Wolves are currently 10 points clear of the relegation zone, but performance levels have definitely dipped a bit in recent weeks.
Wanderers are now in the middle of their Christmas schedule, which is definitely very hectic with the club only having 146 hours of recovery time across the next three games – only Chelsea have less recovery time.
You would think that it could mean O’Neil starts to think about rotation.
Hopefully, that’s something that will happen because there are some players who look as though they could do with a rest right now.
Matheus Cunha and Hwang Hee-chan have played a lot of football this season and both have been showing signs of fatigue in recent matches.
But it would also be good to see changes in midfield – and Tommy Doyle is a player who needs more of a chance…
Gary O’Neil needs to start playing Tommy Doyle more for Wolves
We know that Gary O’Neil has his favourites at Wolves.
The manager has shown so far that he doesn’t like to tinker too much when it comes to his starting XI, and it is largely the same players he picks.
But it feels like Tommy Doyle isn’t playing as much as he should – and now is a good time to bring him in.
Wolves have undoubtedly dropped their level in the last four Premier League games.
Yes, there was the win over Burnley. But even in that game, Wolves did not play well. In the games against Nottingham Forest and West Ham United, Wanderers were pretty poor.
Doyle didn’t get any minutes at all against Burnley or Forest, and only came on for the closing stages against West Ham.
Since joining from Manchester City on loan, Doyle – who Wolves can sign next year for £5 million – has only been handed two Premier League starts by O’Neil, with the manager much preferring Mario Lemina and Joao Gomes in midfield.
Lemina and Gomes are a great partnership, but they are a little similar in the sense that both a very good ball winners and fairly industrious.
In some matches recently, it’s felt like Wolves haven’t really had any incisiveness about them. There has been very little creativity.
Doyle – branded ‘outstanding’ recently by former Wolves winger Mark Kennedy – is a player who is all about getting on the ball in deep positions and making things happen. He loves to break the lines and has really good vision.
With Wolves not looking particularly good right now, it just seems like a good time to bring him into the side. If not against Chelsea on Christmas Eve, then surely he should play against Brentford and/or Everton.