Gary O’Neil is now really under pressure at Wolves, after failing to beat Crystal Palace on Saturday.
It was a game most fans felt was a must-win, considering Palace are just above Wolves in the table and were missing the likes of Eberechi Eze and Adam Wharton.
Wolves did take the lead. But once again, Wanderers failed to see out the game, with poor defending proving costly.
Wolves have taken just three points from their first 10 games which is alarming. But three Premier League clubs have managed to survive relegation previously with the same record.
Gary O’Neil was defiant after the draw with Palace, and obviously feels he can turn things around.
But we will see – certainly, if he does not beat Southampton this weekend then Fosun have a huge call to make.
As always, O’Neil’s teamsheet this weekend will be fascinating. But one player who the Wolves manager is seemingly losing faith in right now is Jean-Ricner Bellegarde.
Jean-Ricner Bellegarde has gone one month without a Premier League start for Wolves
Jean-Ricner Bellegarde started this season very much in favour at Wolves.
The Frenchman enjoyed a decent pre-season, spending some time playing in midfield while Joao Gomes was away.
Bellegarde started the first six games, and his highlight came in the third fixture as he scored a superb goal in the 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest.
| Bellegarde minutes in Wolves’ first six PL games | Bellegarde minutes in Wolves’ last four PL games |
| 394 | 41 |
But more recently, Bellegarde has rather faded into the shadows a bit.
He was on the bench again against Palace, which has been a familiar setting for him lately. Bellegarde has now gone one month (four games) without starting in the league for Wolves.
He also played no part against Brighton in the Carabao Cup back in September.
O’Neil suggested Bellegarde could be a Wolves regular
After a frustrating first season at Molineux due to injuries, fans had hoped that Bellegarde would really kick on in 2024/25.
He knows the English game now, having spent a year in the Premier League after his £12.8 million transfer to the club, and should be a bit more used to it.
O’Neil also felt there was potential for Bellegarde to become a regular player for Wolves. He said during pre-season regarding the star kicking on: “That was my chat with him in the summer, how excited I was with the season coming for him.
“When I was sat there in the room with him, I fully believed he could be a regular starter for us this year. He’s come back, his knee has still made him miss certain bits. But it’s getting better and he’ll play a substantial part against Palace. He’ll play from the start actually. And we’ll see how he does. He’s given himself a great chance at the minute to be in the starting XI at Arsenal, so we’ll see how he does.”
| Jean-Ricner Bellegarde for Wolves |
| Appearances – 36 |
| Minutes played – 1713 |
| Goals – 3 |
| Assists – 2 |
Regular minutes still haven’t yet come to pass for Bellegarde, with O’Neil looking like he’s losing faith in him.
Certainly, the Frenchman’s output has been disappointing, with just one goal and one assist to his name so far.
It can also be argued that Bellegarde has suffered as a result of the recent formation change. Playing with an additional defender means less opportunity for a midfielder or forward.