O'Neil In, Out and Shaking it all about

[AndyWolves]

I hope he gives the fa cup a good go. Our cup games have been less than stellar so far. But we do have a team that can get unexpected results (at both ends of the spectrum!). We should be safe enough this season to not have to worry about relegation

 

[The Dude]

Figures that no matter where we are in the table, some other hypothetical manager would have us higher.

Maybe, just maybe, Gary deserves better than that sort of indefensible argument.

There may be a handful of managers who would have raised fewer eyebrows upon hiring, but to say they’d definitely have us higher than 10th/11th is simply a fantasy with no way to concretely prove or disprove.

Yup, I was as underwhelmed and as concerned with the GON appointment as anyone, but had JL stayed and he had us mid-table on 25 points in 19 games I'd have not been at all surprised.

We've been screwed out of about 9 points too, so could be pushing for Europe which was the hope under JL.

Whether we actually deserve those extra points is another argument and in all honesty, we are just about where we deserve to be.

However you look at it though, GON is doing alright. We're much more fun to watch and we score with regularity.

There are many positives so far this season. I hope Gary can build upon it.

 

[The Dude]

Really? Have a read of what he accomplished before Swansea. Was nothing short of miraculous.

"Bugger all else" is hugely disrespectful to the man that took Swedish nobodies in to European competition.

 

[Wolvensam]

Fair play, that's quite an admission.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1740315767080464636

I think he comes across really well in interviews, I’ve never found them particularly “cringey” like I’ve seen mentioned on here. He’s coping well with the media circus that is surrounding him at the minute - even when he first joined most media outlets I read/listened to hailed it a good appointment of an excellent young manager.

 

[Johnny75]

I think he comes across really well in interviews, I’ve never found them particularly “cringey” like I’ve seen mentioned on here. He’s coping well with the media circus that is surrounding him at the minute - even when he first joined most media outlets I read/listened to hailed it a good appointment of an excellent young manager.

You must've listened to some strange media outlets.

I've never heard GoN described as an excellent young manager.

Bournemouth fans thought he was shit.

 

[Tredman]

I think he comes across really well in interviews, I’ve never found them particularly “cringey” like I’ve seen mentioned on here. He’s coping well with the media circus that is surrounding him at the minute - even when he first joined most media outlets I read/listened to hailed it a good appointment of an excellent young manager.

He needs to learn that he doesn’t always need to say ‘something’. At times he comes across as a precocious little kid desperate to show everyone how clever he is.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Bournemouth fans thought his football was shit. We don’t seem to be playing in that style.

 

[Alan]

After that, Gary can shake it all about to his heart’s content.

He may not be a tactical genius but good lord, are these lads playing hard for him.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

What is it about his tactics that aren't good? This isn't just blood and guts, the way we are playing is excellent too.

There is certainly no horseshoe of doom, slow build up or lack of bravery, we are playing direct, fast flowing football and the last 3 games have proven beyond all belief that playing 5 at the back can be attacking, it's about mentality and that is really positive.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

What is it about his tactics that aren't good? This isn't just blood and guts, the way we are playing is excellent too.

There is certainly no horseshoe of doom, slow build up or lack of bravery, we are playing direct, fast flowing football and the last 3 games have proven beyond all belief that playing 5 at the back can be attacking, it's about mentality and that is really positive.

That last bit is huge for me, I was against going back to 3 CHs as it's such a shit comfort blanket and it had made us so awful to watch for literally years whenever we did it (the peak Nuno days by now being ages ago in football terms).

Longer term we need better CHs so we aren't locked into one shape but we're making it work for now.

Also shouldn't be understated what he's done with Hwang. He's looked at what he can and can't do and turned him into a player none of us could have envisaged 4 months ago.

 

[Wolvensam]

Yeah, I don’t think - of the past 5-6 games - anyone can bemoan the tactics too much. Ipswich and before that sure, they were largely dreadful.

He sets the team up well, we play some decent stuff, and we flood the box when we attack now. As EP says, we always saw 3-4-3 as an attacking blunt but actually the way we’re playing it is really effective. He has completely 180’ed the mentality.

