The Wolves manager was sacked by the club on Sunday after another defeat
Gary O'Neil's intense man-management style eventually worked against him
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By JOE BERNSTEIN
Published: 06:50 EST, 15 December 2024 | Updated: 06:51 EST, 15 December 2024
Gary O’Neil blamed his defenders for failing to cope with the stress of a relegation battle before he was sacked on Sunday, but maybe he should have been looking closer to home.
As a player, O’Neil was sent off in the pressure-cooker of a Championship play-off final and needed his QPR team-mates to bail him out. As a manager, the searing intensity that once marked him out as an outstanding prospect is threatening to work against him.
Stripping Mario Lemina of the captaincy after skirmishes at West Ham now looks an over-reaction. Wolves slipped to a fourth consecutive defeat on Saturday - which ultimately proved to O'Neil's last in charge - and their behaviour after the final whistle was even worse.
Rayan Ait-Nouri received a second yellow card for kicking off a melee and The FA are waiting for the referee’s report before deciding whether to charge Matheus Cunha, who scuffled with an Ipswich staff member and appeared to push the glasses off his face.
Amidst the fury, fans chanted against chairman Jeff Shi and owners, while O’Neil – who is now out of a job – appeared demob happy as he laid into his existing squad. After Wolves conceded a 20th set-piece goal of the season, he bemoaned the absence of others.
‘Yerson (Mosquer) was excellent physically, pace-wise, aerially. Max Kilman was excellent physically, pace-wise, aerially. We don’t have one of those now,’ he said.
Gary O’Neil blamed his defenders for failing to cope with the stress of a relegation battle before he was sacked on Sunday
Rayan Ait-Nouri received a second yellow card for kicking off a melee after the match
O'Neil was relieved of his duties as Wolves boss following a fourth consecutive defeat
‘You’d expect Santi Bueno to be capable of dealing with the stuff he had to do. Toti Gomes is working his socks off but there is only so much you can do to protect them from moments. We are not blessed with loads of defenders with physicality.’
Kilman was sold in the summer and Mosquera has a long-term injury while veteran Michael Dawson was on the bench with worries about his pace against Liam Delap. Dawson’s main contribution was carrying Ait-Nouri away at the end to prevent further trouble.
Delap bullied Semedo for the opening goal after 15 minutes, the final touch coming from Wolves wing-back Matt Doherty. Cunha levelled in the second half but Wolves then allowed Jack Taylor headed the winner in injury-time.
‘It’s what we became professionals for – games like this,’ said Taylor after his first Premier League goal boosted Ipswich’s own prospects of survival.
Premier LeagueWolverhampton Wanderers