Nafisa“Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Gary O’Neil was left frustrated by his team’s defensive frailties after a humiliating 4-0 defeat to Everton at Goodison Park.
The match, a crucial relegation battle with both sides sitting precariously in 17th and 18th positions, saw Sean Dyche’s Everton capitalise on Wolves’ mistakes. Goals from Ashley Young and Orel Mangala in the first half were followed by two own goals from Craig Dawson after the break, securing a vital win for the Toffees.
All four goals came from set-pieces, with Dwight McNeil delivering pinpoint assists for three of them. The victory lifted Everton to 15th place, five points clear of Wolves.In his post-match press conference, O’Neil didn’t hold back in criticising his team’s inability to handle the basics. He said:“We can’t even get the wall in the right place. We weren’t able to cope with Everton’s physicality, long balls, balls in the box, just unable to cope. An awful lot of work to be done to give the group a better chance in games coming next. Try and find a way to give them more of a platform to have a chance.
As I’ve said a million times, the other stuff is irrelevant because we’re giving away so many goals from situations that are fairly basic.“Bournemouth are a pressing team, and we can’t cope with that, Everton are a physical team, and we didn’t cope with that. So, there’s an awful lot that we need to get into them to try and find a way to give this team more of a chance on a consistent basis.”Fan Frustration Boils OverThe Wolves faithful, who made the long journey to Goodison Park, voiced their anger throughout the game. Chants of “You don’t know what you’re doing” and “You’re getting sacked in the morning” rang out from the away end, reflecting growing discontent with O’Neil’s tenure.
Wolves have now won just two of their 14 Premier League matches this season, leaving them in a perilous position.Despite the jeers, O’Neil remained composed and acknowledged the supporters’ frustrations.“As we are right now, sat here this evening, a real tough blow for myself and the group and the supporters who deserve a big mention for the travel that they do, the support that they’ve given me since I’ve been here, and I understand all of their criticism of myself, and I’m happy to take full responsibility for my part in where the team is at this moment.”Wolves face a daunting challenge to turn their season around, with O’Neil under increasing pressure to deliver results.
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