Gary O'Neil has been out of work since leaving Wolves in December.placeholder image
Gary O'Neil has been out of work since leaving Wolves in December. | Wolves via Getty Images
Gary O'Neil admits he was praying that Wolves would stay up last season despite being sacked in December
Former Wolves boss Gary O'Neil has had nearly nine months to reflect on his time at Molinuex after being relieved of his duties as manager back in December 2024. He won 20 of his 63 matches in charge of the Old Gold, drawing 11 and suffering defeat on 32 occasions in total, giving him an overall win percentage of 31.75.
The 42-year-old jumped at the chance to take on the job at Molineux in difficult circumstances after Julen Lopetegui resigned from his post on the eve of the new season. He had limited time to make signings or make any real major impact on the existing playing squad but comfortably avoided relegation in his first term as he led Wolves to a respectable 14th place finish and 46 points, 20 clear of Luton Town in 18th position at the time. It was this steady work alongside his season at Bournemouth which stood him in good stead to have a strong career in the Premier League, with some even going as far as to link him with the Manchester United job and the England post.
O’Neil’s stock has, of course, fallen since then after a disappointing start to the 2024/25 campaign and a series of tricky losses. However, he remains adamant that he can make it as top manager and has reflected on his time at Wolves.
‘I would have loved to get to January’ - Gary O’Neil discusses Wolves downfall
In an interview with The Telegraph, O’Neil reflects on a difficult end to his career in the Wolves dugout. He said: “In the end at Wolves we weren’t able to arrest the slide. I would have loved to get to January. But you have to earn the right to get the window.
“The club were aware of the issues. We’d had detailed discussions around what we needed, what we were going to try to do. I guess people would expect me to feel negatively about that, but I don’t.
“Vitor came in and he gave them unbelievable stability, got them some fantastic results, saw the players respond to the managerial change as well, which is often the case.So, I sat here [at home] watching Wolves every week praying that they would win and that they would stay up. You don’t want to play a part in a team that’s relegated.”
Gary O’Neil reveals where Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait-Nouri nearly moved
When Gary O’Neil arrived at Wolves both Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait-Nouri faced uncertain futures. Cunha had joined on loan from Atletico Madrid six months earlier in a deal that became permanent that same summer, but already other clubs were keeping tabs on him. Meanwhile, Ait-Nouri wasn’t quite the same calibre of player he has since blossomed into and was seen as a rotation option.
Although winning is the most important thing in management, O’Neil also reflects fondly on his time with the pair and the way he developed both as footballers. He explained: “Rayan was close to leaving for France when we got there. And as soon as we got there we were like ‘let’s keep Rayan. He’s a great kid and has unbelievable ability.
“Matheus Cunha, the same. He was so keen to get better and is up there with the most talented players I’ve worked with. He has the ability to change games and cause problems for the opposition from his own doing. He was purely off the cuff. He was super-talented but wanted to be free; wanted to move around the whole pitch; wanted to just feel things. I’m imagining going to Brazil and watching kids playing on the street and that was still how Matheus was. We just helped him with what areas of the pitch he needed to work in and tried to give him a little bit of structure.”
Cunha is now a part of Ruben Amorim’s team at Manchester United after completing a blockbuster £62.5m move to Old Trafford, while Rayan Ait-Nouri plays for Manchester City after making a £31m switch to the Etihad.
Both are expected to hit the ground running at their new clubs but face challenges after United’s shock cup exit to Grimsby Town and City’s sloppy start to the league season with two defeats from three matches; which is already just one less than when the Sky Blues last won the league title in 2023/24.
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