Paul Merson has lauded Wolves manager Gary O’Neil, saying that he has done an ‘absolutely unreal’ job at Molineux this season.
O’Neil is now at the halfway point in his first season as Wolves boss – and he probably could not have hoped for things to have gone any better.
After Julen Lopetegui made his feelings about leaving clear, he received the call to arms from sporting director Matt Hobbs just a couple of weeks before the 2023/24 season, and was then in place just days before Wolves’ first game against Manchester United.
Many fans and pundits expected Wolves to really struggle.
But O’Neil has surprised everyone, with the players responding amazingly to his superb tactics and impressive in-game management.
His efforts have now led to some very high praise from Paul Merson…
Paul Merson raves over Gary O’Neil for the ‘unreal’ job he’s done at Wolves
O’Neil did a fantastic job keeping Bournemouth in the Premier League.
But he was walking into a house on fire at Wolves, and he surely should have struggled.
But O’Neil has been magnificent so far, showcasing top tactics and getting the most out of a group of players Lopetegui seemingly didn’t deem good enough to push up the table. He has also been absolutely tremendous when it comes to his communication, whether it be in press conferences or in post-match interviews.
Wolves supporters have been so impressed with the job he’s done given the circumstances, and Merson is very much a part of the fan club too.
He said (Sportskeeda): “Gary O’Neil has been one of the managers of the season. For him to come to the club at the last moment and have the impact that he’s had is absolutely unreal.
“It also has to be said that Wolves would’ve been much higher up in the table if it wasn’t for a few dubious VAR calls, so he’s really enhanced his reputation this season.”
O’Neil exceeding expectations so far
Slowly but surely, O’Neil is now starting to get the plaudits he deserves for what he’s done at Molineux so far.
It is remarkable to see Wolves sitting in 11th place on 28 points, after Lopetegui walked out just days before the new season. It had to have hit the players very hard – indeed, Max Kilman admitted there was a real state of confusion at the time of his exit.
Futhermore, Wolves sold over £100 million worth of players in the summer in order to balance the books, so O’Neil’s work is even more impressive when you factor that in.
The 40-year-old has exceeded expectations so far and hopefully, he can continue to thrive. There will still be bumps in the road this season, but he absolutely deserves a solid level of backing through the tough times.