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Pundits have spoken ahead of a must win game for Wolves against West Ham United.
It is a game that could have lasting implications for both managers. While O’Neil’s status at Wolves seems to grow ever more fragile, Julen Lopetegui also appears to be standing on the precipice at the London Stadium. Several pundits have weighed in on the situation and have given their point of view on whether each manager will be sacked or not should they fail to win tonight. Generally, most of them have reached a consensus - there is a strong chance that the losing manager will also lose their job in the wake of a defeat.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Kaveh Solhekol said: “One of the things that has been concerning for everyone at [West Ham] has been the fragility of their defence. They’re conceding something like two goals a game. They’re sitting there, scratching their heads, saying ‘this cannot go on’. If it’s a draw, we will have to wait and see [if either manager is sacked]. Around 80% of West Ham fans think that Lopetegui has had his chance - it’s a must win game.”
Meanwhile, in his Sportskeeda column, former Arsenal winger Paul Merson wrote: “This is a massive game for both managers. Julen Lopetegui and Gary O’Neill are under immense pressure. How can Wolves win 4-1 at Fulham, and then concede four goals in back to back defeats to Bournemouth and Everton? That’s just unbelievable. Whoever loses this game, will be under severe pressure from the fans. The sack is inevitable if you don’t have fans on your side. After Wolves’ recent results, I just can’t back them here. They let Everton score four goals in a game, I thought Everton would never score four in total from now until Christmas!”
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Furthermore, in his Premier League predictions piece on BBC Sport, Chris Sutton penned: “This might end badly for Gary O’Neil and Wolves and, while we are not seeing the West Ham we expected from Lopetegui, he may live to fight another day. The last time Wolves went to London, at the end of November, they beat Fulham 4-1 and enjoyed themselves. I can’t see the same happening here though, because of the number of goals they are conceding. The way they play under O’Neil, they are so open. West Ham are going to get some chances and although they missed a few against Leicester, I am backing them to take them this time.”
As things stand, Wolves are 19th in the Premier League table with just nine points from 14 games. With 36 goals conceded, they have the leakiest defence in the division - they have scored four more goals than the Hammers in 2024/25, though.
West Ham, on the other hand, are 14th in the league table with 15 points. Like Wolves, they have struggled to run a tight ship defensively, letting in a total of 27 goals so far.
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