Gary O’Neil’s time at Wolves has unravelled into a nightmare, and one comment from Micah Richards highlights the decline.
In the first half of last season, Gary O’Neil was earning plaudits for all of the right reasons at Wolves, having taken over from Julen Lopetegui.
Wolves reached an FA Cup quarter-final and were in the mix for Europe at one point, despite Fosun asset stripping the club during the summer.
Pundit Gary Lineker tipped O’Neil to become a ‘special’ coach in March 2024 when the Wanderers were ninth in the Premier League but it was another comment from Micah Richards that highlights the decline.
Micah Richards tipped Gary O’Neil to become the next England manager
Thomas Tuchel has been hired as England’s new manager, replacing Gareth Southgate at the helm, who left his role after the Three Lions lost to Spain in the Euro 2024 final.
Ahead of Southgate’s departure, there was some speculation over who could succeed the 54-year-old and lead the national side into a new era.
Some fancied Newcastle’s Eddie Howe to take the reins while others put out a rather optimistic shout for Pep Guardiola.
Rather surprisingly, Micah Richards never went for a high-profile name when he tipped who was going to be in the running, and instead chose Wolves boss O’Neil.
Speaking on the Rest Is Football podcast in March, Richards simply said: “I’m going to shout O’Neil. Why not?”
In March, O’Neil was linked with the Manchester United job while West Ham were also interested in the Englishman to replace David Moyes.
Now, his stock has fallen dramatically. After winning just two Premier League games since April, O’Neil is close to being sacked by Wolves.
O’Neil’s abysmal records at Wolves
The decline of the Wolves boss has been rapid. There were early signs of a drop-off last season after the Old Gold won just one of their final 10 matches.
It’s now reached a point where the 41-year-old is creating history for all the wrong reasons. O’Neil’s loss rate is the second worst of any Wolves manager in the modern era.
The Wanderers also have the worst set-piece record in Europe, conceding 11 goals from those situations while boasting the worst defence in the Premier League.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 17 |  Crystal PalaceCrystal Palace | 14 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 18 | -6 | 12 |
| 18 |  IpswichIpswich | 14 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 25 | -12 | 9 |
| 19 |  WolvesWolves | 14 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 22 | 36 | -14 | 9 |
| 20 |  SouthamptonSouthampton | 14 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 11 | 30 | -19 | 5 |
Wolves also broke a 60-year record against Everton, as the four goals they shipped meant it was the most they’d conceded after 14 games for the first time since 1964.
There’s no wonder Wolves fans are desperate for O’Neil to get sacked, and they could get their wish after the West Ham game.