Former Premier League player gives bold verdict on Gary O’Neil’s future at Wolves

Gary O’Neil is under increasing pressure to get results at Wolves after a poor start to the 2024/25 Premier League campaign.

Wolves have started the season with just one point from their opening six league games, and although the Old Gold played Arsenal, Chelsea, Newcastle, Liverpool and Aston Villa during that run, there is a longer-term problem.

The Wanderers’ disastrous run of form is a continuation of where they left off last season, with Gary O’Neil winning just one of his previous 16 matches in the Premier League.

Typically, that level of failure is enough to get a manager sacked at any level of football, never mind the top flight, but the Wolves hierarchy are currently relaxed over O’Neil’s future and confident he can turn it around.

That said, it hasn’t stopped outsiders from suggesting whether the 41-year-old should lose his job, with one former Premier League player giving his verdict.

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Ray Parlour backs Gary O’Neil to ‘get it right’ at Wolves

Last season, O’Neil was heavily praised by the rest of the Premier League for the job he was doing at Molineux.

At one point, the Wanderers were pushing for a place in Europe but once injuries and fatigue set in, they plummeted down the table and ended up finishing 14th.

That is a position the club would love to be in right now, as Wolves are currently rock bottom of the Premier League after taking one point from a possible 18.

Despite the dire situation they find themselves in, former Arsenal player Ray Parlour backs O’Neil to turn the situation around and believes he’s doing his best at the moment with the squad he has.

Parlour cites the departures of his two best players, Pedro Neto and Max Kilman as reasons why O’Neil should be cut some slack.

When asked whether Wolves should sack the manager if they lose this weekend, he told talkSPORT: “I am going to say nay.

“I think Gary O’Neil will get it right. I mean, he has been a little bit unlucky in certain games. I saw them against Arsenal, they played really well. They lost two big players, remember, Neto and Kilman.

“I think he is doing the best he can at the moment with his squad. Who can improve it? I don’t know. Who is out there to improve it? Not too many people.

“For me, I will stick with Gary, and hopefully will turn. You only need two wins in a row and suddenly you shoot up the table very quickly, and that’s what Wolves fans will be hoping as well.”

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The fixture run that could define Gary O’Neil’s Wolves future

Aside from Manchester City – who they play after the international break – Wolves are entering a period of winnable fixtures.

While O’Neil has previously used the excuse that Wolves have been second-best in every game so far, he won’t have that to fall back on in the coming weeks.

Following matches against Brentford and Man City, the Wanderers play Brighton, Crystal Palace, Southampton and Fulham; four matches they should be targeting results from.

Failure to take at least one or two victories from their six games could leave the Wolves board with no choice but to sack him, otherwise, they’ll have a lot of ground to make up.