 

[The Bear]

Yeah, I don’t think - of the past 5-6 games - anyone can bemoan the tactics too much. Ipswich and before that sure, they were largely dreadful.

He sets the team up well, we play some decent stuff, and we flood the box when we attack now. As EP says, we always saw 3-4-3 as an attacking blunt but actually the way we’re playing it is really effective. He has completely 180’ed the mentality.

West Ham away is the recent outlier. Bizarrely going 4 atb away at a decent side which backfired badly.

 

[Wolvensam]

Also shouldn't be understated what he's done with Hwang. He's looked at what he can and can't do and turned him into a player none of us could have envisaged 4 months ago.

The tactical discipline shouldn’t be understated either that he has instilled. You see it in the front three and midfield two game by game - the rotation between the five of them makes it difficult for any team to keep up.

 

[Wolvensam]

West Ham away is the recent outlier. Bizarrely going 4 atb away at a decent side which backfired badly.

Ah yes of course, forgot about that one. No idea what on earth he was thinking for that game.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

He's also belatedly got through to Sa. There are times to take risks and times to hold on to the ball.

Neither Lage nor Lopetegui ever got that message through.

 

[Dire Wolf]

I'm probably going to get some stick for this, but I think the difference in playing 3-4-3 now to the previous negative iteration of it is down to the midfield. While Neves & Moutinho were undoubtedly good, if not great, players they both lacked the dynamism and forward drive that makes the formation more attacking. They were often why it turned into the horseshoe of doom. Gomes and Lemina are both always looking to get on the front foot, they are more mobile and more dynamic and that for me is why the 3-4-3 is working as an attacking formation. It wouldn't work if we still had RN & JM.

 

[Kenny]

He's also belatedly got through to Sa. There are times to take risks and times to hold on to the ball.

Neither Lage nor Lopetegui ever got that message through.

Some praise for the keeper coach on this one.

 

[Wolvensam]

I'm probably going to get some stick for this, but I think the difference in playing 3-4-3 now to the previous negative iteration of it is down to the midfield. While Neves & Moutinho were undoubtedly good, if not great, players they both lacked the dynamism and forward drive that makes the formation more attacking. They were often why it turned into the horseshoe of doom. Gomes and Lemina are both always looking to get on the front foot, they are more mobile and more dynamic and that for me is why the 3-4-3 is working as an attacking formation. It wouldn't work if we still had RN & JM.

I think that has more to do with how Neves and Moutinho were told to play it, but I totally agree.

JL had Lemina and he wasn’t half as dynamic as he is now.

 

[Jinky]

I'm probably going to get some stick for this, but I think the difference in playing 3-4-3 now to the previous negative iteration of it is down to the midfield. While Neves & Moutinho were undoubtedly good, if not great, players they both lacked the dynamism and forward drive that makes the formation more attacking. They were often why it turned into the horseshoe of doom. Gomes and Lemina are both always looking to get on the front foot, they are more mobile and more dynamic and that for me is why the 3-4-3 is working as an attacking formation. It wouldn't work if we still had RN & JM.

We’ve been crying out for a midfielder like Lemina for years. The fact we now have both Lemina AND Joao Gomes is amazing.

That’s no slight on Ruben & Moutinho - both of whom are modern day Wolves legends. But I am loving watching this current midfield buzzing about.

 

[Alan]

What is it about his tactics that aren't good? This isn't just blood and guts, the way we are playing is excellent too.

There is certainly no horseshoe of doom, slow build up or lack of bravery, we are playing direct, fast flowing football and the last 3 games have proven beyond all belief that playing 5 at the back can be attacking, it's about mentality and that is really positive.

Football changes fast, that's all. We're playing lovely football going forward but we're incredibly open, we'll pay for that eventually.

We keep this up throughout the rest of the season and I'll have to credit his tactical nous. For now, what I see is that he's simplified a lot of things and the players have responded. That's no mean feat in and of itself, but he's still got things to learn at this stage.

More hedging my optimism about him than anything.