O’Neil needs to ‘get this squad’s morale back’

Saturday was probably the lowest Wolves fans have felt for some time.

Just minutes away from an FA Cup semi-final and another trip to Wembley… but the team collapsed and Championship side Coventry City got the better of us with two late goals.

Such a frustrating afternoon and performance but, for a neutral, it certainly showed that the magic of the FA Cup still exists.

We knew Wolves were down to the bare bones before this game. Gary O’Neil decided to keep quiet going into the match on player availability, but the squad was pretty much what we expected.

You could see how much Wolves missed the likes of Pedro Neto, Matheus Cunha and Hwang Hee-chan on Saturday though. No quality in the final third, no urgency and no pace to beat the Coventry backline.

Going into the rest of the season, that is a huge concern for Wolves’ chances of qualifying for Europe.

The FA Cup distraction has gone now which can give the squad the chance to focus solely on the league.

However, fans will be frustrated and disappointed. A quarter-final against a Championship side (albeit a good one in Coventry) should give you the best possible opportunity to get into the last four of the cup.

It’s up to O’Neil now to see if he can get this squad’s morale back to a good enough level to compete again – to show the fans that the season isn’t over and there is plenty left to cheer about.

Wolverhampton Wanderers head coach Gary O’Neil needs to overcome three major issues if he wants to enjoy a successful stint in the Molineux dugout, journalist Dean Jones has told GIVEMESPORT.

It has been a turbulent 48 hours for Wolves, with Julen Lopetegui walking away from the club just a matter of days before their Premier League campaign gets underway with a trip to Manchester United.

The Spanish tactician had been considering his position as the West Midlands outfit’s boss after growing frustrated at the amount of big-name departures who have not been replaced in the transfer market.

Lopetegui repeatedly voicing unhappiness at a lack of investment this summer led to the Wolves hierarchy feeling compelled to sound out potential successors.

O’Neil has been handed the managerial reins, with sporting director Matt Hobbs highlighting the former Bournemouth chief’s ‘strong principles’ as being a key reason for him getting the nod.

With three points up for grabs at Old Trafford on Monday, respected journalist Jones has exclusively revealed to GIVEMESPORT three daunting tasks O’Neil has to overcome in the Wolves hot-seat.