For the third time in a row, Wolves suffered defeat in the Premier League, losing to West Ham on match day 15.
Gary O’Neil’s future at Wolves is in jeopardy as the Old Gold’s dreadful run of form extended against West Ham.
Wolves have grown comfortable in 19th place, sitting four points from safety as we head into the festive period.
Something has to change as O’Neil continues to struggle due to Fosun’s methods, seeing Wolves in the thick of a relegation battle.
Wolverhampton Wanderers' Northern Irish defender #02 Matt Doherty (R) celebrates after scoring his team first goal during the English Premier Leagu...
Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images
Matt Doherty was at his best against West Ham
Wolves’ defeat to West Ham put the manager’s job at Molineux at even greater risk, with it understood that the club want to replace O’Neil when a successor is identified.
It wasn’t just a doom and gloom occasion for the boss, with the club’s captain making the headlines as Mario Lemina was involved in a bust-up at full-time.
From players failing to keep their cool to another poor defensive display, it was a routine bad day at the office for Wolves but, it wasn’t all a disaster.
O’Neil named Matt Doherty in the starting XI for the second time in a week, seeing the Irishman play with Nelson Semedo in the right-wing back role.
Matt Doherty vs West Ham United
74 touches
1 goal
1 key pass
2/3 long balls completed
100% dribbles completed
10 duels won
2 tackles
3 clearances
Matt Doherty vs West Ham figures provided by Sofascore
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The 32-year-old certainly passed the test at the London Stadium in a fixture that saw several of his teammates struggle to impose themselves.
Not only did the defender score, but led by example on the pitch, winning 10 duels and offering a tireless energy on the right side.
Many were surprised by the way O’Neil set his side up with both Doherty and Semedo however, the switch certainly worked for the Midlands side.
Doherty has a role to play at Wolves this season
It was only earlier this season that O’Neil subtly took aim at Doherty for his approach to defending during the Old Gold’s defeat to Newcastle United.
Added to that, Doherty was slammed at international level, making the start to the season quite a challenging one for the Irishman.
Following his performance against West Ham, it could be said that the right-back is on his way back to being able to offer Wolves a lot at this difficult time.
A player with 157 Premier League appearances is a figure who can assist the Old Gold in their time of desperate need, being a player more committed to the club than many.
As well as being experienced, the defender proved that he’s here to add another dimension to the struggling squad, something that will surely help O’Neil.
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