When Wolves signed Gary O’Neil as the new head coach – it was an appointment clouded in controversy, and to some extent mockery.
When Julen Lopetegui slammed his office door shut in a huff to call time on his tenure at Wolves, it was O’Neil’s name that surprisingly leaped to the front of the queue of contenders, while sitting firmly at the back of most people’s wishlist.
Now, despite losing double the amount of games they have won, O’Neil has won favour with a large section of the Molineux faithful, the players are reunited, and the pack is seemingly back together and sharpening their teeth.
There were early glimmers of the potential, that infamous defeat at Old Trafford which could easily have been three points for Wolves had it not been for missed chances and one of the most horrendous VAR decisions to date.
The next three games for O’Neil’s Wolves should act as a very early benchmark for the aspirations of this next-generation, post Lopetegui side
The trio of fixtures each pose a unique set of questions and conundrums for O’Neil to solve. A win against Bournemouth away from home, on paper, is a game that could and should be won.
It’s also the kind of game that Wolves definitely lose and have historically faltered in games like this over the years. A win against the Cherries on the road would be a big statement.
Then there are old adversaries Newcastle who will be visiting Molineux, they are flying high, beating PSG in Europe, and looking like the team they were predicted to become when the takeover happened and the mega money hit the Geordie bank account.
Wolves thrive on being the underdog, they are better when they are, and this is the kind of game that they will give a good account of themselves in, but probably won’t win. The plucky runner-up has been a familiar tale.
Sheffield United complete the next three fixtures when they journey to the Black Country. To date, the Blades are significantly blunt with no wins since their top-flight return. They have only scored 6 goals, and shipped in a whopping 22.
The international break will have come at a good time for O’Neil to take stock of the first batch of 18 games. Wolves are not in trouble in the table, but they have yet to reveal any consistency.
The team’s identity is clear to see, there is relentless pressing and vitality to the side. Pedro Neto looks like a tremendous player again, and there are strong performances throughout the team.
