Gary O’Neil will have his mind set on building on Wolves’ first win of the Premier League season.
The Old Gold had to wait until match day 11 to secure their first three points of the 2024/25 campaign, a result that lifted O’Neil’s side off the bottom of the table.
While the victory would have handed the squad some confidence, the club are still very much in a relegation battle.
Some predicted that Wolves would struggle, with the pressure still firmly on the manager to get his side performing to get out of the bottom three.
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Gary O’Neil shares Pablo Sarabia verdict
Things are rather complicated at Wolves, as O’Neil has been criticised for not knowing his best XI.
As a result, the manager has adopted a trial-and-error approach, which has impacted players such as Pablo Sarabia.
The Spaniard is a fringe player but has seen his minutes increase in recent weeks after having to wait some time to make an impact in the Premier League.
Despite experiencing backlash for playing the 32-year-old, O’Neil was right to start Sarabia against Southampton however, that doesn’t necessarily mean we’ll be seeing more of him.
Ahead of week 12, the manager opened up about Sarabia’s position in the squad, explaining why the former Paris Saint-Germain ace is not a consistent starter.
“The speed and the physicality of the Premier League can be testing,” O’Neil said via Express and Star.
“Pablo’s strengths are his intelligence, his quality with the ball, the positions he picks up. You need him to show that side because if it ends up being a fight or a foot race, it becomes more difficult for him.”
The boss went on to reveal that Sarabia’s involvement is decided on a game-to-game basis, confirming why he’s not a regular.
“We’re trying to find the right moments for us to use him in, which is why he is not a regular.
“He is not one that has been on 90 minutes of every game, for that reason, you try and find the right situations that fit what he brings.”
Sarabia’s future at Wolves is in doubt
Julen Lopetegui acquired Sarabia from PSG in January 2023, signing the experienced playmaker to bolster Wolves’ options going forward.
The Spain international’s contract at Molineux expires in the summer, with it unlikely that his deal will be extended.
Clubs are already showing interest in Sarabia, paving the way for his almost inevitable Wolves exit when his contract expires.
Sarabia’s terrible end to 2023/24 might have derailed his chances of making himself more known at Molineux, with all signs currently pointing to a departure.