O'Neil Confirmed

[Carsy]

I know he didn't play stellar football but dismissing last season completely out of hand like this feels so harsh to me.

What's the bar? What makes a manager "qualified" to coach at Wolves? I think it's clear that the goal for the coming season is to stay up and regroup afterward (I grant that some here will feel that Fosun have no intention of turning the taps back on in a year's time). I think O'Neil can probably manage that with a better group of players than he managed it with last season.

I'm not reading a whole lot into the length of his contract as I do imagine he's not on a ton relative to other Prem managers and that we can get rid swiftly and cheaply if the need arises.

What happens if GO'N fails is a completely separate matter and would be nothing short of a disaster. There's no doubt that Fosun are taking an incredible risk if their strategy is what I read it to be.

For me.

1. I wouldn’t ultimately say last season is how he necessarily sets his team up to play. Circumstances could’ve dictated that (see lop for example) however we literally have nothing else to go off.

2. I’m not going to dismiss him out of hand. I’d hope for someone with more experience and track record, but I’m not going to be taking too much notice to his win/loss record last year due to the team he had.

3. It is underwhelming, and does feel abit Bruno Lage (as TT said) but I do feel some of the comments are OTT, however get why people aren’t happy/concerned

 

[Alan]

Don't you think it feels very Bruno Lage though Alan, in terms of wanting a manager who can be manipulated. I take your point re OTT comments, but a lot of people on here are being charged £650 and more and are supposed to be accepting of this. It's not against Gary O'Neil the person it's about what he represents

I can't deny that there are some notable parallels, it's true. I also can't deny that it's just not possible for me to have the same perspective as an STH.

I want to believe that, even if he is unqualified for the job, that O'Neil is still going to work his bollocks off to try and get results for the team and the supporters. Maybe I'm being naïve (I took a similar tack with Bruno himself for a while, after all, before eventually accepting the truth).

Bah. It's complicated. Certainly I don't think people's anger and skepticism is unjustified. I guess for now, before he's had a chance to really screw things up with bonkers lineups, Pulis-esque tactics, or some other fuckery, I see him as on our side. Again with the naïveté, I want to believe that the manager wants the same things for the club that we do.

He's here now, so in eight weeks or so... We'll see if it still feels like he's trying to drag the club upward.

 

[Johnny75]

I know he didn't play stellar football but dismissing last season completely out of hand like this feels so harsh to me.

What's the bar? What makes a manager "qualified" to coach at Wolves? I think it's clear that the goal for the coming season is to stay up and regroup afterward (I grant that some here will feel that Fosun have no intention of turning the taps back on in a year's time). I think O'Neil can probably manage that with a better group of players than he managed it with last season.

I'm not reading a whole lot into the length of his contract as I do imagine he's not on a ton relative to other Prem managers and that we can get rid swiftly and cheaply if the need arises.

What happens if GO'N fails is a completely separate matter and would be nothing short of a disaster. There's no doubt that Fosun are taking an incredible risk if their strategy is what I read it to be.

It's the PL, the best football division on the planet.

Any prospective manager should earn their stripes at a lower level first.

GoN has earned fuck all, played dire football and got replaced because of it.

We have the luxury of being a top tier team for now we should be making appointments as such and not like a Lg1 team.

 

[GLASGOWOLF]

Only when we have found a poor unqualified replacement


Unrelated note: PM for you Glasgow...

Got nothing kenny

 

[WsWolf]

What’s the bar? Well some evidence that they can get the team to play a reasonable standard of football, preferably at more than one club as we saw with Lage a stopped clock is correct twice a day. GO had Bournemouth battling and riding their luck - look at the stats - his season was the equivalent of Sa in the first half of his first season. Throw in the most vomit-inducing time wasting and I can’t see how anyone is pleased by his appointment. Now he’s got a chance he never should have got we can only hope he grasps it but there’s precious little evidence to give any optimism.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1689282043610349570

No one rode their luck more than Wolves.

 

[Kenny]

Got nothing kenny

 

[Alan]

"Sheriff, you haven't arrested me, what gives"

 

[Carsy]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1689282043610349570

No one rode their luck more than Wolves.

The thing is though, lop has a pretty healthy back book of success.

O’Neil has no backbook. It is literally an unknown quantity

 

[b3h]

"He chopped and changed quite a bit, flipped between back 4 and 5. Probably a 4-4-1-1 was most common.

