Wolves manager Gary O’Neil was certainly hoping for a strong start to the 2024/25 season in his second term at Molineux.
After impressing during his first year at Wolves, great faith has been shown in O’Neil, who inspired the squad last campaign.
The Old Gold secured a points and goals improvement on the 2022/23 campaign, signalling that the boss was the right man to take the reins from Julen Lopetegui.
While opinion on O’Neil has not dramatically changed, there is some concern over how Wolves have started the 2024/25 season, with the Midlands club sitting bottom of the Premier League table.
Wolves error spotted in Gary O’Neil’s substitutions
Wolves sit in 20th with just one point on the board, securing a 1-1 draw with Nuno Santo’s Nottingham Forest.
The Old Gold are in desperate need of a win to see their season pick up sooner rather than later.
What is puzzling is that Wolves haven’t been particularly bad although, one recurring frailty is the inability to put on a show for a full 90 minutes.
Part of the reason for Wolves’ second-half collapses have been attributed to O’Neil’s timing and decisions when making substitutions, as journalists Liam Keen and Nathan Judah discussed on the E&S Wolves Podcast.
“I think the timings of the substitutions need to be looked at as well. I think Wolves need to be a little bit more eager and willing to take players off,” Keen explained.
“I understand you’re trying to get all of your best players onto the pitch at the same time, but sometimes during a game, you’re going to have to take someone off to impact the game and I don’t think Wolves are doing that at the moment.”
Wolves have been finding themselves in advantageous positions in several games this term, all to see their resilience crumble later down the line, with little inspiration coming from the bench.
This led fellow Wolves expert Judah to question whether the manager has lost some trust in his players, referencing Keen’s comment on the lack of conviction off the bench.
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“I guess that boils down to a trust factor really between Gary O’Neil, his starting lineup and some of the options he’s got on his bench.
“They have got options, they’ve got some good options on the bench but O’Neil, if he’s not seeing it in midweek, if he’s not seeing it at Compton Park, he’s very reluctant to bring those players on.
“In fact, he won’t bring those players on. I just wonder if he’s losing a bit of trust in some of these players at this moment in time.”
O’Neil has to figure out how to get a strong 90 minutes out of his squad
Wolves need points fast, with the Old Gold sitting dead-bottom level on goal difference with Everton, who have been relegation candidates for several campaigns now.
It’s difficult to see O’Neil’s squad sit where they are, considering the overwhelming amount of talent in the team that’s available to the manager every week.
Judah and Keen were fair to raise their concerns over how the boss approaches in-game management, with substitutions one aspect of Wolves’ shortcomings this term.
While we are only five games into the season, time will feel like it’s already running out for the Midlands club to secure a win, with further challenges fast approaching.