Now that 2024 has begun, here are three things that Gary O’Neil needs to achieve by the end of the year.
Wolves ended 2023 on a massive high. Three successive victories against Chelsea, Brentford and Everton pushed O’Neil’s side up to 11th in the table, three points off the European spots.
Pedro Neto and Rayan Ait-Nouri also returned from the sidelines while in-form attacker Hwang Hee-Chan signed a new long-term contract at the club.
Optimism around Molineux was far higher than it was six months prior when multiple first-team players departed the club due to FFP issues. This included the departure of captain Ruben Neves as well as manager Julen Lopetegui.
However, with form now at a high, aspirations at Wolves have risen with it. The club has now entered 2024 and O’Neil needs to achieve these three things if he is to be successful this year.
Gary O’Neil needs a good FA Cup run
Realistically, Wolves will struggle to get European football this season. While the club only sit three points of Man United it would be tough for the club to sit seventh by the end of the season. With relegation fears all but over, a run in the cup would help put good use to their current form.
While Brentford away is a tough ask, Wolves have never lost are their new ground and smashed the Bees 4-1 only two games back.
The manager is certainly up for a run in the cup as well. O’Neil aimed to go far in the Carabao Cup before they went out to Ipswich.
Wolves have struggled to reach the latter stages of the FA Cup for the past few seasons. It is therefore well overdue for Wolves to look to go far.
With the club having little else to play for, progressing to the quarter-finals would be a good aim for the club.
Gary O’Neil needs to aim for a top-half finish
Wolves could easily finish in the top half this season. The club arguably should be there already due to VAR costing them multiple points earlier in the campaign.
Current form has seen the club catch up with their Premier League counterparts with many now only a few points clear of O’Neil’s side.
With the Brentford away win hopefully fixing the club’s away record and a kinder home fixture list in 2024, more points are certainly up for grabs.
Wolves have regularly been in the top half since their promotion back to the Premier League. The club have only failed twice in finishing in the top 10, when they finished 13th in the 2020/21 season and the 2022/23 season.
Getting back into this position would provide a good staging point to try and get back into the European places next season.
Wolves need to keep hold of Pedro Neto and Rayan Ait-Nouri
Both Neto and Ait-Nouri have been two of the stars of Wolves’ campaign so far.
Despite their injuries late in 2023, their influence so far this campaign has helped Wolves move up the table and far from the relegation zone.
Neto even had a good cameo against Everton from the bench in his first game back and could have had two goals.
The duo are still young as well. Neto is 23 years old while Ait-Nouri is 22. Together they could well be in the Wolves team for the next 10 years.
O’Neil needs to ensure over the next year that both of their futures are the club are secure. The duo has been linked away over the course of 2023 and a new contract could see these rumours finally come to an end for the time being.