Punditry duo Micah Richards and Alan Shearer shared their opinions on Wolves this season and were in agreement over their stance on Gary O’Neil during The Rest Is Football podcast.
After a summer of financial stress at Molineux, not many would have imagined the successes that Gary O’Neil could bless Wolves with.
The Englishman has transformed Julen Lopetegui’s squad despite being thrown in at the deep end, taking charge of the club just five days before the 2023/24 Premier League opener.
Currently sitting in 11th and just nine points off the top six, the boss has restored the goals in the squad having netted 39, already eclipsing the 31 goals scored over the 2022/23 season.
The good times have been brought back to Molineux thanks to O’Neil and his ambitious squad, as Wolves continue to soar and receive high praise for their performances.
What Micah Richards and Alan Shearer said about Gary O’Neil and Wolves
Speaking on the latest episode of The Rest Is Football podcast, punditry duo Micah Richards and Alan Shearer shared their thoughts on O’Neil’s impact at Wolves after the memorable win over Spurs on Saturday.
Shearer said: “What a job, what a performance, what a game, what a win. Not many people other than Wolves, Gary O’Neil and the team would have thought they would have gone there and beaten Spurs the way they did. From what I saw, they were brilliant and he’s done a great job.”
The Premier League’s record goalscorer had his high opinion of the Wolves manager echoed by Richards, who pinpointed the positive style of play that the boss has implemented.
“When you’ve got a manager who speaks very well and is clear in his plan…all the players have brought into what he’s trying to do and he’s playing attacking football.”
“We’ve got to give so much credit to him. I always thought Wolves would be OK because they’ve got good players but to get them playing in this manner away at Spurs… They seem to be in every game. It’s not like it’s a one-off or they pull off a big result.”
“Consistency is the key for me when I’m watching them. They always look like they can do something in the game.”
The impact of Gary O’Neil deserves to be celebrated at Wolves
After Lopetegui walked away from the club less than a week before the start of the season, Wolves were left in a position that could have left the Old Gold fighting for their life in the top flight.
A squad limited in numbers due to a lack of signings and increased sales in the summer theoretically put the Midlands side on the back foot from the off, but O’Neil utilised what he had to great success.
From transforming the performances of his front line, to orchestrating the midfield pivot, to lining the defence up to get the best out of his fullbacks, the manager has made Wolves a force to be reckoned with.
Prior to his arrival, there were premature talks of a race for survival before the season had even started, now talks of a European finish have been muttered, signifying the work that O’Neil has done in such a short time.