Gary O’Neil insisted Wolves’ gamers want him after their 2-1 residence defeat to fellow strugglers Ipswich that left the boss below severe strain.
Jack Taylor scored with the final assault of the sport to plunge Wolves and O’Neil into additional bother as Ipswich landed an enormous 2-1 win.
Wolves have now misplaced their final 4 Premier League video games, profitable simply two of 16 on this season’s competitors, and O’Neil afterwards acknowledged that outcomes should enhance if he’s to maintain his job.
However he vowed to combat on, saying: “That group need me to get them in a place where they’re ready to go and I’ll keep fighting for them. And that doesn’t mean I’m not going to get sacked. For every result, the chances of me losing my job will heighten, that’s nothing new – it doesn’t concern me.
“After I converse to Matt [Hobbs, sporting director] and Jeff [Shi, chairman], they’re going to inform me I will must do extra in any other case they’re going to exchange me. That is the identical message for the gamers, that you must do extra to compete at this degree otherwise you’ll get changed. That is how the enterprise works.
“I’m not interested in my own position – I know the work I do every day and I know the situation we’re in. To get this group to perform the way they did took a lot of work today. People can point the finger at me but some of the responsibilities have to land on the players in those moments. When we get in good positions and we spoon the ball off the pitch – I can’t help them with that.”
‘Ait-Nouri must study to regulate himself’
For a second week operating – after Mario Lemina was concerned in a full-time row at West Ham – the defeat for Wolves sparked indignant scenes as Rayan Ait-Nouri, who was proven a second yellow card after the whistle, needed to be dragged down the tunnel by team-mate Craig Dawson after clashing with Ipswich’s Wes Burns as boos rang down from the stands.
O’Neil was left pissed off he’s having to take care of extra disciplinary issues inside his squad: “I was disappointed he wasn’t able to control himself as we need him. We are short enough in areas of the pitch and now I need to find a left-back for next week. The players need to understand the importance of making good decisions in the game and after the game.
“Disagreements with opposition gamers after the sport can occur and Rayan [Ait-Nouri] must deal with it higher and does not cross the road. We take care of issues like that final week very critically and this shall be no completely different as soon as I’ve seen it. It is annoying. We have sufficient to do and repair with out attempting to sort things that occur after the sport. The gamers must take duty.”
O’Neil a determined man on the brink
Sky Sports activities’ Lewis Jones:
O’Neil was talking like a person who knew there may be in all probability no getting back from this. He challenged his gamers straight, saying: “Come on guys this is the Premier League. [Dara] O’Shea booting down the pitch for [Liam] Delap and us not dealing with it, that’s not me. I can’t fix that. That’s the lads. I’m really comfortable as myself as a coach and my standards as a coach.”
He was utilizing the instance of the opening Ipswich purpose the place Nelson Semedo was utterly outmuscled by Delap. In equity to Semedo, not many defenders on this league may’ve carried out a lot to cease the rampaging Ipswich striker. However there was a frustration within the voice of O’Neil who has seen this story earlier than the place his group’s lack of physicality has been the catalyst for his or her many downfalls.
Wolves have now conceded 74 targets in 34 video games in 2024, working to a mean of two.18 per recreation. They usually have conceded two or extra targets in 11 of their final 13 Premier League video games.