O'Neil Confirmed

[AndyWolves]

The proof of the pudding is in the eating. However, the club haven't given themselves the best chance of success here.

 

[WsWolf]

I am. I always hope Wolves win but if it means we get rid of him sooner then I'll take the loss.

It's clear some people are trying to convince themselves GoN was some master stroke and Lop was a terrible manager.

He's here because he was cheap and available not because we poached him from somewhere or had some master plan.

He's going to be terrible and I'm seething with the club for putting themselves in this position.

Respect the honesty, I don't get it without actually seeing what the bloke can do here but at least you are going to be consistent.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Anyone deserves a chance, surely. I gave Saunders a chance, it only lasted 2 games (a dismal 1-1 with Blackburn where to the eternal shame of this forum loads said we played well and we unequivocally didn't, then playing for and getting an even worse 0-0 at Sheff Wed who were below us in the table and crowing about it) but a chance it was.

Hoping we lose his first game is odd.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Just looked up that Sheff Wed game.

Wolves manager Dean Saunders is still searching for his first win in charge after a goalless draw at Championship strugglers Sheffield Wednesday.

Wolves did not manage a single shot on target and find themselves just seven points above the relegation zone.

Wolves manager Dean Saunders: "It's a great point away from home. It's a clean sheet.

Yeah, that's where I gave up.

 

[prawnking]

It's clear some people are trying to convince themselves GoN was some master stroke and Lop was a terrible manager.

Yep. It's a bit weird and I'm seeing more of it.

Understandable given the press hatchet jobs on Lop that have clearly been set in motion by the club, but it's wildly underestimating how important a manager is at this level imo to be so blithely accepting of such a glaring downgrade...like you can just wing it if you have decent players.

Nope.

 

[prawnking]

It wasn’t the kind of performance a team should be turning in that was in the thick of a relegation battle at the time.

It was dogshit for sure, but weren't we around 14th at the time? So, Lop had already saved our arses?

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Yep. It's a bit weird and I'm seeing more of it.

Understandable given the press hatchet jobs on Lop that have clearly been set in motion by the club, but it's wildly underestimating how important a manager is at this level imo to be so blithely accepting of such a glaring downgrade...like you can just wing it if you have decent players.

Nope.

I'm with you here. As I said the other day, bad managers drag decent teams down to their level. Assuming anyone could manage our post-Nuno squad as they're good players is what got us that fucking geek who "treated" us to 2 goals in 8 games at one stage.

Only fair though to see what O'Neil does before condemning him, it's not like he's Allardyce, Bruce, Pulis etc who have decades of atrocious football on their CV. Like you know exactly what you're getting there.

 

[Wolvensam]

It was dogshit for sure, but weren't we around 14th at the time? So, Lop had already saved our arses?

13th. But no excuse for footballers to surrender like that, really.

Not saying it was Lop’s fault but it was concerning at the time.

 

[prawnking]

Utterly pointless be constantly angry at a him being here, changes nothing.
If as the majority think, it doesn't work out then it will end fairly quick

Just as pointless to simply accept it, and equally changes nothing. In fact, it probably lets the small-time wankers who made the call off the hook, to some degree.

Nothing we do or think makes much difference, but I'm firmly in the camp that this the beginning of a disaster, and I can't just ignore that to be 'positive'. It's what all my logical faculties and experience of watching football over 35 years is screaming out at me.

I'm also not in Johnny's frame of mind in terms of wanting GON to lose heavy and quick and get it over with, and there's always the chance O'Neil does a decent job, in the same way there's a chance Joe Hodge gets into the PL Team of the Season this year.

 

[prawnking]

13th. But no excuse for footballers to surrender like that, really.

Not saying it was Lop’s fault but it was concerning at the time.

But it's not a relegation battle at that point then? So, the inference you were making (Lop couldn't get the players up for it when it mattered) is misleading?

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

there's always the chance O'Neil does a decent job, in the same way there's a chance Joe Hodge gets into the PL Team of the Season this year.

Nah man, that's not fair.

I'm far from convinced about O'Neil's work at Bournemouth but he kept a team up who 90%+ of us on here had going down on day one, and he took over right after they lost 9-0. It's not inconceivable he could do ok here, at least have us where we ended up last season (bottom half but not in *that* much danger). I'm far from convinced he will but it's up to him to do the bizzo.

Whereas the Joe Hodge Team of the Year thing is like backing The Cheeky Girls to win the Mercury Prize, he's very obviously shit and miles out of his depth, you only have to watch him for 10 minutes to see that.

 

[Alan]

Equally we can't pretend like Lop wasn't there for the 6-0 and 5-0 disasterpieces.

 

[Wolvensam]

But it's not a relegation battle at that point then? So, the inference you were making (Lop couldn't get the players up for it when it mattered) is misleading?

I think the inference I was making was that what a lot of us consider an “elite” manager (myself included) did witness some absolute batterings, with the team having the same surrender mentality as they did towards the end of Nuno/under Bruno, and that’s one thing O’Neil absolutely has to fix.

 

[Carsy]

Obviously we'll have to wait and see, but hopefully GO will get a tune out of these players which Lop decided were not good enough for him. Yes, he was lied to, but to give up without a ball being kicked is appalling. Lets give GO our support - you never know how the players may find him compared to Lop.

I’d imagine Lop and GO will likely have different goals in mind. Lop saying they’re not good enough probably relates to him wanting to push for top 10/Europe. I doubt GO had that as a necessity given the comparable pasts for them

 

[Wilf Wolf]

GO deserves our backing to start with. Let’s face it we’ve recruited all sorts of managers in the past and not one of them has done such a good job that they’ve been poached by another club. It would be ironic, and extremely surprising, if GO was to become the first to be poached. In no way do I think he’s a good appointee but now he’s here let’s hope we’re all wrong and give him our support until there are grounds not to.

 

[Kenny]

I think the inference I was making was that what a lot of us consider an “elite” manager (myself included) did witness some absolute batterings, with the team having the same surrender mentality as they did towards the end of Nuno/under Bruno, and that’s one thing O’Neil absolutely has to fix.

Well if GON has got us into a position where the players start to put in on the beach performances he has done the very basic requirement of his job.

That's when Lop got those performances from his squad.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Let’s face it we’ve recruited all sorts of managers in the past and not one of them has done such a good job that they’ve been poached by another club.

Slight addendum here that Mick and Nuno had offers. Mick from South Korea (nearly went too) and Nuno from Everton when he'd only been here about 3 months.

 

[Wolvensam]

I’m happy to accept if/when you’re right, Johnny and PK, I’m just willing to give it a couple of games first as I’ll hold my hands up to knowing next to nothing about GON, his management style, tactics and techniques. I’ve really got nothing to judge him on except a game where Bournemouth went 1-0 up against us and dug their heels in.

 

[Wilf Wolf]

Slight addendum here that Mick and Nuno had offers. Mick from South Korea (nearly went too) and Nuno from Everton when he'd only been here about 3 months.

Fair point. Nuno we know was good and South Korea was never a likely destination for any PL manager.

 

[sycophantia]

I think I must have some on ignore by accident, I've seen no-one on here say they think O'Neil is a good appointment, quite the opposite. Everyone is assuming he will be terrible and will probably fail.