
Gary O'Neil, Manager of Wolverhampton Wanderers (Image: Getty Images)
The Match Of The Day pundits consider that the 'writing is on the wall' for Gary O'Neil after Wolverhampton Wanderers' damaging defeat to survival rivals Everton at Goodison Park on Wednesday evening. Wolves were beaten 4-0, conceding four for the second game on the spin, to leave themselves three points adrift of safety.
Wanderers have won just three of their last 24 Premier League matches and, although there suggested a reversal in form was on the cards when they knitted victories together over Southampton and Fulham recently, that has proven to be something of a false dawn; the losses to Bournemouth and Everton in the last week have been damaging.
It's piled pressure on the shoulders of O'Neil, who admitted to BBC Sport on Merseyside after the game that he was now in a vulnerable position, but that he hoped to be granted the opportunity by owners Fosun to turn things around, beginning at his former club West Ham on Monday night.
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"We all know managers get sacked," he said. "It's a part and parcel of the job. Once that happens, the club moves on. The club's far bigger than me. Hopefully we get a go at trying to put things right on Monday. That's my focus at this moment."
Gary Lineker, though, having watched the interview when presenting MOTD, admitted: "Gary O'Neil's demeanour there looked like he thought he was gone."
Pundits Martin Keown and Micah Richards agreed. Keown added: "Both managers [O'Neil and Sean Dyche] are under huge pressure. Everton haven't scored in four games. They are not doing the basics. Not doing the basics could eventually cost Gary O'Neil his job. Eight goals conceded in two games is when you start to think 'really?'"
Richards sympathised with O'Neil, who he has admired from afar since he moved into management, but he concedes that the outlook is now looking bleak for the Wolves boss, who took charge after Julen Lopetegui - who they come up against on Monday - departed in the summer of 2023.
"I thought Wolves had turned a corner," Richards said. "Matheus Cunha was playing really well, it looked like they had a good run of teams, in terms of fixtures. When a manager starts talking like that, the club is bigger than me, you think the writing is on the wall. I've enjoyed him as a coach, I don't want to see him sacked."
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