Largely reactive, defensive. Try and hit teams on the counter, take the lead, and then sit back and soak up pressure. Relatively reliant on the flanks.

For most of the season, his in-game management was poor. We threw away a lot of leads by trying and failing to shut up shop late on. Got better as the season progressed but still never really felt confident."


Well 4411 is what we've been playing. There's a... positive!?

 

[Alan]

"He chopped and changed quite a bit, flipped between back 4 and 5. Probably a 4-4-1-1 was most common.

Largely reactive, defensive. Try and hit teams on the counter, take the lead, and then sit back and soak up pressure. Relatively reliant on the flanks.

For most of the season, his in-game management was poor. We threw away a lot of leads by trying and failing to shut up shop late on. Got better as the season progressed but still never really felt confident."


Well 4411 is what we've been playing. There's a... positive!?

Is this a description of us under Lop?

Genuinely... I wouldn't have known the difference.

 

[GLASGOWOLF]

Hobbs has been looking for a new manager for past 10 days and was impressed with O'Neil's attention to detail and visions for taking the club forward

Hobbs on O’Neil appointment

Sporting director Matt Hobbs has discussed the recruitment process and appointment of new Wolves head coach Gary O’Neil.

www.wolves.co.uk

His comment about the group being in good spirits sort of matches what I have been told

 

[b3h]

Is this a description of us under Lop?

Genuinely... I wouldn't have known the difference.

Ouch!

 

[Tony Towner]

I want to believe that, even if he is unqualified for the job, that O'Neil is still going to work his bollocks off to try and get results for the team and the supppoters

Again I agree and so would I, you and everyone else on this forum, it doesn't mean we'd be the correct appointments either. Even Del who is never wrong may, just might, agree he'd not be the man for the job even though he'd work his bollocks off to make it work. Being controversial Lage and Saunders worked hard, if hours at the training ground is how you measure such things

 

[Lycan]

Apparently Lee Carsley was considered

 

[WsWolf]

The thing is though, lop has a pretty healthy back book of success.

O’Neil has no backbook. It is literally an unknown quantity

Undeniably but you can't use riding luck as a stick to beat someone when we had the worst metrics Jan onwards. We got results but it wasn't pretty.

 

[Lupo]

Shaun Derry coming in too

 

[Tony Towner]

Apparently Lee Carsley was considered

Bluenose twat....of course he'd be a better option

 

[prawnking]

Not justifying any pearl clutching.

He's been compared to Nathan Jones, folks have gone out of their way to wish he fails or not welcome him, he's been called a "yes man", "completely unqualified", a "joke appointment", "fuck off and resign", etc etc. Even Hobbs' boilerplate "wow I'm excited about the guy I just hired, imagine that" statement got pelted.

People are upset, understandably, but the way O'Neil has been immediately dismissed is well OTT, IMV. This is the sort of reaction I'd have expected if we'd gone with Lampard.

Sorry but you're reaching here, Alan.

Who compared him to Nathan Jones?? I said 'at least it's not Nathan Jones'... which is a compliment! Don't think anyone else mentioned him?

None of what you've quoted is anything but proportionate considering the situation.

Should we have said that re-signing Doc was amazing and he could be a revelation too?

 

[Carsy]

Undeniably but you can't use riding luck as a stick to beat someone when we had the worst metrics Jan onwards. We got results but it wasn't pretty.

No Tbf I’m with you that the stick beating is abit extreme, although I agree that I don’t think it’s a good appointment

 

[Alan]

Again I agree and so would I, you and everyone else on this forum, it doesn't mean we'd be the correct appointments either. Even Del who is never wrong may, just might, agree he'd not be the man for the job even though he'd work his bollocks off to make it work. Being controversial Lage and Saunders worked hard, of hours at the training ground is how you measure such things

As I say, plenty of genuine reasons to be concerned. I don't think the way his work last season is being dismissed entirely is quite fair, but I trust most of y'all's footballing opinions enough to take it seriously when you have reservations about a manager (even if I don't always let on).

If we're in trouble come the end of October I won't have much of a leg to stand on. Getting this hot on the very day he's appointed just feels... brutal. But I grant you, it's been a brutal little period for the club in general.

I don't hold anything against you or anyone who thinks we've righteously fucked this up yet again.