Wolves are in dire straits at the bottom of the Premier League, still winless after 10 matches and with just three points on the board. Gary O’Neil is under significant pressure at Molineux, despite having received backing following the dismal 5-3 loss to Brentford. With Fosun desperately hoping for a turnaround, the club may soon face a tough decision about whether to make a change. While many fans have turned on O’Neil, some in the media are taking a more measured approach, not as quick to panic despite the tough start to the 2024/25 season.
Gary Lineker remains confident that Wolves will avoid relegation, citing the quality of players at Molineux. Darren Bent echoed this sentiment, noting that Wolves have shown moments of “lovely football,” suggesting their current position could be misleading. Now, Micah Richards has weighed in on Wolves’ struggles after their winless start to the Premier League season, offering his own perspective on the situation at the club.
Micah Richards has revealed why he’d choose to coach Wolves despite their current struggles, pointing to the quality of players at Molineux and the potential for improvement. He believes that with the right guidance, Wolves can turn things around and avoid relegation. Richards suggested that the key to survival would be tightening up defensively while making the most of their attacking talent, offering a pathway for the club to recover from their winless start and climb up the Premier League table.
Wolves have had a brutally difficult fixture list to start the season, and it was always going to be a challenge for them to avoid a position near the bottom of the table. Given the tough opponents they’ve faced, it’s not entirely surprising that they find themselves struggling. However, with some adjustments and better results against teams in a similar position, there’s still hope for a turnaround and survival in the Premier League.
Many Wolves fans were hoping for more than just three points from their first 10 games, with few expecting the club to still be winless at this point. Wolves were discussed on the latest Rest Is Football podcast, where a listener asked Gary Lineker, Micah Richards, and Alan Shearer which team in the relegation zone they would most like to coach.
Richards expressed his choice, saying, “I’d go Wolves. I think they’ve got the better players. They’re just struggling for confidence at this moment in time. Although they had a late equalizer in the game before last.“
I think with Strand Larsen up front, and Cunha and Gomes and Ait-Nouri…” Richards highlighted the attacking talent at Wolves’ disposal, suggesting that with the right leadership, they could turn things around and avoid relegation.
When Alan Shearer asked if Micah Richards believed Wolves had the best chance of staying up among the current relegation-zone teams, Richards explained: “I just think they’ve got the best players. I don’t know if they’ve got the best chance. Just because you’ve got the best players, once the confidence drops it can be very difficult, can’t it?”
However, he remained optimistic, adding, “But I just think they’ve been in the Premier League a while, they’ve got a manager who’s looked like he’s really good tactically, although it’s not gone the way he would have liked over the past couple of weeks. If I was backing players, I would go with Wolves.”
Richards believes that despite recent struggles, the quality in the squad and the tactical abilities of manager Gary O’Neil give Wolves the edge over other teams fighting relegation.
The Wolves squad is undeniably filled with talent, yet they find themselves at the bottom of the Premier League table, four points adrift of safety. While the tough fixture list has certainly played a role in their struggles, it raises the question: could they have more points on the board if these talented players were guided by a different manager?
Good players need a good manager to unlock their potential and get the best out of them, especially when confidence is low. If Wolves had a more tactically astute or inspirational figure at the helm, they might have been able to navigate the early-season challenges more effectively and avoid such a dire position.
Gary O’Neil showed promise last season, doing well despite numerous challenges, which suggests he has the potential to be a good manager. However, this season has been much trickier, and while he’s faced tough circumstances, some of his decisions have been questionable, contributing to Wolves’ current position at the bottom of the Premier League.
O’Neil must take responsibility for the team’s struggles, but there’s still time to turn things around. A win against Southampton is crucial for his future at the club. Anything less could leave him fighting to keep his job, with the pressure mounting for a turnaround.